Homophone cartoon by Steven J Athanas for the Toledo Free Press.
Racing for Recovery
Personal struggle with addiction inspires race organizer
Story and photos by Au’Ree Antoinette
ROSSFORD – It’s not everyday you see hundreds of people running up and down Superior St. in Rossford before sunrise. But that was the scene on Saturday as more than 500 runners arrived at the intersection of Superior and Osborne to take on Racing for Recovery’s Annual Rockin’ Rossford 5k + 1 mile celebration.
This event attracted runners, spectators and supporters, all uniting in advocacy for recovery from substance abuse disorders.
The Racing for Recovery’s 5k is not merely an athletic event — it’s a powerful symbol of resilience and community in the face of addiction. Established 23 years ago by Todd Crandell, this organization’s mission is rooted in his personal journey to overcome drug and alcohol abuse. After 13 years of abuse, Crandell began to embark on his journey to recovery.
“Racing for recovery was started because I was given a gift and an opportunity to stop using drugs, and then utilize all the good things that were happening in my life in service to other people,” Crandell shared.
Among those good things were Crandell’s 122 successful Ironman races. “Ironman is what led to forming Racing for Recovery” he recounted. As stated in his biography on the Racing for Recovery website, these races laid the foundation for his first intensive out-patient group.
Despite his success story, Crandell acknowledged that the efforts extend far beyond himself. “I may have been the guy to start it, but I could not do it without the Racing to Recovering staff and the city of Rossford; it truly takes a village to do this work.”
One prominent example of the program’s impact is the journey of Adam Custer. “Adam is a success story as well. He came to us, got help, and now he works for us and is like my righthand man. That’s what Racing for Recovery does. Adam and so many of our staff resemble what was in my heart when I created this is 2001.”
Racing for Recovery’s mission is not just about substance abuse recovery; it also emphasizes the importance of embarking on a wellness journey that integrates mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health. They aim to help individuals and their families thrive and foster a healthy, fulfilling lifestyle.
They offer several services, such as mental health support, addiction counseling, physical wellness activities, nutrition education and spiritual guidance.
They also host a live-streamed support group every Thursday at 5:30 p.m., allowing global access. Those attending in person receive a free plant-based dinner, further supporting the organization’s commitment to holistic well-being.
This race was meaningful to many people, including regular 5k runner and veteran Marine, Jason Portala. “This is my third time [running the race]. My buddy and I, Steve, try to do four to six 5k’s a year. I am a recovering alcoholic. It’s been almost 21 years since I had a drink, so I can definitely support this effort,” said Portala.
Another powerful victory was made as 17-year-old Zander Putman crossed the finish line with his mother, Heather Radosti. Zander has Lennox Gastaut Syndrome, a rare and severe form of epilepsy that has made finishing this race extremely difficult. On Saturday, not only did he complete the walk, he walked the entire time. This accomplishment brought tears of joy to the Putman and Radosti families.
“We usually use the wheelchair to push him through,” said Radosti. “I’ve actually done 100 miles with him, and it started with this race. We’ve done the mile walk before, and he’s had so much trouble – he was even past the cut-off for this the last time we tried it. Seeing him actually get the mile is like the hugest thing because he struggles a lot.”
Portala, reflecting on his journey, offered advice to anyone struggling.
“If you’re struggling with anything, get out and talk to somebody — even if they don’t say anything back. Just saying it and going through the motions will help you tremendously. Working out isn’t just for physical [well-being]; it’s for your mental health and releases that negative energy.”
“If you need services, call us or walk in. We accommodate anybody who needs our help,” Crandell said.
The organization can be reached at 419-824-8462, or by email at support@racingforrecovery.org. For more information, visit their website.
Racing for Recovery’s facility is located at 6202 Trust Dr. in Holland. It's staffed by licensed and educated clinicians who are ready to help people take their first steps toward recovery.
Jill of All Trades
Program inspires young women to pursue skilled trades
PERRYSBURG – Owens Community College hosted more than 80 students from 10 area high schools Thursday for Jill of All Trades, an event that focused on learning about skilled trades.
“We’re excited to provide this chance for young people to explore a future in the skilled trades,” Owens president Dr. Dione D. Somerville said. “With the help of Jill of All Trades, we believe its our mission to expose young people to potential careers and all of the things they could do with a future in the skilled trades.”
Jill of All Trades was started in 2014 in Canada, providing hands-on experiences to young women in grades 9-12, and introducing them to the possibilities of a career in skilled trades. Owens is the only institution in the United States to host the event.
Students were split into 12 groups, with each participating in three different workshops. Held at the Dana Center, Welding Design Center and Transportation Technology buildings on the Toledo-area campus, workshop topics included robotics, welding, CNC/machining, auto service and repair, crane rigging and diesel technology.
Wearing an orange long-sleeved shirt with Jill of All Trades embossed on the front, St. Ursula’s CK Kramer said she was there to “properly explore all of my options before fully committing to something.
“My dad used to take me to the Home Depot building workshops when I was a kid and that made me really like doing stuff with my hands and building things, so that was probably a big influence,” said Kramer.
During the event, she was placed in the Robotic Rebels group, where she learned how to code robots.
She said she learned that coding robots is very difficult but liked working with machines. In one of the workshops, she used a hack saw to cut through aluminum. “I liked that because it was more hands on than the robots.
“It was very fun and I hope they do it again next year,” Kramer said.
The goal of the program was to address the skilled trades workforce needs of the future, an issue Owens is at the forefront of, with its wide variety of programs, certificates and associates degrees.
“High school students and their parents have this idea that you need to spend a lot of money and go to a four-year college, but that’s just not true,” said Owens director of Admissions Erin Kramer.
“We have programs, certificates and two-year programs at Owens that can help young people achieve their dreams and goals for their futures,” she added.
Students began and ended their day at the Center for Fine and Performing Arts, where program sponsors were set up with information about working in the trades.
Sponsors of the event were presenting sponsor Buckeye Broadband, Owens Corning, Magna, Enbridge, Mechanical Contractors Association of Northwest Ohio, Hancock Steel, First Solar, The Andersons, First Energy, Advanced Technology Consultants, Dunbar, Rudolph Libbe Group, Taylor Automotive Family, HIAB, Air Force One, Principle Business Enterprises, Barnes, University of Findlay, A-Gas and Integrated Systems Technologies.
To learn more about the Owens School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, please visit owens.edu/stem.
Finding love at Romance-Con
Main library transforms into the mecca of romance
TOLEDO – What type of romance novel disciple are you? You’ve dabbled in the art form in the past. You’ve read Fifty Shades of Gray but you’re not sure where to go next. You always got a novel with you, and you read every chance you get. You’re waiting by your Kindle (or at the library) for the next release. Or, you’re actually writing your first romance novel right now!
If you relate in any way to any of these scenarios, Romance-Con is the place for you! On Saturday, Nov. 2, the Main Branch of the Toledo Lucas County Public Library (TLCPL) transforms downtown Toledo into the Mecca of everything Romance Novel. This free celebration runs from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. throughout the library.
“Romance authors love meeting their fans and other authors,” explained Allison Fiscus, adult services coordinator with TLCPL and organizer of Romance-Con. “Romance-Con is the ideal spot to listen to these people and their passion, and share that passion with one another.”
Findlay-based author L. B. August is excited to meet readers and authors at Romance-Con. “I’m going in with an open mind, to meet people and to talk about books,” the first-time author said.
She took an unusual path to writing her new book, In The Shadows (which she identifies as “Romantasy” – a combination of romance and fantasy).
“I was looking for really strong female characters but they seemed hard to find, so I just created my own,” August said. It took her a year to write her book, publishing it in early 2024. At Romance-Con, she’ll be part of a paranormal authors’ panel.
Planning for an epic day
Romance-Con is the result of a great deal of planning. Fiscus pondered a Comic-Con-type event for romance novels and novelists as soon as she arrived at TLCPL in 2004. The planning took on a more serious tone after the pandemic in 2021, when she moved into her current position. And rightly so; romance novels represent 52 percent of book sales and are the highest-earning genre of fiction writing (estimated at more than $1 billion). In 10 years, romance readers have changed from women ages 35 to 54 to women between the ages of 18 and 54.
The romance genre has been ignored in the publishing industry and maligned by authors for years. But the genre has consistently grown and diversified, breaking the barriers of publishing (most are self-published).
Romance genres range from contemporary, literary and historic, to religious, gothic and paranormal; from young and “new” adult, to minority, military and LBGTQ. And there is a very strong support system for romance writers in the Toledo area, featuring writing sessions, networking, inspiration and support.
“We’re absolutely feral for the genre here,” said Fiscus, “and the Main Library is the perfect spot for Romance-Com.”
The festival will take over the entire library, with feature presentations in the McMaster Center and meeting rooms 1 and 2, and an author fair throughout the main floor. “The Main Library is a destination in itself, and downtown businesses are taking part too,” Fiscus said.
Talks, hunts and merch
Romance-Con’s featured talks include nationally recognized romance writer Abby Jimenez, author of Just for the Summer, as well as Kimberly Lemming, Kathryn Moon, CM Nascosta, Jo Segura and Julie Soto. The seating for all of these talks is full, but day-of wait-lines will be available to fill no-show seats.
In addition, fans will find a wide range of activities to satisfy their appetites for everything romance:
- An author fair where fans can meet their favorite authors
- A Love & Friendship scavenger hunt for kids
- Button making, featuring a “choose your trope” theme
- Book cover photo shoot for all those Fabio-esque characters
- A Lovers’ Era library exhibit of items about love and heartbreak from across the years
- A wide range of panel discussions of such topics as historical romance, creating tension in stories, becoming a romance author, writing romantic (and hot) scenes, celebrating queer love, general writing tips and editing, etc.
- Social media for romance writers
- A live podcast of Black Romance Has A History
- Researching romance with the BGSU Popular Culture Library
- Tarot readings
- Genre specialty sessions – diversity, fantasy and paranormal writing
“Writing is such a solitary life,” author August said. “I love the indy writing community around the world, and I’m honored to be accepted and asked to participate in Romance-Con. I’m looking forward to meeting everyone involved.”
Food trucks will be available, and local businesses will have specials and discounts throughout the day. In addition, Jupmode will have a pop-up shop with Romance-Con-themed merchandise. Check out the library’s website for all the times and details.
Ohio Task Force One
Toledo assistant fire chief, engineer respond to hurricane disasters
An Ohio-based team helped in rescue and recovery efforts during recent back-to-back hurricanes (Helene and Milton) that hit several southern states. The take-away from local members of that team’s roughly three weeks on duty? Wonder at both the devastating power of nature and the restorative power of community.
Ohio Task Force One is one of 28 Urban Search and Rescue teams managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Its home base is a warehouse in Vandalia, north of Dayton. Its more than 200 volunteer members come from Ohio, with a few from northern Kentucky.
“It was a record-breaking deployment for the task force,” said John Kaminski, an Ohio Task Force One leader and an assistant chief of the Toledo Fire and Rescue Department. “It was the longest in our history. It was three deployments in one.”
Kaminski said the team received deployment orders on Sept. 24 to convene at the Vandalia base. From there, 82 people in 16 vehicles left in a convoy to the Orlando, Fla. area, in advance of Helene.
He said the team was mostly composed of active or retired first responders. The vehicles: five pickup trucks, three or four with trailers, boats, and an all-terrain vehicle; two vans, two SUVs; a bus; three semis, and three box trucks, complete with 50 tons of hand tools and other equipment.
Kaminski said the task force’s main mission is to help authorities on the scene account for people in the storms’ path, rescue those who may be trapped, and recover bodies.
The task force also has engineers. Ben Plowman, of Maumee, a structural engineer for a private consulting firm, said the mission for his colleagues is to “identify any hazards in a collapsed or compromised structure. Our role is to keep the search and rescue people safe.”
As to the damage he saw on this deployment, he described it as “the most devastation I’ve ever seen in my eight years with the task force.”
For what they experienced, Kaminski said in one stretch early in their deployment, the team searched 20,000 houses in 15 hours. There was a lot of debris and downed trees, and something that surprised him. “There was a lot of sand with Helene,” he said, adding storm winds usually don’t push that much sand inland. “There was a lot of beach erosion.”
On Sept. 29, the task force was sent to North Carolina in response to the storm’s aftermath. The task force – traveling together as a unit – operated west of Asheville. Kaminski said, in a sense, the task force acted as detectives – talking with people to learn who had left before the storm to live with relatives or friends out of state, and to help others find closure.
The team then was deployed east of Asheville. Altogether, it spent a week in North Carolina, after a week in Florida. At that point, eight of the volunteers had to return to their homes or jobs but were replaced by eight other volunteers.
What stood out about North Carolina was the effect of water “and what it can do, moving cars on top of cars and what it does to the infrastructure. It was mind-boggling,” Kaminski recalled.
On Oct. 7, the task force was re-deployed to Florida in the face of Milton, which spawned tornadoes.
The task force returned to Vandalia on Oct. 14 at 5 a.m. after about a 21-day deployment, Kaminski said. The team traveled about 4,000 miles in that time.
Everywhere they went, storm victims greeted them warmly. “People would come up to us and ask if they could hug us, pray for us, shake our hand,” Kaminski said. “We got an outpouring of support from people who literally lost everything. They wanted to hand off their groceries to us – we said, ‘No. What do YOU need?’”
Plowman had the same experience. “The people who came across us said we meant the world to them, that when they saw people with boots on the ground going house to house, asking if everyone’s okay and accounted for; they feel like people do care.”
He added, “One thing that will always stay with me in this deployment was the selflessness, spirit and sense of community from the people who had lost so much.”
“Every time we go, we bring back experience to our home agencies. Northwest Ohio is no stranger to tornadoes and severe weather. We learn how to manage resources. These deployments … we learn so much from them. It’s invaluable,” Kaminski said.
Kaminski made two final points: Kudos to those who allow the task force volunteers to do what they do; and that the people of storm-hit Florida and North Carolina continue to need help through valid agencies.
School levies on the ballot
School levies of primary concern this election
Although much of the election focus – positive and negative – has been directed at local candidates and issues, regional school districts also have had their fair share of contentiousness.
Districts cite rising costs and student population growth as reasons for coming to voters for more money.
One of the most heated levy requests is in the Perrysburg Exempted Village School District, where voters are being asked to support an eight-year incremental operating levy. It will replace a current levy that is set to expire.
The ballot language reads, in part, “The tax will be levied in 2024 to raise $13.5 million. In the seven following years, the tax will increase by not more than $2 million each year so that during 2031, the tax will raise approximately $27.5 million.”
The Wood County auditor’s office estimates the rate will be 9.73 mills or $341 for each $100,000 of appraised value in 2024 and will increase to $693 per $100,000 valuation in 2031.
Proponents of the levy point out that as the community grows, less millage will be needed to collect the set dollar amount. In the last year of an expiring 2019 levy, the cost to a homeowner was 69 percent of what it originally was.
Perrysburg school officials also note that the bond debt for construction of Perrysburg High School ends in collection year 2025, leading to the retirement of 1.85 mills, or a tax reduction of $5.39 per month based on a $100,000 home.
Across the Maumee River in Lucas County, Perrysburg’s sports rival, Anthony Wayne School District is seeking support for a five-year, 2.42-mill operating levy, which will generate $3.3 million annually. If approved, it will cost the owner of a $100,000 home $85 annually.
Unlike Perrysburg, the district is in a somewhat unique position. Should voters not approve the levy, their property tax will increase anyway because the state constitution requires a minimum of 20-mills to be collected to fund districts.
The new Lucas County auditor’s office property appraisals are projected to drop the district below that 20-mill threshold.
As a result, should the issue fail, the millage would drop to 16.9 mills and, under Ohio law, residential and agricultural property owners will be required to pay the 3.1 mills to meet the minimum threshold.
If the Anthony Wayne levy passes, the rate will still fall, but only to 19.4 mills, and the approved millage will be shared by residential and agricultural property owners as well as commercial and industrial properties.
The remaining 0.6 mills will be assessed to residential/agricultural property owners.
Anthony Wayne voters last approved an operating levy in 2013.
Other districts with a levies on the ballot are Gibsonburg Exempted Village. The district is asking for a 1 mill renewal with an additional 1 mill at a cost of $46 annually based on $100,000 valuation; and Bowling Green City Schools, asking for a 0.75 percent income tax for a continuing period beginning January 1, 2025.
In addition, other Lucas County school districts on the ballot are Springfield Local Schools, seeking renewal of a $3.9 million, 10-year operating levy, and Toledo Public Schools.
TPS is asking voter approval of a bond issue for construction and renovation of district buildings. The $99 million, paid over 30 years, is for 2 mills, costing the owner of a $100,00 home $71 per year.
“For those out there asking, ‘Do we need this?’ Yes,” exclaimed former Toledo mayor Carty Finkbeiner, who was among dozens of supporters of Issue 19 who attended a press conference at The Tabernacle on Oct. 24.
“We can’t say that children are number one in our lives unless we help those children get the education and the training that two or three of us here got at Nathan Hale (TPS elementary school),” Finkbeiner said. “We got to get the job done.”
Former mayor Mike Bell then stepped up to the podium and proclaimed that he is TPS proud. “What this is about – and it’s real basic – this is about investment. This is about investing in kids. This is about trying to turn the direction of a whole community in a very positive way.
“I can tell you that if I wasn’t TPS proud, I wouldn’t have been able to do the things that I was able to do,” Bell said.
“So, this is all about our future. When people start worrying about the numbers, and its real minimal as for what they get in return, we need to think about the investment, think about these kids, and what our future is going to be,” Bell continued.
“If we don’t do this, we are still going to be paying for it .. but paying for it in a negative way as compared to a positive way,” he warned. “We have all of these people here who care for kids. Let’s just move forward and get Issue 19 passed.”
