Leadership Toledo
Organization’s fundraising breakfast sets tone for the year
TOLEDO – It is said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. For Leadership Toledo, it might just be the most important meal of the year.
The nonprofit’s 20th annual Community Fundraiser Breakfast will be on Thursday, Oct. 10, at the Renaissance Toledo Downtown Hotel. Doors open at 8 a.m., and breakfast and the program begin at 8:30 a.m. While attendance is free, there will be opportunities to make donations, and the event includes several sponsors.
Anna Toney, Leadership Toledo’s executive director, said the roughly 500 people expected to attend will learn about the organization’s role in the region. “The theme is ‘Power of Community,’” she said. “It’s a platform for us to talk about the work we are doing in the community.”
That work includes programs for youths and adults. “The breakfast supports our youth program and scholarships for our adult programs,” Toney said. She said highlights will be opportunities and challenges, and attendees will “discover how they can be part of the solutions to issues in the community.”
Youth Leadership Toledo is a nine-month program for high school sophomores. Toney said this year the tuition-free program includes 60 students from more than 30 high schools, largely in Lucas and Wood counties.
“It’s about helping them to develop and discover more about their community leadership skills,” she explained. “We want them to become more confident leaders, connect to their community, and grow in self-awareness and identify meaningful service.”
The signature, tuition-based adult program brings together a diverse group of people to facilitate meaningful conversation for action in the community, Toney said. Each of the 10 months the group is together features a different topic, such as education, public safety and cultural arts. “We bring in speakers to talk about what’s happening in the community,” she said.
Leadership Toledo is bringing in speakers for the fundraising breakfast to talk about the organization and how the attendees can help. They are:
Dan Dower, regional president of KeyBank, Leadership Toledo board president.
Gena Collier, training and development analyst for the City of Toledo, Leadership Toledo adult program alumnus.
Kim Finch, manager, community engagement and events, Buckeye Broadband, Leadership Toledo adult program alumnus.
Nina Clark, Ottawa Hills High School junior, Leadership Toledo youth program alumnus.
Arjun Jayaraman, Anthony Wayne High School junior, Leadership Toledo youth program alumnus.
Jacob Lesick, University of Cincinnati senior, Leadership Toledo youth program alumnus.
Toney, who has been the nonprofit’s executive director since 2017, reflected on the area the organization serves. “The Toledo community has lot of pride. People are dedicated and celebrating everything that we have. We are small enough, yet large enough where there is a lot happening that we should be proud of.”
She said Leadership Toledo has had natives and transplants alike say they have “found a place here where they can ‘plug in.’ If you can find a passion, we want to help you go all in.”
She said she’s seen positive energy in Toledo, and that “it’s a great place to live, work and play. That’s what we’re doing at Leadership Toledo, highlighting reasons why Toledo is a special place to call home.”
Breakfast attendees are to register in advance by visiting leadershiptoledo.org.
419 Music Fest
Remembering Butch Rahe: Music plays on in firefighter’s honor
Story and photos by Kyle Brown
HOLLAND – Live music, support for the HERO program and a tribute to fallen Toledo firefighter Sterling ‘Butch’ Rahe were all a part of the 6th annual 419 Fest, held at Homecoming Park on Saturday.
There was even a pizza named after Rahe, and monies from the pizza sale helped support a fund in his honor. Raha died on Jan. 1 after complications from an injury.
The first of 11 bands to take the stage was The Chris Shutters Band, followed by Not Fast Enough, Venyx, The 25s and 56 Daze.
Between sets, Stacy Richards, Rahe’s niece, played songs to entertain the crowd. One song in particular that got the crowd in an emotional state was “I Can Only Imagine,” by MercyMe. Looking around, tears were falling. One crowd member mentioned they “stopped listening, or else I’d be balling my eyes out.”
Richards said that song was especially meaningful to her because it was the song she sang at Rahe’s funeral.
After Richard’s set, I met Becky Rahe, who was married to Butch for 32 years before tragedy struck. As I spoke to her, I got this sense of the pure joy she felt for this event. Butch had attended all five prior festivals and even helped put it on.
”I was talking to Todd, and you know, he was saying how he had to do it without Butch this year. But Butch was always with him,” she told me.
Becky said the fire department and township have been supportive to her and her family, like an extended family. “When needed, they have been there for emotional and practical help. They take care of their own.”
Before Piggyback Jones hit the stage, 419 Fest owner and promoter Todd Boatfield came on to talk about the lead signer for Piggyback Jones, Holly Lafferty, and how much she has helped over the years. Even during the Covid era, when the health department tried to shut the festival down, she still tried to help and donate her time.
Boatfield went on to talk about how it showed the “dedication and camaraderie that the 419 has for the music scene in Northwestern Ohio.”
Members of the Springfield Fire Department donated their time to help support the cause for this event, as well. One of those members was newly appointed battalion chief Andrew Vascik. Boatfield brought him on stage to publicly thank him and his crew for everything they have done, including the coordination of the crews, and even the smaller things, such as grabbing ice for people.
When speaking to Boatfield, I wanted to really get into what made him want to keep coming back year after year, to not only help support local musicians, but also give back to the firefighters and paramedics.
Boatfield said he loved raising money for a cause and he loved live music. “Anytime I get to mix the two of them together and have some of the best bands in Northwest Ohio, and be able to contribute money to a great cause, it makes it an easy eight or nine months of work to put this on.”
Boatfield wanted this year to memorialize Butch, a fellow Springfield firefighter before joining the Toledo Fire Department while still working part-time with Springfield. “We all knew Butch very well, and I knew him personally as we worked at the same station. I couldn’t think of a better venue to help raise some money for his family and honor him.”
419 Fest doesn’t just give money to falling firefighters and paramedics, it also supports the HERO (Health Education, Resources, and Outreach) program, a voluntary, non-emergency program open to all communities served by Springfield Township and Sylvania Township fire departments. The goal of the program is to assist residents to have safe living in their homes.
Other bands that performed were 2 Left Missing, followed by Distant Cousinz and Beefcarvers. There was quite a buzz when Leadfoot Granny took the stage. A band of 18 and 19 year olds took the Toledo by storm. Forming less than a year ago, the band featured Hope Smith on lead vocals, Luke Emrie on lead guitar and backing vocals, Owen Krupp on bass and backing vocals, and Odin Woodbury on drums.
From the very first strum of the guitar and the first word out of Hope’s mouth, the crowd seemed hooked. While it seemed like most of the other bands were cover bands, Leadfoot Granny took a different approach. With a healthy mix of their own music and covers, the band jammed out to their 45-minute set with, in my opinion, the loudest cheers of the entire fest. One of the signature features of the band is the instrumental solos. Each had their opportunity to shine, and Smith with her vocal abilities turned heads on her own accord.
Ending the night was Noisy Neighbors, a power pop cover band. The high-energy band provided music covers of top songs spanning from the 80’s to current day music.
To donate to the cause, please visit 419musicfest.com. The donation link is up all year-round and goes straight to the HERO fund.
To apply to be on next year's band lineup on Sept. 20, send Todd Boatfield your information via an email on the 419 Fest website, or find him on social media. Boatfield will attend a show to see if you are a good fit.
Owens offers CDL course
Woman instructor steers students on path to driving
UPDATE (Nov. 13): The Owens CDL Training Program has received $149,100 from the Commercial Truck Driver Student Aid Program for 2025.
The financial aid program is funded through the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE). It provides financial aid to in-state students who complete a CDL program and agree to reside and be employed in Ohio for a minimum of one year upon completion.
The financial aid program is funded through the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE). It provides financial aid to in-state students who complete a CDL program and agree to reside and be employed in Ohio for a minimum of one year upon completion.
PERRYSBURG – The CDL program at Owens Community College has a saying: “We don’t run away from our problems; we steer toward them.”
That’s true both when trying to master a maneuver, like straight-line backing, or as CDL instructor Linda Lear has proven, in life.
Lear came to Owens as a CDL student 2019, looking to start a new, better life. As Lear said, her back was against the wall because of personal problems. She knew she had to do something.
“I always liked to travel and drive, so I decided to go to Owens,” Lear said. “There were always barriers trying to hold me back or stop me from obtaining my CDL. Once I had shut the door and put everything behind me and just focused on one thing, I obtained my license.”
Owens helped Lear break through those barriers. She gave special credit to Owens CDL instructor and training manager Harley Curavo.
“My teacher, Harley, spent that extra one-on-one time with me that I needed,” Lear said. “I couldn’t do anything. Him taking that extra time gave me the push to obtain my license.”
She spent the next two years on the road as a driver. At first, she thought she would be the only female in the trucking industry. However, it didn’t take long for her to see that she was wrong – there are many women who work in the trucking industry. According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of female truck drivers has doubled in the past 20 years. Females now comprise 8 percent of the truck driving population.
A chance encounter with Curavo and his encouragement for Lear to become an instructor led to the next chapter in her life.
Lear has now spent two years as an instructor at Owens. Helping students overcome their challenges and barriers motivates her as an instructor.
One of her students is Toledoan Kejuan Jones, who said that entering the program “is a good experience that set me up for the future.
“It’s different, but it’s fun to learn new things, especially about the trucks. I want to experience everything – regional, local, over the road- to have that experience so I can determine what I want to do further down … the road,” he said.
“I was in their shoes … I was struggling with some things,” Lear said. “I show them things I was struggling with and what helped me to overcome it. Once I show them different things, students are able to grasp the concept. That’s what makes me feel good, when the students are able to understand.”
Lear said her biggest responsibility is safety, both for the student and the other motorists on the road.
She doesn’t have to do it alone, though. The friendly, family atmosphere at Owens and supporting each other as people is what sets the CDL program apart from others in the area.
“Every one of those other programs works as a team, but we’re not just a team here at Owens, we’re more like a family,” Lear said. “We help lift one another; we help inspire. You never know what someone is going through.”
Job security and the overall atmosphere are what Lear uses to sell potential students on the idea of obtaining their CDL at Owens and entering the trucking industry.
“We’re essential. Everything in the world has to touch a truck. I don’t care if it comes on a boat or plane, everything has to touch a truck,” she said.
“You’re always going to have a job. There’s always stability.”
To learn more about the CDL program at Owens, visit Workforce
For more information on the Workforce and Community Services programs at Owens, please visit Workforce/Community
BrightView open house
BrightView Health celebrates recovery during National Recovery Month
MAUMEE – In honor of National Recovery Month, BrightView Health Addiction Treatment Center hosted an open house on Oct. 18. The community was invited to learn more about their outpatient addiction services.
The event was a time to celebrate recovery, raise awareness about substance abuse disorder (SUD), and offer support, said Chelsae King, BrightView’s Community Outreach manager, who talked about the significance of the gathering.
“My biggest takeaway was having the ability to celebrate people’s recovery. It’s often something overlooked and it was nice to pause and honor those individuals,” she said.
At the heart of the event was the Champions of Recovery Award, which recognized six individuals at various stages of their recovery. “We had people celebrating several years of sobriety, down to a couple of weeks,” King explained. “Each moment in recovery is worth celebrating.”
BrightView’s approach to addiction treatment includes a combination of medication-assisted treatment (MAT), counseling and peer support, with the goal of helping patients stay engaged in their recovery process.
In addition to celebrating success stories, the open house featured community partners, including the Northwest Ohio Syringe Services (NOSS), offering health testing and Narcan.
King emphasized the importance of creating a supportive environment for patients, noting that many expressed gratitude for being included in a sober, caring space.
For those looking to support others in recovery, King advised to “be aware, and don’t hesitate to reach out if you think someone is struggling.”
BrightView, founded in 2015, continues to accept new patients daily and provides same-day appointments, ensuring that help is always available. BrightView services are easy to access and available to hundreds of area residents.
The center accepts walk-ins until 3 p.m. weekdays and offers same day appointments. People or families seeking help can call BrightView at 833-510-HELP (4357) 24-hours a day, seven days a week, or schedule an appointment online at brightviewhealth.com.
For patients in withdrawal, it takes less than four hours from the time they walk through the door to receive stabilizing medication, complete their first counseling session and begin lasting recovery.
Increase your return rate
Three steps to making your safe investments work harder
Interest rates are the highest they’ve been since my children were born. After bottoming out, rates started increasing rapidly in March 2022. While the Federal Reserve lowered interest rates by half a percentage point this month, that might be good news for those with debt, but it could spell trouble for savers. The good news is that there is still time to lock in higher rates.
According to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), as of Aug. 19, 2024, the national average rate on savings accounts is 0.46 percent, and for interest-bearing checking accounts, it’s 0.08 percent. While I believe it’s smart to keep enough money in your local bank or credit union to cover short-term needs and expenses, there’s a cost to liquidity. Here are three steps you can take to increase your returns:
Step 1: Talk to your local bank or credit union
Ask about options or promotions they offer to increase the rate on your savings. For instance, our local bank offered my family a money market rate that was double the national savings rate. If you don’t need some of that money for three to 12 months or longer, you could move those funds into an FDIC-insured CD, where national average rates range from 1.53 percent to 1.85 percent, but searching around could get rates into the 4 percent to 5 percent range.
The benefit of moving a portion of your money into a high-interest money market account or short-term FDIC-insured CD is that you can enjoy immediate higher rates. This can provide a nice boost to your income, especially in times of inflation. However, the downside is that rates are expected to decrease and can change quickly. Historical events like COVID-19, the 2008 Financial Crisis or 9/11 show that rates can drop suddenly.
Step 2: Shop around for higher rates
Explore websites like Bankrate.com and Nerdwallet.com, which make it easy to compare bank rates. Banks compete for depositors, and a competitive offer from another institution could earn you two to three times more. Keep in mind that these online rate websites often receive compensation for the placement of sponsored products, so do your research.
You can also talk to a licensed financial professional. An independent professional who holds both securities and insurance licenses can help you compare money market rates, bank CDs and fixed-rate annuities from leading American insurance companies.
Working with an individual may be more convenient than navigating the internet on your own. Just be sure to ask how the financial professional is compensated and fully understand the terms of any product you’re considering.
Step 3: Consider a laddered approach
Building a laddered investment strategy can be a smart way to manage your safe investments. Keep enough money in checking, savings and money market accounts to cover three to six months of expenses, and then invest a portion in higher fixed-rate accounts that mature in six months, 12 months and so on.
For retirees or savers with larger balances who want to lock in higher rates, a fixed annuity could be a good option, allowing you to lock in rates for 5 to 10 years. This strategy can protect your interest earnings for the duration of the selected term, which is especially helpful in a declining interest rate environment.
Act now while rates are high
Lower interest rates are widely expected in the future, yet many savers haven’t taken advantage of the decade-high rates available in most savings vehicles. Now is the ideal time to take steps to increase your returns and lock in rates for the long term. A pay raise for savers is just three steps away.
For more information about America’s Retirement Headquarters, tune in every Saturday at 12 PM on 1370 WSPD or visit www.arhq.com. Investment Advisory Services offered through The Retirement Guys Formula, LLC. Securities are offered through PEAK Brokerage Services LLC., Member FINRA / SIPC. America’s Retirement Headquarters and Retirement Guys Formula is not an affiliate of PEAK Brokerage Services LLC. The office is at 1700 Woodlands Drive, Suite 100, Maumee, OH 43537. 419-842-0550
The buckeye nut
Buckeye nuts are abundant, toxic and maybe bring luck to humans
It’s time for the buckeyes!
Not the football team. Real buckeyes. That shiny, dark brown, nut-like seed that is said to resemble the eye of a whitetail deer. Even though it’s like a nut, it’s not edible. In fact, buckeyes are toxic to humans, but they sure are cool looking.
This is the time of year that buckeyes, which have been maturing unseen inside heavy spiny husks, drop to the ground from the buckeye trees. They split when they hit the ground and scatter the seeds, which can litter the ground beneath the tree.
Though they’re not edible, folklore maintains that they bring luck. It’s not unusual to see a crowded string of buckeyes fashioned into a necklace. It’s not uncommon for people to carry them in pockets and purses in hopes of bringing luck, or maybe just because they like the way they look.
Buckeyes jumped into the national spotlight when William Henry Harrison, a native Virginian who had relocated to Ohio, used the buckeye tree and seed as a symbol during his successful campaign for the presidency in 1840.
Buckeyes are widespread in western Ohio, often in areas along the Maumee River.
Though the real thing isn’t edible, there’s always that very popular alternative. Candy buckeyes — peanut butter fudge dipped in milk chocolate — taste great and look like the real thing.
Go buckeyes!
