Brian and Leslie Athmer of Chicago started a T-shirt company that benefits the Alliance for the Great Lakes. Leslie is a Toledo native and Brian grew up in Michigan. Photo Courtesy Sailored
“You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone,” goes the song by Joni Mitchell.
When August’s Lake Erie algae bloom left over 400,000 people in Ohio and Michigan without clean drinking water for several days, Leslie and Brian Athmer felt a similar sentiment.
Brian and Leslie Athmer of Chicago started a T-shirt company that benefits the Alliance for the Great Lakes. Leslie is a Toledo native and Brian grew up in Michigan. Photo Courtesy Sailored
Leslie, originally from Toledo, brainstormed with her husband to find a way to not only spread awareness about conserving the Great Lakes but also raise money toward the cause.
Together, the couple, now living in Chicago, started the company Sailored, which sells Toledo-themed T-shirts and donates 15 percent of profits to the Alliance for the Great Lakes, a regional organization focused on protecting all five Great Lakes.
“We figured why not offer something that people would want to buy anyway, but is also donating to a great cause,” Leslie said.
The original intention was to open a nonprofit of the same name, but the couple wanted flexibility in who they donated to and how much they gave. With identical backgrounds in engineering, they both wanted a creative outlet and designing apparel for all ages fulfilled this as well as their philanthropic goal.
Their motto from the start was “Keep the Great Lakes GREAT!”
Leslie traces her interest in the Great Lakes to when she was a small child. Her parents were avid sailboat enthusiasts. The company name comes from memories of sailing on her parents’ boat, Holy Toledo.
After earning her bachelor’s degree, Leslie continued her studies at DePaul University and got her Masters of Business Administration in sustainability, taking several entrepreneurship classes focused on social responsibility.
Brian said they are developing new designs specific to the Toledo area in hopes of shining a light on the city’s pride. Although he grew up in Michigan and didn’t know much about the city until meeting his wife, he’s optimistic about promoting the Downtown area.
“The Great Lakes and all these different things have all been an important part of our lives,” Brian said. “If you’re passionate about something there’s definitely a lot of tools out there to figure out what you need to do to figure things out. It’s rewarding.”
Once Sailored was established, the pair approached Jennifer Caddick, engagement director at the Alliance for the Great Lakes, asking what they could do to help. Caddick said she was pleasantly surprised to find such eagerness toward assisting the alliance’s mission.
The Alliance for the Great Lakes began in the 1970s as a group focused on preserving Lake Michigan, but by 2005 interest in preserving the Great Lakes had grown exponentially, so they shifted their focus toward all five Great Lakes.
“I think everyone takes for granted the fact that they live so close to the Great Lakes,” Leslie said.
“It is such a great resource, and until you suddenly don’t have water for a few days, that’s when I think you really start to realize the impact it has on your life.”
The store went live last week at www.sailored.com, where clothing as well as handbags highlighting the Great Lakes are available in several colors and sizes, with baby onesies also available.
Thomas Dimit and Theresa Carroll plan to bring The Tasteful Trolley to the streets of Toledo this spring. The trolley, which will serve freshly baked pies and Americana dishes, is set to debut March 1 at the Toledo Farmers’ Market. Photo Courtesy The Tasteful Trolley
On their first date 10 years ago, Thomas Dimit baked Theresa Carroll a decadent chocolate fudge pie.
“I guess it won her heart,” Dimit said.
Thomas Dimit and Theresa Carroll plan to bring The Tasteful Trolley to the streets of Toledo this spring. The trolley, which will serve freshly baked pies and Americana dishes, is set to debut March 1 at the Toledo Farmers’ Market. Photo Courtesy The Tasteful Trolley
“Lots of things won my heart but the chocolate fudge pie certainly helped,” Carroll added.
Come March, the couple will be the minds and stomachs behind The Tasteful Trolley, a 33-foot trolley that will roam the streets of Toledo filled with the aroma of freshly baked pies and Americana dishes.
Dimit discovered his love for baking when he was young; he was the only kid on his block who liked to play with his Betty Crocker bake set as much as his army men. He learned to bake from his great-aunt Dorothy, who The Tasteful Trolley was later named after.
“She taught him to bake when he was about 6 or 7 and it was an activity that they did together when he would visit her in southern Ohio,” Carroll said.
His first culinary adventure was baking Christmas cookies for his mother’s friends. After he mastered that skill, he began taking home economics classes in high school.
The hobby was a good way to meet girls, Dimit said.
For years he baked only for his family and friends, but began to enter and win competitive baking contests in his 20s. The love for baking grew as he got older, even as he pursued a career in education and a law degree from the University of Toledo.
A stroke at the age of 51 left Dimit unable to practice law.
“The law was pretty much not going to be part of my life anymore because of the damage to my brain,” he said. “I started to look around for something to do that I was good at and people would pay me for.”
His passion for baking was rekindled. Using baking as therapy, Dimit came up with the idea for a trolley to sell what he cooked.
The two wrestled with the idea of opening a bake shop but struggled with determining a perfect location. A mobile operation seemed more plausible for them. The trolley was meant to be something unique for Toledo, Carroll said.
The Tasteful Trolley combines Dimit’s baking expertise and Carroll’s passion for event planning. Carroll’s resume includes hospitality, health care and transportation, the latter of which will serve her well with The Tasteful Trolley.
Getting the trolley to Toledo was not a picturesque journey. The two braved thunderstorms and power outages while traveling by train to pick up their trolley, which they purchased in South Carolina. On the drive back, the trolley broke down and then later had a small fire under the dashboard.
Before becoming The Tasteful Trolley, the vehicle was used as both a city shuttle and a limousine. Making it a mobile kitchen took hard work, the couple said. It took additional time to get the vehicle up to code, Carroll said.
“She’ll be ready to hit the streets here very shortly,” Carroll added.
The Tasteful Trolley’s first public stop is scheduled for the Toledo Farmers’ Market on March 1, with a few private events already on the books.
The trolley’s menu will showcase the couple’s love of Americana cuisine. They have traveled extensively and wanted the trolley to feature fun foods like New Orleans-style jambalaya, Philadelphia-style cheesesteak and lobster rolls from Maine.
“Things like that really speak about true American food and so between the two of us we convert those into pie form,” Carroll said.
Pies featured on the menu include: The Loosey Goosey (a “loose meat” pie with seasoned ground beef and diced onions, celery and carrots), The Pizza Pie (with mozzarella, pepperoni and black olives), The Jersey Jim (with a deep-fried, all-beef hot dog with fried potatoes, sautéed green peppers and onions) and The Reuben (which has corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing.)
Other pies on the menu will serve as a cure for a sweet tooth, including: Monkeys Uncle (with lots of banana flavor), Cocoa Nut (with a hazelnut spread and marshmallow crème) and The Keys, Please (an authentic Key lime pie). The chocolate fudge pie from the couple’s first date is also on the menu.
The Tasteful Trolley has a goal of supporting local nonprofit organizations and causes. The couple is encouraging nonprofit organizations to submit a request to be featured among the “Charities of the Week” or “Charities of the Month.” Certain organizations will receive a donated 15 percent of the trolley’s net profit during those times. It is a way to thank Northwest Ohio for being supportive of the concept and business, Carroll said.
The Tasteful Trolley will also offer catering for corporate events, business meeting and sales blitzes, private parties, social events, wedding receptions and more. There are also “Twelve Months of Pie” and “Four Seasons of Pie” memberships for anyone interested.
Noodle Bar & Grill opened in January in Downtown’s Park Inn by Radisson, at the corner of Monroe and North Summit streets. The restaurant added a second entrance on Monroe Street so patrons would not need to enter through the hotel lobby. Toledo Free Press Photo by Sarah Ottney
Most of the restaurants previously located inside Downtown’s Park Inn by Radisson were not on the dining radar of anyone not paying to sleep in the building.
Noodle Bar & Grill, located inside the hotel at the corner of Monroe and North Summit streets, hopes to change that.
The restaurant, which serves a mix of Asian-themed fare and American comfort food, opened its doors in January.
Noodle Bar & Grill opened in January in Downtown’s Park Inn by Radisson, at the corner of Monroe and North Summit streets. The restaurant added a second entrance on Monroe Street so patrons would not need to enter through the hotel lobby. Toledo Free Press Photo by Sarah Ottney
“We’re serving Asian-American cuisine and there really isn’t another restaurant in the Downtown area that offers our menu,” said Jules Eskra, food and beverage manager at the hotel.
“We thought that this would be a good fit for Downtown Toledo.”
In addition to the main entrance connected to the hotel’s front lobby, the restaurant added a second entrance on Monroe Street.
“Before, it was just a restaurant inside of a hotel,” Eskra said. “Recently, we decided we wanted to move away from that concept. That’s why we created an entrance on Monroe Street, so guests don’t feel like they have to go through the hotel.”
The entrance, marked by a red awning, sits across Monroe Street from the center field area of Fifth Third Field.
In addition to Asian favorites such as pan fried noodles, teriyaki chicken, Kung Pao shrimp and Vietnamese pho rice noodle soup, Noodle Bar & Grill features less obvious choices like Southern mac and cheese, penne pasta dishes, supreme nachos, Philly cheesesteaks and burgers, as well as Asian takes on American fare like its Banh Mi Ribeye and a Fusion Dog, a hot dog served with kimchee, cheese, cabbage, onion and cilantro mayonnaise.
Open for breakfast as well, its morning menu options include Chinese breakfast items like congee (rice porridge), Chinese pickled vegetables, stir-fried vegetables and wonton soup. The breakfast menu also includes classic diner fare including steak and eggs, sausage, bacon, hash browns, pancakes, waffles and French toast.
Eskra said the restaurant hopes to offer a breakfast buffet beginning in the spring.
She thinks the Downtown business community as well as visitors to the area will be surprised to learn that Noodle Bar & Grill isn’t just another “hotel restaurant.”
“The people in the area always assume it’s a hotel restaurant: ‘We’re not going to go there, because it’s basically for hotel guests,’” she said. “So we’re trying to change that mindset and let them know we are a restaurant inside of a hotel, but we have great food.”
The restaurant is open every day for breakfast from 6:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., with lunch and dinner options available from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The restaurant also features a full-service bar, open at 5 p.m.
For more information, call (419) 241-3000. Phone calls come in to the hotel front desk, so ask for Noodle Bar & Grill.
German-American artist Werner Pfeiffer shows his artist’s book, “State of the Union." Photo courtesy Toledo Museum of Art.
A new exhibit at the Toledo Museum of Art (TMA) aims to demonstrate the continued relevance of paper in an increasingly digital world.
“Drawn, Cut & Layered: The Art of Werner Pfeiffer” opens to the public Feb. 6 and will stay in the museum’s Canaday Gallery through May 3.
German-American artist Werner Pfeiffer shows his artist’s book, “State of the Union.” Photo courtesy Toledo Museum of Art.
Nearly 200 limited-edition works of art in the exhibition include drawings, dimensional prints, 3-D collages and sculptural and experimental books.
Pfeiffer, 77, has used the paper medium as both a canvas and a structural material for more than 50 years. The German-American artist incorporates his interest in machines and social justice issues into his work, which is heavily influenced by his childhood in a war zone during World War II.
Pfeiffer, who spoke to media Feb. 5 shortly after seeing the exhibit for the first time, said he has always stockpiled paper, as it was in short supply during his youth. Decades later, he still treasures paper in today’s technological world.
“When we started with the digital age, we thought it was going to eliminate paper, but it hasn’t,” he said. “In fact, it has probably increased the use of paper. Particularly the older generation like myself, we don’t trust the digital. Whenever we do something digitally, I always make a paper copy. … The new generation, they don’t do that because they don’t know paper. They put everything in the cloud. I don’t trust the cloud. Something could happen to that cloud — it could blow away or something.”
Among the pieces in the exhibit are “Abracadabra,” a flexagon (a piece that can be flexed and folded to reveal new portions of the piece — a brochure available at the exhibit is in the format) and “Out of the Sky: Remembering 9/11,” 6-foot, foldable versions of the World Trade Center towers.
Pfeiffer was an art professor at Pratt Institute near the World Trade Center on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, and witnessed the second plane fly into the South Tower, as well as the collapse of both buildings.
Censorship is another topic that resonates with Pfeiffer, something else he credits to the political landscape he was exposed to as a child.
“I grew up in a culture and political system where you couldn’t trust anything,” he said. “When I was a kid, I was shot at and attacked. When the war was over, they gave us books and they had [redacted] line after line after line — stuff that we were not supposed to see. I had lived through it!”
A number of free exhibition-related programs will be offered at TMA, including a Q&A session with Pfeiffer from 2-3 p.m. Feb. 7 in the Little Theater. TMA Director Brian Kennedy will co-host the event, which will cover Pfeiffer’s experimental art books, inspiration and career. From 1-4 p.m. Feb. 8, a workshop with Pfeiffer will introduce participants to the art of paper manipulation. Participants will create their own work of art. The cost of the workshop is $50 for museum members and $60 for nonmembers. Registration may be completed at toledomuseum.org/learn/classes.
Admission to both “Drawn, Cut & Layered” and the museum is free. The exhibition, curated by the TMA’s Thomas Loeffler, is made possible through the Ohio Arts Council sustainability grant program. For more information, visit toledomuseum.org.
On Feb. 1, meteorologists were predicting up to 13 inches of snow and Super Bowl oddsmakers were predicting a narrow victory either way. But no one could have predicted that Toledo Mayor D. Michael Collins’ heart was about to stop beating.
.
When news broke that Collins had suffered a cardiac arrest while driving home from a news conference regarding the pending Level 3 snow emergency, the city was shocked and saddened. As of Feb. 5, Collins is still hospitalized in critical condition at the University of Toledo Medical Center.
Toledo Free Press adds our thoughts and prayers for him and his family to those pouring in from around the city and state.
Government, however, doesn’t stop for grief. Toledo City Council President Paula Hicks-Hudson was sworn in as acting mayor that same evening at UTMC.
It’s certainly a big job to be thrust into with only a few hours’ notice, that’s for sure. But Hicks-Hudson, a Democrat, should be well-qualified. A lawyer with years of experience in state and local government, she’s served on City Council since 2011 and as its president since 2013. Her previous positions include city legislative director, county assistant prosecutor, director of the Lucas County Board of Elections and state legal counsel.
Fellow Council members describe Hicks-Hudson as respectful, logical, thorough, inquisitive and open to others’ opinions. That’s promising.
She’s indicated she doesn’t intend to make drastic changes in the short term. But she does admit differences from Collins, an Independent, in long-term plans and priorities. Even if Collins starts to recover today, he faces a long road. If he is unable to return to office, Hicks-Hudson will be mayor until a general election in November.
And what about staff? After a year of tweaking duties and positions to find the right mix, everyone seems to be working well together. Will Hicks-Hudson keep all of Collins’ staff? That’s unlikely. Change isn’t necessarily bad, but swapping players in certain positions could impede recent forward momentum.
Among the major projects Collins was working on include ongoing negotiations with Fiat Chrysler over Jeep Wrangler production, ProMedica’s move Downtown and finding a developer for the former Southwyck site. There’s a city budget that needs passing, a county jail that needs building and a water plant that needs ongoing infrastructure improvements.
There are a lot of balls in the air, but lately City Council seemed to be getting in a groove, all finally rowing in the same direction.
We seem to be on the verge of a major resurgence in Downtown development. Most business owners are excited about the possibilities ahead.
I was encouraged by several recent Council votes, particularly the approval of ProMedica’s move Downtown. Collins has been receptive to the idea since the health system approached him more than a year ago. The near-unanimous vote was a great victory for him and is poised to be a legacy project for him.
Now he’s fighting for his life. But the city he fought for must go forward.
The tragedy would be compounded if this unexpected and tragic event disrupted that newfound momentum.
Thomas F. Pounds is president and publisher of Toledo Free Press. He can be reached at [email protected].
About 11 years ago, a friend of ours had gotten this cute white puffball of a dog he named Murphy and we thought it would be cool to get one just like it. So we made a trip to see Murphy’s “brother.” The “breeder” turned out to be an elderly lady with a bunch of dogs penned up in her kitchen. As Max grew, we realized we may have been fooled into believing he was the true brother of a Bichon Yorkie we admired rather than a product of whatever went on in the lady’s kitchen.
Murphy had bright white puffy cotton ball-like fur and Max turned out to have yellowish limp locks that made him look like the poor pathetic cousin from across the tracks.
But Max has been a great companion. When he was a puppy, he always had to be on the move. He was not very cuddly and did not like to be held very long. He was sitting beside me recently on what had not been a good day. I felt like the old guy who answers the question, “Hello, sir, how are you today?” with “Horrible! Just horrible.” It seemed like a day I would have been better off just staying home.
As Max sat next to me, I had a moment of great appreciation for him. Max was just happy to be there, sitting beside me in the safety and comfort of our home. He was happy to just be.
As time has gone on and I have gotten older, I feel like I have mellowed. I used to try to be like Cesar the Dog Whisperer recommended — leader of the pack, the alpha male who used to like being with Max, but felt it was necessary each night to require Max to sleep in his cage to keep him in his place. I am now that guy in the cartoon to whom the dog says (as he is laying on my favorite pillow) “The couch is available.”
Since Max is getting old (77 in dog years) I have decided to let things slide and he now sleeps in our bed each night. I was out of town recently and knew my wife Lisa would be in bed and texted her to tell Max to get off my pillow. She cracked up laughing because before she received my text she was sending me a picture of Max who was totally enjoying my pillow and my absence.
You may be thinking, “Aw, he sounds like a really cute dog.” He is, but Max is no saint. He has done his best to destroy our house. He has never kicked the habit of marking his territory. Every corner of every chair has been hit repeatedly. Anything left on the floor is a target. Once, I had to inform Lisa he nailed the bottom of one of her dresses that hung from a doorknob. Max has mastered the art of stealth. He sneaks off and does it even though he knows it is wrong.
We have tried everything to break this. One year our family Christmas letter talked about “puppy diapers.” It did not work. Max couldn’t have cared less that he peed himself repeatedly inside his “belly band.” I have to admit, during several points of exasperation I thought about finding him a new home. Then I thought, “I couldn’t do that to him.” He is flawed like the rest of us. I wouldn’t get rid of one of our kids, so I couldn’t get rid of Max.
I think Max is going blind, too, because when he is in the bed with Lisa and anyone enters the room he barks and growls like he is going to tear you a new one. Even when he knows it is me, he has to act all tough and continue to growl a while like it is a game.
Max absolutely lives for his rubber chew toy. It is actually the third or fourth version of the same toy and I fear he will be devastated when this one is done for, as I have not been able to find another.
What Max really lives for is being with us. It seems his favorite time of the day is when I get up to go to the bedroom each evening. He gets all excited, grabs his toy and runs into the bedroom and jumps on the bed to take his place among the comfy blankets.
Max is just happy to be there and just happy to be. Me too.
For more information about The Retirement Guys, tune in at 1 p.m. every Saturday on 1370 WSPD or visit www.retirementguysradio.com. Securities and Investment Advisory Services are offered through NEXT Financial Group Inc., Member FINRA / SIPC. NEXT Financial Group, Inc. does not provide tax or legal advice. The Retirement Guys are not an affiliate of NEXT Financial Group. The office is at 1700 Woodlands Drive, Suite 100, Maumee, OH 43537. (419) 842-0550
Taco Bell is testing its new Quesalupa in the Toledo market. If it sells well here, it will be sold in restaurants nationwide. Photo courtesy Taco Bell.
Just as it did with the Doritos Locos Taco in 2011, the future of a Taco Bell menu item rests in the hands of Toledoans.
On Jan. 29, 36 Toledo Taco Bell locations began serving the Quesalupa, a flaky, crispy shell stuffed with melted pepperjack cheese layered with seasoned beef, lettuce, cheddar cheese, sour cream and tomatoes. The item costs $2.99.
Taco Bell is testing its new Quesalupa in the Toledo market. If it sells well here, it will be sold in restaurants nationwide. Photo courtesy Taco Bell.
Toledo is the only market testing the product at this time. If it sells well, it will be added nationwide.
“No pressure, Toledo,” Taco Bell spokesperson Matthew Prince said in an email. “We’ve had great success in Toledo testing the Doritos Locos Taco in 2011, and we felt it only fitting to return to the birthplace of the DLT to launch such an innovative product.”
The test will run for four weeks. During that time, Prince said locals can give national attention to the food item only available in Toledo. Locals are encouraged to tweet their opinions of the Quesalupa in hopes of sparking interest from people all over America.
“Toledo is a great representative of the national market and we fully buy into the city’s mantra: ‘You’ll do better in Toledo,’” Prince said. For more information, or to join in the conversation about the new product, visit tacobell.com/quesalupa.
The Grape Smugglers are among the acts set to perform at the Dine 419 Kickoff Party Feb.19 at Hollywood Casino Toledo. They will be joined by Candice Coleman, the Gray Devils and the Homewreckers. Dine 419 benefits Veterans Matter, a national charity founded and based in Toledo. The audience can donate to the cause at the free concert. Photo Courtesy The Grape Smugglers
The Dine 419 Restaurant Kickoff Party at Hollywood Casino Toledo on Feb. 19 will benefit Dine 419, a new weeklong restaurant fundraising event.
Among the Northwest Ohio artists scheduled to appear in consecutive hour-long sets starting at 7 p.m. are Candice Coleman, the Gray Devils, the Grape Smugglers and the Homewreckers. The concert is free.
The Grape Smugglers are among the acts set to perform at the Dine 419 Kickoff Party Feb.19 at Hollywood Casino Toledo. They will be joined by Candice Coleman, the Gray Devils and the Homewreckers. Dine 419 benefits Veterans Matter, a national charity founded and based in Toledo. The audience can donate to the cause at the free concert. Photo Courtesy The Grape Smugglers
“It’s so wonderful for the entire community to come together like this to support our homeless veterans,” said Ken Leslie, event organizer and founder of Veterans Matter. “The restaurants in Toledo have always had compassion for those in need.”
Dine 419’s proceeds go directly to Veterans Matter, a national charity founded and still based in Toledo. Leslie started the charity in 2012, with the goal of helping house homeless veterans.
Several area restaurants are participating during the seven-day event, giving patrons a chance to show their support for the cause.
The Kickoff Party’s first performer will be Coleman, who burst into the national spotlight on the second season of “American Idol” in 2003, and remains a popular and in-demand artist.
Pat Lewandowski and Tom Kornacki make up the Gray Devils; the men have both played roots and blues music for 30 years, including the last three together.
The Grape Smugglers is a seven-piece band that covers hits from acts like Chicago, the Doobie Brothers and Stevie Wonder, and brings a general Motown sound.
“I’m going to put together an hour set that should be really kicking,” said Dave Stella, guitarist and vocalist. “I love doing benefits, because you’ve got to give back.”
The Homewreckers will close the evening’s event, and bring a bluesy sound that’s been heard in and around Toledo since the group’s first gig at Rally by the River in 1988.
A concert is a fitting way to start Dine 419’s inaugural event, as it was Veterans Matter that received initial support from musician John Mellencamp in 2007.
Word of mouth then spread to others in the entertainment industry, and before long, Leslie had connections with and financial support from many celebrities, including Susan Sarandon, Katy Perry, Kid Rock, Ice-T, Stevie Nicks and Willie Nelson, among others.
Veterans Matter connects local communities, foundations, corporations and veterans groups with Housing and Urban Development and the Veterans Administration to move homeless vets off the streets and into permanent, supported housing.
Once housed, services are lined up to help veterans and their families recapture their lives and return to domestic autonomy. Veterans Matter has been able to house more than 500 veterans to date.
Those in attendance at the Kickoff Party will be able to make donations to Veterans Matter.
Lucas County EMS Lead Dispatcher Brian Dempsey, left, talked Evelyn Johnson and Andra Crisp through Assisting Toledo Mayor D. Michael Collins after his cardiac arrest and accident Feb. 1, including performing CPR until paramedics arrived. Neither had formal CPR training and neither realized at the time that the man they were helping was Mayor Collins. The three met for the first time Feb. 4 at the Lucas County EMS building. Toledo Free Press photo by Christie Materni
Evelyn Johnson was headed to work at Rally’s and Andra Crisp was on his way to Walmart to restock his mom’s shelves before the big storm when both noticed a vehicle off the road, still idling, against a pole in South Toledo shortly before 2 p.m. Feb. 1.
Johnson, 42, of South Toledo drove by at first, but something nagged at her and she turned around at the first opportunity, her 5-year-old goddaughter in the back seat.
“There was smoke coming out of the back, from the driver’s foot still being on the pedal,” Johnson said. “I said, ‘That’s just odd. There’s got to be something wrong.’”
Crisp, 39, also of South Toledo, said at first he thought the vehicle was just stuck in the snow so he stopped to help it dig out, pulling up right behind Johnson on Parkside Boulevard near its intersection with Hill Avenue.
As they approached the SUV, they saw an older man inside the locked vehicle, seat belt on, slumped over the steering wheel.
The man was Toledo Mayor D. Michael Collins, though neither of them knew it at the time.
Lucas County EMS Lead Dispatcher Brian Dempsey, left, talked Evelyn Johnson and Andra Crisp through Assisting Toledo Mayor D. Michael Collins after his cardiac arrest and accident Feb. 1, including performing CPR until paramedics arrived. Neither had formal CPR training and neither realized at the time that the man they were helping was Mayor Collins. The three met for the first time Feb. 4 at the Lucas County EMS building. Toledo Free Press photo by Christie Materni
Johnson called 911 at 1:49 p.m. and was transferred to Lucas County Emergency Medical Service (EMS).
“We’re banging on the windows and he’s just not responding to us at all,” she told Lead Dispatcher Brian Dempsey.
Johnson grabbed a hammer out of her trunk and Crisp used it to break open the rear driver’s side window. Johnson crawled into the backseat, turned off the car and unlocked the door.
“After he hit it, it was like something came over me,” she said. “I sprang into action. I had no gloves, but I was clearing the glass and only ended up with a teeny scratch. I jumped in the backseat and started shaking him. My adrenaline was pumping even faster.”
Toledo Mayor D. Michael Collins
Together they got Collins out of the vehicle and onto the ground. At this point, it was 1:53 p.m., four minutes since Johnson called 911.
Brain damage can start at four minutes without oxygen, said Toledo Fire & Rescue CPR instructor Nicole Knight Zmijewski. That’s why citizens willing to step in and give CPR are vital, as the average response time for paramedics is six minutes, she said.
“He’s dead,” Johnson said 40 seconds later. However, Dempsey instructed her to start CPR.
“OK, well, we’re going to try and help him,” he told her.
“OK,” Johnson responded. Neither she nor Crisp had formal CPR training, but Johnson started chest compressions around 1:54 p.m., with Dempsey talking her through the steps. After a bit, Crisp took over.
“We didn’t panic,” Johnson said. “But I would not have been able to do any of that without [Dempsey’s] help.”
Paramedics arrived by 1:55 p.m. One can be heard on the 911 audio saying, “That’s the mayor.”
“When we heard that, it was like, ‘Oh, my God,’” Johnson said. “We couldn’t believe it. We were both looking at each other like, ‘Oh, my God.’ But I would have done it for anybody.”
At that point, Johnson and Crisp went their separate ways. Crisp continued on to Walmart, only to find it closed due to the pending Level 3 snow emergency. Johnson left to drop off her goddaughter and clock into work about a half-hour late.
What happened
Paramedics radioed a diagnosis of cardiac arrest at 1:56 p.m. A life squad arrived at 2 p.m. A second EMS crew was dispatched to the scene at 2:06 p.m., arriving at 2:12 p.m.
Cardiac arrest is not the same as a heart attack. Cardiac arrest is an electrical issue, where the heart suddenly stops beating. A heart attack is a circulatory issue, caused when blood flow to the heart is cut off, usually by a blocked artery.
At 2:17 p.m., Collins, 70, was transported to University of Toledo Medical Center, where he remains in “very critical condition” in the intensive care unit as of Feb. 5.
“At this point it is too early yet to establish the timing or likelihood of his recovery,” cardiologist Dr. Christopher Cooper said in a statement from the City of Toledo on Feb. 2.
At a news conference Feb. 1, Cooper gave credit to an unnamed citizen — at the time officials only knew of Johnson — who initiated CPR at the scene.
That night, Johnson met Collins’ wife Sandy Drabik at the hospital; she brought her back to see Collins.
“Her and I just cried,” Johnson said. “But it was the best feeling. It gave me a lot of satisfaction to see him, that he was breathing, even though he’s hooked up to machines.”
Meeting
Johnson, Crisp and Dempsey met for the first time Feb. 4.
Dempsey, 38, of Northwood has been a Lucas County EMS dispatcher for 13 years and lead dispatcher since May. He’s also a firefighter with the Northwood Fire Department.
“Normally I don’t get to follow up on these kinds of things, so it’s nice to be able to follow up and actually see the people on the other end of the phone,” Dempsey said.
The call Feb. 1 came toward the end of Dempsey’s eight-hour shift, which ended at 4 p.m.
“I’m just there doing my job. I’m just doing what I’m trained to do,” he said. “These guys are the ones who stopped. They stepped up to help a stranger they just thought was broke down on the side of the road and once they found out it was much more than that, they still didn’t think twice about doing what needed to be done to help.”
Dempsey said he was also surprised to learn the man they were helping was Mayor Collins, but all three said it wouldn’t have made a difference had they known.
“It was a little bit of a shock to find that out, but then again, he’s just another person to us when we’re trying to treat him,” Dempsey said. “Whether it’s the mayor or your average Joe off the street, it doesn’t matter. We’re going to treat you the same and get you the same amount of help.”
Crisp said he feels good about the part he played in trying to help.
“Maybe God sent me that way for a reason. Maybe I’m an angel in disguise,” Crisp said.
“It felt good to help somebody,” he added. “I don’t consider myself a hero. Everybody needs help before they leave this world. If I was in the same position, I would hope somebody would do the same for me.”
Johnson agreed.
“I’m proud of what I did, but I don’t feel like a hero. I just feel like it was the right thing to do,” she said. “I’m going to help people. That’s just me. That’s how my mom raised me, to help someone in need, and to the day I pass away I will help people in need. My theory is I would want the next person to help my family.”
Johnson said she’s grateful Crisp stopped, too.
“As a team, me and him worked great,” Johnson said. “We worked together like we’d worked together forever. If it was by myself it would have been a lot harder to do.”
Both said they’d do it all over again.
“Everything happens for a reason. I don’t believe in coincidence,” Johnson said. “I truly believe I was put in his path to help him.”
What’s next
Toledo City Council President Paula Hicks-Hudson was sworn in as acting mayor on Feb. 1. Council member and former Toledo mayor Jack Ford is serving as Council president in her place.
Schoolchildren have been making cards and banners for Collins. Churches have held prayer vigils. The owner of Toledo Flags arranged for a Get Well flag to be sewn and signed.
On Feb. 3, Councilwoman Lindsay Webb led a prayer at the start of the first City Council meeting since the accident.
“We know that miracles are possible. They are possible,” Webb said.
If Collins were to die or be unable to fulfill his duties as mayor, Hicks-Hudson would become mayor until a general election is held in November.
Hicks-Hudson, a lawyer who has served on City Council since 2011 and as its president since 2013, said she doesn’t plan any major changes, at least in the short term.
The major projects Collins was working on include talks with Fiat Chrysler over the future of the Jeep Wrangler in Toledo, ProMedica’s move Downtown and the search for an end user for the former Southwyck site, said Matt Sapara, development director for the city.
“There’s a lot going on and we just want to keep heading in that positive direction,” Sapara said. “My marching orders are clear: Keep going in the direction we’re going.
“I have confidence in [Hicks-Hudson]. I know she has the best interests of the community at heart. That is very obvious and that’s something she shares with Mayor Collins.”
As a CPR educator for Toledo Fire & Rescue (TFD), I provide CPR training to not only Emergency Medical Services personnel and hospital personnel, but also to the general public.
The public is a key component to CPR training. Nothing I or any of my co-workers do will matter if the person who has suffered a cardiac arrest is without circulation for a significant period of time. Irreversible brain damage begins at the four- to six-minute mark of no circulation.
It is imperative for citizens to understand what an important piece they are in this puzzle. At least 88 percent of cardiac arrests take place outside of a hospital setting. This means the average citizen is most likely the first person who can begin to make a difference in the person’s life.
In the event of a cardiac arrest, you as a citizen have to identify the person as unresponsive, call 911 and act. When you call 911, our dispatchers have to receive the call and relay it to crew members, who have to get into their vehicles and drive to your location. Add to that traffic, weather conditions, etc., and four minutes really is not that long. Four minutes is so brief yet so vital to the victim.
For years, CPR involved mouth-to-mouth resuscitation as well as chest compressions. Many people shied away from jumping in to perform CPR on strangers due to the fear of infection via mouth-to-mouth. Others were intimidated by the complexity of the “old” CPR method. Trying to remember the ratio of compressions to breaths, while keeping it effective, is a nerve-racking process. I certainly can understand their fears.
However, the American Heart Association over time has made changes to its CPR protocol and mouth-to-mouth is no longer the standard. Now the theme is “push hard, push fast,” simplifying the procedure to just chest compressions.
We live our lives with our hearts continuously beating. In a sudden cardiac arrest, the heart abruptly stops. The human body is not made to take breaks. It is important to recognize sudden cardiac arrest and begin chest compressions, which allow the heart and brain to continue receiving blood circulation when the heart is no longer pumping.
Studies have shown people who receive chest compressions alone during cardiac arrest have the same survival rate as those who received traditional CPR. Educating citizens makes them more confident in their compression skills, making them eager and able to jump in and begin CPR on someone in a sudden cardiac arrest.
CPR steps
1. Determine if the person is responsive. Tap the victim and shout, “Are you OK?”
2. If there’s no response, call for help. If you are alone, call 911; if not, send someone to call for you.
3. Make sure the person is on their back, on a firm surface. Kneel at the side of the victim.
4. Push hard and push fast. Perform chest compressions with the heel of one hand on the breastbone, between the nipples and the other hand directly on top of that hand. Keep your elbows locked and begin compressions at a depth of two inches.
Save the Beat is one upcoming opportunity for area residents to learn CPR. The event was organized in honor of Toledo Mayor D. Michael Collins, inspired by the two civilians who called 911 and performed CPR after he suffered a cardiac arrest while driving last week. The free, two-hour classes, set for Feb. 14 at SeaGate Convention Centre, will cover the basics of CPR as well as automatic defibrillators and the Heimlich maneuver.
I know that I am an educator, a firefighter/paramedic and a nurse. It is my duty to make sure my patients receive high-quality CPR and advanced life support. Outside of this, I am also a mom, daughter, wife, friend and citizen. I can only hope that if I, a family member or friend suffered from a sudden cardiac arrest that someone would be willing to take the initiative to push hard and push fast to save a life. I know I would.
Nicole Knight Zmijewski is a firefighter/paramedic and CPR instructor with Toledo Fire & Rescue and a nurse at Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center. Email her at [email protected] to set up a CPR training.
