Midwest Travel: Put-in-Bay beyond the party

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August 19, 2025

PXL_20250628_174039569.RAW-01.MP.COVER — Erin Holden, Townes Sackmann (4) and Matt Sackmann pose in front of the Put-in-Bay sign near a playground.

PUT-IN-BAY – Though I’ve lived in Northwest Ohio since 2018, only this summer did I decide to make the relatively short journey to the party-right-of-passage destination of this region: Put-in-Bay (South Bass Island). It was Pyrate Fest, Saturday, June 28, when my family and I decided to make a day of it, donning our hastily put-together pirate gear.

Matt Sackmann donning a pirate hat for this summer’s Put-in-Bay Pyrate Fest aboard Miller Ferry. (TFP Photo by Erin Holden)

I had read that Pyrate Fest was a family friendly event, but also knew from plenty of informants that Put-in-Bay can be a wild ride, filled with drunken debauchery. As it turns out, both things can somehow be true! Here’s what our experience was like.

Miller Ferry is one of two options for getting to the island (the other is Jet Express). If you plan on bringing your car to the island, Miller Ferry is the only option. For this trip, we were offered free tickets to this ferry (find their regular pricing here) and we opted not to take our vehicle, as we knew we had a golf cart from E’s Put-in-Bay Golf Carts reserved for us as well.

Pyrate Fest/Other Events

We found a seat upstairs along the balcony where we could catch a nice breeze and people watch on the packed vessel, which was filled with families and pirates ready to party alike. We spoke to one such Pyrate Fest attendee from Powell, Ohio : Rachael Weis. It was her first time in Put-in-Bay, but she came fully prepared with a sword at her hip and a parrot on her shoulder.

“I’m here with some friends that have a condo on Marblehead. So they invited a big group of us to come up and enjoy the weekend,” Weis said, adding that she was most looking forward to seeing the diverse group of musicians that can be found at the local restaurants and bars during events like this.

“I think it’s just a cool event. I’m not really into pirate stuff, but we all wanted to dress up because it seemed like a way to get the spirit of the island,” she said.

Rachael Weis of Powell, Ohio on Miller Ferry, dressed for Pyrate Fest 2025 at Put-in-Bay. (TFP photo by Erin Holden)

I expected Pyrate Fest to be in a concentrated area on the island, but because the island is so small – it’s 3.7 miles long and 1.5 miles wide – the festivities were everywhere we went. From the moment we departed the ferry to pick up our golf cart to the end of our visit when we’d circled the island at least five times, we found pirates everywhere.

Even if you have to wait until next year for this event, there are several other events coming up during the warmer weather months. They include:

Annual Labor Day Bash at the Bay (August 29-September 1)
Put-in-Bay Historical Weekend (September 5-7)
Downtown Art at the Park (September 6)
Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day (September 13)
Vintage Sports Car Racing (September 16-18)

Boarding Miller Ferry to arrive at South Bass Island (Put-in-Bay). (TFP photo by Erin Holden)

I found the scene at Put-in-Bay to be a nice balance between partying, family fun, and educational activities. Obviously, you won’t have to look hard to find a local watering hole with live music and delicious food, but you will also find a delightful playground in the center of town, which our son Townes very much enjoyed; a nice selection of ice cream shops; easy access to beaches for a swim; and historical sites aplenty.

South Bass Island Lighthouse

One of the latter wasn’t far from where the ferry dropped us off: the South Bass Island Lighthouse, owned by The Ohio State University’s Stone Lab. We spoke with one of the Stone Lab field station assistants, Claire Beasley, about the history and ecology of this site.

“The Ohio State University is the only university in America to own a lighthouse,” Beasley said. “Construction started on this lighthouse in 1895, and it was running and in use until 1962 when the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, put in that tower over there, which is our automated lighthouse.”

I climbed the rather steep staircase up to the top of the lighthouse to meet my husband (Matt) and our four-year-old son (Townes), where we had an excellent view, including the nearby Green Island. It is off limits to visitors because it acts as a wildlife preserve for birds and the Lake Erie Water Snake.

“You can find them [the Water Snakes] on the Marblehead Peninsula over by Sandusky and up those rivers somewhat, but they do have a very small native range, to the point they were actually listed as endangered, but were removed from that federal list in 2011,” said Beasley.

Claire Beasley of The Ohio State University’s Stone Lab, poses next to a Lake Erie Water Snake. (TFP photo by Erin Holden)

She said the snakes were endangered for two reasons: one of their food sources – the mudpuppy – was endangered, and water quality worsened.

“One of the researchers who used to be with us, Dr. Kristin Stanford, is now over at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. She did a lot of work with the water snake, did population surveys, and she also did a lot of work with the public to educate them about the snakes, because they’re not exactly charismatic.”

For anyone who is interested in learning more about these snakes, check out this Dirty Jobs episode with Mike Rowe, in which he works with Stanford to study them. He gets bit. A lot.

Heineman’s Winery

In the height of the summer heat, an indoor tour is sometimes called for, and there is none better than the Crystal Cave at Heineman’s Winery, the home of the World’s Largest Geode. We bought tickets to tour the cave – a brief, but spectacular tour – along with tickets to tour the winery and get samples (a grape juice made on-site for the minor). Two tours, plus wine/juice samples, for two adults was $30.

Tour guide Garrett Geldine shows visitors the world’s largest geode at Crystal Cave. (TFP photo by Erin Holden)

Heineman’s wine, which you can order at the bar or purchase by the bottle, can be enjoyed in their charming courtyard. It was a fun diversion before getting back to our tour of the island.

Taking this trip to Put-in-Bay made me realize that there’s this subculture of lake island life that I had previously not tapped into. We’ll definitely go again soon, while also adding Kelly’s island and other lakeside stops to our bucket list before the warm weather fades.

*This trip was partially funded by Miller Ferry and Visit Put-in-Bay.

Sam Engle finds his seat on Miller Ferry post-Pyrate Fest with his skeleton companion. (TFP photo by Erin Holden)

For more Midwest Travel stories…

A Love Letter to Shawshank and Octagon Earthworks

Inside Toledo City Council: Aug. 12, Part I

By

Stephen Zenner

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August 18, 2025

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20250812 Toledo City Council 9099 — Vanice Williams, Toledo City Council Member for district 4, speaks about her personal interactions with Bruce Baumhower, and how he stood up for her when she was a Jeep employee with Local 12 on the engine line. Toledo City Council meeting on the first floor of 1 Government Center in Toledo, Ohio on Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025. (TFP Photo/STEPHEN ZENNER)

Recognizing Bruce Baumhower, the three-decade president of Local 12

TOLEDO – A warm welcome filled the Toledo City Council chambers for two individuals recognized for their service to the city at last week’s meeting.

About a half-hour was dedicated to honoring the former president of United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 12, Bruce Baumhower, who retired earlier this year, leaving Local 12’s leadership to the previous vice president, Brian Sims.

Resolution 287 recognized Baumhower for his 32-year career with the United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 12, starting at the Jeep plant in 1972, serving as the union president starting in 1993 and retiring in 2025.

Bruce Baumhower, the retired president of UAW Local 12, during a Toledo City Council meeting on the first floor of 1 Government Center in Toledo, Ohio on Tuesday, Aug., 12, 2025. (TFP Photo/STEPHEN ZENNER)

Council Member At-Large, George Sarantou, credited Baumhower as one of three people, alongside former Toledo Mayor, Carty Finkbeiner, and former Ohio Governor, George Voinovich, responsible for preserving the Jeep legacy in Toledo by encouraging investment in the Toledo North Assembly Plant, built in 1997.

“We really owe you a debt of gratitude because you’ve made such a stunning difference in those 32 years,” Sarantou said, and most of the council chimed in to thank Baumhower on a personal level.

But no one council member’s testimonial stood out as much as Vanice Williams’ (District 4) story about working for Jeep when she was, in her own words, “Big Pregnant.”

On the engine while six months pregnant with her daughter Faith, Williams told the story of a manager who would not let her be relieved until Baumhower cursed out that manager on Williams’ behalf.

At the time, Williams said she was homeless. “I was coming to work at Jeep every day pregnant to try to make sure that I was able to provide a home,” she said. “I want you to know how much I appreciated that. I had nobody defending me, not even my family. And you defended me.”

Council Members Sam Melden (District 5), Theresa Morris (District 6), Nick Komives (At-Large), Mac Driscoll (At-Large), Cerssandra McPherson (At-Large) and Brittany Jones (At-Large) all spoke of the legacy Baumhower left over his decades of investment in Toledo.

“Dad bought a house,” McPherson said of her father, who retired from working at Jeep as a member of Local 12. “Jeep did that for us.”

Baumhower was short with his words, and expressed his thanks to Local 12 and to his wife, Kim Baumhower, for their support.

“I got a lot of credit for work that a lot of other people did,” Baumhower said in summation, and highlighted the members of Local 12 that were there as well as his wife.

Local social worker weighs in on Medicaid change

By

Stephanie C. Doran

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August 18, 2025

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pexels-karolina-grabowska-4021779 — Pexels photo by Karolina Grabowska

Beginning August 1, the Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) began denying all Fee-For-Service claims submitted without prior authorization. This sweeping bureaucratic policy change, which places an enormous administrative burden on providers, threatens to gut access to life-saving mental health and disability services for thousands of low-income Ohioans — and disturbingly echoes the logic of eugenics-era public policy.

The new rule arrives under the watch of a Republican-controlled legislature and conservative executive leadership in Ohio, part of a broader national trend of stripping public systems under the banner of “efficiency” and “cost control.” What remains unspoken is who pays the price.

Let’s call this what it is — structural violence. By making it nearly impossible for providers to serve Medicaid clients, this policy pushes people with mental illness, disabilities, and chronic conditions out of care — and possibly out of life.

A legacy of harm repeating in bureaucratic form

Though no one is openly using the language of eugenics, the impact is frighteningly similar. Eugenics movements of the past sought to reduce the reproduction and survival of those deemed “unfit.” Today, we see policies that disproportionately deny care to the very people eugenicists once targeted: the poor, disabled people, the mentally ill, and people of color.

This is not accidental — it’s engineered neglect. It doesn’t need violence to destroy lives; it only needs red tape.

The Conservative Policy Machine and the Politics of Exclusion

This shift aligns with a growing national conservative movement that:

Attacks access to reproductive and gender-affirming health care,
Criminalizes homelessness and mental illness,
Promotes privatization of public programs at the expense of the vulnerable.

In Ohio, these Medicaid changes are part of a pattern of policies that look “fiscally responsible” on paper but are morally bankrupt in practice.

A Public Challenge: Evaluate This Policy Ethically

I call on Ohio lawmakers, Medicaid administrators, and members of the public — regardless of political affiliation — to honestly confront the question:

If a policy systematically removes access to care from people who are poor, disabled, or mentally ill, and they die as a result — how is that not a form of modern eugenics?

I urge journalists, legislators, and watchdog groups to:

Investigate the real-world impacts of this policy on mental health and disability care.
Demand transparency on how many clients will lose services.
Hold accountable those who benefit politically or financially from the suffering of others.

Anthony Wayne area communities considering data centers

By

Karen Gerhardinger

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August 17, 2025

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vantage data center — Vantage Data Center is building three data centers on a 70-acre campus in New Albany, Ohio. (Photo courtesy of Vantage)

Public meetings slated in Waterville, Waterville Township

ANTHONY WAYNE – With access to water, power and hundreds of acres of flat land, developers are eyeing western Lucas County for potential data center locations – as long as the community is welcoming.

“Every community is thinking about it. This is the soup du jour – the gold rush of the 2020s. Of the 21 subdivisions in the county, we are in constant conversation with the six or seven that are more interested,” said Matt Heyrman, director of the Lucas County Department of Economic Development.

Matt Heyrman. (TFP photo by Karen Gerhardinger)

The first step is to create zoning regulations that address data centers. Monclova Township and Spencer Township recently adopted new language into their zoning books. Waterville and Waterville Township will discuss the proposed language in public meetings over the next few weeks.

On Monday, August 18 at 7 p.m., the Waterville Township Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing at 621 Farnsworth Rd. to receive input on allowing data centers to operate on agriculturally zoned land with a conditional use permit. The commission will make a recommendation to the trustees, who will hold a separate public hearing on Wednesday, August 27 at 6:30 p.m.

The city of Waterville is considering a zoning language change to allow data centers in M-1 light industrial districts with additional setback requirements from residential areas, said municipal administrator Jon Gochenour. A second reading is slated for Monday, August 25 at 7:30 p.m. at City Hall, 25 N. Second St.

“Step one is putting a conditional use in place. That doesn’t mean we’re bringing a data center in; it just means that when we’re approached, we will have the ability to control the process,” said Waterville Township trustee Julie Theroux, noting that the trustees hired Columbus law firm Albers and Albers to represent the township’s best interests in the event of a data center or another large project.

The county and Regional Growth Partnership (RGP) have teamed up to coordinate with developers, landowners and communities to attract centers that hold data for multinational corporations like Google, Chat GPT or Meta, Heyrman said.

“We’re targeting larger companies because they will make a more significant investment. That leads to more valuation and potential revenue for our community,” he said.

Gary Thompson (Photo courtesy of Regional Growth Partnership)

Attracting a data center is part of an overall strategy to diversify the economy so the county isn’t so reliant on manufacturing and distribution, said RGP executive vice president Gary Thompson. RGP focuses on attracting new business and industry to a 17-county northwest Ohio region. He envisions a healthy mix of manufacturing, construction, agriculture and technology so the economy is on sound footing and communities are able to bring in enough revenue to provide services such as police and fire.

“As AI and robotics advance, there will be fewer jobs for humans in factories. Still, people in the area need jobs and careers, and those are more likely to be in the tech field than the manufacturing field,” Thompson said.

Data centers typically only employ 80 to 100, but bring in ancillary businesses like information technology, engineering and other firms, noted Mike Beazley, a consultant working with the county and RGP. In areas where data centers have been built – including Columbus, Ohio; Portland, Ore.; Cheyenne, Wyo. and Spokane, Wash. – companies making computer servers and steel casings have sprung up.

“The region is in position to take advantage and attract new jobs in a sector that is unrepresented,” Beazley said.

Data centers also bring in property and income tax revenue, Heyrman said. Providing a payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) agreement will ensure that those taxes get to the schools and affected communities.

While the team working to bring in new business touts the benefits, the members are also aware of concerns from the public. Many of the problems from earlier models have been remedied, and the projects can be low impact, Beazley said.

One concern stated by residents has been water, which would come from the Toledo municipal water system, not wells or aquafers, which are unreliable. The older designs used a high level of water for cooling systems, but changes in technology have lowered that need to less than 1 million gallons per day for the largest data centers. Toledo has an excess capacity of at least 60 million gallons a day, Beazley said.

Any proposed data center would need to conduct a power study, which is a several-month process that looks at the potential impact on the electrical grid. Ohio is part of the PJM regional transmission organization, which last month announced an increase in wholesale costs that might be passed on to some of the 67 million consumers in 13 states. According to a PJM press release, electricity demand is growing rapidly, “driven largely by data center expansion, electrification and economic growth.”

“If there’s a criticism of the American electrical grid, it’s that it’s too conservative. There is more capacity than the transmitting authorities let us tap into,” Heyrman said. “I feel confident that PJM is not going to let anyone on their grid unless there’s the capacity to do so.”

Ohio is also filled with plenty of gas transmission pipelines, including legacy lines that add redundancy in the supply of natural gas in a way that’s uncommon elsewhere in the country, Thompson said.

Nexus Gas Transmission had previously obtained authorization to build a compressor station in Waterville Township on Moosman Drive, but that permit from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission lapsed in August 2021, said Enbridge spokesperson Kristen Henson. Nexus has no current expansion planned, but is positioned to support future development, including escalating energy needs and data center buildouts, she said.

As communities begin looking at whether to adopt new zoning regulations to allow data centers, residents will have an opportunity to ask questions and share concerns. Richfield Township recently made it clear that data centers are not wanted, Beazley said.

“A group said, ‘We are farmers and don’t want to be anything else.’ So we’ll focus on other communities,” Beazley said, noting that developers don’t want to spend time on communities that are not welcoming.

“Our role is to bring the opportunity to the region. If the citizens and the elected officials don’t want it, we’ll move on to the next community,” Thompson said. “They are in such a rush, they aren’t going to sit around waiting for people to be ready. This is a great opportunity for people to discuss if they want it.”

Inside Lucas County Commissioners Meeting: Aug. 12

By

Stephen Zenner

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August 16, 2025

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20250812 LCC Commissioners Meeting 9081 — Lisa Sobecki, Lucas County Commissioner, holds a statue of a frog, a parting gift for Jim Shaw, the retiring Lucas County sanitary engineer, during a Lucas County Commissioners’ regular meeting inside the Commissioners’ Hearing Room at 1 Government Center in Toledo, Ohio on Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025. (TFP Photo/STEPHEN ZENNER)

TOLEDO – By far the most outstanding moment during the Lucas County Commissioners meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 12 was the honor given to Jim Shaw as he entered retirement.

Shaw served as the county’s sanitary engineer since 1994, and was avid in his love of football.

Lucas County Commissioner Lisa Sobecki said Shaw’s love of football landed him a place officiating in division one and eventually into the Big Ten Conference.

Lisa Sobecki, Lucas County Commissioner, and Anita Lopez, Lucas County Commissioner, during a Lucas County Commissioners’ regular meeting inside the Commissioners’ Hearing Room at 1 Government Center in Toledo, Ohio on Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025. (TFP Photo/STEPHEN ZENNER)

Sobecki thanked him for his “incredible impact” and said, “He’s not gonna’ skirt around the bushes; he’s gonna’ give you the facts. His institutional knowledge will surely be missed.”

Sobecki made sure to note that Shaw was the one that dealt with Toledo’s algal bloom problem in 2014, and thanked him for getting the county through that difficult time.

As he addressed colleagues, friends and family from the podium in the commissioners’ hearing room, Shaw was moved to tears as he recited a poem by Saxon White Kessinger called the “Indispensable Man.”

The last stanza that seemed to affect Shaw the most was this:

“The moral of this quaint example
Is do just the best that you can,
Be proud of yourself but remember,
There’s no indispensable man.”

After a few short words, Shaw said, “The best resource this county has is its staff.” Then he said, “I wanna’ thank my wife and go.”

As Shaw walked to the back of the hearing room where his wife Marsha was, he received a standing ovation from all county employees including the two commissioners who were present, Sobecki and Anita Lopez.

Nate Inkrott will take over for Shaw as the county’s sanitary engineer.

County Engineer

Agenda items 2-4 all dealt with contracts and easements necessary to install roundabouts in Lucas County, and were brought before the commissioners by Lucas County Engineer Mike Pniewski. All items were approved.

Court and Facilities

Items 5-8 on the agenda dealt with different collaborations and improvements to the juvenile court, including art programming for the community treatment center, art instruction at the youth treatment center and the Toledo bikes build-a-bike program.

Aramark was given permission to use the juvenile detention center kitchen.

Emily Simpson, general counsel for the county, brought these items before the commissioners.

Items 9-11 dealt with facilities and were brought before the commissioners by Jeff Nowak, the Lucas County facilities director.

Commissioners then rejected a bid for the west influent screen and grit chamber improvements to the water resource recovery facility at 5758 N. River Road. Inkrott presented this item on the agenda.

John Wenzlick, the budget director for Lucas County, presents items 13-15 during a Lucas County Commissioners’ regular meeting inside the Commissioners’ Hearing Room at 1 Government Center in Toledo, Ohio on Tuesday Aug. 12, 2025. (TFP Photo/STEPHEN ZENNER)

Budget & Administration

John Wenzlick, the budget director for Lucas County, then presented items 13-15 regarding the Office of Management & Budget.

County administrator, Jessica Ford, vouched for the work of Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, a financial services company out of St. Louis, Mo., as related to item 15, changing the company’s role with the county from underwriter to municipal advisor. Stifel, Nicolaus & Company have been working with the county since 2009, and are currently in transition to their new role as a municipal advisor for the county. Ford said the company would be fully in their new role as municipal advisor in 2026.

Commissioner Lopez mentioned she wanted to be sure there were no SEC violations as the company transitioned to its new role.

John Borell, the deputy chief for the civil division from the Office of the Lucas County Prosecuting Attorney, was on hand to explain that the proposed new contract with Stifel, Nicolaus & Company will have them serving as the municipal advisor for the jail bond and the hotel bond, but no longer serving as the underwriter for the county at all.

In Borell’s opinion, there were no violations with the first contract, and there are no violations with the proposed new contract.

“Whatever perceived conflict there was, I think that eliminates it,” Borell said to the commissioners.

Both commissioners then approved amending the of the agreement with Stifel, Nicolaus & Company.

Bridgette Kabat, the senior project manager, asked for and then was granted permission to contract with a firm to move the x-ray machine from the old Lucas County Canine Care & Control (LC4) location to the new one for $4,250.

Kabat explained that the process for moving the x-ray machine involved disassembly, moving it, reassembling the machine, testing it and getting it back to “working order.”

Jeff Nowak, the Lucas County facilities director, goes over facilities during a Lucas County Commissioners’ regular meeting inside the Commissioners’ Hearing Room at 1 Government Center in Toledo, Ohio on Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025. (TFP Photo/STEPHEN ZENNER)

Executive Session

Then Brian Cunningham, the director of training for Lucas County Human Resources, asked for the commissioners to move into an executive session.

After the executive session Cunningham asked for the appointments of Christina Myers, Kelly Stone Click, Dakota Bick, Tana Savage Riley, and Michelle Peters to vacant full-time regular permanent bargaining unit eligibility specialist II positions at the Department of Job & Family Services for $19.50/hour. It was approved.

Dodging Sinkholes

By

Don Lee

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August 16, 2025

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0525 diamond sinkhole cartoon web rez — (TFP cartoon by Don Lee)

Dr. James Holloway: University of Toledo President

By

Jaden Jefferson

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August 15, 2025

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unnamed (4) — (Courtesy of the University of Toledo)

*Edited by Stephen Zenner

In this week’s episode of Behind the Byline, Jaden Jefferson sits down with Dr. James Holloway, who became the University of Toledo’s president in May. The two unpack how to navigate the changing landscape of university life, from DEI to simply making sure that students feel at home studying in Toledo.

Toledo guitar hero Chris Shutters pays homage to Clapton

By

David Yonke

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August 14, 2025

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MIG_9376 — Lead Singer and Guitarist Chris Shutters performs Eric Clapton originals at Oregon's Boomfest on Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025 in Oregon, Ohio. (TFP photo by Logan Migliori)

New band plays songs from through Slowhand’s career

SYLVANIA – Chris Shutters’ musical achievements already qualify him for a Who’s Who listening in a book of modern rock.

The Sylvania native is a two-time national blues guitar champ, tours nationally with Fleetwood Mac tribute band Fleetwood Gold, was the lead singer of Blood, Sweat & Tears, wrote and sang on Alan Parson’s latest album, played guitar in Mountain with Corky Laing, and toured with a Cream tribute band that featured relatives of two original Cream members — Kofi Baker, son of Ginger Baker, and Will Johns, nephew of Eric Clapton.

Shutters’ latest endeavor, the Eric Clapton Experience, circles back to the beginning of his interest in guitar.

Percussionist and vocalist Jerry Knott gives a warm salute to the audience at Boomfest 2025 on Saturday Aug. 9, 2025 in Oregon, Ohio. (TFP photo by Logan Migliori)

“Since Day One, Eric Clapton is the reason why I play guitar,” Shutters said in a recent interview.

Clapton, of course, is a guitar legend, from his early days with John Mayall and the Yardbirds to the power rock trio Cream, Derek and the Dominoes, to his lengthy and highly successful solo career.

Shutters remembers the date when he first picked up a guitar: November 17, 1998.

He started out on piano, banging on the keys when he was 2 years old and taking lessons from age 8 to 12.

Then he discovered his affinity for guitar.

“I was 12 years old, and I went into my brother’s bedroom and grabbed his guitar and gave it a shot,” he said.

He’s never stopped. The first chords he learned were to Clapton’s hit song “Wonderful Tonight.”

Even before that, he was drawn to Clapton’s music. When Shutters was 10 years old, he went into a karaoke booth at Cedar Point and recorded the vocals for “Tears in Heaven.”

Shutters developed much of his own guitar style from listening to Clapton and reading interviews with Slowhand, as Clapton is known.

“He’s an amazing guitarist, and the best lesson I learned as a lead player was from him; it was an old interview he did, and he said he’s basically just singing [with the guitar].

“I can hear chords and melody or a rhythm section play, and I can come up with melodies left and right, doing basically what Clapton’s doing on a guitar. So you’re just singing a melody with your hands. And that’s how I’ve always done it.”

His Eric Clapton Experience made its debut on Aug. 9 at the Boomfest in Oregon, Ohio. Joining Shutters in the nationally touring band are Brian Albright on bass, Cy Winnie on keyboards, Ian Rowell on drums, and Jerry Knott on percussion and vocals.

“I am trying to focus more on his solo career, rather than the Cream stuff. Although ‘Sunshine of Your Love’ is in the set. ‘White Room’ sometimes is in the set. ‘Crossroads’ is always there if we need it.

“We do a lot of his ‘80s stuff, everything from ‘Pretending,’ ‘Bad Love,’ and ‘70s stuff like ‘Rock and Roll Heart,’ and ‘90s stuff like ‘Change the World’ and ‘My Father’s Eyes.’ It’s pretty much a little taste of every decade of his career.”

Drummer and vocalist Ian Rowell in Chris Shutters’ Eric Clapton Experience at Oregon’s Boomfest on Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025 in Oregon, Ohio. (TFP photo by Logan Migliori)

Shutters continues to play solo shows at various Toledo-area clubs but his “main gig” is playing guitar and singing with Fleetwood Gold, playing 60 shows a year with the nationally touring band.

They play songs from throughout Fleetwood Mac’s expansive career.

“There are a lot of different styles. I mean, you’ve got their blues songs with Peter Green, the more yacht rock Bob Welch stuff, and the pop rock with Lindsey (Buckingham) and Stevie (Nicks).“

The sets include “Black Magic Woman,” written by Peter Green and popularized by Santana, “Hypnotized” by Bob Welch, and “Go Your Own Way” and “Landslide” from the Buckingham-Nicks era of Fleetwood Mac.

When he’s not performing, Shutters enjoys recording and working with other artists in his home studio.

“I’ve been working as a producer and recording engineer for over 20 years and I love it. One of my favorite things is to record and create and help people record their music. Honestly, I really enjoy that as much as I do being on stage in front of thousands of people. It feels good to me. I love it.”

One of his memorable projects was working with Luato Skerly, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

“We’ve never actually met because he can’t get over here. So we sent tracks back and forth. I’d get him studio time [in the Congo] and he’d record it and send it back to me. I talked to the engineers and we worked together. I did the mixing in my studio. We started during the COVID pandemic and it took us like three years to finish it. It’s Afro-pop music. The album is called ‘Love Magic.’ It’s a good one.”

Shutters, a graduate of Sylvania Northview High School, is a licensed hearing care practitioner and a dementia care practitioner, but he gave up that work because it was cutting into his family time with his wife and two children and putting stress on his music career.

“I was working 9 to 5, and I’d drive an hour each way from work and home. I’d get home at 6:15 and the kids would be up for an hour and then go to bed, then I’d have a gig that night. It was just too much. I was burning the candle at both ends.”

Now Shutters can focus on music, from his solo and band concerts to the Clapton and Fleetwood Mac projects to his recording studio.

Shutters’ recordings and tour schedule can be found on his website, chrisshutters.com.

Bassist Brian Albright of the Chris Shutters Band picks his guitar while providing back-up vocals at Chris Shutters’ Eric Clapton Experience at Oregon’s Boomfest on Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025 in Oregon, Ohio. (TFP photo by Logan Migliori)

Anthony Wayne High Class of ’75 Forms Four Bands for Reunion

By

Karen Gerhardinger

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August 13, 2025

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Dirty Lies 6 22 25 (1) — Dirty Lies, including AW alumni (from left) Paul Bucher, Patrick McSurley and band member John Kuser, from Napoleon, will perform '90s hits during the August 23 reunion. (Photo courtesy of Dirty Lies)

WHITEHOUSE – Every weeknight in August, anyone who ventures near the Anthony Wayne High School campus can hear the Marching Generals playing songs that will be performed during the first home football game, scheduled for Friday, August 29 against St. John’s Jesuit High School.

A few miles away, in Paul Bucher’s Reed Road pole barn, a different group of seniors have been prepping since January for their own debut musical performance – the Class of 1975 reunion slated for Saturday, August 23 at The Bunker Bar in Holland.

Four unique bands made up of Anthony Wayne alumni will take the stage beginning at 7 p.m. in a show that’s open to anyone, not just alumni, said ’75 grad and retired nursing home administrator Paul Bucher.

Anthony Wayne Local Schools provided an impetus – either through band, choir or just hanging out with friends – to play and perform while growing up, Bucher said. He recalls his first gig in seventh grade, when he decided to switch to bass guitar because three drummers in a four-man band were just too many.

Anthony Wayne High School alumni have formed four distinct bands that will perform during the Saturday, August 23 Class of 1975 50-year class reunion at The Bunker Bar in Holland. The performances are open to the public. (TFP photo by Karen Gerhardinger)

“We played at the seventh- and eighth-grade graduation parties and cast parties after the plays,” said Bucher, who has continued to pair up with fellow musicians over the decades – including playing in the bands Motivation, Nobody’s Kidz and Dirty Lies.

Dirty Lies will be performing at the reunion. Joining Bucher in the ’90s rock band are John Kuser and ‘75 graduate Patrick McSurley. During the class reunion, Bucher will be joined by ’76 graduates Paul Rohen, Gil Noaker and Michelle LaBine Studebaker in the band Act 1, which will perform 1970s tunes by Crosby, Stills & Nash, Neil Young, Simon and Garfunkel, Van Morrison and Steve Miller.

Rohen earned a degree in electrical engineering from The Ohio State University and moved to San Diego, where he worked as a program director in the engineering field while playing drums in bands ranging from the blues and classical to country and western.

“Every once in a while, I come back to Ohio to visit and I’ll be asked to sit in with family members and bands,” said Rohen, who will serve as drummer for three of the alumni bands.

Noaker, who is in charge of maintenance for a nursing home, often plays guitar and keyboard in bands covering tunes from the 1950s and 1960s. While Studebaker played guitar and sang while growing up, she let it lapse while working as a massage therapist. After losing her husband to ALS last year, she decided to buy an electric acoustic guitar and rekindle her love of singing.

“I’m pursuing my dream. It’s a leap of faith,” said Studebaker, who also teams up with Bucher in The Motleys. The duo has been performing around the area this summer.

Act 3 includes alumni Kelly White, Matt McGilvery, Brad Binkley and Rohen, performing folk, classic rock and original songs by White.

“The musical talent has been fun to explore; we have been surprised at how quickly we have connected with our own talent and our classmates again,” said reunion committee member Katharine (Kit) Morris Heintschel.

“The whole reunion planning has been a rekindling of friendships going back as far as kindergarten. We are lifting each other up!”

Heintschel, along with Greg Bowman, Ken Fuller, Rohen and Eric Smith, will perform the Generals’ fight song, alma mater and Star-Spangled Banner. All five were in the Marching Generals in high school, and have fond memories of band director Robert Shoemaker, band camp and high stepping.

“He had the uncanny ability to take average dudes and dudettes and turn them into something special,” Fuller said. “I remember us playing some fantastic music, and the reception from the audience was always good. I remember the camaraderie and the friendships we had.”

Senior year was especially exciting, with the band earning a trip to the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. That fall, they also played a prank: delivering a truckload of pumpkins to Shoemaker’s lawn, where they stood and played the fight song. Shoemaker laughed, then took them down the street for ice cream.

As their peers sat in Bucher’s pole barn recently, they listened and cheered as the five former Marching Generals practiced the fight song – minus any high-stepping moves.

“Most of us haven’t played in 50 years,” said Fuller, who continued playing trumpet while stationed in Germany with the Army after high school. “YouTube calls us ‘come back players’ – musicians who haven’t played in decades but are trying to come back.”

Smith, who retired after a career with Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, hadn’t picked up the instrument except for a few alumni band halftime performances in the ’90s. Bowman, who earned degrees in chemistry and biology, was a research chemist in the tire industry. Fuller’s career was in medical laboratory science.

“It seems like science and music go hand in hand,” Bowman said.

Heintschel, who plays the piccolo and flute, earned a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in English education, taught high school English for 36 years and now teaches college-level courses after earning an MFA from Ashland University. She has remained active in the Anthony Wayne Alumni Association over the years.

On Friday, August 22 at 4 p.m., Heintschel will lead the Class of ’75 on a tour of the high school, which is followed by a bonfire and jam session at Bucher’s house at 7 p.m. All are welcome to attend the bonfire for music, memories and bonding.

For those interested in checking out the live music on Saturday, August 23 at The Bunker Bar, 1950 S. Eber Rd., tickets are $20.00 at the door.

JA awards $10,000 scholarships to 10 area students

By

David Yonke

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August 12, 2025

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20250806 JA Inspire 9032 — Scholarship recipients pose for a picture during a JA Scholarship Recognition banquet inside the Franciscan Center at Lourdes University in Sylvania, Ohio on Wednesday, August 6, 2025. (TFP Photo by Stephen Zenner)

Recipients rewarded for academics, program participation

SYLVANIA – About 80 percent of college students switch their majors at least once, according to national studies. That lack of direction is something Junior Achievement of Northwestern Ohio strives to prevent by helping students develop a clear vision for their future before graduating from high school.

Courtney Baker, 18, a 2025 graduate of Toledo School for the Arts, is an example of how JA can help young people reach their goals and get on track for college and career.

She spoke at an Aug. 6 JA scholarship luncheon at Lourdes University, where she and nine other students each received $10,000 college scholarships for their academic excellence, participation in JA programs, and written essays reflecting on their achievements and goals.

The scholarships are for $5,000 for each of the first two years of college.

Courtney Baker, a JA scholarship recipient, speaks during a JA Scholarship Recognition banquet inside the Franciscan Center at Lourdes University in Sylvania, Ohio on Wednesday, August 6, 2025. (TFP Photo by Stephen Zenner)

“At the beginning of this 2024-25 school year, I knew one thing: I wanted to be a surgeon. But that path felt terrifying! It’s so big, so unapproachable. I was pretty ready to just take a year and figure it out later,” Baker said.

When she attended a JA assembly for high school seniors, “something just clicked.”

“Something was pulling me” to join the organization, she said, even though “I didn’t know what I would get out of it.”

Baker signed up for as many site visits as possible to Mercy Health facilities.

“That was the best decision I made. My first visit was mind-blowing. I got to stand in an actual surgery – which I brag about all the time. I loved every second of it. I loved the people, the hospital, the entire event. Yes, I loved wearing scrubs. I got to look at the surgical tools. I got to see how they set up the beds. All of that seemed so much fun. At that moment I knew that surgery was where I wanted to go.”

She has enrolled in Mercy College’s four-year program to earn a bachelor of science degree in biology. After that, Baker plans to continue her education for nine more years to become a surgeon. She also plans to continue her hobbies of theater and dance.

Also awarded $10,000 scholarships were:

Ryan Arnold, Tiffin Columbian High School
Agnishekhar Basu, Perrysburg High School
Shambhavi Brahme, Perrysburg High School
Paisley Dusseau, Perrysburg High School
Robert LeBlanc, St. Francis de Sales High School
Luke Mohler, St. Francis de Sales High School
Paisley Nolan, Junior Achievement’s 5^th Year Program
Sawyer Scheff, Perrysburg High School
Jevaun Thomas, Perrysburg High School

Jim Pollock, the president of JA Inspire, speaks with Julia Simon, the event and marketing manager for JA Inspire, during a JA Scholarship Recognition banquet inside the Franciscan Center at Lourdes University in Sylvania, Ohio on Wednesday, August 6, 2025. (TFP Photo by Stephen Zenner)

JA’s new 5^th Year Program is the only one of its kind nationwide, with high school graduates living on the Lourdes University campus for a year while they “are deliberately discovering what they want to do next,” explained Jim Pollack, president of JA of Northwestern Ohio.

Students in the 5^th Year Program spend a year participating in site visits, workplace experiences, and professional skill workshops with the goal of helping them refine their educational and career choices.

Ashley Edmond, a JA scholarship recipient, speaks during a JA Scholarship Recognition banquet inside the Franciscan Center at Lourdes University in Sylvania, Ohio on Wednesday, August 6, 2025. (TFP Photo by Stephen Zenner)

Ashley Edmond, a 2024 graduate of Tiffin Columbian High School, said at the awards ceremony that she participated in JA’s online stock market competition during her senior year and came in second in regional competition.

“At the end of the school year we thought we were done with it, but then we realized there was no Ohio team for the national competition,” she said.

Edmond’s team, which included new scholarship recipient Ryan Arnold, ended up winning the national competition.

“The grand prize for winning that competition was to fly to Washington, D.C., and go to the student leadership summit that was held there by JA,” Edmond said.

She said her experience going to seminars and participating in JA programs gave her the confidence she needed to pursue a career in business. She is now studying for an administration degree at Bowling Green State University.

Matt Baker, a JA scholarship recipient, walks to the podium, past a laughing Julie Simon, the event and marketing manager for JA Inspire, during a JA Scholarship Recognition banquet inside the Franciscan Center at Lourdes University in Sylvania, Ohio on Wednesday, August 6, 2025. (TFP Photo by Stephen Zenner)

Matthew Baker, a 2023 JA scholarship winner, is studying cyber security at Eastern Michigan University. He said when he was at Whitmer High School he had no plans to join JA, but his mother encouraged him to do so.

“I went to my first program, and I liked it,” he said. He participated in three internships and “now I’m doing cool computer things.”

Among his cyber security projects is devising ways to detect USB Rubber Duckies, which are hacking tools that “can really mess up your system.”

Baker said one lesson he learned after joining JA really stands out: “Listen to your mother.”

To learn more about JA scholarship opportunities, visit janwo.org.