Maumee River exposed
Maumee River reveals true character when water level drops in fall
WATERVILLE – Nature’s extremes can foster new perspectives.
It’s not unusual for Maumee River levels to drop in late summer and fall, exposing some of the river bedrock and opening up new and interesting ways to explore the beauty of our river valley.
This year’s serious drought conditions have dropped river levels to the lowest many local residents have ever experienced, which also means that an unusual amount of the river’s limestone and dolomite bedrock is exposed.
The best viewing is along the shallow rapids of the Maumee River at various Metroparks Toledo, including Side Cut’s Fallen Timbers Rapids, Farnsworth’s Roche deBout Rapids and Wolf Rapids below the dam at Providence Metropark. Visitors will enjoy the water-smoothed and shaped terraces.
Art required for graduation
National Arts in Education Week: Teacher mixes art with other classes
TOLEDO – Art classes may be a fun addition to the school day, but in Ohio they also count as a high school graduation requirement.
National Arts in Education Week, an annual observance since 2010, is Sept. 9-13. To showcase what Woodward High School is doing, local news media were invited to visit Angie McClue’s art classroom on Thursday to see the lessons her students are working on.
“Students of all ages – from kindergarten to college to creative-aging programs – benefit from artistic learning, innovative thinking and creativity,” according to the National Art Education Association.
McClue teaches general art, painting, metals and jewelry. She also teaches a section of the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) College and Career Readiness program, in which students learn study skills and note-taking skills. She said she includes art examples within the general studies class when she can.
“You can integrate it with other subjects,” McClue said about visual arts.
To make the point: McClue’s classroom includes a poster of significant eras in art history and the years in which they flourished. She will also ask the students what they are learning in other classes to give art context to those lessons.
Art, music and literature, she added, are all “the history of mankind.”
Today’s trends certainly influence what projects students want to try. Jewelry-making and polymer clay figurines are among the currently popular lessons.
“The DIY culture has become so huge,” McClue pointed out.
Aunesti Simon, a junior, is among those who have previously taken a jewelry class and is in this fall’s painting class. “I just liked making bracelets,” she said about her art interests.
And Alayah Yowpp, a junior in the painting class, said she also had taken a previous art class that featured mixed media.
The painting class is currently studying color theory, using watercolors to mix and paint the specific shades of a color wheel.
A folksy folksinger
Kerry Patrick Clark has a passion for music and reaching people
WHITEHOUSE – Kerry Patrick Clark is often described as a musical Norman Rockwell, a troubadour who tells stories and makes connections through songs that reflect the spirit of America.
If that means getting nostalgic at times, Clark has no qualms about it depending on the audience.
“One of the things I’ve done for years, part ministry and part music, is I sing at retirement centers and nursing homes,” he said. “It’s perhaps some of the most enjoyable stuff that I do because we do singalongs and tell stupid dad jokes and we get to be present in the moment and present in the community we’ve created.”
At the height of the COVID pandemic, Clark recorded a 22-minute video for seniors to enjoy because people couldn’t go to concerts.
“Well, you know, I couldn’t be in person with these folks, so how can I serve them?” Clark pondered.
It’s a singalong video featuring vintage American tunes, such as Take Me Out to the Ball Game, In the Good Old Summertime and Let Me Call You Sweetheart.
While singing You Are My Sunshine, Clark stopped strumming his guitar for a moment to look into the camera and say, “I love this song – you are my sunshine, my only sunshine! It makes me happy when I sing it!”
Clark’s music is not all vintage Americana, however. He has recorded nine albums of original songs in a variety of genres and has performed concerts across the country.
His musical style spans pop, country and folk genres, but he said he’s generally categorized as a folksinger.
I’m a middle-aged, middle class, middleweight white guy with a guitar, right? I’m too old to be a pop guy, even though that’s the sensibility that I write from, like the singer-songwriters of the ‘70s but with the life experience, and also the sensibilities of our modern world. I’m not country, although some of my songs are country. It’s like, where do I fit in?
Kerry Patrick Clark
Clark traces his folksinger label to 1985, when he toured the country with the renowned folk music group the New Christy Minstrels. “So I have a history of folk music,” he said.
Most people in the Toledo area have seen Clark perform at one venue or another. He’s been on virtually every stage in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan in his lengthy career, from theaters and bars to Christmas parties and Easter brunches.
This year, Clark has been performing monthly on the Sandpiper, singing and playing guitar as patrons enjoy dinner while cruising along the Maumee River. His last Sandpiper show of 2024 is set for Sept. 18.
Clark has a busy performance schedule, including upcoming concerts in the Cincinnati suburb of Madeira and on “the Left Coast,” as he calls it, in Tehachapi, Calif., near Los Angeles.
“I play a lot at listening rooms. There are listening rooms all over the globe,” he said.
Listening room concerts are organized by people who love music and don’t want to be distracted at a noisy bar or a sports bar to hear an artist. Many are put on by members of the national Folk Alliance that celebrates folk and world music, as well as folk and world dance.
“They offer up their home, church, coffee house or some venue where people literally come for a concert. I do two 45-minute sets. Sometimes they have a potluck meal before or after and talk with the artist,” Clark said.
“I did all the bar stuff. I did all the touring and traveling and gigging and all of that, and my life story is really wonderful and I wouldn’t change it for a minute,” he reminisced. “But where I want to play now is where music matters. And so whatever that looks like, a church concert or a coffee house or a listening room or a senior center, that’s where it is.
“That sounds a little egotistical, like it’s about me, but it’s really about us. … We laugh, we sing, and it’s just this really incredible opportunity for us to come together in a moment in time and be a community for an hour and a half.”
It’s essential for Clark to engage his audiences. He loves talking to people, telling jokes, making comments, asking questions.
“Anybody can play guitar and sing,” he said, “but to move people through story and song or put a show together, that is a sort of an emotional roller coaster.”
Clark was born in Mason, Mich., and moved to Sylvania in the fifth grade. His father was a scientist for Owens-Illinois and his mother was a bookkeeper. His dad played guitar as a hobby and taught Clark to play his first three chords.
“I would barricade myself in my room and just play. I was fairly insecure and was really more happy just being in my room playing a guitar than anywhere else.”
Clark credits the late Eddie Boggs, another well-known local artist, for teaching him to be not just a singer and guitarist, but an entertainer.
Boggs, who passed away in 2014 at age 68, was Clark’s seventh-grade social studies teacher in Sylvania.
During his senior year, Boggs called him up and invited Clark to play a few shows together. That led to concerts at Put-in-Bay, local yacht clubs, restaurants, and clubs and venues throughout northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan.
“He took me under his wing and we became musical partners and I played with him for years, not just that but we became the best of friends and he taught me more about entertaining and the magic of how to put a show together and how to entertain.”
Clark is a Martin Guitar Preferred Artist, which means the prestigious guitar company custom-makes acoustic guitars for him.
“I still pay for them but not as much as a regular customer. I’ve only got two Martins but they are really remarkable instruments. I pick up a model and tell them what I want, what finish I want. And the one they send me is the only one of its kind.”
His first customized Martin guitar arrived on Christmas Eve day about 15 years ago.
“The UPS guy shows up, I didn’t know it was coming that day, and I open the door and this guy says, ‘UPS, sign here,’ and he’s got a Martin guitar box. And I just start weeping. I’m sure the UPS guy is thinking, ‘Just sign and let me get out of here!’”
Clark knew when he was in high school that he wanted to make music his career.
“That’s all I ever wanted to do.” His parents thought differently.
“’Well,’ my dad would say, ‘Music is a good thing, and you can do it on the weekends. But you should get’ – and here it comes – ‘you should get a real job!’,” Clark said with a laugh.
That changed when he was 20 and his mother did his taxes. Clark had made more money that year than his father did as a full-time scientist.
“That conversation-slash-argument of getting a real job stopped. I told my parents, ‘I know you’re fearful for me, but I’m going to figure out how to make this work.’”
Music is still Clark’s passion. He does have a “real job” as a real-estate developer and property owner along with his wife, Amy. But there’s no time clock to punch and no desk to sit behind.
His son, Robbie Clark, is following in Kerry’s footsteps as a singer-guitarist.
Robbie Clark is opening for Crystal Bowersox at the Toledo School for the Performing Arts on Sept. 14 and has a regular gig at Lupita’s in downtown Perrysburg.
Robbie made it pretty far as a singer competing on American Idol.
“I drove to Austin (Texas) with him and he auditioned in front of the judges. He got a ‘yes’ from Lionel Ritchie, a ‘no’ from Katy Perry, and a ‘not yet’ from Luke Bryan.”
Clark said he is working on some new songs after going through a dry spell that lasted several years. His songwriting drought ended after spending three weeks earlier this year in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
“There’s nothing quite like looking out on that point where the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez come together and seeing whales every single day and sunshine every single day… There was no agenda, no real estate to work on or any gig to get to. Every day I was writing, and I think I have five songs that came out of it. It was such a gift to remember who I am and to have the floodgates of writing open again.”
He said he plans to release the songs as singles, not on albums or CDs, since most music fans are streaming their tunes these days.
“I have a closet full of CDs that are, like, just paperweights now,” Clark said.
Mercy Health hosts Wellness Fair
SYLVANIA – Mercy Health will host a Health & Wellness Fair with free services for attendees, including health screenings and educational resources. Hours are 9 a.m.- 3 p.m.
Many different organizations will be present to provide vision screenings, lead testing, blood pressure and blood sugar checks, and even mammograms (the Mercy Mammography van will be on site).
Along with these valuable health services, the event promises to be a fun community event for families. It offers free giveaways, activities for kids, food trucks and live entertainment.
Mercy Health is located at 4126 N. Holland Sylvania Rd.
OWE musical block party
Social B. Creative welcomes acclaimed singer Jill Sobule
TOLEDO – An otherwise quiet street in the Old West End came to life on Monday evening when three bands provided live music for neighbors on Stratford Place in the Old West End.
Performing on a stage set up in the middle of the street, Catlea, Sea Serpent and nationally renowned singer/songwriter Jill Sobule provided entertainment for about three hours.
The block party was hosted by Swell Magazine/Social B. Creative, and drew a crowd of about 50 people sitting in provided metal chairs. Round, colorful, fluffy pillows were placed on many of the chairs but were confiscated by kids playing with them throughout the night.
Attendees could also shop at the Clearly Weird Tie Dye booth and eat mac and cheese at the Maybe Cheese Born With It food truck.
Swell Magazine/Social B.Creative was founded by its CEO Emily Rippe, who met Sobule playing in a local bar in front of about five people. Realizing it could be a missed opportunity, she asked Sobule if she would like to play an outdoor concert at the Old West End, and Sobule agreed to headline the show.
Rippe explained that Swell Magazine is the first issue for her freelance organization Social B. Creative. It is planned to be an annual publication with a second issue in the works for January 2025. She said the magazine sold most of its original 200 copies. Rippe wants to use to magazine to give a voice to people who have been underrepresented.
I want to shine a light on folks you might not have heard about but have something to say.
Emily Rippe
Kicking off the outdoor concert was Cincinnati-based indie band Catlea, a duo featuring Dylan Rippe and Max Shirley.
Next up was Toledo’s Sea Serpent. The local band recently released an EP called Black Blossom in April, which features four original songs. Sea Serpent’s performance drew thunderous applause from the small yet engaged crowd.
Kate Komuniecki, singer, writer and piano player for the band, discussed her musical journey. She said she was originally in the Violent Bloom band with bass player Jon Zenz for about six years before forming their current band. When forming Sea Serpent, the two added drummer John Hubbell. The three have played together for more than a year.
Komuniecki said what inspires her is to make music, and that she’s listened to a ton of it since she was a teenager.
“I used to listen to it so much; I’d study it and learn it,” she recalled. “I think it just always kind of hit me. I always tapped on stuff so my first instrument is actually the drums. I’ve played the drums for 20 years or so and then branched out to piano and songwriting.”
Komuniecki said she wants to continue playing in bars or DIY spaces out of town, and that her dream venues are small rooms.
Headlining the show was Sobule, who started her performance by asking audience members to move in closer. She said she came to this block party in Toledo for a change of pace after playing in Cleveland and Detroit.
Much like Komuniecki from Sea Serpent, her first instrument was the drums. She started playing when she was five but switched to the guitar per her parent’s request. Her brother inspired her to make music.
“I have a brother six years older than me who had the rock band in the neighborhood, and we had the cool parents who would let him rehearse in the garage. My brother was my hero and I wanted to be either an international spy or a rock star,” she quipped.
Sobule said she likes to write story songs that are mostly “little stories.” She referenced musicians like Bob Dylan, Lenard Cohen and John Pine.
Along with music, Sobule recently became involved in theater. She has an autobiographical show called F**k7thGrade. The show is about growing up as a teen in Colorado.
Sobule also discussed the kind of places she would like to play next. “I’ve done pretty storied places, maybe Royal Albert Hall. I’m just starting to think of more storied places. Maybe I’ll do a house concert for Barack and Michelle.”
One fan in attendance was educator and musician Dr. David Harms. He came to the show to ask Sobule to autograph a copy of Joan Osborne’s 2023 album Nobody Owns You. Sobule sang backup on the song, The Smallest Trees.
The original plan was to have Sobule play in Rippe’s backyard. But as she started to talk to local bands, including her sister’s band, Catlea, she opened the show to the street in front of her house to draw a larger crowd.
Sobule performed her hit songs Karen by Night, I kissed a girl, and F*ck7thGrade, as well as several of her theater songs.
She said she likes performing in Toledo because it has “a good vibe.”
TPS offers CDL class
Rogers High School hosts commercial driver license training
TOLEDO – Toledo Public Schools students will be able to graduate from high school having already earned a commercial driver license (CDL) under a program that started this fall.
Three students are in the inaugural CDL class, which meets at Rogers High School. The plan is to offer one to two classes a semester, with up to five students in each class.
Students from the inaugural session, along with TPS staff and board members, and Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority representatives, participated in a press conference and demonstration Tuesday at the high school.
“There’s a lot of jobs available for them,” said Jeff Cole, a CDL instructor for TPS.
The program is the newest of several Career Technology programs within the district, a direction that the board of education and Superintendent Dr. Romules Durant have intentionally focused on in recent years. This particular idea came about during conversations between board members and administrators, which included how to address their own forecasted need for school bus drivers and CDL-qualified personnel.
“The CDL program is a notable example of Dr. Durant coming up with innovative ideas,” said Randall Parker III, TPS board president.
“I am very, very excited about this program,” added Bob Vasquez, TPS board vice president.
Any TPS student can apply to attend any of the Career Technology programs within the district. The process starts with the student making an inquiry at their school counselor’s office.
CDL may not be for everyone, but it is for somebody.
Dr. Romules Durant
“I want to try everything,” Rogers senior Ma’Niah Armour, one of the students, said about her interest in earning a CDL and what she could do with the credential. “Even if I do want to change my career path, it’s something I can fall back on.”
Ohio residents who are at least age 18, have a valid Ohio drivers license and are U.S. citizens or permanent residents can apply for a CDL, according to the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles website.
It will take 16 weeks or roughly one semester to compete the training, a total of 200 hours with 56 hours in the classroom and 144 hours of driving-related training. After that comes the tests, which Cole said can take a couple of times for a participant to pass.
TPS has two semi-tractors and two trailers for instructional use. A “practice pad” near Rogers High School was designed to accommodate the practical lessons in both CDL and bus driving.
“Our focus is going to be on safe driving,” Cole said.
According to remarks at the press conference, a CDL credential is useful not only to drivers, but for many of the support staff at the agencies and companies they work for.
TARTA CEO Laura Koprowski explained that about half of the 300 employees within the Toledo-area public transportation agency have CDL credentials. That list includes those who are managers, mechanics and supervisors.
“It really is a solid career, long term,” she said.
Protestors block 180th gate
Veterans for Peace protest, deliver letter to ANGB base
Story and photos by Lori King
SWANTON – Armed with a letter secured in a manila envelope, two dozen members of Veterans for Peace and the Northwest Ohio Peace Coalition marched to the front gate of the 180th Fighter Wing on Tuesday to present it to base commander Col. Chad E. Holeski.
The intent was not only to deliver the 11-page letter, but “to get the attention our federal government – to stop it from illegally involving genocide that’s ongoing in Gaza. This is a very serious time,” Terry Lodge said moments before heading to the front gate on Eber Rd.
“The United States is involved indirectly in two major wars, and there are saber-rattlings of nuclear weapons going on. The genocide in Israel is unspeakable. There are anywhere from 50,000 to perhaps 200,000 people dead,” claimed Lodge, who was the letter carrier and a Veterans for Peace member.
“We’re going to deliver a letter to the base commander explaining why we’re here. Since the federal government seems to not be responsive to the majority of the public that is against the genocide and the U.S. involvement in the Middle East to defend Israel, that’s why we’re here … to send a message,” Lodge said.
Lodge, who is not a veteran, was accompanied by 22 other concerned citizens, including Mike Ferner, the national director of Veterans for Peace. The anti-war group is a global organization of military veterans and allies whose collective efforts are to build a culture of peace by using their experiences and lifting their voices.
Ferner, a Navy veteran, said they were not only there to give the letter to the commanding officer, but to inform him of several federal laws violated by participating in the genocide that’s currently happening in Gaza. He accused the 180th of being a part of the military establishment, which is helping to supply arms to Israel and repair their engines.
“After we deliver that letter, a few of us are going to sit down in the driveway to prevent operations here and do our best to enforce the law that nobody else is enforcing,” he said.
The demonstration was part of a national September Days of Solidarity with the People of Palestine campaign. One of the actions was to deliver the VFP letter, which lists U.S. laws government employees and weapons makers violate with arms shipment to Israel. Toledo participants joined protestors in 25 other cities to deliver, or attempt to deliver, the letter.
As part of the demonstration, the group blocked the entrance to the national guard base as they chanted and sang songs, which were, at times, drowned out by the thundering engine noise of F-16 jets flying overhead.
They also held signs and banners. A few of the signs read: ‘No defense of Israeli, U.S. genocide; No defense of genocide; Stop US military aid to Israel; and No more $$$$ to Israel for weapons.
Ferner predicted arrests would be made. However, that didn’t happen. One of the four deputy sheriffs on scene told the group they had every right to protest, and that they were more worried about their safety.
After nearly 20 minutes of protesting, Chief Master Sgt. Russell Bacon approached the group. Lodge tried to give him the letter but Bacon refused to accept it. He told Lodge he didn’t have authorization.
Meanwhile, deputies unsuccessfully tried to persuade the protestors from blocking the driveway. Ferner and Nancy Larson ignored them and knelt in front of cars trying to enter the base, forcing them to back up and drive around them on the grass. A few drivers showed signs of frustration by flipping them off and calling them idiots.
After about 90 minutes, Bacon, with the unit’s Security Forces Squadron, accepted it from Lodge and the group dispersed.
“Just at the end, I walked over to him, we shook hands and he said thanks. That was it,” explained Lodge. “But it’s absurd. This is typical. It’s such a symbolic way of saying ‘We don’t want to hear your message. There’s nothing to talk about.’ The military better start listening. They got to.”
When contacted by the Toledo Free Press in response to the demonstration, 180th Public Affairs superintendent Senior Master Sgt. Beth Holliker confirmed that the commander was not on base at the time. She then gave this official statement:
“The Ohio Air National Guard supports state and federal missions as directed by the governor of Ohio and the president of the United States. For operational security purposes, we are not authorized to disclose this mission.”
Holliker offered the phone number to the Air Force Press Desk because, she said, the protestors weren’t specifically targeting the 180th Fighter Wing, but the Department of Defense.
