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Announcement Briefs

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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

BGSU partners with Toledo on $2M grant to combat gun violence

BOWLING GREEN – Bowling Green State University researchers are partnering with the City of Toledo to strengthen community-based violence prevention programs as part of a $2 million federal grant to combat gun violence.

During the three-year project funded by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance, BGSU researchers will evaluate existing program initiatives to better align efforts with evidence-based violence intervention and prevention services.

Dr. Nichole Fifer, director of the BGSU Center for Regional Development (CRD), will lead the project for the University, which is supported by a $250,000 subaward from the Community-Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative (CVIPI) site-based grant.

Docherty shared recent findings as part of the study on April 16 at the main branch of the Toledo Lucas County Public Library. Presented by the BGSU Institute for the Study of Culture and Society, the presentation offered insight on community sentiment around gun violence, explore prevention strategies and highlight support systems for survivors and victims’ families.

UToledo, Cenovus Energy celebrates new partnership

The University of Toledo and Cenovus Energy will celebrate a new partnership to support students during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, April 17. 

The integrated energy company recently committed $1 million to UToledo, supporting student organizations and scholarship programs in the College of Engineering and College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. In recognition of this support, the College of Engineering is renaming its High Bay Atrium, a shared programming and event space in the North Engineering Building, the Cenovus Energy Hub. 

Cenovus’ gift will directly fund the Cenovus Energy STEM Student Scholarship Program, supporting high-performing students and ensuring they are able to complete their programs and enter the workforce without being limited by financial barriers, and the Cenovus Energy STEM Student Organization Grant Program, supporting student organizations at both the engineering and natural science and mathematics colleges with access to funds for programming, service and research projects, and conference attendance.

Cenovus Energy is headquartered in Canada and operates the Cenovus Toledo Refinery in Oregon, Ohio. The company also operates a refinery in Lima. (04/17)

ECHL Hockey Operations is Department of Year of the Award

(Toledo, OH) – The ECHL on Wednesday, April 16, announced that the Toledo Walleye are the 2024-25 recipient of the League’s Hockey Operations Department of the Year Award.

The award is presented annually to the team judged to have the best hockey operations department in the league and is determined by a vote of ECHL coaches.

The Jacksonville Icemen finished second in the voting, followed by the South Carolina Stingrays, Florida Everblades and Kansas City Mavericks.

Toledo finished the 2024-25 season with a record of 44-17-11 for 99 points, and captured the Central Division regular-season title for the second consecutive season and the seventh time in the last 10 seasons. Walleye head coach Pat Mikesch was selected as the Western Conference coach on the ECHL Midseason All-Star Team. (04/17)

Walleye announce 2025 Kelly Cup playoffs roster

TOLEDO – The 11th overall and 9th consecutive Toledo Walleye “Run for the Kelly Cup” hockey gets underway at the Huntington Center on Thursday, April 17, as the Indy Fuel return to the Huntington Center to begin the Central Division Semifinals.

Fourteen total forwards make the Kelly Cup playoff roster: Will Hillman, Sam Craggs, Cole Gallant, Billy Moskal, Brandon Hawkins, Tyler Spezia, Trenton Bliss, Conlan Keenan, Nolan Moyle, Brandon Kruse, Darian Pilon, Mitchell Lewandowski, and Colby Ambrosio, along with Carson Bantle, who currently with Grand Rapids.

Eight total defensemen make the roster: Jalen Smereck, Nick Andrews, Matt Anderson, Brendan Michaelian, Bobby Russell, Colin Swoyer, Jed Pietila, and Dylan Moulton.

The goaltenders are Jan Bednar, assigned from Grand Rapids, and Carter Gylander, assigned from Grand Rapids by Detroit.

The active roster will consist of Hillman, Craggs, Gallant, Moskal, Bliss, Keenan, Moyle, Kruse, Pilon, Lewandowski, Ambrosio, Smereck, Andrews, Anderson, Michaelian, Swoyer, Pietila, Moulton, Bednar, and Gylander.

Hawkins, Spezia, and Russell will begin the playoffs on reserve, while Bantle is on the playoff eligible list. (04/15)

BGSU remains a top choice for graduate education in 2025

BOWLING GREEN – Reflecting continued momentum at Bowling Green State University, several of the University’s graduate degree programs have once again been nationally recognized in U.S. News and World Report’s 2025 Best Graduate School rankings.

BGSU remains a top choice for graduate education, supporting students’ career advancement and leadership development, while positioning them for success in ever-evolving industries.

Topped-ranked programs include sociology, speech-language pathology, applied stats, RING Center for Experiential Learning in Art and Design, clinical psychology and public administration. (04/15)

Toledo ranks 3rd in most affordable U.S. city to buy happiness

TOLEDO – A new report by Vegas Aces has revealed the top U.S. cities where money makes Americans the happiest, including the most affordable cities where money can buy happiness. Vegas Aces determined the ranking by analyzing the average household incomes, life expectancies, quality of life scores, and depression rates of the 150 most populous U.S. cities.

Toldeo ranks as the #3 most affordable city where money can buy the most happiness. With an average household income of $62,023 among its more than 265k residents, locals benefit from a lower cost of living while still enjoying the comforts of a fulfilling lifestyle.

The city has a livability score of 66 and life expectancy of 73.8 years, suggesting that even on a modest income, substantial quality of life remains within reach. While the depression rates stand out at 22.8 percent, Toledo’s access to plenty local attractions and a strong sense of community reinforce the idea that happiness isn’t just about wealth.

For the full study, please visit here. (04/15)

Arts Commission launches free digital public art guide

TOLEDO – The Arts Commission’s Art in Public Places program, which
manages the City of Toledo’s public art collection via the One Percent for Art
Program, is launching a new digital public art guide as a free resource via the
Bloomberg Connects platform.

The guide is available as both a mobile app and web browser, with a wide array of
features to equip all visitors to explore Toledo’s Public Art collection, including
on-site tours, a live map showing user location for wayfinding within the
collection, audio descriptions for selected works, and a slate of accessible
features including translation and screen reader capabilities, transcripts, subtitles,
alt-text, and more. Select works also include individual on-site accessibility notes
highlighting transit, parking, seating, and other site conditions.

This guide is the result of an ongoing accessibility initiative for the Art in Public
Places collection, informed by an accessibility audit completed in 2024 in
partnership with The Ability Center, and supported by an Ohio Arts Council
ArtsNEXT grant.

The guide contains over 50 major sculptures throughout the city, and The Arts
Commission aims to expand access to include other works in the Art in Public
Places collection including murals, benches, bike racks, and signal box wraps.

The Digital Public Art Guide can be found here. (04/11)

Kat Cole, CEO at AG1, announced as keynote speaker for the  
2025 Women’s Leadership Summit presented by Owens Corning 

TOLEDO – The 2025 Women’s Leadership Summit announces this year’s event theme, “Driving Excellence Through Mentorship” and will feature Kat Cole, CEO of AG1 – a global health company focused on foundational nutrition – as the keynote speaker.  

The 2025 event will be held on Thursday, July 10, at the Glass City Center. In its ninth year, the Summit will continue to empower women, develop individuals and give back to the community. This year’s event launches a new format that will provide networking and mentorship opportunities throughout the year.  

Cole is CEO at AG1, a global health company focused on foundational nutrition. In her role, she is responsible for leading AG1’s next phase of growth, global expansion, and innovation. Cole is a seasoned business leader and sought-after advisor with more than 20 years of operational, brand, and executive leadership experience. She has been a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum, a member of the United Nations Global Entrepreneurs Council, and named to Fortune’s annual 40 Under 40 list. 

Funds raised will benefit local northwest Ohio children’s charities. 

Sponsorship opportunities are available including Full Tables for $5,000 (10 seats), Half Tables for $2,500 (5 seats) and Individual tickets for $500, which include the luncheon and full day of programming.  Individual tickets for the program only are available for $50.

For more information or to purchase tickets, call Savannah Wagener at 419-531-3277 or email at swagener@toledoclassic.com. (04/11)

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.” (04/07)

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)

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)

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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0

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

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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0

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)

Don Lee: Tariffs with Canada

By
Don Lee
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