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Maumee Film Fest returns

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Press Release
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Festival resumes its mission of celebrating films, storytelling

MAUMEE – The Maumee Film Festival is set to make its grand return to the big screen this weekend following a hiatus during the pandemic.

Organized by the collaborative efforts of the Maumee Indoor Theater, Maumee Uptown Business Association and FilmToledo, the festival promises to bring an exciting showcase of independent films back to the heart of Maumee.

Running from 2015 to 2020, the Maumee Film Festival has been a beacon for filmmakers and enthusiasts alike, highlighting a diverse array of short, not-so-short and feature-length independent films.

After a brief pause, the festival is thrilled to resume its mission of celebrating creativity and storytelling through the art of filmmaking.

“I give Sara Eiden at the Maumee Indoor Theater a ton of credit – she has been working constantly to bring more business to the theater and get the community involved in events,” said Michael DeSanto, FilmToledo executive director.

Screenshot from the MFF Film Fest schedule.

DeSanto has been involved in the Maumee Film Festival in some capacity since its first year. He’s submitted short films and made award-winning films for the 48-Hour Film Challenge. He’s also been a festival judge, and was on the festival committee in 2020.

He said that “getting involved on a deeper level was an easy choice for me. We’ve been wanting to bring the festival back, as well, so our goals were in perfect alignment.”

With the festival being dormant for so long, DeSanto explained that it was a matter of contacting local filmmakers and businesses, re-engaging the community and sponsors, and building an infrastructure so the festival can be profitable and continue for years.

“We’re thrilled to be bringing back the Maumee Film Festival after the hiatus caused by the pandemic,” said Sara Eiden, supervisor of theater operations at the Maumee Indoor Theater.

“This festival has always been a celebration of independent filmmaking, and we’re excited to provide a platform for filmmakers to share their stories once again,” she said.

One of the most exciting features of this year’s festival is the inclusion of the 48-Hour Film Challenge. Teams will have just 48 hours to write, shoot and edit a short film, incorporating specific elements revealed only at the kickoff event. This challenge promises to test the creativity and agility of participating filmmakers, resulting in an exhilarating showcase of talent.

“For the most part, a film festival showcases the talent of local and regional filmmakers, giving them an opportunity to see their films on the big screen and celebrate their hard work. For moviegoers and cinephiles, it’s a chance to see films they might not see anywhere else and connect up with like-minded people. And the popcorn is always great!” DeSanto exclaimed.

This year’s festival also promises to be an unforgettable celebration of cinema, creativity and community spirit. Whether you’re a filmmaker, film enthusiast or simply someone who appreciates the magic of the silver screen, mark your calendars for the Maumee Film Festival this weekend.

To view the film schedule, click HERE

About Maumee Film Festival

The Maumee Film Festival is an annual event dedicated to showcasing independent films from both local and international filmmakers. Since its inception in 2015, the festival has been a platform for emerging talent and a celebration of creativity in the world of cinema.
Related: Saving Waldon’s World story

Film: Saving Walden’s World

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Press Release
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A Kerala local child speaks with filmmaker Jim Merkel in his film, Saving Walden's World. Merkel's film is featured in the Maumee Film Festival on Sept. 28. (Courtesy Photo/Jim Merkel)

Film on sustainability living solutions screens at Maumee Film Fest

MAUMEE – Fresh off its NYC screening, Saving Walden’s World will be featured at the Maumee Film Festival today at 1:30 p.m.

The documentary film is one of more than 50 long and short films featured in a two-day film frenzy this weekend at the Maumee Indoor Theater.

As the United Nations Summit for the Future wraps up with a signed global pact on sustainability, peace, gender equality and youth engagement, Saving Walden’s World offers powerful, underreported solutions aligned with these goals.

About the Film: Saving Walden’s World, directed by Jim Merkel, delves into sustainable living solutions that are meeting and exceeding the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, well ahead of the 2030 timeline.

Maumee Film Fest Story

The film brings to light inspiring stories from Kerala, Cuba and Slovenia – societies offering universal access to education, healthcare and women’s rights, presenting an achievable model of sustainability that resonates across borders.

The journey follows Merkel, a former arms dealer who embarks on a life-altering mission after realizing his work harms the very people he now seeks to help.

With a focus on real-world solutions, Saving Walden’s World captures the essence of global cooperation, grassroots action and human-scaled development in the fight against climate change.

About the author:

In 1989, Merkel left his military engineering career, dedicating his life to peacemaking and addressing the climate crisis. By 2015, as a father, he felt an urgent need to act.

“I could feel a tsunami barreling towards my son’s future,” Merkel recalls. So, he picked up a camera and began filming his six-year-old son’s world, starting an eight-year project that would take him across the globe.

Touring Without Fossil Fuel: In line with the film’s sustainability message, Merkel has committed to a low-carbon tour, traveling by sailboat along the Maine coast and by electric vehicle across the U.S. He will be in attendance at the Maumee Film Festival for a post-screening Q&A, inviting the audience to join in a dialogue on actionable sustainability practices.

Now touring by electric vehicle, Merkel brings his film from Maine to Ohio and beyond, heading next to the Iris Global Health Film Festival in Boulder.

Greater Lakes Promise

By
Erin Holden
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Black Swamp Conservancy restored wetland in crop field. (Photo courtesy of Greater Lakes Promise)

A new partnership for clean-water

A new partnership called the Greater Lakes Promise is working to improve water quality around the Great Lakes.

An initiative made possible by the Great Lakes Protection Fund and the nonprofit Freshwater, the Greater Lakes Promise is working with land trusts to select high priority lands for conservation. This includes raising funds to add perennial vegetation with the goal of trapping carbon emissions and preventing run-off.

Carrie Jennings, Freshwater research and policy director for the project said, “There are many geologic, economic and societal commonalities across the Great Lakes states that allow us to expand the geographic reach of our efforts to improve water quality.” 

The three main goals of the Greater Lakes Promise are:

  • Working with five land trusts as partners to continue these clean-water initiatives.
  • Creating a technical advisory committee to prioritize the highest levels of phosphorus reduction.
  • Generating funding for outreach, land stewardship, and land purchase to improve Great Lakes water quality.

To learn more about the Greater Lakes Promise, visit greaterlakespromise.org.

Daily Dose | The Humorists

By
Don Lee
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Editorial cartoon by Don Lee for the Toledo Free Press.

Jazzing it up

By
David Yonke
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Gene Parker, on keyboards, and Damen Cook, drums and vocals, perform every Tuesday night at Lucille's Jazz Club on Summit Street in Toledo, usually with a special guest. TFP Photo/David Yonke

Lucille’s Jazz Lounge thrives with live music from legendary musicians

Story and photos by Dave Yonke

TOLEDO – Like a Russian nesting doll, Lucille’s Jazz Lounge is tucked inside a coffee shop inside an industrial-looking social club just north of Downtown Toledo.

The entrance to the jazz club is on the side of Tolhouse, a members-only social club. Jazz fans must walk through the Earth Coffeehouse on Summit St. to reach Lucille’s.

Lucille’s is a cozy and classy club with a clear sightline, a good sound system and a solid lineup of musicians from near and far. Toledo’s jazz history is honored with framed photos of some of the city’s legendary jazz figures, including Clifford Murphy, Claude Black and Rusty Monroe.

Gene Parker, playing a Hammond B-3 organ, still gets excited about playing jazz.

Lucille’s opened Oct. 23, 2021 and quickly became a favorite of local jazz artists and aficionados.

Starting in January, the club has hosted a weekly Tuesday night show called Sessions, led by local jazz aces Gene Parker and Damen Cook and a variety of featured guests playing whatever songs they feel inspired to play.

“I think it’s fabulous and (club owner) Will Lucas is great. He’s got a winning concept here, he really does,” Parker said. “Other places, they push a few tables out of the way and they call it a jazz lounge. This is a real jazz lounge here.”

For the Tuesday night sessions, seating is on a first-come, first-served basis with a $5 music fee and a two-drink minimum per guest (alcohol is not required; drinks can be bottled water, cans of pop or mocktails). The club has a curated menu featuring everything from burgers and wings to salads, and an array of beverages from a full bar.

Damen Cook sings and plays drums at the Tuesday night jazz session at Lucille’s Jazz Lounge.

“We have rotating guests, like trombonist Ron Kischuk from Detroit here tonight, and we bring in guests from Detroit and Ann Arbor and Northwest Ohio,” Parker said. “Some people would never get a chance to play here otherwise. Maybe they don’t have a big name but they can sing or play an instrument and entertain the people.

“The first hour from 7:30 to 8:30 is the guest hour, with Damen singing and playing drums and I’m playing the Hammond B-3 organ. Then, after 8:30 it’s an open jam. People can come up and play, take over the B-3 – we have a guitar amp and mics. We’ve had pretty good luck with singers and guitarists.”

Among the recent scheduled jazz artists at the Tuesday sessions were trumpeter Ben Wolkins, guitarist Ariel Kasler and trumpeter Dave Kosmyna.

Parker, 81, still gets excited about jazz. He doesn’t play the saxophone much these days but is nimble on the organ, piano, vibes and other keyboard instruments.

Famed for not only performing but also teaching many successful musicians, Parker’s enthusiasm for jazz is always in high gear. He usually plays with eyes closed as he focuses on the music and his impressive improvisations.

“Oh I love it. Love it! It’s fun, fun, fun, fun, fun!,” he exclaimed.

(TFP Video/David Yonke)

Asked if he prepares a set list for the Tuesday shows, Parker laughed and said, “We just play what we like. I know about 10,000 songs.”

The Sept. 24 jazz session featured a string of standards, including Cook drumming while singing I’ve Got the World on a String and Old Folks, and the trio cranked it up for Groovy Sambas, a tribute to Brazilian jazz great Sergio Mendes, who died Sept. 5 from long Covid.

As with most jazz bands, the group performed in unison at the start and end of each tune, with each musician taking a turn on extended solos.

Lucille’s is located inside the TolHouse social club at 1447 N. Summit St. in Toledo. (TFP Photo/David Yonke)

On weekends, Lucille’s hosts touring and top local and regional artists. Tickets are typically priced between $15 and $40 and must be purchased ahead of time. Many of the weekend shows sell out.

Upcoming concerts include vocalists Nicole Heitger, Ellie Martin and Lori Lefevre, Afro-Cuban jazz band Tumbao Bravo, blues artist Maurice John Vaughn, singer-songwriter Jo Serrapere, and former Murphys Trio pianist Johnny O’Neal.

“The value of music has changed,” Parker said. “You can’t give it away or the musicians won’t get paid. Music at one time was so popular because it was the only thing. There was nothing much on radio or television for a long time and people went out to hear live music.

“Now people have moved out to the suburbs and they go in their backyard and they barbecue and they watch TV and it’s pretty hard to compete with that. They really don’t need us anymore. Jazz records are like 1 percent of the market — and 90 percent of that is Kenny G,” he said.

“So now, more than ever, we need the people who support this and who like this music to come out. No matter what kind of music you like, come out and support the bands that you like,” Parker encouraged.

A full schedule of concerts with links to purchase tickets can be found at lucillesjazzlounge.com.
Related Story: Q&A with Will Lucas | Owner of Lucille’s

Crawl. Walk. Run.

By
Paula Wethington
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Firefighting is a rigorous job, and new recruits are expected to be in excellent physical fitness condition. Since exercise is a core component of each day in the academy, recruits do wall sits on their first day.

Toledo Fire & Rescue Department firefighter class in full swing

This is the first in a photo series about the current Toledo Fire & Rescue Academy class

Story by Paula Wethington | Photos Courtesy of Toledo Fire & Rescue

TOLEDO – Three words that describe what a first responder might do at the scene of an emergency are also applicable to the academy training that Toledo Fire & Rescue Department recruits are working through.

“We crawl, walk, run,” said Lt. John Rodriguez, who is among the TFRD instructors leading the current academy class.

Fire Class #298 pose for a group photo wearing their new turnout gear.

Fire Class 298 started its training Aug. 16 with 30 recruits. They meet 40 hours a week, with much of the training at Owens Community College, with some lessons at Maumee Fire Division’s burn tower.

The first couple of weeks featured classroom instruction, getting assigned their turnout gear and a legacy class run. The training pace ramped up fast, and lessons soon included facing live fire.

Once the training is done, they will also learn about handling hazardous materials and drive the vehicles they’ll use on duty. It all wraps up on Feb. 28.

It is Toledo Fire & Rescue Department tradition that veteran personnel train the next batch of recruits.

Recruits try on their new turnout gear, consisting of boots, pants, coats, gloves, and helmets.
Instructor Ken Dresser demonstrates how to properly secure a helmet being worn by recruit Dominique Lloyd.

“We can train them our way, the Toledo way, but always to the Ohio standard,” Capt. Michael Romstadt said about the academy class he is leading. “There’s a certain number of hours they have to get through the state.”

The 16-week firefighter training session will end Dec. 6. Their are 11 among them who also need Emergency Medical Technician-Basic trainin,g then move into that curriculum.

TFRD currently has 579 TFRD personnel among its 18 stations. The department’s service area is primarily the city; a mutual aid pact with neighboring fire districts means that sometimes a Toledo crew takes a call just outside the city while another department’s staff is busy.

The number of recruits and the training schedule has varied over the decades and is based on the number of spots they expect to have open each time. For example, Rodriguez, who is also working with the current academy class, said he was in the third class that took place in 1997.

In more recent years, TRFD has scheduled one academy a year, starting in the summer. They already expect 40 recruits next year.

Instructor Jake Hoffman explains to recruits the basics of fire behavior using a model of a common two-story wooden dwelling.
Recruit Kameron French carries the American flag as he and his fellow recruits participate in the traditional Legacy Run designed to build team bonding.

Romstadt said the admission criteria includes a high school diploma or GED, background check, medical evaluation and agility test.

Once his or her training is complete, each recruit will spend the first year taking turns at three different stations on the department’s 24-hours-on / 48-hours-off work schedule. Those who have a head start with current EMT or paramedic credentials will start their first station assignments this winter.

Daily Dose | The Humorists

By
Steven J Athanas
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Cartoon by Steven J Athanas for the Toledo Free Press.

Leadership Toledo

By
Dennis Bova
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Members of the Signature Program, part of Leadership Toledo, engage in a team-building activity at Secor Metropark in Berkey, Ohio in December. (Courtesy Photo/Elizabeth Hoerner)

Organization’s fundraising breakfast sets tone for the year

TOLEDO – It is said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. For Leadership Toledo, it might just be the most important meal of the year.

The nonprofit’s 20th annual Community Fundraiser Breakfast will be on Thursday, Oct. 10, at the Renaissance Toledo Downtown Hotel.  Doors open at 8 a.m., and breakfast and the program begin at 8:30 a.m. While attendance is free, there will be opportunities to make donations, and the event includes several sponsors. 

Members of Youth Leadership Toledo canoe together for bond building during a meet-and-greet at Sidecut Meteropark in Maumee, Ohio in July. (Courtesy Photo/Arika Michaelis)

Anna Toney, Leadership Toledo’s executive director, said the roughly 500 people expected to attend will learn about the organization’s role in the region. “The theme is ‘Power of Community,’” she said. “It’s a platform for us to talk about the work we are doing in the community.”

That work includes programs for youths and adults. “The breakfast supports our youth program and scholarships for our adult programs,” Toney said.  She said highlights will be opportunities and challenges, and attendees will “discover how they can be part of the solutions to issues in the community.”

Youth Leadership Toledo is a nine-month program for high school sophomores. Toney said this year the tuition-free program includes 60 students from more than 30 high schools, largely in Lucas and Wood counties.

“It’s about helping them to develop and discover more about their community leadership skills,” she explained. “We want them to become more confident leaders, connect to their community, and grow in self-awareness and identify meaningful service.”

The signature, tuition-based adult program brings together a diverse group of people to facilitate meaningful conversation for action in the community, Toney said. Each of the 10 months the group is together features a different topic, such as education, public safety and cultural arts. “We bring in speakers to talk about what’s happening in the community,” she said.

Members of YIPEE host a car wash fundraiser in August at Springfield High School in Holland, Ohio. They raised more than $400 in donations, which supports youth organizations in Toledo. (Courtesy Photo/Elizabeth Hoerner)

Leadership Toledo is bringing in speakers for the fundraising breakfast to talk about the organization and how the attendees can help. They are:

Dan Dower, regional president of KeyBank, Leadership Toledo board president.

Gena Collier, training and development analyst for the City of Toledo, Leadership Toledo adult program alumnus.

Kim Finch, manager, community engagement and events, Buckeye Broadband, Leadership Toledo adult program alumnus.

Nina Clark, Ottawa Hills High School junior, Leadership Toledo youth program alumnus.

Arjun Jayaraman, Anthony Wayne High School junior, Leadership Toledo youth program alumnus.

Jacob Lesick, University of Cincinnati senior, Leadership Toledo youth program alumnus.

Asja Wynn, left, and Marsha Hill converse during Leadership Toledo’s open house celebration at the Barber-Farris Building in Downtown Toledo. They are Focus 419 alumni. (Courtesy Photo/Doug Hinebaugh)

Toney, who has been the nonprofit’s executive director since 2017, reflected on the area the organization serves. “The Toledo community has lot of pride. People are dedicated and celebrating everything that we have. We are small enough, yet large enough where there is a lot happening that we should be proud of.”

She said Leadership Toledo has had natives and transplants alike say they have “found a place here where they can ‘plug in.’ If you can find a passion, we want to help you go all in.”

She said she’s seen positive energy in Toledo, and that “it’s a great place to live, work and play. That’s what we’re doing at Leadership Toledo, highlighting reasons why Toledo is a special place to call home.”

Breakfast attendees are to register in advance by visiting leadershiptoledo.org.

Daily Dose | The Humorists

By
Jerry King
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Cartoon by Jerry King for the Toledo Free Press.

419 Music Fest

By
Kyle Brown
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Stacy Richards, niece of late firefighter Butch Rahe, sings ‘I Can Only Imagine,’ by MercyMe, a song she performed during his funeral in January. Richards performed at the 419 Fest on Saturday.

Remembering Butch Rahe: Music plays on in firefighter’s honor

Story and photos by Kyle Brown

HOLLAND – Live music, support for the HERO program and a tribute to fallen Toledo firefighter Sterling ‘Butch’ Rahe were all a part of the 6th annual 419 Fest, held at Homecoming Park on Saturday.

There was even a pizza named after Rahe, and monies from the pizza sale helped support a fund in his honor. Raha died on Jan. 1 after complications from an injury.

The first of 11 bands to take the stage was The Chris Shutters Band, followed by Not Fast Enough, Venyx, The 25s and 56 Daze. 

Piggyback Jones, a high energy cover band out of Northwest Ohio, performs during the 419 Fest Saturday.

Between sets, Stacy Richards, Rahe’s niece, played songs to entertain the crowd. One song in particular that got the crowd in an emotional state was “I Can Only Imagine,” by MercyMe. Looking around, tears were falling. One crowd member mentioned they “stopped listening, or else I’d be balling my eyes out.”

Richards said that song was especially meaningful to her because it was the song she sang at Rahe’s funeral.

After Richard’s set, I met Becky Rahe, who was married to Butch for 32 years before tragedy struck.  As I spoke to her, I got this sense of the pure joy she felt for this event. Butch had attended all five prior festivals and even helped put it on.

”I was talking to Todd, and you know, he was saying how he had to do it without Butch this year. But Butch was always with him,” she told me.

Becky said the fire department and township have been supportive to her and her family, like an extended family. “When needed, they have been there for emotional and practical help. They take care of their own.”

People linger around a food truck area during the 419 Fest on Saturday.
2 Left Missing front-man Patrick Caligiuri performs.

Before Piggyback Jones hit the stage, 419 Fest owner and promoter Todd Boatfield came on to talk about the lead signer for Piggyback Jones, Holly Lafferty, and how much she has helped over the years. Even during the Covid era, when the health department tried to shut the festival down, she still tried to help and donate her time.

Boatfield went on to talk about how it showed the “dedication and camaraderie that the 419 has for the music scene in Northwestern Ohio.”

Members of the Springfield Fire Department donated their time to help support the cause for this event, as well. One of those members was newly appointed battalion chief Andrew Vascik. Boatfield brought him on stage to publicly thank him and his crew for everything they have done, including the coordination of the crews, and even the smaller things, such as grabbing ice for people. 

When speaking to Boatfield, I wanted to really get into what made him want to keep coming back year after year, to not only help support local musicians, but also give back to the firefighters and paramedics.

Boatfield said he loved raising money for a cause and he loved live music. “Anytime I get to mix the two of them together and have some of the best bands in Northwest Ohio, and be able to contribute money to a great cause, it makes it an easy eight or nine months of work to put this on.” 

Boatfield wanted this year to memorialize Butch, a fellow Springfield firefighter before joining the Toledo Fire Department while still working part-time with Springfield. “We all knew Butch very well, and I knew him personally as we worked at the same station. I couldn’t think of a better venue to help raise some money for his family and honor him.”  

419 Fest doesn’t just give money to falling firefighters and paramedics, it also supports the HERO (Health Education, Resources, and Outreach) program, a voluntary, non-emergency program open to all communities served by Springfield Township and Sylvania Township fire departments. The goal of the program is to assist residents to have safe living in their homes. 

Other bands that performed were 2 Left Missing, followed by Distant Cousinz and Beefcarvers. There was quite a buzz when Leadfoot Granny took the stage. A band of 18 and 19 year olds took the Toledo by storm.  Forming less than a year ago, the band featured Hope Smith on lead vocals, Luke Emrie on lead guitar and backing vocals, Owen Krupp on bass and backing vocals, and Odin Woodbury on drums. 

Leadfoot Granny seemed to be a crowd favorite, as some of the loudest cheers occurred during their 45-minute set.

From the very first strum of the guitar and the first word out of Hope’s mouth, the crowd seemed hooked. While it seemed like most of the other bands were cover bands, Leadfoot Granny took a different approach. With a healthy mix of their own music and covers, the band jammed out to their 45-minute set with, in my opinion, the loudest cheers of the entire fest. One of the signature features of the band is the instrumental solos. Each had their opportunity to shine, and Smith with her vocal abilities turned heads on her own accord.  

Ending the night was Noisy Neighbors, a power pop cover band. The high-energy band provided music covers of top songs spanning from the 80’s to current day music. 

To donate to the cause, please visit 419musicfest.com. The donation link is up all year-round and goes straight to the HERO fund. 

To apply to be on next year's band lineup on Sept. 20, send Todd Boatfield your information via an email on the 419 Fest website, or find him on social media. Boatfield will attend a show to see if you are a good fit.
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