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Pexels photo by Markus Winkler

(Announcements are compiled from press releases and in order received)

NEWS SHORTS BRIEFS ARE UPDATED DAILY

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Olga’s Kitchen opens new host kitchen in Toledo

TOLEDO – Olga’s Kitchen, owned and operated by Michigan-based TEAM Schostak Family Restaurants (TSFR), has announced that the Mediterranean restaurant launched a new host kitchen in Toledo in partnership with Mainstreet Ventures Restaurant Group. 

The new host kitchen, which offers a variety of fan-favorite menu items — from Olgas (gyros) to snackers — is now open for delivery and pickup orders out of Zia’s Restaurant. Carryout orders can be picked up at 20 Main Street. Delivery orders can be placed on olgas.com or through Uber Eats and DoorDash.

“We know that fans in Toledo have a deep love for our unique Mediterranean menu, and Olga’s is forging a new partnership to meet that demand,” said Ryan Jones, vice president of operations at Olga’s Kitchen. “Working with a trusted partner like Mainstreet Ventures Restaurant Group allows us to offer fan-favorite menu items to Toledo with the same fresh ingredients used in our other locations.”

Brent Courson, executive chef at the group, agrees. “We’re proud to bring Olga’s original recipes to the Toledo community.”  

For more information about Olga’s Kitchen, visit olgas.com. 

Commissioners seek people to serve on boards, commissions

TOLEDO – The Board of Lucas County Commissioners is inviting residents to take an active role in shaping the future of their community by applying to serve on various boards, commissions and advisory committees.

These appointments provide an opportunity for individuals to contribute their expertise, insight and passion to local government, ensuring that Lucas County remains a thriving, well-managed community.

“Public participation is essential to good governance,” the Lucas County Commissioners said in a joint statement. “By lending their talents to serve on a board, residents will have the chance to weigh in on key decisions, advocate for important issues, and help guide policies that impact the lives of their fellow residents.”

Residents from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Whether you have experience in business, public service, law, or another field, there are numerous opportunities to make a meaningful impact.

Lucas County is currently accepting applications for the following boards:

  • Toledo Regional Transit Authority Board of Trustees
  • Lucas Metropolitan Housing Board of Commissioners
  • Lucas County Children Services Board of Trustees
  • Keep Toledo/Lucas County Beautiful Board of Directors
  • Mental Health and Recovery Services Board of Lucas County Board of Directors (04/07)
Individuals interested in applying can find more information and submit an application by visiting the Boards and Commissions page on the Lucas County website.

For questions or assistance, contact the Lucas County Commissioners office at (419) 213-4821.

BGSU alumni support student success through scholarships

BOWLING GREEN – Three distinguished Bowling Green State University alumni inspired by the remarkable stories of students in the Thompson Working Families Scholarship program have collaborated to establish a scholarship to support the educational journeys of 20 students over the next three years.

Brad Seaman ‘82, his brother, Spence Seaman ’79 and Eric Nowlin ‘82, together with their wives, Lindsay Waite, Sue Seaman ‘76 and Jackie Nowlin, established the Pathway to Excellence Scholarship to support Thompson Achiever Scholars.

Thompson Achievers demonstrate academic success and financial need during their first year at BGSU and are awarded a scholarship in their second year. The scholarship is renewable for up to four additional semesters based on continued academic success. BGSU awarded a combined $6.6 million in scholarships to the most recent cohort of Thompson Achiever Scholars at the end of March.

The Thompson Working Families Scholarship expands access to higher education by removing obstacles that could inhibit success while empowering students to focus on academic excellence, leadership development and public service. (04/07)

To learn more about how to support the Thompson Working Families Scholarship program, visit here.

Arts Commission awardees for Intersection Glass Program

TOLEDO – The 2025 Intersection awardees have recently been selected from
four finalists. The Arts Commission is pleased to announce that three
internationally recognized artists will be creating new work for exhibition this fall
as part of the Intersection Program. The awardees are Anjali Srinivasan, Justin Ginsberg, and Kagen Dunn.

Intersection is a program that connects artists, designers, and industry
professionals at Pilkington Glass North American (Nippon Sheet Glass, Co., Ltd.)
for collaboration and development of new, innovative artworks. Inspired by the
studio glass movement, The Arts Commission seeks to provide opportunities
which connect applicants of glass as an artistic medium with the glass
manufacturing processes.

The exhibition is scheduled for Sept. 11 – Oct. 18. The opening reception is to be held on Sept. 11. Both the exhibition and opening reception will be free and open to the public and will be held at the River House Arts gallery in the Secor Building. (04/06)

Toledo teen represents Boys & Girls Clubs as Ohio Youth of Year

TOLEDO – Tyreese Blue II, a member of Boys & Girls Clubs of Toledo’s Schoenrock Family Club is the Ohio Youth of the Year. Youth of the Year is Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s signature leadership award. The honor began in 1947 and includes local, state, regional and national competitions.

Blue competed with representatives from Boys & Girls Clubs from across the state and delivered his speech during a luncheon at The Athletic Club of Columbus.

He shared how being born to a teenage mother could have made him a statistic.

“I’m here to say that it’s not the circumstances that define you; It’s the community you choose to surround yourself with and the bold steps you take that define your success,” he said.

As the Ohio Youth of the Year, Blue received a $15,000 scholarship. He will travel to Chicago to compete in the Midwest Youth of the Year competition in June.

“On behalf of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Toledo Board of Trustees, I would like to congratulate Tyreese on his most prestigious and well-deserved Ohio Youth of the Year Award,” said Tiffany Cavanaugh, board president.

“I could not be more proud of Tyreese’s representation of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Toledo – his character, poise, professionalism, and leadership are unmatched. Likewise, he has a true heart for serving others and an unstoppable drive to succeed. Tyreese truly is an example of the Great Futures that start at Boys & Girls Clubs of Toledo,” she said. (04/06)

Walleye Shuttle connects fans to playoffs

The Toledo Walleye are in the ECHL playoffs for the eighth full season in a row, and the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority (TARTA)’s Walleye Shuttle will be there to make it easy for fans to catch every home game this postseason.

The Walleye Shuttle offers a $3 round-trip ride to the Huntington Center from five area park-and-ride locations during the playoffs, which begin the week of April 14. Regular riders of this service will notice slight differences from the regular season Walleye Shuttle rides.These include a new park-and-ride location for Sylvania, and an adjusted timetable for the Sylvania and Waterville locations.

Regular riders of this service – which allows fans to see the Walleye go after the Kelly
Cup while avoiding paying for parking downtown – will notice slight differences from
the regular season Walleye Shuttle rides. These include a new park-and-ride location
for Sylvania, and an adjusted timetable for the Sylvania and Waterville locations.The Walleye Shuttle will pick up customers at:
 Sylvania, Lourdes University Franciscan Center, 6832 Convent Blvd., pick-up
one hour and 15 minutes before puck drop
 Waterville, Kroger, 8730 Waterville Swanton Road, pick-up one hour and 15
minutes before puck drop
 Miracle Mile Shopping Center, 1727 West Laskey Road, pick-up one hour
before puck drop

 Maumee, Lucas County Recreation Center, 2901 Key Street, pick-up one hour
before puck drop
 Oregon, Starr Elementary School, 3230 Starr Avenue, pick-up one hour
before puck drop
Each shuttle will head back to park-and-ride locations 20 minutes after the conclusion
of the game. (04/03)

180th Fighter Wing holds Change of Command ceremony

SWANTON – Col. Curtis W. Voltz will assume command of the 180th Fighter Wing from Col. Chad E. Holesko at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 5, at the 180th Fighter Wing.

Brig. Gen. Francisco Dominguez, deputy assistant adjutant deneral for Air, Ohio National Guard, will preside over the ceremony.

Voltz’s career spans 29 years as both an enlisted airman and a commissioned officer. He enlisted into the 180th Fighter Wing in 1996 as a weapons load technician, before earning his commission in 2005 as an F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot, assigned to the 112th Fighter Squadron.

Voltz has served the wing in various positions throughout his career, including instructor pilot, chief of weapons and tactics, director of Operations, Operations Support Squadron commander, Maintenance Group commander and Operations Group commander, before serving in his current role as the wing’s deputy commander. (04/02)

Commissioners supports Issue 2, State Capital Improvement

TOLEDO, Ohio – The Board of Lucas County Commissioners on Tuesday officially voted to support State Issue 2 and the renewal of the State Capital Improvement Program (SCIP), administered by the Ohio Public Works Commission. Issue 2 will appear on the May 6 ballot statewide.

Voter approval of State Issue 2 will allow the issuance of general obligation bonds up to $250 million per year over 10 years to fund local infrastructure improvements across the State of Ohio and will create an estimated 35,000 construction jobs.

This long-standing State Capital Improvement Program provides critical funding for local infrastructure projects, including roads, bridges, water systems, and wastewater treatment facilities — without raising taxes.The current SCIP authorization is set to expire July 1, 2025.

A “yes” vote on Issue 2 would renew the program, preventing a funding gap that could delay crucial infrastructure projects across Ohio. Voters have overwhelmingly renewed this program three times in the past, recognizing its impact on local communities. (04/02)

Owens volleyball coach receives NJCAA award

Owens Community College volleyball coach Sonny Lewis has collected his fair share of awards during his 24 seasons with the Express. Lewis recently added another honor as one of the first coaches to receive the NJCAA Coaches Legacy Award, which recognizes the all-time winningest coaches in the association’s history.

He was one of 13 volleyball coaches to be recognized with the award, and one of only nine to spend his entire career with one school. There were approximately 200 coaches across 28 sports on the list. For a complete list of honorees, visit this link.

Lewis’ Express finished 22-14 last season and earned a spot in the NJCAA Division III national tournament, finishing eighth. Lewis won the 800th game of his career this season as well, now sitting with a career record of 807-240. He is second in wins among active coaches.

All honorees will be recognized at a special luncheon on Tuesday, June 17, in Charlotte, North Carolina, preceding the 2025 NJCAA Hall of Fame and Awards event.

Directions Cares for Classrooms Winter 2025 Winners Announced

TOLEDO – Local teachers in the region are getting a little extra boost to help with their classroom needs. Directions Credit Union is announced 16 winners from the Directions Cares for Classrooms Grant Program Winter 2025. Five of the winners are from the Toledo area (Names listed below).

Directions Cares for Classrooms grant program provides educators with small grants up to $500 each to be used for a variety of projects and materials, including books, software, calculators, math manipulatives, art supplies, audio-visual equipment, lab materials and more.

Rachel Shell – Crim Elementary School – Ms. Shell will use the funds to purchase adaptive play equipment for an inclusive playground. This will allow students of all abilities to play together.

Luke Reed – Autism Model Community School – The funds will be used to purchase supplies to create homemade decorations in support of the school’s community dance. The students will be able to be involved in ordering, creating and distributing the items to their peers. This years’ theme is “Under the Big Top”

Shannon Schoen – Washington Local Schools – The funds will be used to purchase items to create five room transformations which will include Math and STEM activities for students. The transformations will include Beach Day, Super Bowl Day, Outer Space Day, March Madness Day and Dino Day!

Heidi Meyer – Elmwood High School – Ms. Meyer will use the grant to support student attendance at the Ohio Model United Nations program sponsored by the Ohio Leadership Institute. The student teams each represent a member nation of the UN.

Cheri Copeland-Shull – Springfield Schools –The grant funds will go to the purchase of 10 teepees which students can use when they are having difficulty self-regulating.  In addition, three carts will be purchased that will allow students access to sensory tools that will support their self-regulation. (04/01)

Schmucker’s sells out of pie on Pi Day

By
Mary Helen Delisle
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Summer Rick cuts a piece of pie for a customer during 3.14 PI(e) Day at Schumuckers Restauarnt on March 14. (TFP Photo/Scott W. Grau)

TOLEDO – Customers at Schmucker’s Restaurant made raising money for charity as easy as pie.  

On March 14, also known as National Pi Day, $1 of every pie sale was donated to the Cherry Street Mission, regardless of whether customers bought a whole pie or just a slice.

It wasn’t by coincidence that the fundraiser took place on National Pi Day, which has occurred every March 14 since 1988, when physicist Larry Shaw, a staff member at the Exploratorium in San Francisco, linked the date March 14 (3/14) with the first three digits of pi (3.14).

Schmucker’s Restaurant owner Doug Schmucker said the fundraiser, going on for more than a decade, is a way to give back to the community.

“Our relationship with God is foundational to who we are,” he said. “We feel called to give back. This is our 77th year [in business] and we wouldn’t be at this place without the support of the community. And what better way to say thank you to the community than to give back to the community and give back to Cherry Street Mission?”

But Schmucker’s Restaurant was not the only business that gave back on Pi Day.

Savage and Associates, a financial advising company in Maumee, agreed to match Schmucker’s Restaurant’s donations dollar-for-dollar. Together, the businesses raised $5,000 ($2,500 + $2,500) for the mission this year.

This is the fifth year Savage Associates has supported the pi day event, which started after Schmucker asked his friend from the gym, Sean Savage, if he would like to participate.  

Toledoan Russell Spezialem, 87, eats a piece of pie during 3.14 PI(e) Day at Schumucker’ Restaurant on March 14. (TFP Photo/Scott W. Grau)

Cherry Street Mission offers a variety of services for members of the Toledo community. According to their website, “Cherry Street Mission endlessly seeks to eradicate poverty of the body, soul and spirit by connecting individuals to the resources they need, creating health and community sustainability.”

“Cherry Street Mission is in the work of bringing people up out of difficult situations, which in turn makes our community a better place,” Schmucker said.

Schmucker’s customer Dean Barton was one of many who came to support the fundraiser by purchasing pie with his meal.

“I support the Cherry Street Mission,” said Barton. “I know people who have been to the Cherry Street Mission. They come out sober.”

Barton said he planned to order two or three flavors of pie, deliberating between the cherry crumb, cheesecake and Dutch apple pies.  

Schmucker said this is the first year they have held the fundraiser on National Pi Day, rather than National Pie Day, which is on January 23. While last year he said they had 100 pies leftover, this year they made more. They sold out by 4 p.m. and had to make more to keep up with all the orders.

A bucket for donations to the Cherry Street Mission Ministries sits on the counter by the cash register while general manager Misty Hill rings up a sale during 3.14 PI(e) Day. (TFP Photo/Scott W. Grau)

Due to this year’s success, Schmucker said they will likely hold the fundraiser on Pi Day next year.

“I wanted to make it more impactful for Cherry Street. I mean, it’s not about Schmucker’s, right? Sure, it’s fun to eat pie. But it’s about Cherry Street and what they do for our community,” he said.

Pie/Pi Day is not the only fundraiser Schmucker’s Restaurant does, however.

A sign making customers aware of sold out pies is taped to the front door on 3.14 PI(e) Day at Schumucker’s Restaurant on March 14. (TFP Photo/Scott W. Grau)

Schmucker said their other fundraisers have been for Sunshine Children’s Home, a facility which helps support children with medically complex needs. Their last fundraiser was during Schmucker’s Restaurant’s 75th year in business, where 75 percent of proceeds went to support Sunshine.

Schmucker said when Schmucker’s Restaurant reaches their 80th year in business, they plan to do a fundraiser where 80 percent of the proceeds go to Sunshine. 

Though Schmucker said the restaurant has donated to other organizations, the Cherry Street Mission and Sunshine fundraisers are the most significant. 

“Those are the two big ones that are near and dear to my heart,” Schmucker said.

Schmucker’s Restaurant in Toledo. (TFP Photo/Scott W. Grau)

Steven J Athanas: Luck o’ the Irish

By
Steven J Athanas
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Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Happenings

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Press Release
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Pexels photo by Markus Winkler

(Happenings are compiled from press releases and placed in order of occurring dates)

NEWS SHORTS BRIEFS ARE UPDATED DAILY

HAPPENINGS

ProMedica community events held in April

April 9 – Blood Drive (ProMedica Flower Hospital) —The American Red Cross is hosting a blood drive at ProMedica Flower Hospital (5200 Harroun Rd., Sylvania, OH 43560) from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Conference Center Room E. To schedule an appointment, call 1-800-RED-CROSS or visit redcrossblood.org and enter sponsor code: FLOWERHOSP

April 24 – Stroke Support Group – ​The ProMedica Stroke Support Group will discuss recovering with aphasia with the University of Michigan Aphasia Program. The support group will take place at the ProMedica Flower Hospital Conference Center (5200 Harroun Rd., Sylvania, OH 43560) beginning at 4:30 p.m. Stroke survivors, caregivers and supporters are all encouraged to attend. No registration is required.

UToledo hosts Healthcare Symposium, Community Health Summit

TOLEDO – The University of Toledo will bring together thought leaders in medical education and clinical care for a pair of events next week that are focused on improving health outcomes of individuals in northwest Ohio.

The second annual UToledo Healthcare Symposium will take place on April 11, followed by a Community Health Summit on April 12.

Both multidisciplinary events will feature representatives from community organizations, UToledo Health physicians and other leading voices in medicine.

The Healthcare Symposium begins with opening remarks from UToledo Interim President Matt Schroeder, followed by a presentation from Dr. Charles “Chuck” Callahan, executive vice president for health affairs at UToledo, and Dr. Dee Bialecki-Haase, chief medical officer and senior vice president for medical affairs at Medical Mutual, on a vision for individual and community health needs.

Each session will comprise of a 15-minute presentation, followed by a table discussion and finally a 15-minute question-and-answer session with the audience. In addition to the three panel discussions, there will be lunch and networking opportunities, and representatives from a number of local community organizations will be on hand for additional healthcare needs and resources.

The second annual student-led UToledo Healthcare Hackathon also will be held concurrently with the summit in the Collier Building on UToledo’s Health Science Campus. That event, which will bring together up to 100 students from the College of Medicine and Life Sciences, challenges teams to design solutions addressing the digital divide in healthcare.

Students will present their findings at the summit at 3:30 p.m.

Registration for the Healthcare Symposium is open through Friday, April 4. Information on tickets is available on the symposium website.
Friday, April 11 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Glass City Center on Jefferson Avenue in downtown Toledo.
Saturday, April 12 is the Community Health Summit at the Delta Hotels Toledo, 3100 Glendale Ave.

Rachel Ruysch: Nature into Art comes to TMA

Toledo, OH– Rachel Ruysch: Nature into Art, the first major exhibition of Ruysch’s art, will be on view beginning in April. Featuring over 100 works—including paintings, botanical books and drawings, and plant and animal specimens, the exhibition explores Ruysch’s extraordinary career and the intersection of art, science, and natural history.  

The visitor’s experience with the exhibition is enhanced with interactive and educational elements including an audio guide, an audio description tour, a digital species map, tactile and scent features, a printed exhibition guide, and a fully illustrated catalogue available for purchase. 

Highlights of the exhibition include:  

  • Several important Ruysch paintings from major international collections that have rarely or never been on public view. 
  • A reunion of Flower Still Life (c.1716–1720), TMA’s Ruysch masterpiece, and its long-separated pendant, Still Life with Fruit, Bird’s Nest and Insects (1716), from Dudmaston Hall in England.  
  • Three portraits of Ruysch, including a family portrait with her husband and youngest son and a recently discovered portrait of the artist in her studio.  
  • Works by Ruysch’s sister Anna, also a talented flower painter who experienced a far shorter career than Ruysch.  
April 12-July 27 in the Levis Gallery in the Edward B Green Beaux-Arts Building on the campus of TMA. Tickets to the exhibition are $10 per visitor and free for TMA members. General admission to the museum and parking are free to all visitors.

The end of an era on Owens Community College Radio

Randomosity will broadcast live for its very last program on April 12 as a part of Vinylthon for 2025. Vinylthon is a national celebration of the vinyl record format involving hundreds of college stations. For 24-48 hours, college radio stations across the country will turn back the clock and play nothing but vinyl records, and Owens Community College Radio will once again be a part of the festivities.

It is time for ‘Randomosity, Toledo’s ONLY Vinyl Radio Show’ on Owens Community College Radio to say “goodbye”. Be there as OCC takes you back through the years and highlights different moments on the show, talks about the impact and influence, our memories and what we will miss, and what would Randomosity be if we didn’t break out the records and turn up the volume.
 
It’s also the very last edition of ‘The Crumbley Comedy Stand-up Spotlight’, brought to you by local Toledo comedy group, ‘Crumbley Comedy’.

Saturday, April 12, between 2-6 p.m. on the campus of Owens Community College, just inside the Fine and Performing Arts Center.

Maumee Valley Habitat for Humanity Restore celebrates Earth Day

MAUMEE – Maumee Valley Habitat for Humanity ReStore announced the return of its annual Earth Day event – ReStore the Earth.

The event is now at a new and bigger location, and open to the public. Sponsored by AIM Ecycling, ReStore the Earth gives the community an opportunity to donate reusable items to divert them from landfills. 

  • Paper shredding
  • Cardboard recycling
  • Styrofoam recycling (#6 label only)
  • Electronic recycling (including CRT or tube televisions and LCD/flat-screen
    televisions)

Tire recycling (up to 4 tires)

  • Schedule on-site above pool recycling
  • Desks and desk chairs
  • Additional furniture drop-off at MVHFH ReStore (1310 Conant St)
  • Fee Recycling (small cost): Latex paint recycling ($2 per gallon)
Saturday, April 12, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at 1360 Conant Street, Maumee (Calvary Church)

Northwest Ohio gears up for Glass Recycling Blitz

NORTHWEST OHIO – The Northwest Ohio Innovation Consortium (NOIC) announced the Northwest Ohio Glass Recycling Blitz, a week-long event dedicated to raising awareness and increasing participation in glass recycling.

Throughout the week, designated collection sites will be set up across Lucas and
Wood Counties to make recycling more accessible for residents. Additional site details will
be announced soon.

The Glass Recycling Blitz aims to educate the community on the benefits of keeping glass out of landfills and encourage residents to adopt more sustainable waste management habits. Participants are invited to bring glass bottles only (excluding non-recyclable glass materials such as windows, Pyrex, and fiberglass).

April 16-22, with a kickoff event on April 16 at 1 p.m. to officially launch the
initiative, which takes place at the OI Perrysburg Levis Commons Campus Plaza 3 Parking Lot, an established public glass recycling drop-off location.

Automata from the mind of Will Gerhardinger

By
Stephen Zenner
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William Gerhardinger tests his hand automaton. Gerhardinger ran strings through the digits of the hand he fashioned from wood and attached the strings to a drum with programable slots to control how the hands moves. (TFP Photos/Stephen Zenner)

TOLEDO — With a swift crank, Will Gerhardinger activated the input mechanism for his homemade wooden calculator. 

“This is my calculator. It’s a little big, but it doesn’t need any batteries,” he said, introducing the device.  

On his YouTube channel What Will Makes, an in-depth video made by Gerhardinger explains the intricacies of the geared system he made to automate the mathematic processes of addition, subtraction, division and multiplication.

“I can remember my mom saying I should just make it a shorter video,” Gerhardinger recalled after his first video featuring an automaton hand with a runtime of over 10 minutes. “‘Just talk about this one aspect of it.’ But in my mind, what makes it so interesting is that all these different parts come together into the one object.”

Ignoring the advice from his mother, the 22-year-old college graduate jam-packed nearly 35 minutes of information into the explanatory video, and he was pleasantly surprised to find an audience of over 175K tuning in to find out about the wooden mechanical device based off of a 19th century arithmometer. 

Gerhardinger was just trying to communicate what he found interesting about the mechanism and didn’t anticipate the warm reception from his online audience. 

William Gerhardinger, 22, of west Toledo, inspects a 50mm 1.8F Pentax Super-Takumar lens in his room inside his parents’ home in Toledo, Ohio on Monday February 10, 2025.

“Simply incredible,” read one of the 1,089 comments under the video from the user @aghauler1964. Aghauler1964 continued, “Im an amature [amateur] horologist, Im simply amazed, not only that you created this machine, but you also described its function and theory.”

But for Gerhardinger, the function and theory are inseparable parts to the final product.

“I think there’s something about the length [of the video] that people actually like,” he said, and qualified the statement by saying his viewers, at least, don’t mind a deep-dive. More than just showing how the device works in the video, Gerhardinger walks his viewers through the making of the device. 

The video combines mechanically complex problem solving with a DIY woodworking presentation, but Gerhardinger also voices over the physical process with historical analysis and philosophical musings.

In his calculator gears and levers represent to Gerhardinger a physical solution to a conceptual problem. Looking behind the curtain, the kinetic movement of the mechanism explained how people hundreds of years in the past approached mathematics. 

“There’s something so simple about the causality of mechanics…on the basic level it’s so simple, it’s just like, thing-hits-thing.”

When building his own arithmometer, Gerhardinger simply looked at past ones, without a tutorial or plans. 

The inside mechanisms of the wooden calculator made by William Gerhardinger, 22, of west Toledo, in Toledo, Ohio on Monday February 10, 2025. Gerhardinger made his own hand-crank calculator based off of a 17th century design by Gottfried Leibniz called the Stepped Reckoner.

“Because it’s mechanical, I knew I could understand how it’s going to work,” he said. “I dabble in electronics, but it’s not as interesting to me because you can’t see how it’s working.”

There’s a sort of magic when you see a mechanical computer working that you can begin to understand what it’s doing, just by looking at it.”

The project of building the calculating machine has been eight years in the making, but Gerhardinger began the project as a curious freshman in high school investigating his interests.

Unsurprisingly, Will’s father, Joseph Gerhardinger, is a retired mathematics teacher who taught at Notre Dame Academy, and Will’s grandfather, Will’s namesake, was a tool and dye maker for Sealed Power, an automotive repair parts supplier.

“My dad (William) was very mechanical,” said Joseph Gerhardinger. “I think he would have been very intrigued,” by his grandson’s work.

Will Gerhardinger first began revealing his mechanical ability around three or four years old when he started taking the switches for lamps in his parents’ home. In another instance early indication of his mechanical prowess the young Will mimicked his father by taking the cover off of power outlets with a screwdriver. “My wife and I quickly learned we had to limit his exposure to tools until he learned safety protocols,” Joseph Gerhardinger said.

Until junior high, Will’s father was unsure if he could follow through on his aspiring projects, but then he automated an old bicycle left around the house.

“He actually hooked up the trigger for the drill switch to the front brake…you’d press the front brake, and that would cause the drill to power the bike,” Joseph Gerhardinger recalled. 

Engineering seemed to be an obvious career trajectory for Will, but after taking an engineering course in high school he found engineering to be too narrow of a field for his creative mind. Instead, Will opted for a liberal arts education from Kenyon College, studying history and especially falling in love with the history of technology.

“I was briefly an intern at a museum in New Jersey, a really cool museum called the Morris Museum that houses a lot of automata and music boxes,” Will said. “That was very cool.”

William Gerhardinger is hand-to-hand with his wooden hand automaton. Gerhardinger ran strings through the digits of the hand he fashioned from wood, and attached the strings to a drum with programable slots to control how the hands moves.

Like he had done before, Will observed the mechanisms in the museum, and decided to implement his own automaton mimicking the figure and movements of a hand, with strings and a programable drum serving as the controller for the hand’s fingers. 

The hand automaton would serve as the subject matter for Will’s first video on YouTube with significantly less explanation, less complexity in the design and less viewers than his calculator video. This first foray into video was a good test vehicle for the more widely appreciated calculator project. 

“I kind of unintentionally became an artist,” Will said, after relaying that some people had mentioned putting his creations into an exhibition. Intentionally, Will crafted every solution he reasoned into reality with poplar wood.

“There’s an honesty to it,” he said about cutting and shaping the gears, bevels and a chain out of wood by hand.

“There’s almost a care put into the object,” he added. “And I think watching the video, you appreciate that, because you see me making it [the object]. But the thing and [the process of] making it is… they’re inseparable.” 

Less sentimental people badgered Will in the comments under his video about the process he was implementing, asking why he hadn’t 3D printed the parts for his mechanical device.

“Even though it would be a lot quicker to program a computer to spit it out in a 3D printer, there wouldn’t be any big connection that people would feel, or that he would feel,” Joseph Gerhardinger said, knowing his son. “Part of what makes it [Will’s work] accessible [is that] people can see how this complex gear mechanism works…but also the fact that you [or anyone] could make it with hand tools or power tools.”

A wooden dangling figure made by William Gerhardinger.

You can imagine yourself painting, because you can understand the process. There’s a brush and there’s oil paint or pastel, or watercolor, whatever, but you can see a human hand made this. And that’s why standing in an art museum and looking at a painting is more moving to people than looking at a reproduction that was printed.”

A comment section full of praise reassured Gerhardinger of his instinct. 

“I assumed this was laser cut and was already impressed,” said @thethoughtemporium. “Then I saw the scroll saw. Then it slowly dawned on me you built the whole thing with hand tools **out of wood** no less, and my jaw dropped.”

The internet has embraced Gerhardinger’s authenticity to himself, perhaps because Gerhardinger presents a return to a friendlier, more personal approach to thought and creation.

“Him making it [the calculator] out of wood was the most fitting thing I’ve ever seen, because we were working with metal in the labs all the time,” said Andrew Smith, the lead mentor for Gerhardinger’s robotics team at St. John’s High School.

“Metal was everywhere,” in the robotics competition, according to Smith, but Will would insist on his own volition to make prototype parts out of wood.

Will would always go home, hand carve it [the piece for their robot] out of poplar wood and then come back and go, ‘Hey guys, I thought of this neat idea of how we could solve this problem we ran into. Let’s go ahead and try this piece of poplar wood that I’ve carved.’”

Andrew Smith

Perhaps it is also unsurprising that one of Will’s uncles is a cabinet-maker.

From the woodworking to the mechanics, philosophy to the video, Will has really only sought to explain himself and his love for what he was making.

“People would ask me what I’m doing, and I would kind of get overwhelmed with trying to answer the question,” Will said. “The answer is so big, and I realized that I can’t ask this person to sit down for a half hour [to] listen to me talk about all this, but I could make a video representing all of it.”

And so he did.

Will has been happy to find out through his YouTube channel that his creative ability and love of mechanical technology has an audience.

Will said he has a few projects in the hopper, as far as YouTube is concerned. But for now, he does not have any hard deadlines on when they will be finished.

Presently, Will is working at a clock repair shop, putting his mechanical prowess to good use. For the past number of months he has been apply to graduate programs, and recently Will was accepted into the graduate fellowship with the Winterthur Program in American Material Culture: Studying the History and Philosophy of People and Their Things, at the University of Delaware. Will plans to accept the fellowship with the Winterthur Program at the University of Delaware.

William Gerhardinger removes the number plate to his hand-crank calculator. Gerhardinger made his own hand-crank calculator based off of a 17th century design by Gottfried Leibniz called the Stepped Reckoner.

The inside mechanisms of the wooden calculator.

William Gerhardinger holds The Portable Blake, a collection of William Blake’s writings. A graduate of Kenyon College with an undergraduate degree in the history of technology, Gerhardinger combines philosophy with the purposes behind his mechanical creations.

Steven J Athanas: Inter-species communication

By
Steven J Athanas
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Toledo Rockets defused by Ball State

By
Max Alfonso
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Toledo native Kendall Carruthers goes up for a wide open layup as Ball State can only watch.

Story by Max Alfonso | Photos by Kyle Brown

CLEVELAND – Going into the locker room during halftime, No. 2 Toledo women’s basketball team was up by three points and feeling confident they could knock off No. 1 Ball State to claim the MAC Championship at Rocket Arena on Saturday.

The Toledo bench reacts to a three-point shot.
The Toledo fans held onto hope throughout the tournament, showing unwavering support all season long.

After all, the Rockets put down Ball State 70-66 the last time they met nearly a month ago.

But Toledo blew the half-time lead, and Ball State outlasted Toledo 65-58 behind a 4th quarter 14-point surge by forward Alex Richard, who finished the game with 28 points and nine rebounds. She had help by point guard Ally Becki, who stuffed the stat sheet with 12 points, five assists and seven rebounds, helping to earn the Cardinals their first MAC Championship title since 2009.

Richard was named to the All-MAC Second Team and Tournament Team, along with Becki, who was crowned the MAC Player of the Year and was First Team All-MAC, as well as the tournament MVP.

This is the second straight year Toledo will not make the NCAA tournament. The Rockets made it to the Big Dance two years ago under Tricia Cullop, who left after 16 seasons to take the head coaching job at the University of Miami (Florida).

Toledo head coach Ginny Boggess directs a play from the sidelines as Toledo regains possession.

After three seasons at Monmouth, Ginny Boggess was hired to replace Cullop and will likely continue her first year with an invite to play in the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT). Both selection shows are on Sunday, March 16.

In the media room after the game, Boggess said she was proud of the entire roster and how far they have come as team.

“I’m really excited that because of our work in the regular season, this won’t be the last time these two wear this jersey,” Boggess said, referring to Sammi Mikonowicz and Khera Goss, who were sitting next to her. Both seniors were named to the All-MAC tournament team.

Sammi Mikonowicz crashes hard to the floor during a layup attempt. The play resulted with a foul on Ball State’s Alex Richard.

Championship game notes

For all three tournament games, Toledo’s Nan Garcia, named 6th MAC Player of the Year, was moved into the starting lineup, replacing Jessica Cook. Garcia responded with back-to-back games of double-figure scoring. But in the championship game, Garcia had five turnovers, was blocked several times under the net, and finished with only three points, making only one of her eight shots.

Toledo’s Jessica Cook, center, reacts to a foul she received.

Toledo found a bit of success with Cook, who made all four of her shot attempts to finish with eight points, but found herself in foul trouble with four fouls.

Toledo native Kendall Carruthers led the way for Toledo with 17 points, making seven of her nine shot attempts.

Rossford’s Mikonowicz and Goss combined for 19 points for Toledo.

Toledo’s Sammi Mikonowicz shoots over Ball State’s Madelyn Bischoff as power forward Evalyse Cole watches.
Sammi Mikonowicz reacts to a foul during a layup from Ball State’s Marie Kiefer, 14.

After the game, Boggess pointed out that second chance points were a big turning point in the game. Toledo had five and the Cardinals had 11.

“I told them when I took the job that their legacy is already cemented with the three championships,” Boggess said, talking about her seniors. “If they teach these young kids how to win, then their legacy will live on. Our future is because of them buying in and letting us do our jobs.”

When the season concludes, Toledo will lose five key pieces from a team that has won a lot of big games and an NCAA tournament game over Iowa State in 2023. It was the first Rocket win in the NCAA tournament since 1996. 

“I’m really grateful for what the Toledo provides us, to create that elite student athlete experience. We’ve got something really special here,” Boggess said.

Toledo men lose in semifinal

No. 4 Toledo men’s basketball lost to the No. 1 seeded Akron in the semifinal Friday night with a score of 100-90. They finished the season with a 18-15 record, their eighth consecutive season with a record over .500.

The men have won the MAC regular season title the past four seasons in a row, but woes in Cleveland have prevented an NCAA tournament appearance. This year they finished fourth after they lost six of eight games to close the regular season. Toledo hasn’t made the NCAA tournament since 1979-1980.  

Toledo started four sophomores, so you would think next year they should be much improved, being that they have much more experience. But with the transfer portal, you never know what could happen. After last season, Toledo lost three starters to the portal.

In some ways, it was a miracle Toledo finished the year 18-15. According to KenPom, Toledo finished the season last in the MAC in defensive efficiency and 7th in 3p%. Not a winning recipe.

Toledo men’s basketball will likely not play in a postseason tournament.

No. 2 Toledo begins to process their loss to #1 Ball State as they watch the Cardinals celebrate on court.

Toledo head coach Ginny Boggess watches down court as players react to a basket.

Khera Goss receives a pass and begins to drive up to the basket.

Toledo Blue Crew members (from left to right) Woozyy #128, Jammies #130, Heartthrob #134, Nutcracker #127, and Granny #129.

Toledo head coach Ginny Boggess goes over a play during a time out.

Toledo head coach Ginny Boggess questions Faith Fedd-Robinson about a foul.

Toledo’s Jessica Cook saves the ball from being out of bounds by tossing it to teammate Khera Goss.

The Toledo bench reacts to a foul on Sammi Mikonowicz.

Toledo Rockets cheer on Toledo during a foul shot.

Sammi Mikonowicz drives past Ball State’s Marie Kiefer.

Hannah Noveroske calls a play to her teammates while on the bench.

Khera Goss, Sammi Mikonowicz and Cadence Dykstra wait at half court as a Ball State player was tended to after a fall.

Rossford native and Toledo senior Sammi Mikonowicz, center, gets emotional after the team’s loss.

Sammi Mikonowicz, from left, Kendall Carruthers and Khera Goss wait for their coach to take them into the locker room after a heartbreaking defeat.

Sammi Mikonowicz, center, is escorted off of the court by teammates Faith Fedd-Robinson, left, and Kendall Carruthers after their loss to Ball State. Mikonowicz and Carruthers are both from the Toledo area.

Chorus frogs emerge in our metroparks

By
Art Weber
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The first wave of chorus frogs has emerged and are singing for mates in our vernal pools. A wonderful place to hear them is along the Wabash-Cannonball Trail. (Courtesy Photo/Art Weber)

TOLEDO – Everywhere there are signs that Mother Nature is awakening from winter’s slumber. The timing is about right; On Thursday, March 20, the astronomical first day of spring is on the vernal equinox.

Most of the early signs are subtle – buds swelling, skunk cabbage emerging, eagles nesting. More obvious is the growing song along Metroparks Toledo’s Wabash-Cannonball Trail, where vernal pools are welcoming chorus frogs and spring peepers settle in and serenade the opposite sex with their song.

We’re just in the opening act of their performance. The two species are small and blend in well with their environment. They may be difficult to see, but their loud songs are distinctive and easy to identify. 

Chorus frogs have a loud quavering call, usually described as a fingernail running down a comb, only its tone and delivery can carry a kilometer away and it is heard day and night. In some Metroparks Toledo locations, approaching the pools can be deafening. 

Spring peepers use a single high peep, described as sweet and melodious.

Both species will be performing for several weeks. 

In future weeks, there will be others – 10 frog and toad species – each with its distinctive song. And then there will be our songbirds. 

There’s so much to look forward to on Metroparks Toledo trails. 

BGSU hires legend Eddie George & MAC tourney roundup

By
Lori King
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On The Flyby Sports Podcast, co-hosts and school rivals Chas McNeil and Max Alfonso dissect all of the matchups and schedules for the 2025 MAC Tournament on both the men’s and women’s sides.

For this episode, McNeil shares the news that Bowling Green has hired Ohio State and Tennessee Titan legend Eddie George to be their 21st head coach in program history, replacing Scot Loeffler, who left to pursue the quarterbacks coach job for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Main topic is MAC Tournament play and predictions, but they also recap the past two weeks of action for winter sports, including a playoff run by BGSU hockey and the start of MAC play for the baseball teams; and select their athletes of the week.

New episodes of the The Flyby Sports Podcast drop every Saturday.

The Flyby Sports Podcast is a production of the⁠⁠⁠⁠ Toledo Free Press⁠⁠⁠.

Football legend Eddie George hired as new BGSU head football coach

By
Chas McNeil
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New BGSU head football coach Eddie George, center, answers questions from the media while university president Rodney K. Rogers, left, and athletic director Derek van der Merwe listen listen. (TFP Photo/Scott W. Grau)

BOWLING GREEN – A run-of-the-mill introductory press conference hosted a small crew of local journalists, all eager to ask questions about the future to the new coach. But the introduction of 1995 Heisman winner and new Bowling Green head coach Eddie George on March 10 was anything but run-of-the-mill.

In fact, it mirrored a red-carpet event with a heavy focus on George’s well-known accomplishments over his long and successful career.

George was joined by hundreds of adoring Bowling Green and Ohio State fans lined with pictures, jerseys and footballs, hoping they would be lucky enough to get as much as an initial signed on their memorabilia.

BGSU head football coach Eddie George speaks during a press conference on March 10. (TFP Photo/Scott W. Grau)

“I saw the news on Saturday morning and my jaw hit the floor,” exclaimed Falcon fan Steve Leid. “Then yesterday at work, a friend of mine got a notification on his phone saying that it was a done deal, and wow, there has just been a buzz in the air ever since.” 

Leid was clutching four images on printer paper; two were of the initial announcement released by BGSU and one was of a diving George hurdling a defender during his Ohio State days from 1992-1995. The final image was the most telling of the hire. It was a simple picture of George standing on the sidelines during his coaching time at Tennessee State University, which was the last place he coached, which was from 2021-2024.

Yes, the celebrity of the hire brings a lot of publicity to BGSU, as well as many recruits who will inevitably be excited to play for the all-time rushing leader for the NFL’s Tennessee Titans. 

What George did at Tennessee State was exactly what got him hired. Through his four years at TSU, he was able to accumulate back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2016-2017, in addition to making the FCS playoffs for the first time since 2013.

“Urban Meyer and Dave Clawson both made the exact same remark to me, and I put this in my coaching profile: Someone who is always building on what we have and is not focused on what we don’t have,” BGSU’s athletic director Derek van der Merwe said.

New BGSU head football coach Eddie George, left, and athletic director Derek van der Merwe pose with a jersey.(TFP Photo/Scott W. Grau)

That was the key to this slam dunk hire by the Orange and Brown – someone who can succeed no matter the circumstances, a characteristic that George displayed time and time again in his playing and coaching career.

George’s first collegiate touchdown was scored in Columbus, Ohio against none other than the Falcons. With a mighty career sparked by that milestone at BGSU, it seemed almost fated that the legend would become a Falcon.

“It’s been so long…it was my freshman year and that was actually the touchdown that started ‘Touchdown Eddie.’ Flying in here to Ohio and coming back to this region, to this part of the country…it brought back just a rush of memories. The sunsets are different here and the community is so strong,” George said.

Despite saying he would embrace the state of Ohio, there was one crucial location in the state that the coach alluded to which would be a priority in the most hated way.

“I don’t embrace it,” he said about the Toledo rivalry. “There’s only one thing that we are going to do. Put that ball in the dirt and let them feel the iron fist,” George proclaimed.

The first true test for the Buckeye and Titans legend will be on Aug. 28 when the Falcons will play their first game of the 2025 season against Lafayette at Doyt L. Perry Stadium in Bowling Green.

To get a true taste of the rivalry, it will be a bit longer: The home game is scheduled for Oct. 11, the first time that George will battle his new “team up north.”

“What I do know is that we are going to play fast, we’ll be physical, we’ll be disciplined and we will let the scoreboard take care of itself,” George told the media, fans and BGSU. “That’s the goal; we will be physical.”

New BGSU head football coach Eddie George, center, answers questions from the media while university president Rodney K. Rogers, left, and athletic director Derek van der Merwe listen listen. (TFP Photo/Scott W. Grau)
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