Jaden Jefferson explores what it’s like to curate, conserve, and educate vistors from Toledo’s museums. In this episode, he focuses on Toledo Museum of Art, the Toledo History Museum, and the Museum of the Great Lakes.
Everywhere in Toledo, you’ll find people who play a role in making our city tick – from hospitals and factories to restaurants and art galleries – and behind every person is a story. Our program, Toledo Works, highlights those stories from workers’ firsthand accounts. Each week, Toledo Free Press hosts Jaden Jefferson and Stephen Zenner focus on a different topic within the Toledo workforce, exploring their day-to-day challenges and triumphs.
Dark-eyed junco. (Photo by Art Weber, nature photographer for Metroparks Toledo)
The calendar says it’s March, which means the Vernal Equinox – the official start of spring – is not far off. This year it’s Tuesday, March 20 at 10:46 a.m. Eastern Time.
That doesn’t mean wildflowers will be suddenly blooming and warblers will be headed north right away. Spring’s arrival is a process, a wonderful process that anyone who enjoys the outdoors and nature revels in.
It’s also a reminder that it won’t be long before some species we’ve come to enjoy at our backyard feeding stations will be leaving us and heading north. That list is short compared to the number of species that will be migrating our way soon.
Still, they’ve kept us company through the depths of winter. The dark-eyed junco is a favorite that will be leaving us in the coming weeks, same for purple finch and tree sparrow.
Enjoy them while you can and keep your bird books and binoculars handy for the magnificent show that will follow.
Statewide sentiments on the economy, immigration, and democracy
TOLEDO – In 2024’s presidential election, Donald Trump carried Ohio – once a battleground – by 11 points, his largest margin of victory in the state. However, a new poll from Bowling Green State University finds that Ohio voters, despite the state’s strong Republican lean, aren’t pleased with everything Trump has done during his first year back in office.
The poll puts Trump’s approval rating at 41 percent, with “a net favorability rating of -19.” 59 percent of those polled, nearly six in ten, believe the country is on the “wrong track,” while only 34 percent viewed things as headed in the right direction.
Midterm issues in focus
It is a midterm election year. For the GOP, that means playing defense if the party is to retain control over the House of Representatives and Senate. For the president himself, that’s the difference between completing his agenda and spending his final two years in office as a lame duck.
But in this economy, in a literal sense, staying in control of Congress is not going to be an easy feat for Republicans. Over half of those polled, 55 percent, believe the economy has gotten worse under President Trump.
Asked to identify the three issues of greatest importance to them, the most frequent responses of those polled were: the economy (42 percent), threats to democracy (32 percent), healthcare (31 percent), immigration (31 percent), and inflation (29 percent). As this and other polls demonstrate, quite clearly, the economy will dominate the midterms.
Ohioans not completely sold on tariffs
Because the economy is of such concern to voters, it’s worth taking a look at how they feel toward the president’s tariffs, a key tenet of his economic policy. In this poll, nearly 60 percent oppose them. An overwhelming majority, 72 percent, believe they will be to the benefit of wealthy people. 66 percent see them as benefitting large corporations.
Important to the popularity of any economic policy is how the median earner feels about it. 69 percent aren’t convinced they’ll directly benefit from Trump’s tariffs. 67 percent believe that neither small businesses, nor labor unions, will benefit. 65 percent don’t think the working class will benefit, while 64 percent say the same about the middle class. Notably, given Ohio’s place in the auto industry, just over half of voters – 56 percent – don’t believe the auto industry stands to benefit from the president’s tariffs.
The party with the advantage
It’s not new for the party in the White House to lose popularity ahead of the midterms, or control of Congress, as a result. In the generic ballot, Democrats have an eight-point advantage over Republicans, with the party – according Dr. Robert Alexander, professor of political science at BGSU – “in a good position to make gains in this year’s midterm election,” based on the university’s polling.
An issue that’s expected to drive Democratic turnout in this year’s midterms: eagerness among the party’s base for checks on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The Trump administration, in the midst of a major deportation push, has ramped up ICE operations across the country. Minneapolis, Minn. – which was the target of a multi-agency operation – ended with the deaths of two U.S. citizens, killed by immigration agents, during separate incidents.
In this poll, 90 percent said they’ve been following ICE operations under Trump’s second term. Around 60 percent oppose agents wearing masks, something Democrats are hoping to change in negotiations to fund the Department of Homeland Security. Two-thirds also oppose agents driving in unmarked vehicles, as well as the raids overall. One-fifth of those polled said they know someone who’s participated in a protest against ICE, while one-tenth said they have themselves.
Voters worry about democracy and constitutional rights
64 percent of poll respondents said they believe checks and balances “are currently not effective,” 57 percent said they’re dissatisfied with the state of democracy in the U.S., and 45 percent believe the executive branch has too much power.
Concern about democracy also spilled over into constitutional matters. 58 percent believe freedom from unreasonable search and seizure is “under threat,” while 57 percent said the same about freedom of speech, 55 percent about freedom of the press, and a slight majority, 51 percent, about freedom of assembly.
The United State Golf Association (USGA) announced that Inverness will be the host for the 2045 U.S. Open. (Courtesy photo)
TOLEDO –The Inverness Club, in Toledo, has hosted four U.S. Opens (1920, 1931, 1957, 1979), two PGA Championships (1986, 1993), two U.S. Senior Opens (2003, 2011), plus a U.S. Amateur, U.S. Junior Amateur, and most recently the 2021 Solheim Cup.
The 1920 U.S. Open was significant, as it was the first time the young Bobby Jones played in the event, finishing tied for eighth. Ted Ray won that year’s U.S. Open with Harry Vardon finishing runner-up.
George Von Elm and Billy Burke were tied at the end of regulation in the 1931 U.S. Open. They were still tied after 36 holes and had to return the next day to play another 36-hole playoff, which Burke won by a single stroke. 72 holes of regulation, plus 72 holes in playoff meant that the duo had played 144 holes of golf over five days. It is the longest playoff in golf history.
A 17-year-old Jack Nicklaus played in his first U.S. Open in the 1957 tournament. He missed the cut, but the Golden Bear went on to win four U.S. Opens and 18 major championships. The defending U.S. Open champion, Carey Middlecoff lost an 18-hole playoff to Dick Mayer to grab the trophy.
In 1979, Hale Irwin defeated Jerry Pate and Gary Player to win his second of three U.S. Open titles.
Greg Norman does not have fond memories of the Inverness Club. In the 1986 PGA Championship, he held a four-stroke lead after 54 holes, but struggled on the final day and Bob Tway holed a miraculous bunker shot on the 72nd hole to edge out the Great White Shark.
The PGA Championship returned to Inverness in 1993, and Norman was tied with Paul Azinger after 72 holes of regulation play. Azinger won on the second playoff hole and Norman had once again come close, but failed to grab a major.
The Inverness Club was completely renovated in 2019 and continues to be considered one of the great old courses in the country. (Courtesy photo)
With this resume of great golf, the Inverness Club has longed for a return of a major championship. The Club was completely renovated in 2019 and continues to be considered one of the great old courses in the country.
The United State Golf Association (USGA) announced that Inverness will be the host for the 2045 U.S. Open. With the success of the Solheim Cup in 2021, Toledo and Inverness proved that they can host a big-time event. For Toledo, it will be a huge economic boost and showcase the city at its best.
Inverness has seen its share of historic events, and more history will be made when the U.S. Open returns to the historic club in 2045.
Janice Flahiff, Christine Frakes and Carlton Surtman, all members of the Save Bay View Retirees Golf Course! group came to a Toledo City Council Meeting to oppose renting part of the parking lot of a park to The Toledo Edison Company at 1 Government Center in downtown Toledo, Ohio on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (TFP photo by Stephen Zenner)
TOLEDO – In a six-to-four vote, Toledo City Council resolved not to lease part of the parking lot at Detwiler Park to The Toledo Edison Company for temporary storage.
Before being given over to a vote, District 6 Council Member Theresa Morris said, “Yes, this lighting project needs to happen over in the Regina Manor area, but if we start renting out our green spaces. It’s a very slippery slope, and I would urge my colleagues to not support this ordinance.”
Theresa Morris, Toledo City Council Member for District 6, speaks on losing part of the Bay View Golf Course to an update for the waste water treatment plant during the Toledo City Council meeting. (TFP photo by Stephen Zenner)
Morris referenced the history of how the city of Toledo acquired the land, and used its history to support voting against Ordinance 034-26.
“All I can think of is that, you know George and Abraham Detwiler, when they donated 200 acres to the city of Toledo in 1925 that they decided that they were going to keep that as public space, not necessarily getting that or renting it out to the highest bidder.”
Voting was as follows:
John Hobbs III – Yes
Brittany Jones – No
Nick Komives – Yes
Erin Kramer – No
Cerssandra McPherson – No
Sam Melden – Yes
Theresa Morris – No
George Sarantou – No
Vanice Williams – Yes
Mac Driscoll – No
Council Members Theresa Gadus and Adam Martinez were both absent from the meeting.
At the ordinance’s defeat, about two dozen individuals wearing green quietly celebrated.
“It’s at least a small victory, in that we defeated the use of that little area to be given for usage for Toledo Edison,” said Christine Frakes, a Point Place resident and member of Save Bay View Retirees Golf Course!
Frakes and other community members have been attempting to change the City of Toledo’s direction on expanding the Bay View Water Reclamation Plant into parts of the Bay View Retirees Golf Course.
“Some years ago, there used to be 18 holes out there. It got knocked down to 11, and now they’re going to be left with four holes, which essentially kills the golf course,” Frakes said.
John Hobbs III, Toledo City Council Member for District 1, sings the national anthem during the Toledo City Council meeting. (TFP photo by Stephen Zenner)
Voting down the lease option factors into the larger issue with the golf course, but Frakes had difficulty characterizing the defeat of the ordinance as a “small victory.”
“It’s just we don’t feel like it’s fair.”
Procession
This week the national anthem was sung by City Council Member John Hobbs III, District 1, who was complimented on his singing voice by Sam Melden, District 5, during his closing remarks. “What was not surprising to me was when the dulcet tones of Councilman Hobbs rung out through the chambers,” Melden said, starting off his waxing closing remarks.
After completing the three formal ceremonies, a prayer, the pledge of allegiance and the national anthem, Hobbs thanked Father Geoffrey Rose of St. Francis De Sales private high school, and said, “I’m so thankful he was here today, and you can always feel good when there’s another Knight in the house.”
Then two high schoolers from Whitmer, Zack Aubrey and Anthony Mitchell,were honored for demonstrating exceptional bravery while responding to a car accident.
“After witnessing the crash, they acted without hesitation, putting their own safety at risk to assist the driver trapped inside a severely damaged vehicle,” said Julie Gibbons, the clerk of Toledo City Council, announcing the recognition.
Zack Aubry and Anthony Mitchell, two high schoolers from Whitmer high school, are honored for assisting individuals after a car accident during the Toledo City Council meeting. (TFP photo by Stephen Zenner)
Meghan Ragle was appointed for a three-year term to the Toledo-Lucas County Commission on Disabilities.
Linzey Link replaced Beth Holt on the Home Improvement Home Remodeling Board of Control (HIHRBC), a three year appointment.
And Dean Frederick was reappointed to the HIHRBC as well.
Legislation
Ordinances 51-26, 57-26 through 64-26 all passed, and ordinances 65-26 through 70-26 were given their first read.
Council Member, At-Large, Mac Driscoll, spoke before ordinances 71 and 72, stating that they depended on the 2026 budget passing. The city’s budget has not yet passed, so Driscoll recommended holding the two ordinances. 71/72 were simply given a first reading, like the preceding ordinances.
O-73-26 to O-81-26 all passed.
Closing remarks
Hobbs was the first to finish the meeting with his remarks, and used his time to honor the late Gladys West, an African American mathematician who paved the way for GPS technologies.
Multiple members of council noted the end of Black History Month (February), and the beginning of Women’s History Month (March).
Cerssandra McPherson, Toledo City Council Member At-Large, says her closing remarks during the Toledo City Council meeting on Tuesday, March 3. (TFP photo by Stephen Zenner)
“We Buy Houses” signs were highlighted by At-Large Council Member Cerssandra McPherson, who spoke against them as corporate interests targeting low-income households.
McPherson said she turned the signs over to the city’s law department and beautification department, and closed the subject with these strong words: “We are not up for sale. Toledo is not up for sale. Not like that.”
Black History Month was another topic McPherson spoke on. “It angers me that they want to delete us from the history. The president wants to just delete us. It’s an insult to my great-grandparents who were slaves.”
McPherson didn’t cite any specific incident she was speaking against. It should be noted that Black History Month was not observed officially by federal agencies, as part of President Donald Trump’s efforts against Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs. A number of customary observances including “Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Black History Month, Juneteenth, LGBTQ Pride Month, Holocaust Remembrance Day and other ‘special observances…’” were flagged in a memo discouraging celebrations in an official capacity.
Councilwoman McPherson closed with this personal resolution: “I will not keep silent, but I will pray for those that are ignorant when it comes to this – African Americans of [the] United States that live, breathe, work, contribute, and [have] for many, many years.”
Karen Bacon is a special education transition liaison for the Ohio Virtual Academy, where she helps students prepare for college, trade school, military service or the workforce. (TFP photo by Lucas Sells)
The workforce training program that helped win her an award
MAUMEE – A teacher from Ohio Virtual Academy was named Best K-12 Teacher in the ninth annual Tech Edvocate Awards in 2025, a recognition of her leadership and innovation in the classroom.
Bacon is a special education transition liaison for the Ohio Virtual Academy, where she helps students prepare for college, trade school, military service or the workforce.
“I started with Ohio Virtual Academy about eight years ago, and it has been a wonderful experience,” Bacon said. “I love this job because it gives me that freedom and creativity to work with special education students and talk about different skills they will need to prepare for the future.”
Karen Bacon is a resident of Wapakoneta, and she has a Master of Education from the University of Findlay and a certification in middle school language arts and science. Before she taught at Ohio Virtual Academy, she was a French teacher at Lima Central Catholic High School.
“I kind of got into the whole education thing just starting with being a French teacher,” Bacon said. “I just loved being around the kids and being able to explore the culture and the language with the students that I had.”
Bacon is the creator of the academy’s Cardinal Café, a virtual coffee shop created through K12 Zone that provides students with hands-on workforce training.
“The Cardinal Café was something that came about last year, where I was thinking, how can I prepare my students for different jobs in this online environment?” Bacon said. “So I thought, maybe if I design a café, we can go over all the skills within there.”
Within the interactive online environment, students can apply and interview for barista roles, manage orders and money and practice workplace etiquette. Bacon said her students love the café, and it’s a fun way for them to learn.
The Cardinal Café has proven to be an effective platform for educating students about the workforce. Since the program was created, other teachers have expanded the Cardinal Café, creating more environments for the students to interact with and learn more skills.
“This school year, all my other teammates and I decided that everyone should do one and have something different, so it’s kind of grown into a whole realm after I did the café,” Bacon said. “We came up with a grocery store, a fitness center, and during Christmas time, I did a bakery.”
The Tech Edvocate Awards recognize leading education technology companies, products and individuals, highlighting innovations that improve teaching and learning. Bacon said winning the award was a fun and exciting opportunity.
“For me, the award encompasses myself, my students and even my team,” she said.
Bacon said she has learned a lot working in special education, and that being able to connect with her students through the café has been meaningful.
“I’ve learned just to listen to what they need to be successful, and have the understanding that all of my students are super unique and have individual needs,” she said. “If I’m listening and working with them, I can definitely help them achieve what they want to do, and I’ve definitely learned that through the café.
Bacon said she loves working in the K-12 environment and working for Ohio Virtual Academy.
“I always like to stress that there’s more to the job than just Zoom and PowerPoints,” she said. “It’s always opening the doors for me to find different ways to be creative and do things that are fun for them and their learning.”
TOLEDO –Jaden Jefferson sits down with Representative Josh Williams to discuss his viewpoints ahead of the 2026 November election. To find the longer version of this video, make sure to visit Spotify for the Toledo Free Press Voter’s Guide podcast below:
Members of the Save the Bridge Association, including (from left) Janice Braida, Frank Butwin, Barb Bruno and Dave Weber, speak to Waterville City Council on Feb. 23, seeking help to save the Roche De Boeuf Interurban Bridge. (AWFP photo by Karen Gerhardinger)
WATERVILLE – “We are still in the fight,” Save The Bridge Association member Barb Bruno announced to Waterville City Council during its Feb. 23 meeting.
Flanked by fellow STBA members Janice Braida, Frank Butwin and Dave Weber, Bruno said the group wants the public to know that the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) plans to seek bids for the demolition of the 118-year-old Roche de Boeuf Interurban Bridge this spring.
Last year, ODOT was about to go out for bids when Gov. Mike DeWine issued a one-year reprieve so that STBA could research other options. That year ends in early April, and STBA wants Waterville City Council and Mayor Tim Pedro to contact DeWine to ask for another year.
“We were charged a year ago with finding an alternative. That’s a monumental task,” Bruno said. “We’ve done a good job of searching out every viable option possible. The latest one is pushing for another pause, because maybe the state can maintain ownership and someone else can be the administrator.”
If the city, ODOT or Metroparks would be willing to serve as administrator for the state-owned bridge, they could qualify for federal funding to at least preserve the bridge.
“Is the city willing to go to ODOT and say we will be willing to be administrator? That would give us $5 million to put in the bank,” Weber said. “We’re at crunch time now. You don’t want to wait until they send out for quotes to demolish the bridge. Can council tonight step forward and propose a resolution to vote on it so we know?”
Council has been fully supportive from day one, Pedro said, but he believes it would be premature to vote on a resolution to have the city serve as administrator.
“I think the law director would have to do some research and let things shake out a little bit,” Pedro said. “We need to have details and do some research for a meeting or two. We just can’t make a decision tonight.”
Weber pushed back at Pedro, pointing out that STBA asked three weeks ago for the mayor to call the governor, and wondered why it hadn’t taken place yet.
“We’re down to weeks. There are going to be bulldozers rolling in here really soon,” Weber said.
But Pedro said he planned to call soon, just as he did last year- a move that garnered the one-year extension.
Braida said she appreciated the efforts by council and the mayor to do what’s best for Waterville, but urged the council members to use their influence to save what she calls an iconic site.
“We’ve been given the opportunity to save the bridge. Local history is the foundation of community identity. When you think of sites in Waterville, the first one is the Roche de Boeuf Interurban Bridge. The second is the Columbian House. These are treasures we have here, that contribute to our uniqueness. We’re begging for it not to be torn down.”
During the meeting, council also:
-Approved a $40,000 with Pyrotecnico to provide fireworks for the Saturday, July 4 Independence Day celebration at Prairie Trail Park and Waterville Primary School. This is an increase from last year’s $27,349 price, to ensure a larger display for America’s 250th anniversary. The rain date is Sunday, July 5.
-Listened to Michelle Smith, executive director of the Waterville Area Chamber of Commerce, detail plans for upcoming events, including the Saturday, March 21 A Toast to America 250 Wine, Bourbon and Fine Art Auction at Nazareth Hall. Tickets are on sale at watervillechamber.com through Friday, March 6.
-Heard resident Terri Massucci share plans for the Saturday, March 28 Easter Egg Hunt at Conrad Park. Donuts, coffee and hot cocoa will be served at 10 a.m. The Easter bunny arrives in time for the 11 a.m. hunt, which will have four age levels (0-3, 4-6, 6-9 and 10+) with 1,000 eggs per level. Some eggs will have prize tickets. An adult basket raffle will benefit Hooves Equine Therapy. A scavenger hunt, in which families can look for giant eggs in area business windows, will take place in the weeks leading up to the hunt. Forms are available at the Waterville Library.
-Welcomed Scott Sands, northwest Ohio liaison for Ohio Auditor of State Keith Faber, who delivered a certificate recognizing the city for excellence in accountability to taxpayers. He thanked finance director Tiffany Bachman, Administrator Jon Gochenour and the finance staff for their work.
Scott Sands (right) presented a certificate to city finance director Tiffany Bachman, in recognition of the city’s excellence in accounting. (AWFP photo by Karen Gerhardinger)
-Heard that an updated city website should be ready this week.
-Checked out the new e-bike that the police department will use on shared use paths and other areas of town. Police Chief Joe Valvano said trained bike officers will use the bike at community events and speak to youth about proper usage in town.
-Heard an update on how the city is seeking information during a six-month moratorium on data centers. Pedro said several house bills related to data centers are pending in the Statehouse.
-Congratulated Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) District 2 Deputy Director Pat McColley, a Waterville resident who was named Engineer of the Year for 2026.
-Approved a $356,000 contract with Berglund Construction Company to improve the exterior of the 25-year-old fire station, including brick replacement, acid cleaning, roof panel and gutter replacement and other repairs.
Waterville Police Chief Joe Valvano and officer Franklin Cigoy stand by the new e-bike that will be used in the city. (AWFP photo by Karen Gerhardinger)
-Awarded a $339,071 contract with DGL Consulting Engineers to perform construction engineering services for the Waterville Monclova Road widening improvement project. This includes $32,831 for TTL Engineering Services to do construction testing services. Pedro abstained as he is a consultant who formerly worked for TTL.
-Approved a contract with Green Meadow Acres LLC of Perrysburg to lease 100 acres of city-owned agricultural land at 6730 and 6824 Anthony Wayne Trail for $337 per acre.
Waterville Area Chamber of Commerce board member Nancy Davidson, Anthony Wayne Area
Arts Commission vice president Lisa Exner, and chamber executive director Michelle Smith are
ready for the Saturday, March 21 A Toast to America 250 Wine, Bourbon and Fine Art Auction
at Nazareth Hall in Grand Rapids. Tickets are available at watervillechamber.com through
Friday, March 6. (AWFP photo by Karen Gerhardinger)
WATERVILLE – The Waterville Area Chamber of Commerce is launching an event-filled 2026 with A Toast to America 250 Wine, Bourbon and Fine Art Auction on Saturday, March 21 at Nazareth Hall.
“All of our events incorporate some part of America’s 250th in everything,” Chamber Executive Director Michelle Smith told Waterville City Council during its Feb. 23 meeting.
The art auction used to be a yearly tradition until the Covid-19 pandemic and is returning this year for the first time in seven years, she said.
Doors open at 5 p.m. with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres until 6 p.m., followed by dinner. Throughout the evening, guests will be able to place bids on silent auction items that include baskets with gift cards from local businesses and artwork including paintings, photos, glass and sculptures, added Lisa Exner, vice president of the Anthony Wayne Area Arts Commission (AWAAC).
Gathering with Smith and chamber board member Nancy Davidson last week, Exner unboxed donated artwork from Teri Lee, Tamra Mielke, Mark Luebke, Andrea Baker, Black Swamp Soaps, Fire Nation and Jack Schultz.
Tickets for the gala are $95.00 each or $175 a couple and include dinner and wine and bourbon tastings, as well as a DJ, raffle and the silent auction. Proceeds will benefit Anthony Wayne Neighborhood Bridges, a nonprofit that provides assistance to AW-area families in need.
Davidson, a Mary Kay consultant, is providing a free limousine service from 9 to 11 p.m. to transport guests from the venue back home. Suggested attire can range from business to cocktail, but the only limit is no jeans, Smith said.
“We don’t want people not to come because they don’t want to rent a tux,” said Smith, answering a question from a council member.
The deadline to purchase tickets is Friday, March 6. Nazareth Hall is located at 21211 River Rd. in Grand Rapids.
Other upcoming events include Community Garage Sales from Thursday, June 4 through Saturday June 6; a golf outing on Friday, July 17; the annual Roche de Boeuf Festival on Saturday, Sept. 19; and the Boo to Do in downtown Waterville on Thursday, Oct. 29.
“We have been blessed to have Michelle leading the chamber. The board hosts a lot of activities, like business openings and ribbon cutting ceremonies,” noted Mayor Tim Pedro.
Spencer Township is listed on heavy equipment the township was able to purchase for its upkeep. (TFP photo by Stephen Zenner)
A look at the township’s past, present and future
SPENCER TOWNSHIP – Located in Lucas County lies Spencer Township, a rural community that has been around since the 1800s, though many people might not know much about its history or how it came to be.
Spencer Township is located in the central western part of Lucas County, bounded by Richfield Township, Springfield, Monclova and Swanton. The population remains fairly consistent, holding steady at about 1,800 people.
Some of the first settlers in the township were Germans who arrived between 1832 and 1835 when many immigrants were headed toward Michigan. Spencer Township was part of the territory claimed by Michigan until it was founded by the Lucas County Commissioners in 1845.
Jacky Dale, the interim director of the Spencer Township Neighborhood Center, said she has lived in the community for 25 years.
“It’s passionate, it’s diverse, and most of the people are very pleasant and welcoming, so it’s always nice,” Dale said.
Michael Hood, the nine time township trustee for Spencer Township, speaks with the Toledo Free Press at the Spencer Township Town Hall in Spencer Township, Ohio on Wednesday January 28, 2026. (TFP photo by Stephen Zenner)
Michael B. Hood, a Spencer Township trustee, says he has been a part of the community his entire life.
“When I was coming along back in the 1960s, 63 percent of the community was African American,” said Hood. “A lot of the people who came here settled from the South. My parents came here from Mississippi and settled here, and they liked this area [as] opposed to being in the city, because it reminded them of being in the South.”
Hood has been a township trustee since 1986 and is currently in his ninth term. He’s successfully been reelected nine out of 11 times and has remained in office since 2010.
“When I started, we only had one full-time employee who worked here,” he said. “Now we have administrative staff, the trustees and the fiscal officer – a total of five employees.”
Before he was a township trustee, Hood said he always considered himself active in the community.
“I was active in the community and volunteering, and I’ve always had a hand in dealing with young people and youth,” he said. “So I just saw that as a natural progression to move from that to becoming more involved and concerned with community issues overall.”
Spencer Township a rural community that has been around since the 1800s. (TFP photo by Stephen Zenner)
As community involvement in the township grew, so did their awareness of the challenges they face today.
One of the biggest challenges the township faces today is being unknown. While it has always been part of Lucas County, the township has often been overlooked as its own community.
The township has taken certain steps to make its presence known, such as putting up a sign, developing a website, and installing an electronic display board to advertise any meetings or functions in the community.
“We weren’t even on the older maps; we were just considered another part of western Lucas County,” Hood said. “We just erected a sign, probably four or five years ago, to intentionally let people know that we’re here because a lot of people thought we were a part of Springfield.”
Dale said not having the convenience of stores close by has been a challenge in the community.
“Just not having access to the fresh produce or even a local gas station, you’re five miles away from the closest store, and we don’t have public transportation,” Dale said. “The resources are quite small as far as that goes, and that’s why we started our ‘share table’ where people can donate canned goods and stuff like that.”
Spencer Township contracts with their own waste solutions, the local Klumm Brothers business out of Holland, Ohio. (TFP photo by Stephen Zenner)
The township once had a variety of shops in the 1970s, such as a laundromat, drive-in theater and auto shops. But during a period of urban renewal, or “urban removal,” as they call it, that began to disappear, and the community lost the little industry they did have.
According to Hood, the former Spencer-Sharples Local School District faced decreasing enrollment and a shrinking tax base, leading to its closing and consolidation with Toledo Public Schools by 1980. As a result, Spencer Township has been merged with Toledo Public Schools for the last 45 years.
Hood said the township is exploring the options of implementing its own school system, noting that kids in the township have to travel through two school districts just to get to school.
A Spencer Township marker sign. (TFP photo by Stephen Zenner)
“I would have loved to say we would have had a good working relationship with our surrounding communities, but that was not the case,” he said. “We tried to get and meet the Swanton and Springfield schools, but they both rejected us. And that’s how we ended up in Toledo Public Schools.”
In terms of plans, the township recently created an organization in October 2025 called the Community Improvement Corporation (CIC) to pursue economic development projects. The organization has the task of performing any economic development that takes place in Spencer Township.
Spencer Township is home to many due to its nice, family-oriented community. The community features amenities such as a nature park for fishing and kayaking. It also has historic landmarks such as Old Spencer Township Hall, Spencer Sharples High School and the current Spencer Township Hall.
“It’s always been a good place for raising families because we are isolated away from so much that’s happening in other areas,” he said. “Spencer Township was and has been a hidden gem that people are discovering. It’s the only place I’ve ever called home, and I don’t plan on leaving it.”
Michael Hood, the nine time township trustee for Spencer Township, points at a picture of the original Spencer Township Town Hall in the newer town hall. (TFP photo by Stephen Zenner)
Dale said the passion of the people is what she likes most about living in Spencer Township.
“It’s a small community, but they’re close-knit, and everybody checks on everybody,” she said. “The general people are very nice and caring, and they look out for each other.”
Hood says Spencer Township has been under the radar for the past 10 to 15 years, but due to the new influx of people from all over, the community is getting discovered.
“We want people to know that we’re here. We’re Spencer Township; we’re our own entity,” he said. “We are tired of being in everyone else’s shadow, and so this is our coming out period.”
Michael Hood, the township trustee for Spencer Township, stands outside of the Spencer Township Town Hall. (TFP photo by Stephen Zenner)
