BMW hybrid vehicle tour
TPS high schoolers get a look at 2023 BMW XM hybrid
Toledo – Career technology students received a close-up at a high performance hybrid vehicle when a BMW representative visited the Waite and Start high school campuses on last week.
The tour was arranged by Yark Automotive Group and BMW of Toledo as a way to showcase today’s EV and hybrid technology to students, as well as what they might work on when they join the workforce.
It certainly didn’t hurt that the demonstration vehicle – a 2023 BMV XM hybrid – had a range of upgrades and luxury details, which included a lighted interior ceiling and a metallic sparkle amid the dark gray exterior paint hue.
“How often do you get to probe around a nearly $200,000 car?” BMW Group Technical support engineer Jonathan Staley asked with a smile as he prepped for the first student group to arrive.
Participating students were from welding and auto collision career technology classes at Waite High School, along with auto mechanic technology classes at Start High School.
“I’ve always liked cars,” said Brooklyn Tucker, a Waite junior who is taking the welding class.
Waite High School welding teacher Zach Kulwicki said he wanted his students to see the hybrid vehicle because it shows a practical use for the robotic welding lessons they are learning in class.
Electric vehicle adoption has been happening in fits and starts in the United States during the past few years. The U.S. Department of Energy reports that about 50,000 all-electric vehicles were registered in the state of Ohio in December 2023. California, Texas and Florida are the states where they have caught on the most, the federal data shows.
Staley said early adopters flocked to the technology, but others continue to hold out for reasons such as driving range questions and charger availability. “Demand for EVs has definitely cooled off,” he said.
While today’s EVs look similar to other vehicles on the road, their operation and charging logistics are a significant change from the gas engines Americans have driven for decades.
That’s one of the reasons that BMW includes school visits on its promotional campaigns. Staley said it takes a lot of “intelligence and training” for technicians to be able to keep the newer vehicles running smoothly, and he wants the students to be aware of the possibilities when making a career choice.
“We go around and explain the reality of working on cars these days,” Staley said.
Fish sale on now
Fish sale for pond fish available through Lucas SWCD website
Toledo – Local pond owners have the chance to restock their ponds at a discount price, thanks to Lucas Soil and Water Conservation District (Lucas SWCD), which is in partnership with Fender’s Fish Hatchery in Baltic, Ohio.
To take advantage of this sale of $1.35 or less per fish, buyers must preorder by Oct. 3 and pick up on Oct. 10.
The species include large mouth bass, yellow perch, channel catfish, bluegill, and fathead minnows. These fingerlings range from one to six inches in length. To order or find out about future fish sales, visit lucasswcd.org, where you’ll also find events ranging from composting classes to milkweed pod collection.
Lucas County’s strategic plan
Commissioner’s office seeks to map out future of public service
By Lisa A. Sobecki, Lucas County Commissioner
There’s a lot to be excited about in Lucas County.
Last month, the Lucas County Sheriff’s Office unveiled a new precinct in Swanton that provides a central location to seven western townships patrolled by our deputies.
Next spring, we’ll open the doors on a brand-new Canine Care & Control facility in downtown Toledo that will expand and enhance the services we provide to Lucas County dogs.
And in 2026, we will unveil an operational materials recovery facility that will drastically reduce our carbon footprint and save taxpayers money by sorting, processing and separating recyclable materials currently being transferred 90 miles away.
There’s a lot happening in our county in the near future. Our long-term goals, priorities, projects, investments, processes and day-to-day operations, however, need some thoughtful planning to map out what we want our home to look like three, five, and even 10 years down the road.
That’s why we’ve engaged in a strategic planning process, alongside Experience Management Institute, an organizational consulting firm based in Columbus.
Strategic plans are common for businesses, nonprofit organizations and government agencies.
This plan will be the first of its kind for the Board of Lucas County Commissioners.
Our plan will be a roadmap for the board, provide a guidebook on what we value, articulate what our priorities are, and hold us accountable to execute and meet the goals we set forth.
As part of this process, we’ve engaged hundreds of stakeholders, including elected officials, county directors and administration, union leadership, city and township representatives, community partners, and Lucas County employees.
Now, we want to hear from you, our residents.
This is your home. This is where you live, where you work, where you greet friends and family. And it’s where you will retire and watch your children and grandchildren grow up and thrive.
To take our survey, please visit Strategic Plan Survey.
This is your chance to help identify our shared values. This is your opportunity to write what our future will look like in Lucas County.
As an elected official, I work for you. The Board of Lucas County Commissioners works for you. Your feedback is critical to inform this process and develop a specified plan that meets the needs of our community.
By spending a few minutes on this confidential and anonymous survey, you can have stake and ownership of what Lucas County will look like for you and your children and grandchildren.
Help us write a future we can all be proud of. A future for everyone. A future for you.
Trans and Understanding
Trans & Thriving Fest inspires voices to speak out
Story and photos by Lori King
TOLEDO – Holding a pink blow-up guitar and sporting a pencil-drawn mustache, Chip Brewer took a moment to talk about what it felt like to attend his first all-trans cast festival.
Brewer (stage name Mag-n-Cheese) was at the 2nd annual Trans & Thriving Fest in Toledo last month to perform in a drag show in front an accepting audience of fellow trans women and men and their allies.
“Being at a trans fest feels really surreal,” Brewer exclaimed as he clutched the guitar, a prop for his lip-syncing performance slated for later that afternoon.
“I’m actually a trans kid from the south, born and raised in the greater Memphis area, so I’m not super used to seeing specific spaces dedicated to trans people or appreciating trans people,” he admitted. “Moving up north is definitely kind of a culture shock … to see these types of things.”
The festival, sponsored by Equality Toledo, TransToledo and Holier Toledo, featured resource and vendor booths, food trucks and the family-friendly drag show.
For five hours that day, LGBTQ+ people shared a rare safe space out in the open. It was an afternoon that wasn’t taken lightly by Brewer, who came to the fest to be amongst others who understood and accepted him, celebrated him and were like him.
But this article isn’t about the fest, itself. You can hear their stories as they share what it feels like to be who they are while living in what can be a pretty hostile environment. By clicking on any photo in the gallery, you will be directed to audio files so you can hear their voices explain what transition stage they’re currently undergoing, the fear they face when in public and what it’s like to be at safe places like the Trans & Thriving Fest.
Perhaps this story can be considered a catalyst for understanding as they continue to fight for acceptance, and even their lives, one public appearance at a time.
According the Human Rights Campaign, consider that in 2023 at least 28 transgender or gender non-conforming people were murdered in the United States, including Toledoans Kejuan Richardson, a gender non-conforming Black man, and Amiri Reid, a Black transgender woman.
Both were considered a hate crime, a violent act that strikes fear into the heart of a community so discriminated against that laws and policies are being enacted to block LGBTQ+ people from playing in sports, reading to kids and even having wedding cakes made for that special occasion.
Because of the enigma of the trans community, hearing them tell their stories might shed light on being trans and misunderstood, and on who they are and what they go through. Though this story only focuses on a few personal stories, it’s a start.
Stevie Phoenix, a trans man undergoing hormone replacement therapy (HRT), is a parent of two children and married to their father. The family lives in Temperance, Mich.
During the middle of his lip-syncing performance at the Trans & Thriving fest, Phoenix wanted his fellow trans brothers and sisters to know they were “seen,” so he pulled out a syringe, held it between his teeth as he pushed down his legging to just above his right knee, and poked the needle into his thigh.
It was a bold statement that effectively got right to the point … they were amongst their people.
Phoenix explained after his performance that he administers his testosterone shot weekly, typically on Saturdays, “and the reason I do it on Saturdays is just in case there is an event that would be appropriate for me to perform while administering my shot.
“I do that to help other trans men and people who take part in hormone replacement therapy feel normalized and seen,” he said.
“It can be very, very powerful when you see somebody on stage who has a bit of notoriety showcase such a precious part of the trans experience, because it is a precious part. It’s almost spiritual to see somebody take that very, very personal experience and share it with everyone.”
Stevie Phoenix
Nikki Orlowski, co-founder and vice president of TransToledo and a transgender woman, said she was at the fest to support the trans community and to sell her art.
She said it’s hard to put into words what being trans means to her. “It’s obviously a physical journey, but it’s so much more than that … it’s spiritual. It’s my identity.”
As for being at the fest, Orlowski said everyone was there for each other, and they appeared happy and embraced who they were. “It means the world to me. It’s my favorite day,” she said.
Dressed in a white suite with rainbow accents and wearing a drawn-in mustache and beard, Theo Rhetically jumped off the temporary stage to interact with the audience. As she lip-synced to The Greatest Showman’s This is Me, she collected applause and dollar bills.
“We can’t possibly do drag without the amazing people who come to watch us,” Rhetically said. “Drag doesn’t exist without people who choose to support us, love us and give us a place to show them our creation. Without them, I literally can’t do what I’m doing … what I love.
“So if you ever come to a drag show or you support drag and you know drag’s not a crime, always come out and support us,” he encouraged. “You’re cheering, your presence is more than anything we could ever ask. If you like drag, please come and support us. We love you.”
Resources:
- Frequently asked questions about Transgender people
- Understanding transgender people, gender identify and gender expression
- What is the difference between transsexual and transgender
- Transgender violence data
Click on any photo in the gallery to hear their stories on Spotify >
Toledo flag redesign
Arts Commission presents semifinalists for new City of Toledo flag
TOLEDO – The City of Toledo will retire its current flag, adopted in 1994, and introduce a new city flag with input from the community.
Officially, all entries are anonymous. However, one of the semifinalists is already publicly known: Toledoan Jacob Parr.
Parr’s research and suggestions on redesigning the official flag was presented to Toledo City Council in 2022, and he said he’s excited about the current effort, whether his flag is chosen or not.
“I was able to instigate what, to me, is a very meaningful conversation on civic pride,” Parr said. “The point of this project was to give back to the city I love.”
Toledo’s current flag uses what was then the newly updated city seal as its core design. It’s not seen in public much. Rachel Hart, director of communications for City of Toledo, said it is on display at city hall but likely “not many other places.”
An earlier city flag, in use from 1909 through 1994, features an illustration of a stockade fort against blue and white stripes. That said, the newer flag, adopted during the administration of then-mayor Carleton “Carty” S. Finkbeiner, doesn’t quite fit today’s best practices.
“There are some well-established principles for flag design. Our current flag fails all of them,” Hart said.
It was 2015 when Parr started his curiosity and research into such a project. He is a Toledo School for the Arts graduate and works in design. At one point, he was listening to podcasts on design concepts, including one that discussed flags. During the stay-at-home initiatives during the COVID-19 pandemic, he had time to brainstorm and research on what he thought was an intriguing idea.
He presented his flag redesign idea – a blue and white banner with a yellow spark – to Toledo mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz in 2021. The suggestion started working its way through city hall. Parr’s earlier presentation is still available for review on his graphic design website.
“It was almost adopted as the official Toledo flag,” Chloe Nousias said about Parr’s proposal. She is the marketing communications manager for The Arts Commission. What happened instead, as the idea faced city council in 2022, is the proposal stalled out.
Questions were raised about getting more public involvement. Kapszukiewicz re-introduced the project in his most recent State of the City address. This time, The Arts Commission, a nonprofit organization that manages Toledo’s public art collection, was asked to get involved.
“The Arts Commission has been a really great partner,” Harr said.
“It’s all very exciting,” Parr said about the decision to move forward.
In the current process, submissions opened June 28 and were due Aug. 28. Only city of Toledo residents could participate.
The Design Review Board, which includes representatives from Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo City Council and The Arts Commission, was tasked to narrow down the list of submissions.
Semifinalists went on public display, with comments taken Sept. 20-22 during the Momentum Festival arts celebration in downtown Toledo.
“We had a lot of good feedback at the festival,” Nousias said.
Area residents also are invited to review the concepts and share their thoughts at The Art Commission website. The PDF of design choices includes descriptions of why certain colors, shapes or symbols were chosen.
The review board will then name a top design and two runners-up for review and adoption. A final selection announcement is set for Jan. 7.
“That’s Toledo’s birthday,” Hart said, referring to the city’s official founding date of Jan. 7, 1837.
If area residents notice a simple, modern design style among the choices as compared to the currently used city flag, that’s intentional. Participants were encouraged to look up best practices, such as the North American Vexillological Association’s Good Flag, Bad Flag: How to Design a Great Flag.
The report gives recommendations on how to make a flag both representative of, and recognizable for, its community.
This newer flag style can be seen in the proposals as Cleveland, Dayton and Salt Lake City have been considering redesigns of their city flags. Mississippi voters also adopted a new state flag design in 2020.
City Flag Design Rules
The Arts Commission and Toledo city officials published guidelines for the City of Toledo flag redesign that included the following:
- All submissions must be from a resident of the city of Toledo.
- Design elements should “reflect the City of Toledo’s shared history, values, aspirations and diverse cultural communities.”
- No lettering within the design.
- Two or three basic colors used in the design.
- All work must be original, not copyright material, and not created or enhanced by Artificial Intelligence.
Ruby-throated hummingbird
These small, fast hummingbirds soon to migrate out of our area
Fall’s arrival means saying goodbye to one of our summertime gems. The last of our ruby-throated hummingbirds will be leaving us in the coming days for their wintering grounds across the Gulf of Mexico and as far away as Central America.
Most of the males with their bright ruby throats left weeks ago. Only the females remain and their numbers are thinning. Their latest recorded departure date from our area was mid-October, so if you’re lucky enough to see one this time of year take a moment to admire their incredible appearance and remarkable abilities.
These tiny birds – our smallest – are hatched in tiny nests from eggs the size of a jellybean. As adults they are the only birds capable of hovering in place, flying backwards and even upside down. Their wingbeats are so fast that they make an easily heard humming or buzzing sound as they approach the flowers and feeders that they visit for nectar.
They are both fast and have incredible stamina. In migration they’re known to fly 40 miles per hour. Some make a non-stop, 500-mile flight across the Gulf of Mexico that they’ll finish in less than a day.
