Italian Bowl XLIV returns to UToledo’s Glass Bowl
Most sports fans around the globe call it “football.” In the United States we call it soccer. So, what does one say when Italians play American football? Un pomeriggio fantastico!
During World War II, American servicemen stationed in Europe played American football all over the region, including Italy and France, for relaxation. American football in Italy achieved its present fame thanks to the inaugural “Spaghetti Bowl” on Jan. 1, 1945.
The game between the U.S. Fifth Army Krautclouters and Twelfth Air Force Bridgebusters was played in front of 20,000 fans at Stadio Giovanni Berta in Florence.
Army won the game 20-0.
For decades, Italians playing American football have competed for their own Super Bowl, the Italian Bowl Championship, which determines the league champion of the Italian Football League (IFL).
On July 1, 2023, the IFL championship was played on American soil for the first time in 40 years at the University of Toledo’s Glass Bowl. The Parma Panthers defeated defending champion Firenze Guelfi for the Italian Bowl XLII title in front of an estimated 10,000 fans, many of whom made the trip from Italy.
And in June, it’s coming back. The Italian Bowl is returning to Toledo!
At a press conference Wednesday at the University of Toledo, game organizers and local and state officials met at the Grogan Room at Savage Hall to announce that Italian Bowl XLIV will be played at the Glass Bowl.
Events related to the Italian Bowl will begin in March and culminate with the game on June 28. Italian Bowl XLIV will be televised live on BCSN, which will also televise IFL regular-season games.
Geoff Shook, president of Buckeye Broadband, said the 2023 Italian Bowl at UT “was an absolutely phenomenal success.
“The community embraced it,” he said. “So much so that when the next opportunity came around, the IFL was happy to meet with us and happy to take advantage of our invitation to come back. I love the fact we have the opportunity to work with other business leaders and help promote Toledo.”
Shook added that the genesis of this event coming to Toledo two years ago can be attributed to “Nick Eyde’s vision.”
Eyde, a Lansing, Mich., native and Toledo real estate executive, played quarterback at a small college in Minnesota before going on to play five seasons in the IFL and two seasons in the Austrian League.
Eyde formed partnerships with community leaders, including the University of Toledo and BCSN, to help bring the Italian Bowl to the Glass City in 2023.
“It’s exciting for me,” Eyde said. “It’s a huge part of my life. Coming back to Toledo and playing in the Glass Bowl at the University of Toledo’s campus; it’s very special.”
Eyde gave a shout out to BCSN for televising IFL games, and he thanked UT director of athletics Bryan Blair “for being such a big proponent of this, as well.”
The partners here locally – I just cannot say enough. A lot of good things continue to happen and I’m excited to bring the Italian Bowl back on June 28.
Nick Eyde
“The partners here locally, I just cannot say enough,” Eyde said. “A lot of good things continue to happen and I’m excited to bring the Italian Bowl back on June 28.”
Blair said the university couldn’t be more excited to host an event like this, “not only for the city but for our campus and its beauty and all it has to offer.
“The Italian Bowl is going to invite not only this region but the entire world to ask more questions about what is Toledo?” Blair said. “Why Toledo … and why not Toledo and all the amazing things that, in my two and a half years here, I’ve found out about this amazing community.”
State senator Theresa Gavarone, from Bowling Green, expressed how excited she is to bring an international event, such as the Italian Bowl, back to Toledo.
“When you can bring people and countries together through sports, it can be a really great unifier,” Gavarone said. “We can start to build upon relationships. You’ve heard about the immediate economic impact of bringing Italy, this Italian game, here to our community.”
She noted the long-term benefits of those relationships really cannot be overstated. “This is an incredible opportunity to show leaders and business leaders what we’ve got here in Ohio.”
Perrysburg nurse shares Ukraine experience in former homeland
PERRYSBURG – Mila Buria is a Perrysburg nurse who lives a double life. Although she lives the American Dream here in the States, her family, friends and community live in a state of tension and fear back in the land where Buria was born and raised — Ukraine.
“First of all, when I came back everyone would say ‘Welcome home! Welcome home!’ But it’s not my home,” Buria said.
“My home is not in Ukraine. It is not in the U.S. either, even though I am a citizen. When you deeply know the Heavenly Father, there is only one permanent home. It is where He is,” Buria said passionately with expressive hands and a wide smile.
Buria originally came to the U.S. as an exchange student studying English at Owen’s Community College. In 2022 she returned to school at Mercy College of Ohio to earn her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).
Remaining in connection with her biological family and childhood friends, Buria understood the intensity of the attacks taking place on their land and began praying and searching for a way to help.
Buria said that God led her to the nonprofit, Global Care Force, to share the faith and bring comfort and care to those suffering from the Russia-Ukraine war.
According to the Global Care Force website, the organization has been dedicated to transforming lives through volunteerism since 2020. Today, they have placed hundreds of volunteers in various places around the globe, such as Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Mexico, Syria, Ukraine and more. The organization has contributed over 15,000 service hours to more than 250,000 people.
“Compassionate volunteers like Mila Buria are often the only option for Ukrainians to receive medical care,” said Global Care Force CEO Scott Oberkrom.
“Our volunteers generously give their time and expertise, and they also raise money to cover the costs of the medications they dispense. Global Care Force deploys volunteer teams regularly to ensure the patients receive consistent care, providing a lifeline greatly appreciated by the Ukrainian people.”
After undergoing the interview process and raising $6,500 herself, Buria returned to Ukraine as a volunteer through Global Care Force in September 2024.
During Buria’s approximate two weeks of medical assistance, she went beyond tending to her patients’ physical needs — she also focused on their spirits, she said.
Detailing her days, Buria would wake up at 7:30 a.m. most days and arrive at a previously Russian-occupied village to begin work at 10 a.m. While at work, she checked vitals, cared for the patients and even lent them a listening ear when needed.
Buria’s patients shared their physical and mental pain with her in hopes of relief. She recalled one lady who had to flee from the place where she lived because of the attacks and fight there.
“She lost everything she had, including her family. Only her daughter was left with her. She said she didn’t just lose her family, but also she saw how the parts from the bodies of her loved ones went in the air during the explosion.”
The kinds of conditions Buria treated ranged from as minor as insomnia to as major as heart failure, PTSD, diabetes and respiratory issues.
During some work days, the Global Care Force team would travel to a second occupied village. On these days, Buria couldn’t eat dinner until 9 p.m.
“There was another patient who had to build shelter underground to protect herself. She told me she was supposed to be lined up and shot like the others, but she somehow made it. It’s a miracle she was alive and came to me,” Buria shared.
For those who came in anguish, Buria consoled their souls with a hug — no words, just a hug, she said.
Once all the volunteering days were completed, Buria stayed in Ukraine to visit her family and friends for additional time. While out catching up with her relatives, a missile exploded near them.
“It was loud. The ground vibrated and the building was shaking. I remember asking myself, ‘What’s next? Am I still alive?’” Buria recalled.
“There was nowhere to run, no safe spaces. If you were outside, people just laid down, then got up and proceeded to walk away like it was normal. If you were inside, you just pray,” she said.
The Russia-Ukraine war began back in 2014, but in February 2022, following the Russian Federation’s invasion, a full-scale war erupted. In only two of the 10 years of conflict, from 2022 to 2024, nearly 4 million people have been internally displaced and affected, another 6.8 million people have migrated to neighboring countries and 14.6 million people remain in need of assistance, according to the USA for The UN Refugee Agency.
Although Buria grew up with an understanding of religion, only after 2019 did she devote her life to her faith.
She said that God’s grace is one way she was able to return to the U.S. and lead a (for the most part) ordinary life.
“Coming back to the U.S., it’s a totally different world. Like yes, there are terrible things here too, like shootings, but in Ukraine, the attacks are frequent, unknowing and only getting worse to this day,” Buria revealed.
Getting back into her daily routines, Buria resumed work and tended to her family. Despite witnessing and enduring extreme violence, as well as caring for victims, she said she embodies peace through her faith, staying in contact with her family and seeking ways to continue to support the Ukrainian people.
“I fear God more than I fear the war,” she said.
Those interested in helping the Ukrainian people can visit the Global Care Force website to either volunteer, donate or sponsor a volunteer. These actions go straight to funding medical supplies to aid communities. As their mission says, “Whatever it takes.”
Engage Toledo: 24/7 call center for city service requests, issues
Once upon a time in the not too distant past, a call to the City of Toledo’s hotline – (419) 936-2020 – was considered a dead end. Former Toledo mayor Mike Collins set out to fix it as a top priority for his incoming administration.
After Mike’s passing, Mayor Paula Hicks-Hudson picked up where the Collins administration left off. But alas, progress was slow. Paula sardonically called the city’s hot-line a “419-936-Black-Hole.” Many things went in and few came back out. Enter Jennifer Jaqua, Toledo’s commissioner of Customer Service and Engagement.
I ran into Jenny at a Toledo Walleye game recently and told her to keep up the good work for expeditiously taking care of a few calls I made to Engage Toledo recently (road kill near the Ottawa Park walking path and a water line leak on Kenwood Blvd.).
She thanked me and mentioned that Engage Toledo was recently approached by the City of Rochester, New York, inquiring how Toledo’s call center made such a dramatic turnaround. When other cities are asking how Toledo does it, it’s a story worth telling. I requested and was granted an interview with Jenny about Engage Toledo’s success story.
From my time on city council, I knew Jenny started with the City of Toledo as a legislative aide for city council in 2005. She was well-suited for this position after a very successful tenure as an overseas flight attendant for a major airline. Customer service came naturally for her. In 2011, Mayor Mike Bell appointed Jenny to manager of the Public Utilities Administration call center, which was responsible for dealing with incoming calls from citizens for water and sewer service issues.
Things were improving but persistent problems remained. Then a rain event occurred in 2015, of which Jenny said, “I’ll never forget those dates, June 26-27, when it rained for 48 hours straight.”
Calls were coming in from all over the city reporting flooding, sewer and all types of issues overwhelming the capabilities of the staff and telephone system. According to Jenny, the city administration conducted a debriefing about the problems with the current system and ideas for improvement. At the conclusion of that meeting, Mayor Hicks-Hudson and Public Utilities director Ed Moore told Jenny, “Congratulations, you have just become our manager of a city-wide 24 hour call center.”
Four months later, through the efforts of Public Utilities commissioner Abby Arnold and Jenny, Engage Toledo was created. During the first year, Engage Toledo took in about 70,000 calls for service. Fast forward to 2023, when Engage Toledo received 138,690 inbound calls for service. Here’s how the system works.
The average call is about 3½ minutes in length. The call taker usually asks the caller three to five questions and the request is assigned a reference number. The request for service is automatically sent to the division effected. From there, the on-duty foreman or supervisor assigned prioritizes the requests based on urgency. Water line breaks, traffic lights out, and matters of public safety receive immediate attention.
Jenny explained that every department has its own timeline for investigating requests for service with some departments having staff on duty 24/7 to handle requests, such as water in basement or debris in the roadway. On average, requests are initially investigated within 24-72 hours. In some instances, the initial investigation must be followed up by work orders to complete the request.
She went on to say that every division in the city has the capability to monitor all the calls received through Engage Toledo. For example, the police department monitors the frequency of reported residential speeding and uses that data to determine where to assign their crews for speed enforcement. Sometimes requests take longer to resolve, such as when it is necessary to track down the owner of a nuisance property or seek determinations from the Municipal Court process.
The most frequent calls are questions about the city income tax process, followed by code compliance issues. Some calls can be quite unique, such as, “there is a rooster on my car” or “I dropped my keys down the sewer grate.” Progress on requests for service can be checked using the reference number if the resident isn’t already notified of the resolved issue in the system.
She noted that in 2020, the Kapszukiewicz administration, recognizing the important resource Engage Toledo had become for the entire operation of the city, moved Engage Toledo from the Department of Public Utilities to the Department of Information Technologies so that, at an organizational level, we support all the city divisions.
With that move, Jenny was promoted to commissioner of customer service and engagement.
Asked for her final thoughts from 90 minute discussion as to the evolution of Engage Toledo, she went on to state, “I believe that Engage Toledo has brought trust and confidence.
“When a resident contacts Engage Toledo about a concern, it is in our tracking system; the city knows about, follows up and investigates the concern. Whereas before, residents didn’t have confidence that the city would address an issue. Now we can track everything, see pictures, detailed comments from the division and PDFs of communication on the topic.
“This [improved trust] is reflected in the doubling of our requests for service since its beginning. It is trust and confidence that is connecting the residents to the city services,” she stressed, “If you see an issue in the city, don’t assume the city knows about it. Take the time to report it to Engage Toledo.”
All citizens should heed Commissioner Jaqua’s advice. I know I shall continue to do so.
How to contact Engage Toledo
Residents do not need to know all phone numbers of the different city departments ... just one! Here are several ways to engage:
- Call 419-936-2020 | 24/7, 365 days a year.
- Email at engagetoledo@toledo.oh.gov.
- Visit the website, toledo.oh.gov/engage, and create a service request through the customer service portal.
- Download the Engage Toledo mobile app at toledo.oh.gov/app.
- And soon, city council will consider approval of software called Chat Bot, where residents can ask questions on the city’s website and opt in to be able to text service requests.
Bittersweet Farms redefines autism therapy
WHITEHOUSE – Bittersweet Farms is redefining autism therapy by combining the nurturing environment of a working farm with innovative therapeutic programs. Established in 1983, this nonprofit organization is known for its approach to autism care, which focuses on meaningful work, community living and comprehensive support.
Like the produce they grow, Bittersweet Farms began as a seed that was planted in the minds of Toledo Public School teacher Bettye Ruth Kay, the students with autism in her special education classroom, and their families. As her students aged out of public education in the late 1970s, they faced limited options.
Inspired by Somerset Court in England, the first farmstead community for adults with autism, Ruth Kay returned to Ohio and founded Bittersweet Farms in 1983 with the help of the local community. It became the first farmstead program for adults with autism in the U.S. and the second in the world.
Agriculture as therapy
At the heart of Bittersweet Farms’ therapeutic approach is its 80-acre working farm. Participants engage in various tasks—tending to organic vegetable gardens, caring for livestock and creating artisanal products in workshops. These activities are therapeutic and help build practical skills, self-esteem and a sense of purpose.
Beth Kuntz-Wineland, gardens vocational specialist at Bittersweet Farms, emphasized the importance of their agricultural programs. “Our mission is to positively impact the lives of individuals with autism and those whose lives they touch,” she said.
“Gardening plays a crucial role in this. The process of planting seeds, caring for plants and harvesting produce provides our participants with structure and a sense of accomplishment.”
One of the core elements of Bittersweet Farms’ success is the MAPS (Meaning, Aerobic activity, Partnership and planning, Structure and support) philosophy, which guides all activities at the farm.
“The MAPS philosophy is the life force of all that we do,” Kuntz-Wineland emphasized. “Each letter stands for a crucial element of our strategy. Meaning and motivation ensure that tasks are purposeful. Aerobic activity keeps participants physically engaged. Partnership and planning promote teamwork and structure and support provide the necessary framework for all activities,” she explained.
The horticultural program gives individuals the opportunity to connect with nature and participate in the entire cycle of food production, from planting seeds to harvesting crops. Bittersweet Farms has grown 2,894 pounds of produce in 2024, supplying their residential homes with fresh salad greens for six months of the year during the growing season.
Additionally, the farm regularly donates produce to the SAME Café, located in the downtown Toledo Lucas County Public Library, where participants also volunteer on Mondays and Tuesdays. The farm’s produce is often sold at local markets, allowing participants to see their work valued by the community.
Innovative autism programs and services
Bittersweet Farms offers a variety of programs designed to meet the diverse needs of individuals with autism. Vocational training prepares participants for employment, while recreational and social activities help build relationships and social skills. Therapeutic interventions, such as sensory integration sessions and art therapy, support emotional and psychological well-being.
The residential program provides adults with autism the opportunity to live in a supportive, communal environment. Residents share homes and responsibilities, fostering a sense of family and mutual support.
“Our residential component includes an Intermediate Care Facility and waiver homes,” said Megan Thompson, executive director of Bittersweet Farms. “We provide tailored support to enhance independence while ensuring that individuals receive the necessary care.”
Bittersweet Farms remains active during the winter months, continuing its mission of providing meaningful activities and opportunities for growth. “We start planting seeds in late February or early March, growing everything from seed to harvest,” Kuntz-Wineland explained.
“We have a greenhouse heated by a natural wood burner, which allows us to get a head start on the growing season. Our groundskeeping crew works year-round maintaining the landscaping of the farm, ensuring that everything is ready for the upcoming planting season.”
During the colder months, participants engage in various tasks, such as maintaining trails, chopping firewood and harvesting winter crops.
A community effort
The success of Bittersweet Farms is attributed in large part to the support of the local community. Volunteers, donors and partnerships with local businesses and organizations play a crucial role in sustaining and expanding the farm’s initiatives. Annual events, such as the Bittersweet Autism Awareness Walk and seasonal festivals, bring community members together, raising awareness and funds for the organization’s programs.
Over the years, Bittersweet Farms has expanded across northwest Ohio, opening a second farmstead in Lima in 2005 and a third in Pemberville in 2006. Today, they provide residential, vocational, transitional and recreational services to over 100 individuals at these three locations. Many of Ruth Kaye’s students still live and work at Bittersweet.
Looking to the future, Bittersweet Farms remains committed to evolving and expanding its services.
“We are always exploring innovative therapies and opportunities to better serve individuals with autism and their families,” said Thompson. “In January 2025, we’re launching a new senior living group to support our aging residents with specialized programs and activities.”
“The most rewarding part for me is seeing the partnerships developed between the individuals with autism we serve and our staff,” said Thompson. “There’s no hierarchy here—just camaraderie and mutual respect.”
Thompson and Kuntz-Wineland encourage those interested in learning more or getting involved, and invite anyone to come out for a tour. “Whether you’re looking for services or want to support our mission, we welcome you,” said Thompson.
You can learn more about Bittersweet Farms by visiting their website.
Tree climber to the cat rescue
TOLEDO – After noticing one of her eight cats didn’t come running for food, Alexandria Harris became worried.
“They love food, so I kind of figured something was wrong,” she said. Zeroing in on a faint meow, Harris tracked the kitten’s voice to her front yard. “I looked up and she was in the tree.”
High up a sturdy, “funky” tree, with power lines running through it, was her small sandy-orange, long-haired, six-month-old kitten named Spice.
“It was a really distressing meow … a meow that would really make you want to cry. Like, she’s so close but so far away,” said Harris.
Harris, confident Spice was tricked up the tree by a squirrel, said this wasn’t the first time one of her cats went up that tree. A while ago, when she spotted another one her cats up in the tree, Harris said she was unsure of what to do so she called the fire department and half a dozen arborists.
“I also called 911, and they said, ‘Nope…we don’t do that anymore.’” Fortunately, the black cat came down on his own, but Spice, maybe because of youth, obstinacy or size, wasn’t budging.
Harris then remembered seeing a tree climber on TV who saved cats in his spare time. So, she searched Facebook and found Duane Hook, a Columbus-based tree climber with a side gig of rescuing cats from trees.
“And I was so happy,” Harris exclaimed.
The dramatic rescue
When Hook contacted her, Spice had already been in the tree for three nights, so on Dec. 7 he made the 2.5-hour trek to West Toledo to get Spice out of the cold. With a GoPro camera mounted on his climbing helmet to broadcast Spice’s rescue, he got to work.
During a phone interview with the Toledo Free Press, Hook recounted how the rescue unfolded, and that his first thought was the rescue would be “a piece of cake.
“I can drive up there, get this cat, take off and go.’” He said he was eager to get to a nature preserve later that afternoon but things didn’t go as smoothly as he had anticipated.
In the TikTok video, you can watch Hook easily scale the tree, but then Spice fled into a hole in the tree. When Hook tried to befriend and coax the kitten into his arms with a treat, Spice displayed a bit of attitude, taking the opportunity to *whap!* the treat out of his hand. Then a lot of hissing ensued.
“Like I said, you never know what you’re going to get into with these cats,” Hook jokes in the video.
“I went through all of this deliberation in my head,” he recalls. “But while I was doing that, I told Alexandria, ‘I’m not going to get her out of the hole. She is spicy, that’s for sure. This cat’s absolutely not going to let me get it. I mean, I’m not saying I can’t get it, but it’s not going to let me get it.’”
Generally, for situations like this, Hook said he uses animal handling gloves, but he was also considering using an elevator method to raise a platform up for the cat to walk onto. But then Harris mentioned that she wished she could get up there. “She would let me [get her].’”
And with that, up the tree Harris went.
“I stuck my foot in my mouth,” Harris admitted during the interview at the Toledo Free Press newsroom, revealing she had a fear of heights, a fear that, in some situations in the past had left her dizzy.
But Hook didn’t know about Harris’ acrophobia, and “I didn’t tell him.”
So, as Harris zoned in on her kitten, Hook geared her up with a harness and safety rope and propped up a ladder for her to climb.
“I prayed and went on up,” she said. “Her life was dependent on it because it was cold and the nighttime was coming.”
Reaching into the hole, Harris fished for the kitten, pulled it out by its front paws and saved Spice.
Hook said that “to be there, and be able to facilitate her [Harris] doing this safely, and to just watch her do this, was better than me doing it.
“To see this woman get this kind of praise, and to have people see her do this, and for her to be able to feel that pride of doing it herself. To me, that’s way better than bagging another cat,” he said.
Of course, the entire dramatic rescue was posted on Hook’s TikTok page, which boasts the tagline: Bagging cats since 2010. I do this free of charge in my spare time. Central Ohio. His TikTok page has gained almost half-a-million followers.
Hook said that over 70 percent of cats climb down on their own within the first 48 hours, which is always the best outcome. But when they don’t, that’s when he comes to the rescue.
Comments on Hook’s TikTok page praise Harris for taking care of business. The top comment, out of 3,500 comments, had 16.4K likes:
Spice knew not to play with Mama *crying face emoji*
@swcw1409
Another top comment had 15K likes:
Spice’s mom is a badass. *smiley face with sunglasses emoji*
@lydialydslydi
“I just wanted her to be home and safe, and hopefully she learned her lesson,” Harris said as she held Spice inside the Free Press office. “She hasn’t been over by that tree. She used to go stand over there and then rub her claws up against it. I guess that was enough for her.”
A love of climbing
Hook said his love of nature and climbing introduced him to a community of tree climbing nerds, and through that community he was added to a directory of climbers who help save cats.
His first rescue, made back in 2010, was so easy that he never considered a cat in a tree might give him trouble. But with experience he’s since learned that “all cats are psychos in their own way.”
After hundreds and hundreds of rescues, Hook compiled a short list of things he learned to do before attempting to rescue a cat out of a tree.
These are his rules:
- Avoid placing a ladder in the tree. It often scares cats higher up, and ladders can cause further complications depending on where the cat moves, weather, and how sturdy the ladder supports are.
- Do not put food at the tree’s base. Food can attract scavengers and frighten the cat further.
- Ensure dogs are kept away from the area around the tree so the cat can feel safe.
- Stand at the base of the tree trunk and call for the cat, instead of being at a more direct line of sight to the cat. The cat will likely follow the sound, which may lead them into a more precarious limb of the tree if the caller is away from the trunk.
- If the cat has been in a tree overnight, it may be time to get help.
After an unfortunate situation with a cat in a pine tree, Hook said he now waits 48 hours before attempting a rescue. The extra time gives more courageous cats an opportunity to jump out of trees on their own.
Hook, an engineer at a brewery in Columbus, rescues cats on a volunteer basis and receives donations to cover travel costs. He also volunteers with the Ohio Wildlife Center, and rescues birds and other injured animals from trees.
Throughout the whole debacle, Harris said she was incredibly grateful for Hook’s help. She said Spice is adapting well at home, eating and drinking regularly, but staying away from the tree.
