In a letter to his wife Abigail, John Adams wrote: “The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more. You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will triumph in that Days Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not.”
Rep. Bob Latta
While Adams may have been off by two days, the Fourth of July is a day for all Americans to remember. Our Founding Fathers laid the framework for what has become the greatest nation on Earth, and it is because of the selfless sacrifices of our troops that these values have held strong. Benjamin Franklin, in response to a Philadelphia woman’s question as to what form of government the Constitutional Convention had given them, aptly replied, “A Republic, if you can keep it.”
Continuous threats have challenged our Republic, but our military has never wavered and has remained steadfast in its resolve. As we face new and evolving challenges, it is imperative we continue to support our troops both in the field and upon their return home.
We need to look no further than Toledo’s own 180th Fighter Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard to see the patriots who make up our military. These brave men and women are our first line of defense in protecting the security of our nation in the air, and we are honored and proud to call them members of our community. Our service members live by a creed that stresses commitment and dedication not only to one another, but also to our country. On a daily basis, they volunteer themselves, making selfless sacrifices in the name of freedom — a further testament to their character and heroism.
Despite difficult budgetary times, it remains critical that we provide our military men and women with the necessary resources to complete current missions and defend against future threats. We must also ensure that both they and their families have the resources to navigate the physical and mental stresses that can result from combat. The U.S. Congress has passed annual legislation to provide for a strong national defense and support our troops and their families. However, as increasingly evidenced by reports regarding the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) mishandling of our veterans’ care, our country has not fulfilled all of its promises to our troops and veterans.
The care of our veterans is neither partisan nor political. Members from both sides of the aisle, including myself, have been outraged by the terrible failings at the VA, and we will not stand for the continued runaround we have received from the administration. Secret lists, unacceptable wait times and lengthy appeals processes have come to define our veterans’ health care system, and it is time for us to defend our nation’s heroes. Therefore, both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate have passed multiple pieces of legislation to eliminate the current culture of mistruths and complacency, as well as prevent these injustices from occurring in the future.
One of the most disconcerting aspects of the VA crisis is that these issues could have been prevented. We have made a promise to our nation’s heroes and have a duty to uphold our commitment. As more veterans return from overseas missions and veterans from previous wars require greater care, we must ensure they are treated with the same dignity and honor with which they served our country.
Our service members put their lives on the line daily, so that we may continue to call this country the land of the free and the home of the brave. As we celebrate our freedoms and honor those who are currently serving, those who have served and those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, let us also uphold our promise to our veterans by ensuring they have the care they need. We owe an enormous debt of gratitude to all who are wearing or have worn our nation’s uniform — one words alone cannot express. It is because of their sacrifice, and the sacrifices of their families, that we can be so proud to call this country our home. God bless our nation’s heroes and their families, and God bless the United States of America!
Rep. Bob Latta (R) is the U.S. Representative for Ohio’s 5th Congressional District. For more information, visit latta.house.gov.
‘Do you wanna play tag?” asked a familar 9-year-old boy.
.
The surrealness of the question caught me off-guard as I looked around. The visual of headstone after headstone, including the one belonging to this boy’s father, Sgt. Gary “Andy” Eckert, was unnerving.
“Myles, after you get your picture taken and your mom says it’s all right, then we can play,” I replied, watching the boy as he looked annoyed while having numerous photos snapped as he posed next to his father’s tombstone. “I am going to do Jeremy’s face now,” Myles told the photographer, imitating my awful crooked grin from the Toledo Free Press headshot that accompanies every column of mine. As I chuckled under my breath, trying not to encourage him, the photographer tried to refocus the restless boy.
The stark contrast between his humor and the monument he was sitting on was not lost on me. The Eckerts — Myles, his mom Tiffany and sister Marlee — along with Lt. Col. Frank Dailey, were having their pictures taken at Andy Eckert’s gravesite for this Toledo Free Press Military Yearbook, compiled by project editor Amanda Tindall. It was the first time I had visited the place where a single photo of Myles showing his heart by hugging a headstone set off a worldwide frenzy of paying it forward.
The Military Yearbook concept was inspired by the weekly magazines that showcase mugshots of local criminals. Two years ago, I reviewed a couple of these rags and was sickened by their commercial success. People are actually making a living exposing others at their worst moments. This issue was created because I was tired of seeing bad people as I pay for my gas and scratch-offs; it’s a perfect foil.
I am one of the fortunate; I have yet to lose a family member or friend to a war. When I made the call to TFP Editor in Chief Michael S. Miller pitching this idea two years ago, I knew it was something that could be beautiful. Seeing picture after picture of those who currently serve or have served in the two previous Military Yearbooks and reading the words that accompanied them confirmed the beauty of my dream.
Last year I was privileged to share a picture of my grandfather, Pete Zunk, during his time in Germany. His two years of military service gave Pete enough stories to fill every holiday and birthday over the past 60 years. I am alive and writing this because he came home.
It wasn’t until recently that I came to fully comprehend the weight and meaning behind the word “sacrifice.” I think as a society we use the word way too loosely.
After the cemetery photo shoot, the Eckerts, TFP Managing Editor Sarah Ottney and I ventured to the very place where Myles changed the world with a Post-It note. It was during this lunch that I learned what the word really means.
I watched a 10-year-old girl spontaneously erupt into tears after hearing her mom recount the story of saying a final goodbye to her dad at the Toledo Express Airport. Marlee’s tears and the sadness behind them showed the pain she carries every day for a man she knew for only the first two years of her life. It was at this moment that I understood what price was paid and who was paying it.
Marlee and Myles Eckert are living their lives burdened by the price of our freedom. These beautiful children, with their oversized hearts, have no idea about war, foreign politics or diplomacy. They know the game of tag, how to give a great hug and are experts with a Cracker Barrel menu.
One day I hope they’ll learn how they’ve inspired a nation to do something nice and unexpected for someone else. What better teachers than Gold Star children? One day I hope they understand they taught me what the word “sacrifice” means.
It has been an honor to share their story and I can’t wait to write the next chapter.
This 2014 Military Yearbook is dedicated to all the children of those who never came home.
Jeremy Baumhower can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @jeremytheproduc.
Tiffany Eckert with her children Myles, 9, and Marlee, 10, is starting a pay-it-forward foundation called Lucky Day. Toledo Free Press photo and cover photo by Michael Nemeth
Birds chirp in a tree shading the Whitehouse Cemetery plot where 24-year-old Army Sgt. Gary “Andy” Eckert is buried. The tree was a sapling when he was killed in Iraq in 2005. Now it’s a sturdy young tree.
Tiffany Eckert with her children Myles, 9, and Marlee, 10, is starting a pay-it-forward foundation called Lucky Day. Toledo Free Press photo and cover photo by Michael Nemeth
Andy’s son, Myles, has also grown. He’s 9 years old and the spitting image of his dad.
“Everything is identical, down to the way he stands, the way he looks, they way he laughs, the way he smiles, the way his teeth are set,” mom Tiffany Eckert said. “They were made from the same cookie cutter.”
Myles was just 5 weeks old when Andy was killed by a roadside bomb near Samarra, Iraq, on Mother’s Day, during his second deployment. His daughter Marlee, born while he was on his first deployment, was 21 months old.
One side of Andy’s large black headstone is covered in tiny stickers. Once a year, Tiffany, 32, cleans them off for Marlee, now 10, Myles and Tiffany’s daughter, Berkley, 3, to fill again.
When designing his marker, Tiffany included a bench on either side of the headstone so she and the kids could sit and visit. His side is inscribed, “Freedom”; her side is inscribed “Strength.” An inscription on the back reads: “Marlee & Myles, I’m working in heaven. Be strong, be fierce, be kind.You’ll never be alone. I love you, Daddy.”
“I thought they might come here someday and it would speak to them,” Tiffany said of the note. “They ask to come all the time and I never say no.”
“I didn’t think that our ‘normal’ would include my kids asking to make trips to the cemetery to show their dad their sports uniforms or talk to a headstone about a really big day that had just transpired,” Tiffany wrote in a column for Toledo Free Press earlier this year. “The reality of our situation is that when we want to share the moments in life that others take for granted, we have to do so in front of a large slab of granite.”
Pay it forward
Army Sgt. Gary “Andy” Eckert
Not quite five months ago, an unassuming exchange at a local restaurant unexpectedly turned into one of those “big days” after Myles found $20 in the parking lot of a Maumee Cracker Barrel and gave it to a soldier eating lunch.
“Both of us had decided we were going to give it to our waitress, but then Frank came in and Myles’ eyeballs lit up,” Marlee said.
“Dear Soldier,” the note read. “My dad was a soldier. He’s in heaven now. I found this 20 dollars in the parking lot when we got here. We like to pay it forward in my family. It’s your lucky day! Thank you for your service. Myles Eckert, a gold star kid.”
“He reminded me of my dad so it came from the heart,” Myles said.
The recipient was Lt. Col. Frank Dailey, a 27-year military veteran serving with the 180th Fighter Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard. Dailey, a Bowsher High School graduate who lives in Perrysburg, was out to eat on Feb. 7 with his wife and their baby grandson.
“I was really proud because I didn’t have to prod him at all,” Tiffany said. “They did it on their own. To watch that unfold as a mom who’s been teaching them all these years is really awesome.”
“It was just heart-melting immediately,” Dailey said. “Reading the note, he expresses that his father was a soldier and he’s in heaven now. But you can’t really discern what that’s about until the very bottom when you find his name and he states he’s a Gold Star kid. That immediately clued me in on how his father had died.”
Afterward, Myles asked to stop at the cemetery. He wanted to talk to his dad alone. He won’t say what he said, but, from the car, Tiffany snapped a photo of him hugging the headstone.
“I don’t remember [what I said],” Myles said. “Actually I do remember, but it’s secret.”
Within days, Dailey continued the pay-it-forward chain, donating the $20 to CedarCreek Church for its local outreach efforts.
For months, Dailey kept the note on his dresser, where he looked at it daily. Now it’s packed away for safekeeping as the family prepares to move out of state for Frank’s next transfer.
“We’ve kept a close hold on it,” he said. “To me it’s one of those valuable items that we want to keep forever.”
National news
The story gained national attention after the Daileys’ daughter posted a photo of the note on Facebook. Mutual friends tagged Tiffany and soon local media caught wind, followed shortly by national media.
“The true spirit of paying it forward is it’s not supposed to end up like this, but this has been neat because it’s been a learning experience for others. We’ve been able to share this story and challenge other people to pay it forward,” Tiffany said. “We still leave notes when we’re at restaurants, but it’s harder to be inconspicuous now.”
Tiffany was soon overwhelmed with offers to send Myles cash, video games and more. Instead, the family decided to redirect the donations to military children’s charity Snowball Express, which offers fun experiences to provide “hope and new happy memories to the children of military fallen heroes who have died while on active duty since 9/11,” according to its website.
“We’ve really been given this huge platform and the only way I could justify anything we’ve done is by continuing to do something to pay it forward,” Tiffany said. “Last year Snowball Express was suffering. They were low on funds. So I thought, ‘What better way to promote that organization than to have people pay it forward to them?’ It’s been really neat because it’s brought such awareness to what it means to be a Gold Star.”
Although she’s tried to limit the gifts they’ve accepted, Myles has gotten an Xbox, iPad and bicycle from various charities and donors. She is undecided what to do about offers to help fund the children’s educations.
“I just didn’t want it to get out of control and have them start thinking they were entitled,” Tiffany said. “While they are under my watch, I’d rather continue to teach them what I’ve always taught them and that’s to give, not to receive.”
Dallas-based Highland Capital Management soon stepped up with a $1 million matching funds challenge, offering the opportunity to turn Myles’ original $20 into $2 million.
“We don’t have a final tally back yet, but we’re really close to the $2 million,” Tiffany said.
Executive Director Buck Kern said Snowball Express serves more than 1,200 children each year, but there are more than 8,000 children who have lost a parent since 9/11. Myles and Marlee have both participated in Snowball Express events.
“Nobody at school really knows what it’s like, so I’m glad when we go to Snowball that nobody has to ask what happened,” Marlee said.
“My favorite part is meeting the other kids because they are just like me,” Myles said. “The worst part is the last day because you have to say goodbye to all your friends.”
The family has appeared on CBS and “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.” They’ve met former President George W. Bush, Michelle Obama, Kid Rock and other celebrities. Over Memorial Day weekend, Myles was an honorary caddy at The Patriot Cup in Tulsa, Oklahoma, a golf tournament that provides scholarships and other assistance to families of killed or disabled service members. On June 18, the family traveled to Georgia to receive a Daily Point of Light Award, for promoting the spirit of volunteerism.
But Tiffany’s favorite experience has been right here in Toledo, when Friendly’s offered to host an ice cream party in April at Toledo Public Schools’ Glendale-Feilbach Elementary in honor of Myles.
“That was special,” Tiffany said. “It was so fulfilling, so rewarding just to see these kids challenged by Myles.”
Tiffany’s two mantras are “You get better, not bitter” and “Kindness always wins.”
“I was bullied a lot when I was a kid and that’s what I had to tell myself on a regular basis to get myself through,” Tiffany said. “Then when Andy died it really became a coping mechanism. Then the kids and I ended up doing it together as soon as they got old enough to comprehend. Doing kind things for others, for me, is very fulfilling. There’s nothing else besides my kids that fulfills me more.”
Looking back
Tiffany and Andy met at a party in 2002 and soon became inseparable.
“There was just something about him,” Tiffany said. “He just had this calming effect. And those eyes. He had the most beautiful blue eyes ever.”
They were married at the Lucas County Courthouse on Feb. 28, 2003, a week before he deployed to Iraq.
“Andy pretty much asked me every day to marry him from the minute we met,” Tiffany said. “He was really adamant that he didn’t want people to ever think we just got married because I was pregnant with Marlee or because he was getting deployed. Him being deployed obviously expedited things, but he wanted to marry me from the second we met.”
Tiffany believes their “fast and furious” romance was meant to be.
“If it had happened any other way we wouldn’t have had the kids, we probably wouldn’t have gotten married,” she said. “We had such a short period of time from when we met to when he died. … It was a whirlwind, but I feel like it was meant to happen that way. It was definitely a God thing.”
Marlee was born in July, while Andy was still in Iraq. They had chosen the name Marlee Grace, but shortly before she was born, Tiffany changed her middle name to Freedom.
“I felt really compelled to do so,” Tiffany said. “I wanted her to know her dad wasn’t in the pictures because he was fighting for our freedom.”
Andy wrote Marlee hundreds of letters, even before she was born, Tiffany said. One she carries in her purse reads: “Hello Sunshine, Daddy loves you, and will be home soon. [Heart], Daddy.”
Andy was killed by a roadside bomb on May 8, 2005, about 500 feet from where he’d been injured a year earlier. That incident, in March 2004, sent him home with shrapnel wounds, a traumatic brain injury and a Purple Heart. But when his unit was called up in November, he volunteered to go back.
“Because of his injuries, he had to sign a waiver to be able to go. He said, ‘I can’t let them go without me,’” Tiffany said. “It wasn’t what I wanted, but who was I to tell him no? My job as his wife was to support him fully. He felt that he was supposed to go back and I couldn’t tell him he was wrong.”
Andy returned on a two-week leave for Myles’ birth in March 2005.
“[When he left again] it was really emotional because he told me he wasn’t going to come back,” Tiffany said.
At his funeral, she said she didn’t know how she would go on.
“You’re sitting there looking at an unknown, like looking at a blank space, and it’s terrifying. Especially when you know you are the one person in the world those two little kids had to count on,” she said.
“I always miss him. I always wish he could be with us. Then I just remind myself that he can see everything from heaven and I find some peace in that. I think I’m at the point now where I miss his presence for the kids more than anything. I had some time with him, but they never had that opportunity. He would have been the best dad ever. I know that for a fact, and that makes the sting that much sharper.”
Moving forward
Lt. Col. Frank Dailey, with Myles Eckert, said he’s happy the attention has brought more awareness to gold star families. Toledo Free Press photo by Michael Nemeth
Myles is a “typical 9-year-old,” Dailey said. He likes basketball, baseball and video games. Marlee likes soccer, writing and horseback riding. Tiffany works full time in accounting at a local marketing firm.
Myles said he might want to join the military, but Marlee said she’d like to be a writer instead.
“My dad was [a serviceman] and my dad’s dad was, and my dad’s stepdad was, so then I want to be because it’s a tradition,” Myles said.
Tiffany said her girls have taken all the attention on Myles in stride.
“I think the fact that, at home, they know they’re loved and all equal balances out what’s going on,” Tiffany said. “Marlee has shown a lot of grace. She’s an old soul, wise beyond her years. Berkley is just the sassiest thing ever. She doesn’t really comprehend, but she talks about that she got to go to the White House or she got to go to ‘Ellen.’ She doesn’t like it when we travel and she doesn’t get to go with us.”
Berkley’s dad lives in the area, although he and Tiffany are no longer together.
“I’m teaching her the exact same things I taught her brother and sister,” Tiffany said. “She just fortunately has a dad, a living dad.”
Tiffany is starting a foundation called Lucky Day, to encourage paying it forward to military families.
“I would like to focus a lot on PTSD and preventing suicides because Andy was a wounded veteran and we had to deal with the ramifications of some of his injuries and his invisible wounds,” Tiffany said. “I had prepped myself to spend the rest of my life taking care of him and I wasn’t afforded that opportunity. But I still have a heart and I still have a passion for those soldiers that have experienced so much and I’m still capable of helping.”
A second organization, a partnership with another Gold Star widow to assist Gold Star families, is in the works.
“This whole time I’ve acknowledged and respected that this 15 minutes isn’t going to last forever, so I tried to make right choices, stay normal, do the right thing, keep God at the center of everything we’re doing,” Tiffany said. “Now moving forward, we still have momentum and that’s why we’re starting these organizations to continue to help pay it forward.”
The attention Myles’ random act of kindness has brought to the family has meant reliving the pain of their loss.
“It’s an honor to be able to share Andy’s story and to preserve the legacy, but there are times where it’s emotional and it’s tough and you just sort of have to say, ‘I need a minute,’” Tiffany said.
“But whatever amount of emotional rigor I go through is worth it because not only am I speaking of Andy and celebrating the choices my children are making, I really feel like we’re celebrating all of the sacrifices and reminding people it wasn’t just Andy. It’s not just Marlee, Myles and Tiffany. There’s so many other families like ours. I always try to look at the bigger picture. It’s not ever once been just about us. It’s about us and the others.”
The intensity of the attention has toned down but hasn’t ended.
“I suppose at some point there will be an ending point to the attention, but I certainly hope there isn’t an ending point to the pay-it-forward mentality,” Dailey said. “I could tell you [my wife] Lisa and I had no idea that our life was going to take a whole different trajectory than what we had envisioned on that day.
“To me, it’s been a special ride, it’s been a fantastic ride. Quite the whirlwind obviously, the places that we’ve gone, the people we’ve met, the organizations we’ve been able to be part of. It raised awareness for us of the many needs out there.”
“It reminds you there are a lot of kids like Myles and Marlee that have lost parents,” Lisa added. “We look at it as we’re pretty fortunate. We still have [our soldier], but [those who don’t] need to be taken care of and the kids not forgotten.”
As I arrived at the Omaha, Nebraska, airport after a family vacation, I was met with waving American flags and expectant faces. No, they were not for me. I had the joy of watching United States servicemen and servicewomen arrive home, embraced in the arms of their loved ones.
It was an incredible moment to watch. The expectation of return often sustains the families back home as well as the military members overseas. Their anxious waiting came to a close, as families were reunited and made whole.
As I walked near where the buses were waiting, one man in uniform stood alone. I was young, and the memory is vague, but I walked up to him, shook his hand, and thanked him for his service.
Since that day during a family vacation, my appreciation for our armed forces has only grown, but I’ve also come to realize not every child knows to thank a man or woman in uniform.
Patriotism, a pride, a rootedness in country, is not something inherent. A sense of duty and devotion is a thing that must be taught, encouraged and cultivated.
When young Myles Eckert gave Lt. Col. Frank Dailey a note and the $20 he had found in a Maumee restaurant parking lot, his action did not come out of a vacuum. He had seen patriotism modeled in his mother and older sister Marlee. He knew the price of freedom because he had experienced the sacrifice necessary to maintain it.
During a recent interaction with a man who served in the Marine Corps, a friend of mine thanked the man for his service. He returned her thanks with an awkward momentary silence. “Thanks, I think,” he said. “I never know how to respond to that. I was just doing my job.”
But that job was a choice.
For some high school graduates, the military is the best choice for a career. Some recruits like working with firearms and grenades. Some join for adventure. Some because of duty. Most join because of a combination of things. Even during the draft, they still had a choice. Our military members chose to fight, rather than run.
Whether or not they fully considered the deeper implication of their choice makes no difference — it is because of their sacrifice that we can enjoy the freedom of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Like Myles and Marlee, each person’s sense of patriotism and thankfulness must be cultivated. Many service members are thanked so rarely that they don’t know how to respond. Make it a habit to thank a man or woman in uniform every time you see one. Each one has accepted a task, the task to protect the lives and liberties of Americans, to defend family and friends as well as those they’ve never met.
Each face in this Toledo Free Press Military Yearbook is the face of someone who made a choice, who, despite the risk, found sacrifice for freedom most worthwhile. We thank the advertisers who supported this issue, especially Newsradio 1370 WSPD, Columbia Gas of Ohio and the American Red Cross of Northwest Ohio. We especially appreciate all those who shared stories, sent in photos and bared their souls to impart their wisdom. It is our duty to show them our thankfulness and gratitude for their service and sacrifice.
Toledo Free Press Staff Writer Amanda Tindall is projects editor for the 2014 Military Yearbook. She can be reached at [email protected].
Lucas County Republican Party discourages candidates, donors
To the editor,
As is well known by now, the Lucas County Republican Party is in disarray, as evidenced by the June 11 reorganization meeting. As background, I am the 59-year-old grandmother knocked to the ground by “security” at that meeting. While that incident is interesting, what led up to it is what’s important.
It started early when party Chairman Jon Stainbrook’s people were checking in central committee precinct people. Observers and other duly elected central committee people (other than his) were barred from entering the building. Fortunately, TV cameras showed up and that practice ended.
When checking in central committee representatives, some people (Stainbrook’s friends) received orange lanyards. I did not receive a lanyard. I asked Meghan Gallagher and Kelly Bensman why I did not get a lanyard and I was subjected to more verbal assault by their security people and threatened with being thrown from the building.
After the meeting was called to order, things started to go downhill fast. New rules were introduced without the opportunity to review them. The new rules were read aloud by the chair, Gallagher, who only recognized “orange lanyard” committee people to speak and ignored the rest of the assembled central committee folks.
Our voices were strategically ignored. Did we get loud? Yes, what else could we do to try to represent our districts if we were excluded from participating? It was at this time that some longtime officeholders, Rob Ludeman, Lynn Olman and probably a dozen other prominent Republicans, left in disgust, some of them tearing up their certificates saying they couldn’t be a part of the fiasco.
The “security” consisted of really big guys in tight black T-shirts designed to show off their muscles. But that wasn’t enough; they also openly carried guns, Tasers and handcuffs. I believe they were there to intimidate the central committee people without the lanyards because they only harassed those of us who did not get a lanyard. I believe that was also part of Stainbrook’s strategy. Some of the security folks said they were only following orders when questioned as to why they were acting as they were to those of us without lanyards.
From the beginning, I was targeted by security. I was pushed around and told to shut up and sit down, even as the lanyard people were free to do as they pleased. I was repeatedly threatened with being thrown out of the building. I was told there were restricted areas I could not be in even though “orange lanyard” central committee people were there. I was threatened verbally all night long. I was pushed forcefully on more than one occasion. At one point, Central Commission Vice Chairman Jonathan Anderson slapped my cellphone out of my hand. It landed 3 feet away on the floor with the cover knocked off of it.
After Stainbrook had won his vote, I left the meeting for a couple of minutes and went outside for a breath of fresh air; when I attempted to return to the meeting, I was met by Alex Rivera and three big guys with guns. I showed my credentials, explaining (yes, loudly, because they were shouting in my face) that I had not only the right, but also the obligation to my precinct to be in that meeting. Then I was gang-pushed to the door and knocked to the ground. Another gentleman, even though he was following orders from “security,” was pushed to the ground as well. All of this is documented on videotape. Police and EMT were called. You can see this at http://www.lcrp2014.com/.
I am relatively new to politics. I am only doing this because I think my grandkids deserve better. I am shocked at the way this unfolded. I did nothing to deserve being treated that way. The people of Lucas County deserve better.
So what’s the solution? More people have to get involved. We need more people to stand up against this kind of politics. We do not have to settle for politics as usual. There are simple ways to help change the status quo: get involved as a precinct person and get active in a local Republican club. Stay informed by getting on the Northwest Ohio Conservative Coalition email list at www.nwohiocc.com.
While all of this is interesting, and might be dismissed as in-party faction disagreements, I believe the most important part of the meeting was when Ludeman and the others walked out because they do not want to be part of this lawless organization. It’s not just a faction in the party dispute.
The bottom line is this: Amid this turmoil, why would good people be inspired to run for office as a Republican? Why would donors contribute money?
Diana Skaff Jerusalem 1 Precinct Lucas County Republican Party
Maggie Bauman of Grumpy’s will drive the Grumpy’s On The Go food truck. Toledo Free Press photo by Kim Sanchez.
Maggie Bauman of Grumpy’s will drive the Grumpy’s On The Go food truck. Toledo Free Press photo by Kim Sanchez.
Grumpy’s, the popular Downtown eatery known for its Garbage Salad, will soon be trucking the favorite meal around Toledo in its new food truck, called Grumpy’s On The Go.
Starting June 21, the Grumpy’s On The Go truck will be parked 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday at locations yet to be announced, and will be stocked solely with the eatery’s signature Garbage Salad, said the truck’s driver, Maggie Bauman, whose mother and aunt own the 30-year-old business.
“Our main seller is the Garbage Salad and our clientele is the work crowd and we can only cater to Downtown,” Bauman said. “There’s Perrysburg and Sylvania people who can’t eat Downtown on their lunch break and there’s such a demand for it. This is a perfect venue to get people what they want and they want the Garbage Salad.”
On Saturdays, the truck will be parked outside Grumpy’s at 34 S. Huron St., from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., but during the week, Bauman said she is still trying to nail down locations.
“As of now it’s definitely going to be Harold Jaffe Jewelers on Talmadge Road one day a week,” Bauman said. “We would definitely like to spread out and be at different places every day.”
On Thursdays the truck will park at Arrowhead Park in Maumee and Bauman has also reached out to ProMedica about adding hospitals to the schedule.
“I’ve been in touch with the administration and right now, they are creating a system-wide policy for hospitals regarding food trucks so they said they’d get back to me in a couple weeks,” Bauman said.
Finding locations is a “tricky” business, she said, because Grumpy’s doesn’t want to “step on anyone’s toes.” Their goal is to find locations with parking lots, she said.
The food truck will sell only prepackaged Garbage Salads made at the Downtown deli.
The signature Garbage Salad comes in four varieties: regular, vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free. Toppings include bacon, chicken, tomato, onion, mushroom, raisins, croutons and four cheeses. The salad comes with a homemade poppy seed dressing.
All salad toppings will come on the side of the pre-packaged salads, Bauman said. Cookies, soda and water will also be available for purchase.
Grumpy’s got the truck in March and has since been outfitting it to be ready for customers. On June 10, it was being vinyl-wrapped.
The truck also needed to pass an inspection by the health department, Bauman said.
Grumpy’s is owned by Bauman’s mother, Sara Bauman, and Bauman’s aunt, Jennifer Shemak.
Bauman is the third generation to come into the business that was started by her grandmother, Connie Horn, and her husband, Jeff, at their hardware store on Broadway Street in 1984.
“My grandparents had a hardware store and [Shemak] opened up a deli counter in back of Horn Hardware,” Bauman said. “That’s why some of the classic food is named after tools. They were doing so well with the food bar, they closed down the hardware store and opened up Grumpy’s.”
When Bauman’s grandmother died four years ago, Bauman’s mother returned to Toledo from New York, where Bauman was born and raised, to take over ownership of Grumpy’s with Shemak.
“So the third generation is coming in and growing the business in this direction [the food truck] so it’s very exciting,” Bauman said. “There’s just so much to learn from this experience. So when I found myself back in Toledo, it just made sense. It’s an incredible opportunity and I’m so blessed to have my family business.”
Bauman will announce future locations of the food truck on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
OnceOver will release its sixth album, “White Raven,” alongside Tropic Bombs. Several members play in both bands. The release concert is slated for June 20 at Toledo’s Mainstreet Bar & Grill. Photo Courtesy OnceOver
Two young children run around with corndogs. Caramel apple lollipops pass from hand to hand. This is not the picture that immediately pops into one’s head when they think of a practice session for a rock band like OnceOver.
This band has been around for almost 15 years, frontman Steve Dwyer said in a recent interview, so the atmosphere is far different from the traditional rock ‘n’ roll setting.
OnceOver will release its sixth album, “White Raven,” alongside Tropic Bombs. Several members play in both bands. The release concert is slated for June 20 at Toledo’s Mainstreet Bar & Grill. Photo Courtesy OnceOver
“If our band was a kid, it would be getting their temps,” Dwyer said. “It would start getting their license soon.”
This year, the band plans to release its sixth album, “White Raven,” alongside Tropic Bombs, another band that Dwyer and bandmate Nick Archer play for. The release concert is slated for June 20 at Toledo’s Mainstreet Bar & Grill, 141 Main St.
The original OnceOver was founded in 2001, and has experienced multiple fan and membership changes throughout the years.
The current members are Dwyer, his brother Paul Dwyer on guitar, Colin de Saint Victor on guitar, Archer on bass and Bruce Stelter on drums.
The Dwyer brothers have a musical past, as their father is an alumnus of Berkley University’s music program. He holds a bachelor’s degree in composition and a master’s in guitar performance.
“We grew up in environments that were very music-savvy,” Dwyer said.
“Most people kinda have a passion for music from a super young age; I was one of those people,” de Saint Victor said. “I started playing guitar in maybe fifth grade and I spent countless hours playing when I was younger and just never quit.”
De Saint Victor and Dwyer said their fellow members have little or no formal training for the instruments they chose to play in this band.
“[Dwyer] had high school stuff at least, like orchestra, choir, that kind of stuff,” de Saint Victor said.
“[Archer] took a little bit of guitar lessons when he was a kid but, other than that, I think it’s safe to say we were all self-taught,” Dwyer said.
Dwyer said some of the band’s mainstay fans go to great lengths to show their loyalty, from bringing their now-adult children to shows to getting tattoos of the band’s logo on their bodies.
“I would say we’ve always had this core set of fans that are super die-hard but on the outer shell of that there’s been a lot of weird fluctuation,” Dwyer said.
“We’re like 30 and people our age don’t really go to shows,” he added.
“The fanbase stays the same age, almost,” de Saint Victor said.
The group also jokes they have had their share of interesting fan experiences, from injuries to pregnancies and all sorts of strange behavior in between.
De Saint Victor said OnceOver’s current challenges are different from the challenges of younger bands, which fight over creative differences or get tired of seeing one another.
“We’ve been together for so long the challenges now are way different than the challenges when we were 20,” de Saint Victor said. “Everybody’s got kids. It’s mostly an issue now with scheduling and making time in our lives to still do this.”
The new album focuses on overcoming life challenges, from death to addiction to dealing with bullies in the professional world.
“Kind of assessing and taking a step back, understanding some of the darker parts of your life and learning to grow from them,” Dwyer said. “Whether that be the death of a family member or a personal struggle and overcoming what seems to be insurmountable.”
The album begins with a song titled “The Death of You,” and ends with “The Locus of Control.”
“[The first track is] semi-inspirational but comes from a dark place,” Dwyer said. “The end of the album is kind of a positive note where it’s like you’re in control of your life.”
Musical inspiration comes from the members of the band coming together, not necessarily all at once, to conceptualize, write and play.
“I’d say our songs come from an inception point,” Dwyer said. “We work on songs together but normally it comes from one or two ideas that kind of sprout something.”
“Every song is definitely not started and ended with everybody’s input, which is probably the way it should be,” de Saint Victor said.
Paul said their goal with this album is not fame and fortune, but sharing their music with the audience that made them the band they are today.
“We’re not trying, at this point, to make money off of it,” Paul said. “We’re really just into getting people into the music and kind of networking with people and bands.”
The group will work on a better touring schedule, within drivable distance.
“We have little pockets of fans in a lot of the cities around us,” Archer said. “This year, we’re trying to make a little more of an effort to play out of town.”
The next year will also see a little bit of separation followed by endless hours dedicated to their next record, which is already in process.
“It’s some of our best stuff ever, I would say,” Dwyer said. “It needs a lot of work and we’re not that far into it.”
“As soon as we release an album, it just repeats,” de Saint Victor added.
Emily Lamb, a resident of Bartley Lofts in downtown Toledo, sits by the rooftop pool that is popular with residents. Toledo Free Press photo by Sarah Ottney
A pool, a patio, a grill, a garden, a place for your dog to romp — all evoke the pleasures of a spacious suburban backyard. But many Downtown residents have made their own private “backyard” oases in an unlikely location — building rooftops.
Emily Lamb, a resident of Bartley Lofts in downtown Toledo, sits by the rooftop pool that is popular with residents. Toledo Free Press photo by Sarah Ottney
When her husband first proposed leaving their South End home to move Downtown, Janet Albright resisted.
“I told him, ‘Fine, as long as you find me green space,’” she said. “I didn’t want to move Downtown and I knew he couldn’t find a building with green space.”
But he did — a building on South St. Clair Street with a flat roof, perfect for starting a garden. They’ve lived there now for more than 10 years and Albright is a Downtown convert — in large part due to her rooftop “sanctuary,” a popular gathering place for family and friends.
She and her husband, Richard Rideout, live on the top floor of the three-story building and lease the other two floors. Transforming the building into their dream home was a “labor of love,” but worth the effort, Albright said.
“The cool part for us was we had a blank canvas,” Albright said.
Today, their private rooftop features potted herbs and flowers along with a deck, dining area, refrigerator, grill, bar, TV and more. They even have trees — two hardy corkscrew willows. Her blueberry bush didn’t survive the winter, but her rose bushes are blooming. The only thing she doesn’t have is vegetables.
“My one sore spot,” Albright said. “I cannot get them to grow. It’s not them; it’s me.”
The couple’s “backyard” is a popular gathering spot for family functions; there’s even been a wedding held there.
“It’s like a sanctuary,” Albright said. “It’s no different than having a great backyard and hanging out on your patio when you live in the suburbs, but mine’s up four stories up and I have a beautiful view of the city. We can see all the bridges and have a beautiful view of the river.”
This summer, the rooftop deck is being remodeled so Albright isn’t able to utilize the area as much as she’d like.
“I am in absolute withdrawal right now,” she said.
A few blocks away on Washington Street, residents at Bartley Lofts were hanging out at their rooftop pool.
“The pool really sealed the deal for me,” said resident Kate Kelley. “It was a big selling point. My husband said, ‘Oh, boy.’ He knew we weren’t going anywhere else once I saw that.”
Kelley, who works Downtown as a financial adviser for New York Life Insurance Company, traded a two-hour commute in downtown Baltimore for a two-minute commute in Downtown Toledo.
The rooftop lounge area also features a grill and periodic wine tastings, Kelley said.
La Salle Apartments residents Nick Amrhein, left, and Michael Seay enjoy the downtown building’s rooftop patio. Toledo Free Press Photo by Sarah Ottney
“Everyone congregates here in the summertime. You get to know people. It’s like ‘Melrose Place’ in a good way,” she joked. “You make a lot of friends up here — and a lot of friends in the city when you tell them you have a pool.”
Having a great vantage point for fireworks is another perk of access to a Downtown rooftop, said Bartley Lofts resident Emily Lamb.
“Fourth of July is perfect,” she said. “You can see the Mud Hens as well as Downtown, Maumee, everywhere.”
A Downtown building with a rooftop patio offers “the best of both worlds” — walking distance to coffee shops, bars and restaurants, but also a “backyard” oasis to hang out in at home, Kelley said.
“I spend a lot of time up here,” she said. “I’m spoiled by the view and the pool.”
A few blocks away, Isaiah Harris, 16, who is living in Toledo for the summer with his dad at La Salle Apartments on Adams Street, said he likes to use the rooftop for entertaining friends. The spacious patio that stretches the full length of the building.
“It’s really nice when you have visitors,” he said.
But his favorite part of his Toledo backyard is watching sunsets.
“The one thing I love personally is watching the sun turn different colors,” Harris said. “It’s just amazing.”
La Salle resident Jasmine Cogdell likes to use the roof to write songs and play with her Yorkshire puppy, Tokyo.
Even though it’s a shared space, it feels private because most people keep to themselves, Cogdell said.
La Salle Apartments resident Jasmine Cogdell with her Yorkshire puppy, Tokyo. Toledo Free Press photo by Sarah Ottney
“I come up here to write, to drink. It’s peaceful,” said Cogdell, a Bowling Green State University student studying special education. “I like to sit up here and chill. It’s nice to have this.”
La Salle resident Michael Seay also enjoys the roof as much as possible.
“I live up here in the summer,” said Seay, who said he likes to grill out and entertain guests. “It’s nice to be Downtown. I live here for convenience, for getting around.”
His roommate, Nick Amrhein, a photographer, said he likes to utilize the rooftop for photoshoots.
The Commodore Perry Apartments on Jefferson Avenue doesn’t have a rooftop patio, but is “very pet-friendly” and offers a small private “dog park” area for resident dogs to interact and do their business while their owners to sit and talk, said resident Kristen Mollenkopf.
Aaron Bonnough moved Downtown to the Standart Lofts about two months ago because he wanted a change. He was a little afraid he would miss his Springfield Township backyard, but now he says he shouldn’t have worried.
“There are aspects I do miss about having a backyard, but there’s so much space up here. I was surprised how much,” Bonnough said from the rooftop patio of the Erie Street apartment building, which features patio furniture and a large grill. “I miss having a lawn — but I don’t miss having to mow it.
“It’s a nice atmosphere to hang out in. I haven’t used the grill yet, but people are always up here,” Bonnough said.
Albright said she loves living Downtown and has no plans to leave.
“Anybody who has anything negative to say about Toledo, I’d like them to come to my home and stand on my roof and have a nice glass of wine or an iced tea and they will understand why it’s a great city,” Albright said. “It’s what you make of it.”
When their first Kickstarter campaign failed to raise $60,000 in December, Ben and Cassy Vollmar went right back to work to get their potential future coffee shop open.
Although “bummed” about the campaign, Ben said he was excited to see the community begin to jump on board with his project. Since December, community members and other coffee connoisseurs have approached Ben and offered help.
Photo Courtesy Ben Vollmer
“A lot of people reached out and because of that, we found other investors, which is part of the reason why this Kickstarter has a lower goal,” Ben said.
Ben said he appreciated the help of the community members, especially since the first Kickstarter campaign didn’t have much social media presence behind it — another difference about his current campaign.
Ben said the new campaign looks a lot better because of what he learned from the unsuccesful one. The couple’s current campaign, which ends at 6 p.m. June 22, aims to raise $20,000.
If the goal is met, the couple plans to open Flatlands Coffee at 138 N. Main St. in Bowling Green, in the same strip as On the Edge Tattoo Studio and Finders Records. Together, the two want to offer “an authentic coffee experience.”
“[Our vision is] just to create a welcoming, creativity-inducing atmosphere where customers can really enjoy the uppermost quality in terms of service and product,” Vollmar said. “Our mission is to bring the best in the country to Bowling Green, Ohio.”
The couple has added to their original business model which, Ben said, sets them apart from other coffee shops on a national scale.
“We have made good partnerships with numerous roasters,” he said. “We’ve been researching for so many years and we’ve found just outstanding roasters. What we plan on doing, from season to season because coffee is such an agricultural product … we will taste all different roasters and pick the best of the best and bring those coffees into our shop.
“That concept has been done and is being done by coffee subscriptions out there. It’s a pretty big fast-growing trend,” Ben said. “It’s getting a lot of attention and people like to know that they’re getting top-quality, but ironically it’s never been done in a coffee shop setting.”
The couple has even picked some early favorites including Kilenso Mokonisa, an Ethiopian roast from Counter Culture; Las Mingas, a Colombian from Cuvee; and Costa Rica Los Lobos from Populace.
Ben said, the first Kickstarter only reached out to locals in Bowling Green. With this one, the Vollmars are trying to maximize their success by sharing how this makes them unique to the industry.
“At this point, most of our backers are from all across the country,” Ben said.
The coffee shop would offer many different brewing methods, including a siphon pot (Vollmar’s favorite), pour-overs and an espresso machine.
“We’re always trying to perfect, tweak and make the coffee taste to its best capability,” Vollmar said.
For more information, visit www.kickstarter.com/projects/960621923/flatlands-coffee. At press time, the project had raised more than $16,000.
Toledo native Sasha P. has always had the “It” factor.
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She is blessed with a beautiful voice with a range that will give you goosebumps. Sasha started her paid singing career at 5 years old. She honed her skills singing in the church and as a teen she became serious about recording and discovered her talent for songwriting.
Her first project produced a local hit single, “Beat the Block,” that remained in rotation on The Juice 107.3 for weeks. Although Sasha possessed plenty of vocal experience, she recognized that she lacked life experience. After high school she took time off to go to school, figure things out and find her place in life.
Now 10 years later as a full-grown woman, mother and a teacher, Sasha has experience and is ready to share her heart with all the fans who never stopped believing in her talent.
Sasha P.’s album, “No More Questions”
After everything she has been through, you can only imagine the anticipation for her birthday/EP release party last month where the city came out to support her new EP, “No More Questions.” It has some of the year’s best features from Toledo’s most talented musicians.
Martini Rox: For women who think they can’t do it, tell me how you are able to balance recording and motherhood?
Sasha P.: It’s hard, it’s hard. When the [release party] event was over I definitely had to shout out to my parents. They were like, “Sasha, if this is something that you really want to do, we are going to help you with your daughter; we know that you are a single mom. If this is what you want to put in your heart to do and invest in, then we are going to stand behind you.” If you do not have that support system to back you up, it becomes challenging.
I’ve had a lot of restless nights. I work a full-time job and I’m in the studio at 3 o’clock in the morning and then when I get off work I have to tend to my daughter and make sure she’s OK. [When she was hospitalized, I still had] to meet these engagements. I could not have done it without my family at all, even my sister
was able to step
up and lend a
helping hand.
Martini Rox: Your last release was 10 years ago. How would you describe your music now?
Sasha P.: My music is very real. I was very honest on my album and I was very afraid to put it out because I feel I was a little too honest. I had to experience life and I’ve experienced it definitely. The ups and downs and the roller coasters and everything you can possibly experience, I went through it and I express everything in this album. I try to be as honest and as real as possible. I’m a very shy person. I’m a very private person. Releasing this album was very scary for me.
I’m surprised that people still believe in me and they really, really support me. I haven’t done music or released anything in about 10 years so to have people say, “Yes! You’re doing it! Don’t stop this time!” That was enough for me to say, “I’m not going to stop.” I almost cried on my release date because of the response that I got. A lot of times it brings me to tears and it’s kind of overwhelming.
Download the EP, “No More Questions,” available on iTunes.
