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How to vote in 2024

By
Paula Wethington
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Lucas Zielinksi, with Turning Point USA, hands Amelia Mathkour, a music, business and tech major at Owens Community College, a pamphlet about voting registration. Zielinksi said he was on campus for the day to help students register to vote. (TFP Photo/Lori King)

Lucas County Board of Elections explains voting details, process

Toledo – With Election Day a month away, preparations are in full swing at the Lucas County Board of Elections office.

“We’re up and running and getting everything ready,” said Timothy Monaco, deputy director of the elections office. “It’s a wonderful time. It’s important to exercise your right to vote.”

Logistics that the staff and officers have been handling for weeks on behalf of Lucas County’s 303 voting precincts include preparing ballots, training precinct election officials, and getting early voting dates and times posted on their website.

Monaco said the most commonly asked question from voters during the past couple of weeks has been when absentee ballots will arrive in the mail. 

Here’s the answer: Ohio voters can look for the absentee ballots starting Oct. 8, which is one day after registration ends for the Nov. 5 election.

The Lucas County Board of Elections staff doesn’t give predictions on voter turnout, Monaco said. But, according to state election records, 67 percent of registered Lucas County voters participated in the 2020 presidential election, and 66 percent did so in the 2016 presidential election. This participation includes absentee voting, early in-person voting and traditional Election Day voting.

Those choices are meant to help all eligible voters participate, whether they prefer going in person to a local polling site or to cast a ballot before they travel out of town.

“It’s important to make your plan as to who you are going to vote for,” Monaco said. “Make sure you make a plan and know what is on your ballot.”

While the presidential campaign is the key race of the Nov. 5 election, there are also races in Lucas County for local judges and city officials. For those who want to see the list ahead of time, ballot proofs are available for review on the election board’s website.

“Ballots will be three pages for everyone and four pages for some,” Monaco said.

While some people remember how they wish to vote when going to the polls, others find it helpful to bring paper notes or refer to a list on their phone, Monaco said. “Some folks really come prepared,” he said.

“It’s also important to be respectful at the location,” he added, referring to an Ohio law that prohibits photos of marked ballots. “We do ask that you limit cell phone use at the ballot.”

Many other election details are explained at lucascountyohiovotes.gov.

Election calendar

Key dates for the November 5 election:

  • Military and overseas civilian voting: Started Sept. 20.
  • Voter registration deadline: 9 p.m. Oct. 7.
  • Early in-person voting season: Oct. 8.-Nov. 3.
  • Absentee ballot postmark deadline: Nov. 4.
  • Election Day: Nov. 5.

CAMPUS TALK

OWENS COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS SOUND OFF ABOUT VOTING

Question: How important is voting to you?

Oliver Odendahl
James Johnson
Nivant Dawson
Sydney Stanley
David Case III

Voting is not my main concern, but it is pretty important because it is the future of America and I would like to have a say in what is gonna be my future. I usually try to vote on voting day, if I can’t I’ll do the absentee ballot.

Oliver Odendahl | EMT Major | Tontogany Resident

I am not a registered voter. If I was to lie to you I’d say yes. But honestly, I don’t have enough time … it’s not really a main priority, even though it should be. I do plan on voting at some point, maybe when I’m in my adult phase. Even though I’m not a registered voter I do think voting is important because it basically determines the society and the rules and regulations we live by.

James Johnson | Broadcast Media Technology Major | Toledo Resident

I’d say voting is very important. There’s certain aspects of it that do feel sort of depressing, when you think about it, because a lot of people would say people voting normally wouldn’t matter because of a small majority in the Electoral College – their votes matter 100 times more than your own. That’s what it feels like at least from what I know. It does feel a little degrading knowing that’s going to happen.

Nivant Dawson | Business Major | Toledo Resident

I think voting is important, but I’m not exactly sure why it’s important. I mean, there’s a lot of things that come from it. You’re voting for someone that you’re putting your trust and you’re faith into to guide us all in the right direction, but we just all don’t know what that direction is yet. So, we’re just kind of free-balling it, in a way. So, I don’t know … I’ve never voted before but this will be interesting. I really don’t know what all is involved. I just have a lot to learn about voting – like what I should be looking for in the leader I’m going to be voting for. So, yeah, it’s coming up soon. There’s a lot to learn.

Sydney Stanley | Chemistry Major | Millbury Resident

Voting is very important, especially in this day and age, when everything’s going on.

David Chase III | Literature Major | Toledo Resident
Registration details

Ohio voters must be registered by 9 p.m. Oct. 7 to be eligible to vote in the Nov. 5 election.

Residents can register to vote, look up voter registration, change their address, find an early voting location, look up Election Day polling location or track an absentee ballot at VoteOhio.gov.

Photo ID requirement

Bring your photo ID when voting. The options are:

- Current Ohio driver’s license or State of Ohio ID card.

- Interim ID form issued by Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

- U.S. passport or U.S. passport card.

- U.S. military ID card, Ohio National Guard ID card or U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ID card.

A registered voter who has changed his or her name since the photo ID was issued will need to show proof of legal name change and sign a form. A photo ID card can show a former address if a current address is on file with the voting records. If you forget a photo ID, you can request a provisional ballot. 

How to vote absentee

An absentee ballot in Ohio needs to be requested, signed, dated and submitted for each election. Military personnel and civilian overseas voters can file one application for all elections happening in a given year.

The application asks for the number on your Ohio driver’s license or Ohio ID card, last four digits of your social security number, or a photocopy of other eligible ID such as a U.S. passport or military ID.

Mailed absentee ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 4 and can be hand delivered to the Board of Elections on Nov. 5.

Additional instructions are on the Ohio Secretary of State’s website.

In-person early voting

Ohio’s in-person early voting season begins Oct. 8 and ends Nov. 3. 

The Lucas County Early Vote Center is at 3737 W. Sylvania Ave. Suite 121 Entrance C (at the rear of the Lucas County Board of Elections building) in west Toledo.

Voting times and dates can be found at LucasCountyOhioVotes.gov.

Election Day voting

Polling sites are open in Ohio from 6:30-7:30 p.m. on Nov. 5. You can look up your polling location at VoteOhio.Gov.

What’s on the ballot?

A “ballot proof” is available for review on the Lucas County Board of Elections page. It lists candidates and ballot issues by precinct, so voters know what to expect.

For example: Six president/vice president candidate teams have declared in Ohio, with an additional write-in option available. Other candidate races include U.S. Senator, Lucas County Sheriff and openings on Toledo City Council.

Ohio Issue 1 is a proposed state constitutional amendment that has gained a lot of attention. This issue, if approved, would designate a redistricting commission to draw state legislative and congressional districts.

There are other issues locally, such as a proposed bond issue for the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library and a tax renewal request from the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority.

Are ballot “selfies” allowed?

Ohio does not permit photos to be taken of a marked ballot. It’s actually a fifth-degree felony should that take place, according to Ohio law.

The “I Voted” Sticker

A traditionally popular way to showcase voter participation is through an “I voted” sticker, picked up on Election Day at the polling site.

Ohio’s current “I Voted” sticker design was adopted in 2019 through a student art contest. A red squiggle depicts a map of Ohio, nestled in a blue circle outline, with the phrase “Ohio Voted.”

Voters are invited to download the image to share on social media at the Ohio Secretary of State website. That website also has also a “future voter” coloring page for children available for download.

Is campaigning allowed at election sites?

Ohio does not allow election campaigning, also known as electioneering, within 100 feet of a voting site. This means no campaigning messages on attire such as shirts or hats, Monaco said.

Two small United States flags are placed at each voting site to designate the “neutral” zone where this applies. 

Where is the Board of Elections office?

If you need to visit the Lucas County Board of Elections regarding a voting matter, that office moved about two years ago from its former location at One Government Center to 3737 W. Sylvania Road in West Toledo.

When are election numbers official?

Ballots cast on Election Day will be delivered in person to the Lucas County Board of Elections for the counting procedures.

There will be numbers reported after that count is complete. 

The Ohio Secretary of State does not consider voter counts to be official until two or three weeks later, after provisional ballots are accounted for and to give time for absentee ballots to arrive that met the postmark deadline.

Rocket Coach Ginny Boggess

By
Lori King
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0

On this episode of the Flyby Sports Podcast, host Max Alfonso sat down with Toledo Rockets women’s head coach Ginny Boggess in the Toledo Free Press podcast studio on April 1 to chat about all things Toledo women’s basketball.

During her first season as head coach of the Rockets, she led the ⁠Toledo Rockets⁠ to a 24-9 record and a berth into the WBIT Tournament against Minnesota.

“Within the humility and the toughness and the grit these kids have, there is a collective ego, a Toledo mindset, if you will, of our standard for excellence. It’s a rare blend that I’m extremely committed to continuing,” she said in the podcast.

Listen as Boggess talks about:

  • her time at Monmouth and other teams before coming to Toledo
  • the MAC championship and WBIT games played in March
  • the team’s rabid, educated fan base
  • the transfer portal, and how she predicts she will gain and not lose players
  • her seniors, especially Rossford native Sammi Mikonowicz, and the impact they had on the team
This interview took place three days before she signed a contract extension with the Rockets on April 4, continuing her reign in Toledo up until 2030.

New episodes of the The Flyby Sports Podcast drop every Saturday.

The Flyby Sports Podcast is a production of the⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Toledo Free Press⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Don Lee: Riding the Downslide

By
Don Lee
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Ohio’s (latest) Issue 2 will help fund local infrastructure projects

By
Signal Statewide
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(Ohio Statehouse image courtesy of Ohio Statehouse)
This story was originally published by Signal Statewide. Sign up for their free newsletters at SignalOhio.org/StateSignals. Statewide is a media partner of the Toledo Free Press.

By Andrew Tobias | Signal Statewide

Ohioans will vote soon on another Issue 2. 

But rather than legalizing marijuana, the 2025 Issue 2 has to do with something far less controversial. 

If voters approve this new Issue 2 on the May ballot, the state will be allowed to borrow billions of dollars over the next decade to fund local infrastructure projects. Think roads, bridges, water and sewer management systems — the nuts and bolts of local government. 

What exactly does Issue 2 do?

Issue 2 reauthorizes the State Capital Improvement Program, which has existed in various forms since voters first approved it in 1987. Voters have renewed it three times since then, most recently in 2014.

Under Issue 2, the state would be allowed to sell up to $2.5 billion in bonds, spread out over the next ten years. This is larger than the $1.875 billion that voters were asked to approve in the 2014 vote. State lawmakers who back the measure are asking for the larger amount because they say construction is more expensive than it was a decade ago.

If voters approve Issue 2, the state must pay back the bonds over a 30-year period, sort of like a mortgage loan. With interest, the total cost will be $3.84 billion, according to an estimate from the Legislative Service Commission, the state legislature’s nonpartisan research arm. 

If the measure fails, the state infrastructure program will lapse on July 1.

How did Issue 2 get on the ballot this year?

The Ohio constitution strictly limits the state’s ability to borrow money. So any borrowing program requires a constitutional amendment, which only can be approved through a statewide vote. 

The Ohio General Assembly voted in December to put Issue 2 on the May ballot.

When is the primary election?

The election is on May 6, although general early voting will begin on Tuesday, April 8.

The voter registration deadline for the election is Monday, April 7. Voters can register or update their registration online at the Ohio Secretary of State’s website. They also can do so in person at their local Board of Elections. Local government offices, like libraries, commonly have voter registration forms.

Click here for a full list of early voting locations and here for a list of voting hours. 

Issue 2 will appear on every ballot in the state. But some communities also will hold votes to decide things like municipal offices and local liquor options. 

The Ohio Public Works Commission, the state agency that administers the State Capital Improvement Program, keeps records of every project the program has funded.

From 2017 to 2024, the state spent more than $2 billion on more than 4,000 projects in communities around the state via grants and loans to local governments.

Didn’t we just vote on Issue 2?

Yes. In November 223, Ohioans approved an Issue 2, which legalized recreational marijuana in Ohio.

But Ohio is reusing the number for this vote. The measures aren’t related.

The measure has widespread support including Republican and Democratic elected officials, labor unions, business groups and regional planning groups, according to a supporters list compiled by the Yes on Issue 2 campaign.

Backers say the program helps fund crucial local government infrastructure programs. 

State Rep. Scott Oelslager, a North Canton Republican, said in a speech on the Ohio House floor in December the program is especially important for small communities.

“I’ve had examples where small township trustees have come up to me and said, ‘You know, there are some years where without this money, we’d have no money for road, bridges and sewer repairs,’” Oelslager said.

Here are the official arguments in favor of Issue 2, which are required as part of the state’s rules for ballot issues. They were written by a bipartisan group of four state lawmakers.

Who opposes it?

Issue 2 has no formal opposition. A few Republican legislators voted against placing it on the ballot in December but they didn’t explain their reasons.

The lack of official detractors left the job of writing legally required opposing arguments with state employees. 

The arguments take issue with the new borrowing amount being larger than the old one and the long repayment period. They also point out that the program requires state taxpayers to pay for projects they likely don’t benefit from. 

No, although the state would be obligated to pay the money back. The bonds the state would issue would be backed by the state’s general revenues, most of which come from state income and sales taxes. 

These debt payments will cost between $19 million and $192 million annually, although the exact amounts could change based on interest rates, according to the Legislative Service Commission. Paying the debt could come at the expense of other state priorities. 

(Andrew Tobias is the Statewide state government and politics reporter)

Signal Statewide is a nonprofit news organization covering government, education, health, economy and public safety.

Steven J Athanas: Haulin’ Oats

By
Steven J Athanas
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Local businesses brace for tariffs

By
David Yonke
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H.O.T. Graphics in Northwood, which serves corporate, creative and nonprofit clients, is facing higher costs for paper and aluminum plates due to the tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump. (Courtesy Photo/Greg Shapiro/Envelope Mart)

Higher costs of imported goods boosts expenses, prices

President Donald Trump called Wednesday, April 2, “Liberation Day,” claiming that the new tariffs he is imposing on imported goods will free the United States from its reliance on foreign products.

The tariffs, which are taxes charged on goods from other countries, are impacting businesses and consumers around the world and across the United States, raising prices on everything from automobiles and steel imports to paper products and groceries.

The goal, according to Trump, is to boost domestic manufacturing and cut down on the nation’s $1.2 trillion trade deficit by making it more expensive for firms to ship their products into the U.S.

On Feb. 10, the White House imposed a 25 percent tariff on all steel and aluminum products imported into this country.

Many foreign nations have been charging tariffs on imported U.S. products for decades, and Trump said he is setting “fair and reciprocal” tariffs on imports from about 60 countries starting April 9.

Trump’s plan, announced April 2 in a news conference in the White House Rose Garden, includes a 10 percent baseline tariff on goods from all countries effective April 12.

On March 26, Trump signed a proclamation imposing a 25 percent tariff on imported automobiles and auto parts.

The April 2 announcement included a 34 percent tariff on China, on top of a recently imposed 20 percent tariff on Chinese goods, effectively setting the total tariffs on Chinese products at 54 percent.

Trump had previously set 25 percent tariffs on all goods from Canada and Mexico, and those two U.S. neighbors were exempt from any further tariffs announced April 2.

Toledo-area firms have been watching and monitoring tariff news closely, hoping to gauge the impact on their businesses and their customers.

“I don’t think it will be catastrophic to our business, but it certainly would affect our margins and profitability,” said Greg Shapiro, a principal of two Northwood-based companies that are being impacted by tariffs.

Greg Shapiro.

One of them, Envelope Mart USA, manufactures and prints millions of envelopes every day and distributes them to high-volume mailers across the U.S.

Shapiro’s other business, H.O.T. Graphic Services, is a regional printing company that serves corporate, creative and nonprofit clients.

“The tariffs are a concern but it’s not something we’re losing sleep over at the moment,” Shapiro said.

Most of the paper his companies buy is made in the United States, he said, but one of their U.S. paper suppliers notified him that some raw materials used to make their paper comes from Canada, Mexico and China.

“We’ve dealt with disruptions for years, not so much because of tariffs but because of supply and demand, when paper mills shut down facilities,” Shapiro said.

Some of the big mills have transitioned from plants making paper to making corrugated cardboard because of all the growth in packaging with Amazon and other retailers. There have been times when we’ve been put on allocation for the amount of paper we can buy.

Greg Shapiro

In addition to raising the cost of paper, Shapiro said tariffs on aluminum are impacting his businesses because they use aluminum plates for printing.

“It’s not a major cost for printers, but it’s significant. I’m sure we spend well into six figures every year on printing plates.”

The ink and glue used by Envelope Mart USA and H.O.T. are manufactured in the United States and should not be affected by tariffs, he said.

One of Envelope Mart’s main paper suppliers notified its customers in March that it plans to add a surcharge once the tariffs go into effect.

“That would not be a good development for us because of the high volume of paper purchased,” Shapiro said. “It’s kind of out of our control, but we would be forced to pass the added costs on to new business, new contracts. For contracts that are already in effect, we probably will have to absorb some of those costs.”

Envelope Mart USA, based in Northwood, buys paper from U.S. companies that use components from Canada and Mexico.
(Courtesy Photo/Greg Shapiro/Envelope Mart)

Jerry Hidalgo, president of Maumee-based Metric Metal/Parker Steel, said the majority of the steel and aluminum they purchase comes from Europe.

Metric Metal, as reflected in its name, specializes in metric-sized metals and sells bars, tubes, plates and sheets of steel, aluminum, copper, brass and carbon to firms across the U.S. and around the world.

“We’re a small company that buys relatively small quantities of a lot of different items,” Hidalgo said. “We’re not the target of the tariffs, but we’re collateral damage.”

Hidalgo said his company has been dealing with tariffs since mid-February.

“Everything we sell is manufactured to millimeters, and the majority of our products come from Europe, where metric is the standard.

The tariff on aluminum was 10 percent, and now it’s 25 percent. If the tariffs impact us, it makes it more expensive for our customers, certainly. If we’re selling into Canada, the tariff has to be included in the cost.

Jerry Hidalgo

“The tariffs will make it more expensive for our customers. Like most businesses, when you get an increase in your expenses, it has to be passed along to the consumer,” Hidalgo noted.

Hidalgo said Metric Metal/Parker Steel focuses on customer satisfaction. For example, he said that phone calls to the firm are answered personally by sales people, not a voicemail system. And when a customer calls to place an order, 96 percent of the time the product is shipped that same day.

Hidalgo said the tariffs on imported metals could have a silver lining for the American steel industry.

“Domestic steel mills will be in a position to be able to raise their price because the price coming from outside of the U.S. is being raised,” he said. “Tariffs will create more room for the domestic mills to be able to raise prices.”

Will your business be impacted by the tariffs? Let us know. Contact us at editor@toledofreepress.com.

Jerry King: Free Garage Sale

By
Jerry King
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English Channel swimmer to take a dip in Maumee River for a cause

By
Dennis Bova
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Wamsley swimming in October 2024 from Pointe Bonita to Angel Island under the Golden Gate Bridge. (Courtesy photo by John Grunstad)

MAUMEE – Think of it as a two-for-one event and a healthy partnership. Partners for Clean Streams will have a kickoff meeting to train water quality monitor volunteers from 1-3 p.m. on April 19 in the Indianola Shelter at Farnsworth Metropark.

There will also be a special guest: A woman who is training to swim the English Channel, and she has a few things to say about the need for clean water and empowering women.

Amy Wamsley. (Courtesy Photo/Johnny Polansky)

Oh, yes, and that woman, Amy Wamsley, will take a dip in the Maumee River to punctuate her messages, including why swimming is healthy in more ways than one.

Wamsley, 49, is a business consultant from the Dayton area who has been training for months to do the iconic marathon swim from England to France, considered by some to be Mount Everest of water-based endurance feats.

“I first dreamed of swimming the English Channel when I was 12,” Wamsley said. “I came across a magazine article about swimmers who completed the challenge. At the time, I was a competitive swimmer, and I remember thinking, ‘If they can do it, so can I.’”

Wamsley set a goal of completing the swim by age 50. “My swim window closes just three days before my 50th birthday. This is my chance to fulfill that promise to my 12-year-old self.”

There’s more to it than plunging in the water. Wamsley registered with the agency overseeing the swims and was assigned a timeframe during the channel swim season. She leaves for England May 14 – her swim window is May 30 through June 10. She’ll be accompanied by a piloted boat with two friends on board for medical and overall support.

She said typically there are several swimmers making the crossing at a time, spread out in the channel. The swim takes about 15 hours to cover the roughly 21 miles.

Amy Wamsley swimming in October 2024 from Pointe Bonita to Angel Island under the Golden Gate Bridge. (Courtesy Photo/John Grunstad, a member of the South End Rowing Club.)

Why be in Northwest Ohio and connect with Partners for Clean Streams, based in Perrysburg? One of her goals of the channel swim is to raise awareness of the need for clean water.

“Clean water is essential, not only for swimmers, but for entire ecosystems,” she said. “Poor water quality can expose people to harmful bacteria, chemicals and pollutants, increasing the risk of infections and illness.”

Wamsley speaks from experience. On a training swim in what was thought to be clean water, she got a severe bacterial infection. She’s also seen trash and pollution in some swims.

“We drink this water. It’s what we’re swimming in, pulling fish out of,” she said, referencing the Maumee River’s famous Walleye Run.

To spread her message of water health, Wamsley has reached out to agencies connected to Ohio’s scenic rivers – of which the Maumee is one.

“Our organization built our mission around partnering with individuals and organizations who share similar missions,” said Kayla Kirkpatrick, Partners for Clean Streams program specialist. “When Amy came to us, she expressed her reasoning, which we were very excited to hear.

“We decided that our April 19 Water Quality Monitoring Training event would be a perfect way to tie in the two missions. We believe in having fishable, swimmable, drinkable waters. How could we say no?”

Amy Wamsley swimming in La Jolla, California in April 2024. Wamsley will guest speak at the Partners for Clean Streams meeting on April 19. (Courtesy Photo/Dan Simonelli, International Hall of Fame Inductee for Marathon Swimming Coaching and owner/founder of Open Water Swimming Academy in California. )

Kirkpatrick continued, “We felt that we could support each other’s mission by sharing our volunteer base to her efforts. In return, we felt that Amy’s swim would be a great way to spark the interest of people in our community to come join us, not just for the event itself, but continue to take part in the future.”

Wamsley addressed the health issue. “Swimming is one of the best full-body exercises, offering physical and mental health benefits. On a personal level, swimming has had a profound impact on my own health journey.”

There’s more to her undertaking than health and promoting clean water. “I don’t look like someone who’s going to swim the English Channel,” she said matter-of-factly.

“It doesn’t matter what our bodies look like. No matter how old we are, we can still try to [pursue dreams]. There’s a whole thing about women empowerment. We can still encourage each other to succeed in whatever it is that we want to succeed in.”

Wamsley added, “This past year has been one of the hardest of my life, and I truly believe that without swimming and a dedicated goal to work toward, it would have been much more difficult to navigate.”

Registration for the April 19 training is available here. 

Don Lee: Growing a Spine

By
Don Lee
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Toledo’s Human Relations Commission

By
Lori King
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0

On this episode of Behind the Byline, host Jaden Jefferson  has a conversation with Erin Baker, chair of the City of Toledo Human Relations Commission (HRC), and commissioner Caryn Maloney.

HRC was created in 2018 by the Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz administration, and has 11 appointed community members.

Maloney and Baker talk about:

  • the three active committees: Community of Neighborhoods, Social Justice and Youth Empowerment and Engagement
  • the break down of who serves on those committees and how they see the commission as a bridge to the community
  • how being an HRC volunteer is about passionate community members who care about advocacy and making sure the community’s voice is heard
  • Snow Angel Project
  • Human Library and it’s upcoming event in May
  • the challenges of this current climate, and how important it is that HRC volunteers are free to create spaces for people to feel welcome and connected through greater understanding
  • how to contribute and volunteer

Contact: HRC ⁠website⁠

New episodes of the Behind the Byline drop every Wednesday on the ⁠⁠Pod Station⁠⁠.

Behind the Byline is a production of the⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Toledo Free Press.⁠

Zac Brown headlines Glass City Live

By
Steven Bieber
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0

TOLEDO – Toledo Athletic and JAC have announced that the Zac Brown Band will headline JobsOhio’s Glass City Live at the Glass Bowl on Saturday, May 24. Dustin Lynch, Luke Grimes and Gaelic Storm will open the show.

The last major concert at the Glass Bowl occurred on July 1, 1994, when the Beach Boys and America came to town.

JAC Management Group LLC serves as the promoter and producer for the event. They are responsible for booking the bands, promoting the show and selecting the artists, in addition to managing the ticket pricing, marketing and all production details.

The first announcement of Glass City Live came on Oct. 26 at halftime during Toledo and Bowling Green’s Battle of I-75. It has been in the works for two years.

Ken Bigley, chief operating officer of JAC Management Group, said their relationships helped book the Zac Brown Band for the event.

“We’ve been promoters for over two decades. We promote throughout the midwest, in most of the United States,” Bigley said. “We have a very good name in the industry, and we’ve been doing it for a very long time. We operate in arenas and theaters, as well as promote.”

In reference to Brown, he said “he’s an iconic artist at this point, and we know he’s great to deal with and that people love to come and see him, so he’s a great act.”

Bigley also said that it was a great testament to the skills of his management group that the Zac Brown Band is set to perform in such a large venue that has not hosted a concert this size since 1994. The strong relationship with Brown played a role in the performer’s willingness to headline the show.

Bigley noted the challenges promoters go through to put on a concert, particularly in a city like Toledo.

“The initial challenge is looking through and making sure what people want to see, and going through the demographics and market information to make sure you pick the right act. Also, geographically, Toledo is in a spot where your proximity to Detroit, the proximity to Dayton, Cincinnati, Cleveland to the east; there’s a major throughway that helps as far as artists coming back,” Bigley explained.

“When you’re dealing with a show of this scale, there are some pretty large radius clauses. So if somebody’s playing within one of those major cities within a couple of hundred miles, it usually rules out or there’s usually a couple of hundred-mile radius on a lot.”

Ken Bigley, chief operating officer of JAC Management Group


Bigley added that the University of Toledo and the athletic department have helped pave the way for this concert.

While the Glass Bowl will host its first concert in over 30 years, the University of Michigan recently announced it will host Zach Bryan for the first concert ever performed at their football stadium. Bigley said that artists book places like Michigan because they may be chasing attendance records, while universities want to provide a better quality of life for their students. Another goal could be to do something that will have a large economic impact on smaller businesses, restaurants and bars in the city.

At the press conference announcing the event, University of Toledo athletic director Bryan Blair discussed the partnership with the JAC Management team and how sports and concerts bring people together.

The University of Toledo Glass Bowl will be the venue for the JobsOhio’s Glass City Live on May 24. (TFP Photo/Max Alfonso)

“Sports and music have a lot in common. We talk a lot about the value of sports bringing people together, and music in many ways emulates those same characteristics. It brings about a deep-seated passion and emotions that you often tap into; that feeling of being in a venue and singing the same song in harmony – those are the same things we see at our athletics events, and those are the same things we see at big-time concerts,” Blair said.

“When you set out to do a concert in a football stadium, in the Glass Bowl, you have to have a shared vision, and there has to be a total lineup as you go in the same direction.”

Blair shared his thoughts on the economic and emotional impact this will have on the city of Toledo.

“I just think about the restaurants, the dining, the bars, the shopping, all that comes to life when you bring an event of this magnitude to the Glass Bowl and our campus,” Blair said.

“You’ve got that vision of tens of thousands of people on the turf in the Glass Bowl as the sun sets. You think about tens of thousands of people locking arms, hugging, and swaying, singing the same song in unison, and building lifelong memories with those they are closest to,” Blair envisions.

“We’ll have that place in their heart for eternity, that’s a special opportunity.”

Bigley said Glass City Live is designed to be an annual event depending on the municipality, media, community and business support. He also said the best way to stay updated is to visit the Glass City Live website. Tickets for the event are on sale now.

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