By Amanda Lee Myers

Associated Press

CINCINNATI: A former Ohio hospital worker has filed a lawsuit after she was fired for refusing to get a flu shot because she’s vegan.

Sakile Chenzira was a longtime customer service representative at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. She was fired in December 2010 after refusing to get the shot because she doesn’t believe in consuming any animal products.

The flu vaccine contains a small amount of egg protein.

Chenzira filed a lawsuit against the hospital in 2011 alleging religious discrimination and seeking a minimum of $650,000. The case is now set for trial in July.

The hospital argues that veganism is not a religion.

Requiring employees to get a flu shot is standard at many hospitals because of their close contact with vulnerable patients, but the practice can be controversial.

Mel Todaro, whose Merriman Valley party center has catered everything from elaborate weddings to high-end political events, died Wednesday at age 84.

Mr. Todaro had kidney cancer that spread to his brain, his son Frank said Thursday. “He fought it for a long time. He was working up until two weeks ago,” Frank Todaro said.

Hard work was a source of pride for his father, he said, recalling his often-spoken line about work: “Come early, stay late.”

Todaro catered thousands of weddings, proms and political functions from the party center at 1820 Akron-Peninsula Road, Cuyahoga Falls, which Frank now operates.

“He was a self-made man. He was from poor means,” Frank Todaro said. “I think he grew bigger than what he ever intended to be.”

Mr. Todaro was raised on the east side of Cleveland. He was just 19 when he started working at Alesci’s Imported Foods in Cleveland, one of the first Italian markets to offer off-site catering for weddings and parties.

Four years later, in 1952, Mr. Todaro married the boss’s daughter, Mary Alesci, and continued to work for his father-in-law until 1959, when he purchased Vitarella’s Importing in Akron’s North Hill, changing the name to Todaro’s Imported Foods. Like his father-in-law, Mr. Todaro began to cultivate his catering business while importing Italian specialty foods.

In a June 2011 interview, Mr. Todaro recalled how the closing of the North Hill Viaduct in the 1970s cut off North Main Street and nearly killed his business, forcing him to look for another location. He had been noticing how church basements were falling out of favor with brides who wanted more elegant settings for their receptions, and broke ground for Todaro’s Party Center, which opened in 1976.

As well-known as Todaro’s is in the community, the round table in its back room is perhaps even more famous. Among the crates of pasta and cases of olive oil, Mr. Todaro would hold court at the table, using it as his office, personal party space and private dining table.

He liked to boast that when dignitaries visited, he would have them eat at his back room table so they could enjoy their meal outside of the spotlight and without security concerns.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta (when he was CIA chief) and former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland all have been guests at the table.

“If you were invited to the back table, you were special. When Panetta was there, Dad packed him up with all kinds of groceries that went back with him to Washington,” Frank Todaro said.

Raphael Vaccaro, owner of Bath Township restaurant Vaccaro’s Trattoria, recalled how Mr. Todaro and his late father Frank Vaccaro were longtime friends and part of the same Thursday night poker game.

Those who knew Mr. Todaro, he said, will miss most his sense of humor.

“He had so many bad jokes. Most of them were dirty. He’d come in on Fridays and he’d take 10 minutes to walk from the bar stool to the front door because he’d stop to tell five jokes to people on his way out,” Vaccaro said.

In his 2011 interview, Mr. Todaro summed up his life this way: “A lot of people have more money than me, a lot of people have more property than me, a lot of people have more investments than me. But nobody will eat better than me.”

Mr. Todaro is survived by his wife of 60 years Mary, four sons, nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Calling hours will be 2 to 8 p.m. Sunday and 4 to 8 p.m. Monday at Ciriello & Carr Memorial Home, 39 S. Miller Road, Fairlawn. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at St. Hilary Catholic Church in Fairlawn, with burial to follow in Holy Cross Cemetery in Akron.

Lisa Abraham can be reached at 330-996-3737 or at labraham@thebeaconjournal.com.

In tribute to her mother, Pauline Phillips, who founded the “Dear Abby” column in 1956, and who died yesterday at the age of 94, Jeanne Phillips has written this special letter to the readers of her column. — UNIVERSAL UCLICK

Dear Readers: My beloved mother, Pauline Phillips, has passed away peacefully at the age of 94. Over the last quarter century Alzheimer’s disease had stolen away bit by bit her remarkable intellect, but she battled her illness with courage and dignity. She was my best friend who can never be replaced.

As those of you who have read this column when my mother wrote it know, Mama had a deeply caring heart, a lively sense of humor and a deep devotion to all of you. She tried every day to educate, enlighten and entertain, and to inspire civility and respect for others in the many thousands of people who sought her advice.

Her days in the office were spent answering letters and calling people who were in distress. Over the years, her list of sources, friends and contacts grew into a Rolodex that was legendary. The demands on her time and travel were many, but she was a loving mother, loyal wife, a caring friend and wonderful role model.

Mama was born on July 4, 1918, to Russian immigrant parents and was the youngest of four daughters. She often said that until she was 12 she thought all the fireworks were for her and her identical twin sister, Esther (Eppie).

She always had an interest in and deep concern for other people. After her marriage to my father, Morton Phillips, she put that interest into action and became president of her local mental health society and trained Gray Ladies for the American Red Cross. She honed her skills as a writer by writing a letter to her parents every day and to her sister-in-law who had contracted polio and spent a year in an iron lung.

I would like to convey my heartfelt gratitude to my mother’s devoted, highly professional caregivers, Jane Ebertowski, Rachael Reisdorf and Erna Hoche, who were at her side 24/7 for the last 11 years. They are angels on earth and brilliant at what they do.

Please join me and offer a prayer for my mother. She had an amazing journey from Sioux City, Iowa, to shaking hands with U.S. presidents and British royalty. Ask that her spirit be surrounded by the souls of the many individuals whom she loved and who loved her. She has sat in God’s waiting room for so many years, and now may their souls be joined together. — JEANNE PHILLIPS, AKA GRIEVING IN MINNEAPOLIS

Getting a family organized requires more than a few well-chosen New Year’s resolutions. Increasingly, homeowners are carving out a physical space — anything from a single kitchen cabinet to an entire spare room — that can function as a family information center and workstation.

 In an effort to battle clutter and keep track of schedules, designer Brian Patrick Flynn helps clients kick the habit of spreading out items around their homes.

“These days, it’s pretty much a given that families use their kitchen islands, dining tables and/or coffee tables as prime real estate for laptops, school papers, iPhones and mail,” says Flynn, founder and editor of decordemon.com.

“When I’m designing entire homes, especially ones for young families, the first thing I focus on is locating a seldom-used corner, section or nook somewhere easily accessible to create a creative and organizational hub. This usually follows my tirade of, ‘No more using the dining table or breakfast nook as a clutter station!’ ”

Here, Flynn and two other interior designers offer tips on creating the perfect family headquarters to wrangle homework assignments, invitations, permission slips, calendars and more.

What do you need?

The key pieces are:

• A calendar (paper, digital or both) that the whole family can access.

• Accessible storage space for incoming mail, invitations and permission slips where things won’t get forgotten.

• A message board (dry-erase white boards and/or corkboards are popular) where family members can post and share information.

• A labeled bin or section of corkboard space assigned to each family member.

• A power strip for charging electronic devices, with shelf or desk space to keep those items while charging.

Ideally, the space will also include a work surface where kids can do homework and parents can handle tasks like filling out permission slips. Many families also include a laptop or desktop computer for homework or checking email. If you have a computer handy, you’re more likely to enter information digitally and eliminate paper clutter.

Where to put it?

Homes built in the past few years often come with what Flynn calls a “bonus room” with no designated purpose. These small, spare rooms work well as a family organization center, as do mudrooms.

 Atlanta-based designer Mallory Mathison has helped clients convert a pantry or small closet into an organizational hub. She suggests removing the doors to open up the space, then adding a deep shelf that can be used as a desktop. Tack fabric to the underside of the shelf and hem it just above the floor, creating hidden storage space and a place to tuck a bench or stool.

Shelves can be added to the wall above the desktop, along with a message board and calendar.

If you lack a spare room or closet, designer Cortney Novogratz suggests choosing one corner of your kitchen, since it’s a room the entire family uses daily. Novogratz, co-star of HGTV’s Home by Novogratz series, lives in Manhattan with her husband and seven children. She often works with clients who have limited space, so she advises them to use a single kitchen cabinet as their organizational hub.

Novogratz suggests lining the cabinet door with the calendar and corkboard or dry-erase board. Then add small bins on the cabinet shelves for each family member’s items. A small laptop can be kept inside the cabinet and taken out for use at the kitchen table.

For additional storage, she suggests buying a rolling cart with labeled drawers where each child in the family can keep things like pending work or art supplies. This can be wheeled around the kitchen or other rooms as needed. Novogratz says it helps kids stay organized and feel a sense of ownership over their work when they have a permanent space for it, even if it’s just a labeled drawer.

What furniture?

The costliest option is hiring a carpenter to install a built-in, custom workstation with a desktop, shelving and closed storage.

Flynn suggests a cheaper alternative: Buy two kitchen cabinets from a big-box home improvement store, and two pre-fab bookcases. Assemble the cabinets, then the bookcases and stack them directly on top of the base cabinets. Mount them to the wall and add some basic molding to the front edges, creating “the look of custom built-ins, but for only a few hundred bucks.”

To save even more, he suggests plundering the rest of your home in search of old furniture. “I recently took one hot mess of a bonus room, which was used for checking email, working on art projects and keeping kids’ artwork and files stored, then turned it into a colorful, designer-caliber multipurpose space using 100 percent leftover pieces from other rooms,” he says.

He placed two old dressers next to each other, using their surfaces as a place to collect mail and pending paperwork. He outfitted the dresser drawers with a hanging file system, then brought in an old table and chairs from a child’s playroom.

“You can make just about anything work together, as long as disparate pieces are united with the proper color story. In my case, I gathered white, brown, gray and blue pieces, then set them all against a fire-engine-red backdrop.”

Another option: If space is limited, Mathison suggests searching estate sales (or your own attic) for one large piece of furniture like a wooden secretary, which has a desktop and a mix of open and closed storage. Refinish it with several coats of glossy paint and, if necessary, drill holes in the back for power cords.

How will it work?

Even the best system won’t work unless you use it. Flynn says beautiful, bright colors can help draw you to your organizational space, and successful homework projects and tests can be posted alongside your kids’ artwork for added inspiration.

Plan the space carefully based on your needs — do older kids need extra space for doing homework? Are you juggling lots of appointments and need to make your calendar the centerpiece? Novogratz suggests hanging up a family calendar and business calendar together so you can mark things on both, and kids can see when you’ll be busy with work commitments.

If scheduling is key, post pending items like permission slips and invitations in a prominent spot or keep them in an in-box that you’ll check regularly.

Q: Mr. Clean Magic Erasers do a great job on my kitchen sink, but cleaning a sink like mine is not one of the uses specified in the product’s directions. It’s a white enameled cast iron sink from Kohler. Am I making a mistake using the Magic Eraser as a sink cleaner? If I am, can you suggest a good cleaner that will not take away the shine?

— Joan Stokes, Cuyahoga Falls

A: Procter & Gamble said the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser should not be used on an enameled cast iron sink because it can remove the glossy finish.

Kohler suggests cleaning the sink with Fantastik Antibacterial Heavy Duty All Purpose Cleaner, Formula 409 Antibacterial All-Purpose Cleaner, Green Works All-Purpose Cleaner, Nature’s Source All Purpose Cleaner or Soft Scrub Gel with Bleach. If a stubborn stain develops, the company recommends using abrasive cleaners sparingly.

Have a question about home maintenance, decorating or gardening? Akron Beacon Journal home writer Mary Beth Breckenridge will find answers for the queries that are chosen to appear in the paper. To submit a question, call her at 330-996-3756, or send email to mbrecken@thebeaconjournal.com. Be sure to include your full name, your town and your phone number or email address.

HGTV’s David Bromstad will make appearances today during the NARI Remodel Ohio Home Improvement Show at Cleveland’s I-X Center.

Bromstad, winner of HGTV’s first Design Star competition and host of the shows Color Splash, Color Splash: Miami and The White Room Challenge, will be onstage at noon, 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. He will sign autographs at the Sherwin-Williams booth after each appearance.

Other highlights of the home improvement show are a home designed for all ages, designer rooms, a pool and spa show and a custom doghouse auction.

The show is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. today and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at the I-X Center, off state Route 237 next to Cleveland Hopkins Airport.

Admission is $14. Children younger than 16 are admitted free. Parking is $8.

Information and a discount coupon are at www.remodelohio.org.

Seedlings, rain barrels

Tree seedlings, flower seeds and rain barrels are again being offered for sale by the Summit Soil and Water Conservation District.

Various seedling packets are available at prices ranging from $10 to $26. Annual and perennial seed mixes and bird and butterfly seed mixes are also available.

Rain barrels are $80 each and come with a spigot, overflow hose and sight gauge. A linking barrel for additional water storage can be purchased for $50 and comes with a hose to attach to the main barrel.

The barrels are 55-gallon blue plastic drums with removable lids.

Details and an order form are at www.summitswcd.org (click on “2013 Tree Seedling Sale”).

Trees must be ordered by March 29, or March 22 for bulk deciduous trees. They must be picked up between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. April 12 at the district office, 2525 State Road, Cuyahoga Falls.

Barrels ordered by March 29 will be available for pickup April 12. For orders placed after March 29, barrels will be available for pickup about two weeks after the order is placed.

For more information, call 330-929-2871, ext. 16.

Horticulture grants

Grants for horticulture-related projects, programs or events are available from the Master Gardeners of Summit County.

Grants of up to $1,000 are available to qualifying nonprofit, educational and public organizations in Summit County. Projects must have an educational element to be considered.

Information and an application packet are at http://summitmastergardeners.org (click on “Grants” under the “Resources” tab).

Application deadline is Feb. 23.

For additional information, send email to mgscgrants@gmail.com.

Events, programs

• Recycled Bird Feeders, 1-3 p.m. today, Cleveland Botanical Garden, 11030 East Blvd. Families will use recycled materials to make bird feeders. Free with garden admission ($9.50; children ages 3-12, $4; members and younger children, free). 216-721-1600 or www.cbgarden.org.

• Knitting and Crocheting Circle meeting, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. today and Jan. 26, Highland Library, 4160 Ridge Road, Granger Township, Medina County. Call for supply list. 330-278-4271 or 330-239-2674.

• Gardeners of Greater Akron meeting, Monday evening, St. George Fellowship Centre, 3204 Ridgewood Road, Copley Township. Social hour starts at 5:30, dinner at 6:30. Program: Hydroponic Gardening. Cost: $13. Reservations: 330-336-6269. Information: 330-673-3553 or www.ohiogardeners.org.

• Knitting and Crocheting Circle meeting, 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday, Brunswick Library, 3649 Center Road. Registration: 330-273-4150.

• Warm Up Akron meetings, 3:30 and 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Mogadore Branch Library, 144 S. Cleveland Ave. Members knit and crochet rectangles that are used to make afghans for needy people in the Akron area, and they’ll teach others the skills. 330-699-3252 or http://warmupakron.webs.com.

• So You Want to Start a Community Garden?, 6:30-8 p.m. Wednesday, Akron-Summit County Public Library, 60 S. High St., Akron. Learn about basics and resources available. Presented by Summit Food Policy Coalition’s Neighborfood program, Let’s Grow Akron, Akron Community Foundation and Summit County Master Gardeners. Free. Information: sv0614@gmail.com.

• Yarncrafters meetings, 1-3 and 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Medina Library, 210 S. Broadway. Knitting and crocheting group. www.mcdl.info or 330-725-0588.

• Needlework Circle meeting, 6 p.m. Thursdays, Seville Library, North Center Street. 330-769-2852.

• Home furnishings floor sample sale, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 26, Ohio Design Centre, 23533 Mercantile Road, Beachwood (off Chagrin Boulevard, west of Interstate 271). Six showrooms open. $5 admission, which benefits Cleveland Furniture Bank. 216-831-1245 or www.ohiodesigncentre.com.

• Sustainability Symposium 2013, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 26, Cleveland Botanical Garden, 11030 East Blvd. Theme: adjusting to climate change and unpredictable weather patterns in Northeast Ohio. Keynote speaker: Scott Sheridan, Kent State University climatology professor. $50 for members, $60 for others. Registration: 216-721-1600, ext. 100, or www.cbgarden.org.

• Annuals and Tropical Plants for Summer Color in Your Landscape and Containers, 10-11:30 a.m. Jan. 26, Graf Growers Garden Center, 1015 White Pond Drive, Copley Township. Speaker: Brian Jorg of Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden. $12. Registration: 330-836-2727, or use the mail-in registration form at www.grafgrowers.com.

• Garden Club of Kent President’s Banquet, 6:30 p.m. Jan. 28, NEOMED Conference and Event Center, 4209 State Route 44, Rootstown Township. Program: awards and remembrances of members. $20; cash bar. Reservations: 330-673-1686.

Submit notices of classes, programs and events two weeks in advance to mbrecken@thebeaconjournal.com or Home and Garden News, Features Department, Akron Beacon Journal, P.O. Box 640, Akron, OH 44309-0640. Please include name and phone number. All events must be open to the public.

Mary Beth Breckenridge can be reached at 330-996-3756 or mbrecken@thebeaconjournal.com. You can also become a fan on Facebook at http://tinyurl.com/mbbreck, follow her on Twitter @MBBreckenridge and read her blog at www.ohio.com/blogs/mary-beth.

We all know that olive oil is good for you but it isn’t just good for cooking — it’s an eco-friendly ingredient that can be used to do all sorts of things around your home. Here are some favorite uses:

• As furniture polish: Mix two parts olive oil with one part vinegar for a powerful cleaner for finished wood pieces. Mix only what you need in a small bowl and use a soft rag to get wood glowing again. You can also substitute lemon juice instead of the vinegar to work as a furniture polish. In that case, apply the olive oil and lemon mixture and rub the area briskly with a soft rag or towel.

• On stainless steel: There’s no need for commercial chemical cleaners on stainless steel pieces in the kitchen when straight olive oil can get the shine you want without polluting the air inside your home. Use a rag to polish the appliances all over with olive oil and then wipe away any extra. Your stainless steel will look just as shiny as if you had used a commercial cleaner.

— Terri Bennett

DoYourPart.com

Aqueduck Products make it easier for children to use the bathroom sink without help from Mom or Dad.

The company makes a faucet extender that funnels water forward in the sink so little hands can reach the water. Its handle extender attaches to a handle of a double-handle faucet to enable kids to turn it. For safety reasons the handle extender is recommended for use only on the cold-water side.

The faucet extender comes in five colors and sells for $12.99 at www.peachyco.com. The handle extender is expected to be available this month for $19.99. Shipping is extra.

— Mary Beth Breckenridge

Want to try your hand at a new creative pursuit?

Craft: Techniques & Projects can get you started.

The book is a comprehensive guide to a variety of craft techniques, written by top crafters in their fields. The authors teach the basics of each craft through words and photos, and then offer a project to let you practice the techniques.

The crafts in the book are appropriate for beginners as well as seasoned crafters, and they don’t require a lot of specialized equipment. Included are textile crafts, paper crafts, jewelry, ceramics, glass, candles, soap and eco crafts.

Craft: Techniques & Projects is published by DK Publishing and is priced at $40 in hardcover.

— Mary Beth Breckenridge

Luxury vinyl flooring? Really?

Yes — but these products definitely are not the shiny orange sheet that covered your mom’s kitchen floor, or the old peel-and-stick school hall tiles your dad plopped down in the foyer. Modern luxury vinyl is a broad category that includes wood- and stone-look products with colors and textures good enough to fool the eye.

It’s a category that’s growing rapidly. Earlier this year, the industry website Floor Daily called it the most dynamic category. Sales of luxury vinyl hit $500 million last year — up 13 percent, Floor Daily reported.

For those who don’t choose carpet, hardwood or hard tile, luxury vinyl — instead of laminate — is likely to be the favorite option.

Flooring pros say they’ve seen the trend in their showrooms.

“In the past year, it’s like it’s a hot item,” said Jennifer Fallon, owner of the Floor Gallery of Lake Norman in Mooresville, N.C. She sells slightly more of the tile-look luxury vinyl, but wood styles are not far behind.

At Hughes Flooring in Charlotte, N.C., Rodney Hughes reports the same. “It’s taking off,” he said. “[Floor companies] are putting a lot of marketing money into it … and we’re starting to see that.”

If you visit your favorite home center or floors website, you’ll find lots of options. Online you’ll find discussions of the best products and techniques.

There’s even a shorthand: LVT for luxury vinyl tile, and LVP for luxury vinyl plank.

These are products you can install yourself if you’re reasonably handy. Some products click together for ease of installation.

If you have the top products installed by a pro, though, you can pay about as much for luxury vinyl as for some standard hardwood or ceramic tile. Say, $8 to $10 a square foot installed, Fallon estimated. Hughes said simply: “This is not a price-point product.”

So, if not for price, why choose luxury vinyl?

Again, the appearance is one reason. The tile-look products can be grouted, to make it look more like ceramic or stone. The wood-look planks feature rich colors and textures. Hughes said that the technology responsible for such looks is helping to drive the popularity.

It’s softer under foot than tile, and stands up to spills and large pets better than hardwood, Fallon said. Hughes said one huge advantage for luxury vinyl is that it isn’t damaged by moisture. “You can soak it in the bathtub and it won’t swell or buckle,” he said. “There’s no wood inside.”

Hughes still likes the high-end laminates, but manufacturers have never been able to fully eliminate that distinctive — and sometimes objectionable — clicking sound when it’s walked on.

Luxury vinyl has a couple of advantages for remodeling projects.

These floors can be glued down, or they can be “floated.” Individual tiles and planks can be clicked together and then installed without glue, to float on special underlayment. Floating floors can cover up minor imperfections in the subfloor during a renovation.

Luxury vinyl is thinner than hardwood, and thinner than stone or ceramic tile installed on the required underlayment. When remodeling, it’s easier to match a thinner product to the level of the surrounding existing floors.

Which leads to the one complaint Fallon and Hughes share about luxury vinyl.

There are few good-looking options for the edge, or transition, where luxury vinyl abuts another type of flooring or a floor that’s a slightly different level.

“They don’t make a transition,” Fallon said. “I sometimes have to use wood, and stain it to match. They make metal, like you’d use on an old vinyl floor. But it doesn’t look good.”

“They definitely need to make better trim pieces,” Hughes agreed. “It’s just less attractive with metal.”

Want to see examples of modern luxury vinyl? Visit the websites of top manufacturers, or look for portfolios on social sites such as Pinterest or Facebook.

Armstrong calls its popular luxury vinyl line Alterna; tiles and planks are available in a variety of sizes: www.armstrong.com.

Mannington’s Adura line includes variable-width planks, a popular improvement according to area flooring pros: www.mannington.com.

Congoleum’s DuraCeramic tiles, like other luxury vinyl products, can be installed with or without the special grout: www.congoleum.com.

The Beacon Journal will make your Saturday special beginning Feb. 2 with the introduction of a new section.

The new Saturday section will have stories focused on the first day of the weekend. The section will cover everything from entertainment to pets to music to lifestyle.

There will be some familiar features along with some new ones.

The familiar:

• Pet stories by Kathy Antoniotti.

• The HeldenFiles column by pop culture reporter Rich Heldenfels.

• Movie and entertainment coverage.

The new:

• Lifestyle stories for your Saturday.

• Answers to your questions about pet behavior.

• Something to listen to over the weekend.

We also are going to bring two other sections together under one roof on Feb. 2.

The Saturday Home section will include the HomeHunter advertising guide to local real estate. This expanded section will put all things about homes in one place, from the award-winning reporting of Mary Beth Breckenridge to the essential advertising content on the local real estate market.

Look for the new Saturday section and expanded Home section on Feb. 2.

Papp’s Dog Services is at 881 Waterloo Road, Akron.

The next puppy training session begins the second week of February. Cost for the four-week class is $75.

Obedience classes are also available for older dogs as well as classes in rally and agility competition.

Call Papp’s at 330-867-9188 for more information or visit www.pappsdogservices.com.

If you’ve got your decor looking just about right but want that extra “wow” factor, consider painting interior doors.

“Address other main features in the room first, and then if something is still missing, painting the door provides that ‘Aha’ moment,” says Natalie Myers, principal designer with Veneer Designs in Los Angeles. “It changes everything.”

Painting a doorway is easy and inexpensive, depending on your preferred paint and supplies. It’s a low-commitment project, since you can simply repaint if you don’t like the outcome. And you can customize the color and design to any decor.

“The true trend is that homeowners are becoming much more confident in using color,” says Colleen Maiura with Lowe’s Home Improvement stores. “When combined with the desire to personalize the space, homeowners are experimenting with whatever color makes them happy.”

What are designers seeing most on interior doors?

Interesting colors, especially teal blues and nature-inspired greens, with yellows and pastels for a more playful look in warmer climes and vacation homes. For the less adventurous who still want a bold statement, it’s classic colors such as black, charcoal, chocolate and navy.

Before you coat your entire door, test a small spot to make sure you like the color. Many interior designers will do a color consultation for a small fee. Or if that’s not in your budget, Myers suggests searching for inspiration at sites such as Houzz.com and DesignSponge.com, where designers feature their projects, or at Pinterest.com, where do-it-yourselfers post their own interior door transformations.

You can also find inspiration at ApartmentTherapy.com, where founder Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan and his team offer design tips.

Gillingham-Ryan recommends choosing a gloss finish, not matte, of whatever hue you choose for your interior door.

“Think classic, European, oil-based paints,” he says, and urges investing in a quality paint. “Higher amounts of pigments and more body make fewer coats needed and a smoother finish. Since you don’t need a large amount, the investment in quality paint is worthwhile and a reasonable splurge.”

Transforming your door can increase the impact of any architectural details in the room.

It “helps to define the space visually while adding personality, color and, in the case of [a glassy] finish, texture and light reflection,” explains Gillingham-Ryan.

If you want the door to blend into the look of the room, choose colors that complement your wall shades, experts say. Pick an accent color or something bold if you want the door to pop out as its own statement.

Painting the trim the same color as the door or walls, or an entirely different color, can also add dimension.

“I have seen people follow the geometric trend right now and paint two shades of the same color on the diagonal on one door face. That’s pretty adventurous,” says Myers. “Otherwise, it’s safe yet just as dramatic to paint a solid color on the door and contrasting color on the trim.”

Once you’ve decided on your color palette and finish, it’s time to get down to painting. Experts suggest setting aside at least a couple of hours; plan to apply at least two coats for rich, full coverage.

It’s usually best to take the door off and remove the hinges and other hardware before painting. However, if you’ve got a steady hand, you can use brushes and small rollers to carefully apply paint to a hanging door.

At ValsparPaint.com, experts recommend starting with the edges. Then, for flat doors, start by rolling paint on the top half of the door and work your way down. Use light pressure strokes with the roller to smooth out the paint. Let the first application dry, then follow the same process with the second coat of color.

For paneled doors, start from the top applying paint to the panels first, then to other areas of the door. Foam brushes and small rollers can be helpful in smoothing paint in tight spots and deep panels.

In just part of an afternoon, you can change the feel of your interior space.

“I always say painting your walls is the cheapest and lowest-commitment way to transform the room,” says Myers. “The door is an even quicker way to achieve a big change with color.”

The first night of a puppy class can be hectic as excited little ones age 8 weeks to 4 months begin to learn acceptable behavior and how to properly socialize with other dogs.

But for two 10-week-old Akron pups, it was a night of rediscovering the kinship of being littermates.

The owners of two Labrador retriever-mix pups were shocked at the resemblance of the two canines when they arrived at Papp’s Dog Services in Akron last week for their first puppy class.

“They have to be brother and sister,” remarked Papp’s owner Susan Jenkins, who has more than 30 years of experience in animal obedience training.

After a little sleuthing, pet parents Naomi and James Bryant and Pat Doane all of Akron, realized that little Maxx and Roxie came from the same Barberton home within the last month.

The other remarkable thing is that both sets of owners realized their puppies needed a few training sessions to learn how to behave.

While getting some “grown-up” help from Jenkins’ dog Caleb, who has been ranked one of the top obedience Labrador retrievers in the nation, instructor Jennifer Durst of Akron began the class by talking to owners about what is considered acceptable behaviors and what they could expect to learn in the four-week, hour-long sessions.

“Supervision is the key,” Durst told them. When not supervised, puppies should be in a totally empty crate to prevent them from choking on toys, blankets or chew strips.

“Treats are an earned privilege,” said Jenkins. Toys should be given only while the puppy is supervised to make sure it can’t break off pieces of rubber or fabric, she said.

During the first class, puppies and their owners focused on behavior issues they are dealing with, such as housebreaking and biting, a puppy’s way of communicating. The joyful pups were having a great time and had no idea they were actually absorbing new lessons.

Most owners in the class said they were having issues with housebreaking their pups.

“If you are supervising your puppy properly, you will pick up on the signals when they need a potty break,” Durst said.

Durst, who is known in Northeast Ohio animal rescue circles as a member of Cuyahoga County’s Public Animal Welfare Society, explained that getting angry or frustrated with a misbehaving puppy is counterproductive and doesn’t work.

“One of our goals here is to make your puppy comfortable in any situation and help you learn to be comfortable, too,” Durst said.

The four-week course curriculum is geared to helping owners raise the ideal pet. Jenkins has worked with veterinarians, vet assistants, groomers and therapy dog testers for the Delta Society, the largest national group that certifies therapy dogs in the U.S., to develop her curriculum.

Jenkins insists puppies begin learning limited recall — to come when called each and every time they are called.

“In my opinion, [it is] one of the most important things you can teach a dog,” Jenkins said.

It wasn’t long into the session that Durst and Jenkins thought it was time for the puppies to take a break from the classroom and expend some pent-up energy by introducing them to a strange new game of walking through a tunnel. Starting with encouragement from their owners and a treat waiting at the end of the opening, some of the pups were chasing each other through the tunnel on their own by the end of the class.

Throughout each session, puppies will continue to learn how to get along with each other as well as the manners they need to keep their families happy.

Dogs who get a good foundation with early training stand a better chance of a good life. Trained dogs are more welcome in homes and don’t end up abandoned in a shelter for bad behavior, Jenkins said.

“I’ve gotten a 5-year-old shepherd that was a biter that would probably never have gotten to that point if they had brought him to me sooner,” Jenkins said.

“It’s much more difficult to recondition that behavior after an animal has been doing it for a long time,” she said.

Other pets from the news:

• Feral Cat Seminar — One of a Kind Pet Rescue is sponsoring a workshop on the humane control of feral cat populations. Trap-Neuter-Return: How to Manage a Feral Cat Colony is 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jan. 26 at the agency’s adoption center, 1929 W. Market St., Akron. Toby Franks from Franks Ferals will lead the program. Registration is not required to attend and there is no charge for the workshop. Donations to the One of a Kind Feral Cat Fund are appreciated. Call 330-865-6200 for more information.

• Feed Nature Realm Creatures — Join Naturalist Renell Simrau in preparing food and feeding an American toad and garter snake at the F.A. Seiberling Nature Realm, 1828 Smith Road, Akron, at noon Jan. 27 and the tiger salamander and brown snake on Feb. 10. The events are appropriate for families with children ages 5 and older. The free classes last about 45 minutes. Registration is required by calling 330-865-8065.

• 137th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show — More than 3,200 dogs representing 187 breeds will compete in the televised show from Madison Square Garden at 8 p.m. Feb. 11 on CNBC and 8 p.m. Feb. 12 on USA Network.

• Fairytales & Frogs — Cleveland Metoparks Zoo, 3900 Wildlife Way, will sponsor the event to be held in the RainForest from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 18. The event is free with admission to the zoo with a paid adult admission, and limited to children 11 and younger. Everyone is encouraged to come dressed as a princess, prince or a frog.

• Animal nutrition clinic — Learn about feed products and animal nutrition at 7 p.m. Feb. 28 at the Community Center at the Medina County Fairgrounds sponsored by Smith Brothers Inc. To attend, RSVP to jennifer@smithbrosmulch.com.

Kathy Antoniotti writes about pets for the Akron Beacon Journal. She is unable to help locate, place or provide medical attention for an individual animal. If you have an idea or question about pets, write her at the Beacon Journal, P.O. Box 640, Akron, OH 44309-0640; call 330-996-3565; or send an email to kantoniotti@thebeaconjournal.com.

Winters in Ohio sometimes seem harsh to plant-loving garden and landscape enthusiasts, with biting winds, often gray skies, and the occasional snow covering the grounds-eye view of the plantscape. Our green imagination is sometimes hard to channel.

A few walks in the last two weeks, though, reminded me that there is much to enjoy. Consider the American beech with its pointy buds and remnants of last year’s beechnuts still visible, wonderful to see, even highlighted against a barren winter sky. Summery beaches are still far away, but wintry beeches? You do not have to go far to see trees such as these: Johnson Woods Nature Preserve near Orrville, Seiberling Naturealm in the Metro Parks near Akron, or even the rest area between Delaware and Columbus on Route 71.

American beeches also have “marcescent” leaves; like many oaks, some of last season’s leaves remain until spring, golden and sylvan foliar reminders of seasons past.

Of course there are other leaves of great attraction now too, that of evergreen plants. These include broadleaved evergreens such as American holly and rhododendron, and rhododendron even has fat flower buds now that foretell spring color displays.

Most prominent, of course, are our narrow-leaved evergreen conifers, from pines with their needles bundled in twos, threes and fives, and spruces with single needles that are square or three-edged, to hemlocks and firs with their flat needles and lines of gas-exchange stomates on the needle undersides. These evergreens also sport brown cones to contrast with their green foliage.

Blue spruces right now add a special wintry look with their foliage giving a deep-freeze blue-ice look to the landscape. One of my favorite spruces, though, is oriental spruce with its tiny green needles and narrow cones growing in clusters on the branches.

There are flowers too, of course, though it seems hard to imagine this time of year. While in Columbus this past week, cold-loving pansies were doing quite well, and the winter witch-hazel bloom season is now under way. For witch hazel their ribbon-like flower petals will crinkle up and then expand depending on the temperatures for the next several months.

And, at Secrest Arboretum this past week, our old lawncare fellow traveler, dandelion, reared its sunny golden flowerheads. Also in the Arboretum was a combination living outdoors arrangement of two intertwined plants, with pieris flower buds for springtime to come, matched with the brown dried flowers of hydrangea from summer and fall.

Finally, do not forget winter fruits. My bright red winterberry holly fruits have finally all been harvested by the birds, but we still have a few remaining sprigs on arrangements in the house. Winterberry hollies (Ilex verticillata) also provide our plant selection lesson for the day, something to contemplate as we wait for spring and consider our plant purchases to enhance the landscape.

Many know that in order to have fall and winter fruits for these hollies, you need both male and female winterberry hollies in your landscape. That is because winterberry, as with most hollies, are “dioecious” (two houses), bearing male and female flowers on separate plants.

But will any male and female combination result in fruit? Not exactly. For example, a good plant selection decision for winterberry hollies is a planting with ‘Jim Dandy’ males to be matched with ‘Red Sprite’ female cultivars. These two hollies flower at the same time. The pollen is produced and disseminated by insects at the same time that the ‘Red Sprite’ winterberry hollies have stigmas that are receptive to pollen. These two cultivars are in sync, pollination and fertilization is successful and fruit development occurs.

‘Jim Dandy’ is a good male for pollination of northern provenance winterberries such as ‘Red Sprite’ and ‘Afterglow.’ But ‘Jim Dandy’ is not synchronized with southern provenance winterberries such as ‘Sparkleberry’ and ‘Winter Gold.’ For these, the male cultivar ‘Southern Gentleman’ is more in synchrony, producing pollen at the right time.

So plant selection decisions are critical on many levels. Winterberry holly is good for wet sites. Its main ornamental appeal, though, is its colorful fall and winter fruits, and to have fruits you need both male and female cultivars, but not just any combination of male and female cultivars. Now that’s horticulture!

Jim Chatfield is a horticultural educator with Ohio State University Extension. If you have questions about caring for your garden, write: Jim Chatfield, Plant Lovers’ Almanac, Ohio State University Extension, 1680 Madison Ave., Wooster, OH 44691. Send email to chatfield.1@cfaes.osu.edu or call 330-466-0270. Please include your phone number if you write.

When Julie Harris battled breast cancer several years ago, she relied on fellow nurse practitioners to serve as her personal advocates.

Harris, a Norton resident, asked her colleagues to accompany her to procedures and doctors’ appointments so they could provide support, ask questions and serve as another pair of ears during the emotional time.

“I knew I wouldn’t be able to remember half of what I heard,” she said. “I wanted someone with me who could make sure I was getting what I needed. To have that kind of support, it was tremendous.”

Harris and her sister Bonnie Pepperney of Akron have served a similar role for another sister, who has a chronic, degenerative nervous system disorder that requires around-the-clock care.

Through their work as nurses and their personal experiences, the sisters often wondered: “How would anybody get through this who do didn’t have a [medical] background?”

Now the two are turning their combined 60 years in the nursing field and their knowledge from helping friends and family into a new business.

Harris and Pepperney launched a health-care advocacy consulting firm known as Health Assist Specialists LLC this month to help patients and their families navigate the complexities of modern health care.

Consumers can hire them to compile a patient history, go with them to doctors’ appointments, research options for services, assist with insurance questions, help with decision-making and provide other advocacy services, the sisters said.

“I really want to know what’s going on with the person,” Harris said.

Harris, 53, retired about two years ago after working as a nurse practitioner for 25 years in neonatal intensive care units in the Cleveland area.

Pepperney, 61, has experience working in a pediatric hospital as a licensed practical nurse and now works in a dermatology practice.

Both sisters said they’ve seen firsthand the need for patient advocacy.

In the office setting, for example, elderly couples often struggle to help each other understand their medical care, Pepperney said.

Though the services are available for patients of all ages in all circumstances, Harris said they see a large potential market among elderly patients, who “have more of an issue navigating the system.” Adult children also could benefit from the help coordinating care for their parents.

Clients fill out forms permitting their advocate with Health Assist Specialists to have access to their personal health information, Harris said. The advocate also can share summary reports after appointments with adult children or others the client has designated.

The patient advocacy industry is still in its infancy, with most ventures starting within the past five years, according to Elisabeth Russell, president of the National Association of Healthcare Advocacy Consultants.

Russell founded a full-service patient advocacy firm in Virginia called Patient Navigator after her own experience with her young daughter’s cancer battle. She joined with other patient advocacy consultants to help start the national association four years ago “to set standards for this emerging profession and best practices,” she said.

“It really comes about as people with chronic or acute or new diagnoses get thrown into this universe of medical care that they may be unfamiliar with and have trouble navigating,” Russell said. “The system is so fractured and inefficient, it’s not the kind of thing you want to learn on the job as you’re trying to figure out what cancer treatment to get.”

The nonprofit industry group has about 200 members, who all agree to abide by a code of ethics. Health Assist Specialists is one of only two members in Ohio.

Rates vary by region, but patient advocacy firms nationwide typically charge between $60 to $250 per hour for their services, Russell said.

Clients pay out of pocket for health-care advocacy services, which aren’t covered by insurance, Russell said.

“We don’t work for the insurance company,” she said. “We work only for the patient and the family to help them find their way through a complicated system, overcome obstacles, find the right care, become well-informed and become educated on their disease.”

Health Assist Specialists is charging $40 to $50 per hour for many of its services through an initial package.

“Since it is out of pocket, we want people to be able to afford it,” Harris said.

The sisters are trying to get the word out about their services by attending health fairs and distributing information to area primary-care practices and large companies, who they said could benefit by linking workers up with the service to help with their aging parents.

As the business takes off, they plan to hire other nurses to work with clients.

The field doesn’t have any licensing requirements on a state or federal level, but Russell said she expects the industry “is moving in that direction.” Several universities and programs across the country also are starting to offer classes and certification programs.

Russell recommends that consumers interview potential health-care advocates and ask for references before hiring a consultant.

For more information about Health Assist Specialists, visit www.healthassistspecialists.com.

Cheryl Powell can be reached at 330-996-3902 or cpowell@thebeaconjournal.com.

Four students from local Catholic high schools will share reflections on “Encountering God” during the First Friday Club of Greater Akron luncheon on Feb. 1 at the University of Akron’s Quaker Station, 135 S. Broadway.

Anthony Burns, a parishioner at St. Sebastian Parish in Akron, will represent Archbishop Hoban High School. The coed high school, located in Akron, is part of the Holy Cross tradition (www.hoban.org).

Katherine Caprez, also a member of St. Sebastian, will represent Our Lady of the Elms. The independent all-girls high school is rooted in the Dominican tradition (www.theelms.org).

Gregory Rybka, another St. Sebastian parishioner, will represent St. Vincent-St. Mary High School. The coed school was formed in 1973 when the two oldest Catholic schools in Akron merged (www.stvm.org).

Julie Grace, a parishioner at St. Francis Xavier Parish in Medina, will represent Walsh Jesuit. The coed Jesuit high school is located in Cuyahoga Falls (www.walshjesuit.org).

The First Friday Club is a Catholic organization that strives to bring the best Catholic thinkers, teachers and leaders to the Akron area on a monthly basis to share insight on issues that impact church, family and work and community life.

Cost of the luncheon is $15 per person. Doors open at 11:15 a.m. The hourlong program begins at noon. Prepaid reservations can be made by sending a check to the First Friday Club of Greater Akron, 795 Russell Ave., Akron, Ohio 44307. For more information, call 330-535-7668 or go to www.firstfridayclubofgreaterakron.org.

In other religion news:

Events

Community Christian Church (Disciples) — 210 N. Main St., North Canton. 6 to 8 p.m. Friday. African Mission Clothing Drive and Dinner will be held. Dinner is free with donation of clean, used clothes or shoes, new children’s underwear or socks, or disposable or cloth diapers. The clothing will benefit the mission efforts of Northfield Methodist Church in Johannesburg, South Africa. The menu will include pulled pork, baked potatoes and chakalaka (a South African dish). Pie available for purchase. 330-499-5458.

Diocese of Youngstown — at St. Columba Cathedral, 154 W. Wood St., Youngstown. 10:30 a.m. Jan. 27. The Most Rev. George V. Murry, Bishop of Youngstown, will be principal celebrant and homilist for the 17th annual White Mass. A reception will follow in St. Columba Hall for members of the Lourdes Guild, an association of Catholic physicians and dentists. For brunch reservations, call 330-744-8451 ext. 289.

Full Gospel Tabernacle — 939 Utica Ave., Akron. 4 to 6 p.m. Jan. 26. Sunday School Open House. Classes for every age, from newborn to seniors. Refreshments provided. 330-794-9440.

Gospel Meets Symphony — at The O’Neil House, 1290 W. Exchange St., Akron. 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday. A Taste of Heaven fundraiser. Inspirational spirituals featuring sopranos Brenda L. Justice and Angeleina Valentine, tenor Lawrence B. Butler Jr., pianist Kenneth McCorvey and violinist Steve Ostrow. $25 per person. Valet parking available. Limited to 30 guests. For more information, call 330-535-8131.

Grace United Church of Christ — 13275 Cleveland Ave. NW, Lake Township. 4:30 to 7 p.m. Jan. 26. Swiss steak dinner in the Family Activity Center. Includes noodles and/or mashed potatoes and gravy, coleslaw or applesauce, green beans, rolls and desserts. Hot dogs available for children. Adults $8, ages 4-12 $4, ages 3 and under free. Carryout meals available. 330-699-3255.

Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church — 1225 Vernon Odom Blvd., Akron. 6 p.m. Monday. Celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on the holiday. Requesting participation of all choirs in formation of a citywide mass choir. Those that sing are asked to wear all black. Speaker will be the Rev. Steven E. Robinson from City of Deliverance Church of Lorain. 330-864-6635.

Kent United Church of Christ — 1400 E. Main St., Kent. 9 a.m. to noon today. Annual NCAA Prayer Breakfast will be held. $10 tickets available at the door. On Monday, the church will cooperate in a variety of volunteer projects with several community service partners. Anyone interested in participating may contact Christie Anderson at Kent Social Services, canderson@fcsohio.org. Also on Monday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., the church will host a letter-writing party in VanMeter Hall to send greetings to wounded military veterans. 330-673-9534.

Mogadore Christian Church — 106 S. Cleveland Ave., Mogadore. 5 to 7 p.m. today. Monthly Swiss steak dinner. Includes mashed potatoes, green beans, coleslaw, applesauce, rolls, beverage and dessert. Adults $8, ages 5-12 $4, ages 4 and under free. Carryout available. 330-628-3344.

Mount Calvary Baptist Church — 442 Bell St., Akron. Noon Monday. A citywide Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration will be observed. The Rev. William H. Curtis, pastor of Mount Ararat Baptist Church in Pittsburgh, will speak on A Prophetic Word for Perilous Times. 330-253-3711.

St. Anthony of Padua Elementary School — 80 E. York St., Akron. 10:30 a.m. Jan. 27. Open House to start Catholic Schools Week, immediately following 10:30 a.m. Mass. Grades K-5 offered. Visit the school and meet the teachers.

Second Baptist Church — 690 S. Main St., Akron. 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday. Martin Luther King Jr. Sunday Supper. An evening of dialogue patterned after the suppers Dr. King hosted during the height of the civil rights movement. Sponsored by Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., Zeta Theta Omega and Delta Pi chapters. Topics include home ownership, estate planning, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, Affordable Health Care Act and services for veterans. Free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served. 330-836-1161.

Second Baptist Church — 451 Bronson St., Medina. 4 p.m. Sunday. Annual Medina County Dr. Martin Luther King Commemoration Service. Keynote speaker is Candace Campbell Jackson, vice president and chief of staff at the University of Akron. A yearly scholarship is offered by the Medina Ministerial Association to a Medina High School student who best demonstrates the character of Dr. King. Money raised through sponsorships and a free-will offering during the service funds the scholarship. For more information, contact the Rev. Cornell Carter at 330-421-7160.

Solid Rock Fellowship Baptist Church — 1012 Kenmore Blvd., Akron. 7 p.m. Jan. 24-25 and 4 p.m. Jan. 27. Breakthrough Revival featuring Bishop Walter L. Humphrey of Oakland, Calif. 330-745-9012.

South Arlington United Methodist Church — 790 S. Arlington St., Akron. 11 a.m. to noon today. Stork’s Nest for expectant young mothers, hosted by the sisters of Zeta Phi Beta. Free baby clothes, prenatal education and refreshments. 330-724-1334.

Wintergreen Ledges Church of God — 1889 Vernon Odom Blvd., Akron. 5:30 to 7 p.m. Friday. Free, hot meal will be served. Also, free coats, hats and gloves available while supplies last. 330-753-3027.

Wooster Avenue Church of Christ — 1147 Vernon Odom Blvd., Akron. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 26. Snack lunch and clothing giveaway. First come, first served. All sizes available. 330-762-7301.

Performances

Kent United Church of Christ — 1400 E. Main St., Kent. 4 p.m. Sunday. An interfaith and multicultural concert celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King will feature The Brotherhood from United Church of Jesus Christ in Ravenna, Choralworks from Kent Roosevelt High School and the Kent African Drum Community. It will be followed by a dinner in 
VanMeter Hall. Free-will offering. 330-673-9534.

Liberty Missionary Baptist Church — 2806 Maco Drive, Norton. 10 a.m. Sunday. Called Out Quartet, a Southern gospel group from Tennessee, will perform during morning worship. There will be an old-fashioned “down home dinner on the ground” gathering about noon. 330-825-0277.

Springfield Baptist Church — 1920 Krumroy Road, Springfield Township. 7 p.m. Sunday. A Christian concert will feature Bob Legge. Free-will offering.

Speakers

Westminster Presbyterian Church — 1250 W. Exchange St., Akron. 5 p.m. Sunday. The second of four presentations, Nurturing the Next Generation, will be held. Includes the free third Sunday dinner, followed by the presenter, Dr. Joshua Magleby who will speak on Anger Management in Children and Adolescence: Breaking the Chain. Everyone welcome. 330-836-2226, ext. 100.

The deadline for Religion Notes is noon Tuesday. Items must be in writing. Please fax information to 330-996-3033, email it to religion@thebeaconjournal.com or send it to Religion, Akron Beacon Journal, 44 E. Exchange St., Akron OH 44309.

Akron Children’s Hospital has named a new top doctor to work with physicians and oversee quality and patient safety initiatives, recruitment, research, medical education and other key areas.

Dr. Robert S. McGregor joined Children’s this week in the new position of chief medical officer.

McGregor, 57, previously served as pediatrician-in-chief — the equivalent of chief medical officer — and interim chair of pediatrics at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia. He also was a professor of pediatrics at the Drexel University College of Medicine.

In his new role, McGregor reports directly to Akron Children’s Hospital President and Chief Executive William Considine and serves as a voting member of the hospital’s board of directors.

McGregor said he was attracted to the opportunity because his research showed him Children’s is “an incredible organization” and “rising star” that can be a dominant provider of pediatric health-care services.

“Having spent most of my medical education and medical career on the East Coast, I knew of Akron Children’s but I didn’t see the depth and quality that we have here,” he said.

As chief medical officer, McGregor said, he’ll serve as “a voice at the administrative table” for the hospital’s estimated 400 staff physicians as Children’s moves forward with strategic growth plans, quality and safety improvements and other initiatives.

Children’s decided to add the chief medical officer role to the senior executive staff to ensure strong relationships with the medical staff, board of directors, patient families and the community as the hospital continues to grow, Considine said. Children’s now provides services in 90 locations throughout eastern Ohio.

The new position also enables the hospital to shift some administrative oversight duties among its top executives as the institution gets larger, he said.

McGregor stood out as Children’s pursued a chief medical officer during a national search because of his experience with leadership roles at pediatric hospitals, Considine said.

“Having an M.D. who has a high degree of credibility, who’s highly respected, that complements the team we take out to share the Children’s story,” he said.

McGregor's salary wasn't disclosed.

Over the next several months, McGregor said, he plans to learn more about the culture and staff at Children’s, in part by taking shifts treating hospitalized patients on a limited basis.

“I think it is important for a physician leader,” McGregor said. “If I’m going to advocate or understand some of the physicians’ concerns, I think I really need to have some front-line exposure to the systems that are in place.”

McGregor earned his medical degree from Pennsylvania State University and completed his pediatric residency at the University of Pittsburgh’s Children’s Hospital. He also completed post-doctoral training at the Harvard School of Public Health in physician leadership development.

In addition to his role at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia, McGregor also previously worked at Pittsburgh Children’s Hospital and Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pa.

Medicine apparently is a family affair for McGregor.

McGregor’s wife of 32 years, Sharon, also is a pediatrician. The couple now resides in northern Summit County.

Their oldest daughter, Ali, 26, is finishing medical school and wants to become an obstetrician-gynecologist. Their younger daughter, Abby, 24, plans to pursue a degree in nursing.

Cheryl Powell can be reached at 330-996-3902 or cpowell@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow Powell on Twitter at twitter.com/abjcherylpowell.

Two major pet-food companies voluntarily are pulling products from store shelves after traces of antibiotics were found in them that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have not approved.

Nestlé Purina PetCare Co. announced last week it is withdrawing its Waggin’ Train and Canyon Creek Ranch brand dog treats until further notice.

Del Monte Foods said it is recalling its Milo’s Kitchen-
brand Chicken Jerky and Chicken Grillers home-style dog treats from retailer shelves nationally.

New York state’s Department of Agriculture notified the FDA and the companies that antibiotics had been found in several lots of the treats made in China.

The use of antibiotics to keep chickens healthy and disease-free while raising them is standard practice in poultry production for human and pet food, according to a notice of the recall from the FDA. However, the antibiotics found in the products were unapproved and should not be present in the final food product, the FDA said.

“The antibiotics are approved for use in poultry in China and other major countries but are not among those approved in the U.S. Antibiotics are commonly used globally, including in the United States, when raising animals fit for human consumption,” a notice on the Waggin’ Train and Canyon Creek Ranch website stated.

While Milo’s Kitchen has a comprehensive safety testing program in place for its products, the company did not test for all of the specific antibiotics found by the New York Department of Agriculture, the FDA notice said.

“While there is no known health risk, the presence of even trace amounts of these antibiotics does not meet our high quality standards. Therefore, today we decided to recall both products and asked retailers to remove the products from their shelves,” said Rob Leibowitz, the general manager of pet products at Del Monte Foods.

Last year, chicken jerky treats made in China were in the news when U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Avon Lake, warned owners of the dangers pets face when given the treats. He urged the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to recall them after a Westlake family lost a pet and another suffered kidney failure after consuming the same treats.

In November, however, the FDA said scientists had not been able to determine a definitive cause of reported dog illnesses and warned that many of the illnesses reported might have been the result of causes other than eating chicken jerky.

For product refund or more information about Purina products, call 800-982-0704 or go to www.waggintrain
brand.com. Consumers with questions about Milo’s Kitchen products can get further information at 877-228-6493.

Kathy Antoniotti can be reached at 330-996-3565 or kantoniotti@thebeaconjournal.com.

Isabelle George, matriarch of the George family that founded Bell Music and Akron’s iconic Tangier restaurant, died Tuesday at age 101.

Mrs. George was born Isabelle David in Massillon, the oldest daughter in a family of 13 children, born to Lebanese immigrant parents, Joseph and Marie David.

Her husband, Ed George Sr., was an orphan who came to Akron from Lebanon in 1929. He made his fortune founding Bell Music Co. and later the Tangier.

They married when she was 26 and had eight children, who survive her. Also surviving are 35 grandchildren and 64 great-grandchildren.

“The best thing about Mom was her devotion to family. That was her whole life,” said Sandy Boarman of Copley Township, the youngest of her children.

Boarman noted that three more great-grandchildren are on the way, which will push the number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren over 100. “What a beautiful tribute to her life; that was her pride and joy,” she said.

Mrs. George was 55 when she began working at the restaurant, after her own children were raised.

The Tangier’s first location on East Exchange Street opened in 1948 and burned down in 1958. It reopened at the current West Market Street location, and eventually expanded into a 2,000-seat restaurant and nightclub that became the crown jewel of the Akron dining scene in the 1970s.

In an August 2011 interview, just days before her 100th birthday, Mrs. George recalled how in 1966, on a day when the restaurant was particularly busy and her husband was shorthanded, he called and asked her to come down to help out.

She never left, starting a 35-year career at the Tangier that lasted until she retired in 2001 at age 90. Her son, Ed Jr., and several of his daughters now run the restaurant.

“Mom found a whole life outside of being the beautiful homemaker that she was,” Boarman said. “It added another dimension to her life.”

Her husband died in December 1976, but she remained at the restaurant, working in the office. During her tenure, Mrs. George hobnobbed with comedian Danny Thomas, President George H.W. Bush and exercise guru Richard Simmons.

Boarman said her mother would spend hours at the restaurant, and was daunted only by the new computers that arrived at the restaurant. “She had a hard time adjusting to that, but she was determined she was going to learn it,” she said.

Mrs. George was a devoted fan of Akron native Paige Palmer, whose exercise program was a fixture on Cleveland television and whom she also had the opportunity to meet at the Tangier.

“She was very healthy. She was on very few medications even in her old age. The doctors were always amazed at how healthy she was. Even at the hospice they told us, ‘You don’t live to be 101 unless you are one strong person,’ ” Boarman said.

Mrs. George died in hospice care early Tuesday morning. She had remained in her home until nine days prior to her passing. “We were determined to keep her home,” Boarman said.

In her August 2011 interview, Mrs. George attributed her long life to her years of exercise, a healthy Middle Eastern diet, hard work and her strong Catholic faith.

Boarman said she and her siblings have been reminiscing about their mother, and none of them could recall any funny stories about her. “We laughed, because she wasn’t that funny. She was all business, hard work and no play, although she did love to play cards, she played bridge every night and she was, when she was younger, one heck of a bowler,” Boarman said. “She loved to cook, she loved to clean, but at the end, she loved that restaurant and she loved to work.”

A Mass of Christian Burial will be 10 a.m. Friday at St. Vincent Catholic Church in Akron. Calling hours are 3 to 8 p.m. today at the Ciriello & Carr Funeral Home, 39 S. Miller Road, Fairlawn.

Lisa Abraham can be reached at 330-996-3737 or at labraham@thebeaconjournal.com.