Due to a series of difficult personal circumstances earlier this year, I was unable to post a podcast version of my conversation with Maumee City Manager Patrick Burtch at the time the two-part radio show originally aired on WAKT 106.1 FM in late spring.

It was thus with some sadness that I saw the news of Mr. Burtch’s resignation this past week, so I’m changing the podcast posting schedule to share here what I experienced as a heartfelt accounting of his motivations as Maumee city manager.

As I noted during my conversation with Mr. Burtch, I became aware of his perspectives on civic infrastructure when I attended a talk he gave about Strong Towns. I was impressed by his analysis of why government has so much difficulty addressing challenges with civic infrastructure, and I wanted to know more about Maumee’s significant traffic-flow makeovers.

My purpose in hosting Mr. Burtch as a guest on Your Community Matters was specific to the mission of the show: I wanted to learn how Maumee made changes to their public spaces that earned them the title of Strongest Town Champion in 2024, and how other communities could do likewise.

Not having been a resident of Maumee, I was unprepared for how much of our conversation would be taken up with the sewer issues that had created so much controversy among the town’s citizens. I also learned that some in Maumee were not at all pleased about the changes made to the downtown traffic flow or the recognition that the town received as a result. (Photos here show downtown features that Mr. Burtch describes in this podcast, including how the street narrows as traffic flows into the business district. The second photo suggests how constant semi-truck traffic between Amazon warehouses, mentioned in the podcast, could impact the area.)

The lesson for me from this interview and recent coverage of Mr. Burtch’s resignation was that creating visionary public spaces and solving major infrastructure challenges is quite difficult, to say the least. There are many reasons for this, but one of the biggest is that when one risks making a politically unpopular decision, it is generally safer to do nothing.

What’s more, when citizens do not agree on the nature of a problem, let alone a proposed solution to it, decisive action can come at a political cost — especially if those solutions create financial issues for a significant number of people, as was the case in the town of Maumee.

I greatly appreciated the insights Mr. Burtch shared in this podcast concerning the technical aspects of managing a city or town, as well as his candid views on difficulties community leaders encounter. Managing the conflicting priorities of local constituents while also complying with state or federal laws and balancing a municipal budget is not for the faint of heart — especially at a time when many people have lost confidence in institutions and do not know who to trust. His observations are instructive for anyone who cares about their municipal government, and also seem particularly relevant to how things subsequently unfolded in Maumee — so it feels timely to share them with you now.

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With our next post, we’ll encounter the story of a grass-roots response to similar issues in Perrysburg, Ohio, the community across the river from Maumee. We’ll explore the tension between efficient traffic flow and pedestrian safety, and how thoughtful strategy and person-to-person communication helped open new directions for discussion in the public arena.

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Since its humble start in 1860, when a Lutheran pastor began caring for orphans in his east Toledo home, Genacross Lutheran Services has developed into a provider of essential services to thousands of people in every phase of life throughout northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan.

Adaptability, resourcefulness, and responsiveness to community needs have made this faith-based organization one of the area’s leading nonprofit social service agencies. In my conversation with Genacross president and CEO, Rick Marshall, the organization’s intentional focus of caring for both the body and soul of those in need was a consistent theme. As you can see, this is a mission that brings him an infectious joy!

Importantly, like almost all agencies that provide assisted living, medical care or counseling to those with limited resources, Medicaid plays a huge role in the ability of Genacross to support young and old alike with these vital services.

A quarter of a million people in the greater Toledo area receive Medicaid benefits. That’s one-third of the area’s entire population — and in many cases, those benefits come in the form of care from social service agencies like Genacross. Nevertheless, even at the current levels of funding, Medicaid does not fully cover the cost of eligible care by Genacross and many other such agencies.

These agencies must make up the gap between the cost of care and Medicaid reimbursements through other means. In this week’s podcast, Rick shares how Genacross manages for growth while sustaining their quality of care — despite incurring a loss on every Medicaid beneficiary — thanks to community fundraising efforts and careful administration of resources.

But what will happen to people in their care if cuts to Medicaid mean these funds are no longer available?

So much of what government does for us as citizens goes wholly unnoticed unless it stops. When the roads fall into disrepair, or the trash isn’t collected, or our water becomes undrinkable, we suddenly come face to face with how important the wise administration of government resources truly is.

Without Medicaid funding, older adults who cannot afford market-rate housing, assisted living or more intensive forms of care may find those services become difficult to access or totally unavailable — and many such people do not have family members capable of providing for their needs. Children without parents or stable homes and who lack the essential elements of life could face serious limitations to their ability to thrive. People without options in these circumstances will find their way to more expensive forms of intervention — hospital ERs and the justice system being the two most likely paths.

My conversation with Rick Marshall reinforced my sense that providing for the needs of such people isn’t a “nanny state” intrusion — it’s a vital responsibility of every community. That responsibility currently is being met through successful collaborations between private entities and government. If you want to sustain a system that supports responsible, cost-effective use of public and private resources to make a better life for everyone in our communities, visit house.gov now for information on how make your opinions known about proposed cuts to Medicaid in the current federal funding bill.

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Teacher. Coach. Advocate. Organizer. Connector. Inspirational leader. And (did I almost forget?) Professionally Trained Chef. Saundra Irvine, creator and director of the Inspiration Kitchen workforce development program, is all this and more.

She’s also my guest on this edition of Your Community Matters and she’ll probably be quite vexed with me for “talking her up” here, because she shuns the spotlight and habitually puts service to others first. Her proportion in this photo (the tiny figure at the end of the table) typifies her student-focused attitude:

Nevertheless, Saundra has crafted a remarkable program that is making a real difference in the lives of people who face seemingly insurmountable obstacles to career success. She’d be the first to tell you Inspiration Kitchen isn’t about her — it’s about her students, and the people who support the project with their time, talents and funds. But “Inspiration” is baked into the program (if you will) through her own iron-clad conviction that anyone with the passion to succeed can be trained to achieve their goals.

Inspiration Kitchen’s web page describes the 13-week course as a “culinary education and life transformation program” that “provides individuals with an inspired renewal… regardless of challenge or background.” Some of those challenges have been quite significant for many Inspiration Kitchen students, including abuse, addiction, incarceration, and mental or physical limitations.

However, it takes quite a bit more than lofty goals and positive vibes to make a successful career. It takes structure, discipline, skills and the ability to connect in a positive way with others. And so, the Inspiration Kitchen course is designed to be more than cooking technique alone. It also trains students in time management, etiquette, the norms of professional behavior and the value of well-thought-out processes that support successful outcomes.

The course is challenging, fast-paced, intense, and often fun — just like a career in the culinary field. You can see the joy that comes from real accomplishment on the faces of students in these photos:

Because of the diverse skills required for a successful career in the opportunity-rich culinary and hospitality fields, many students in the program discover talents and interests they never knew they had, and potentials they never knew were possible. Occasionally, this process takes their path to success in a direction quite different from their culinary training. One recent student decided what they truly wanted most was to become a paralegal! Thanks to the diversity of skills this individual acquired in the Inspiration Kitchen program, their goal was within their reach.

I’m continually inspired by people and organizations at the community level who, after buying tickets on a few well-established career trains, have the vision and the courage to lay down tracks of their own, fire up their engines and invite others on board for the journey. Saundra and the Inspiration Kitchen team are doing just that. We welcome you aboard this podcast journey to discover what’s possible when committed people elevate others and inspire them to believe in their own potential.

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Dead fish.

That was my first experience with a beach.

I was seven years old, and my parents had decided to take my sister and me to Crane Creek State Park for a picnic and swim. The smell of fish wasting away on the shore greeted us on that hot, summer day — scarcely a happy memory and, quite possibly, why I never developed a compelling desire to live on the water. I loved swimming too much to avoid a dip in the lake that day, but it was clear to me even at my tender age that something was wrong with that place.

Later in my elementary school years, our Weekly Reader informed us that the Cuyahoga River caught fire.

My interview with Jesse Stock, the executive director of Partners for Clean Streams reminded me of these childhood encounters with neglected waterways and showed me how the people who live near them can make a difference.

Dead fish and a burning river were the consequence of years of environmental neglect of our waterways — and as it so often happens, it took a crisis to inspire the individual and collective actions that eventually restored Lake Erie to a place where fishing enthusiasts come from across the country to catch perch, bass and the coveted walleye.

But this bounty is once again under threat — this time, from toxic algae blooms and oxygen-starved dead zones in the lake. And phenomenal amounts of trash — from windblown paper and plastics to obviously dumped garbage — litter the banks of streams and rivers in our area. Plastic trash that is not removed from these areas ultimately enters our waterways, breaking down into microplastics that invade the bodies of fish, wildlife and humans. Here are a few snapshots taken in early spring near the Ottawa River in Toledo:

These are just two of the threats to our waterways that Partners for Clean Streams is working to overcome. Small but mighty, this tiny local organization extends its reach each year through citizen volunteers who collect thousands of pounds of trash and conduct water testing to support scientific research. You’ll find people of all ages and backgrounds among the area residents who participate in these efforts. This edition of Your Community Matters describes what they do and how you can join them.

Another stream that is of considerable importance to this organization is their revenue stream. Most of their miniscule budget comes through — but not from — the Ohio EPA. Those funds come from the federal EPA. If this stream suddenly dries up, will the State of Ohio pay for the work of Partners for Clean Streams? If this occurs, it would be likely that many more cost burdens will be shifted from the federal budget to U.S. states. In such an environment, it may be entirely on local supporters to sustain the mission of protecting our watershed.

Clean water and uplifting outdoor spaces are essential to our quality of life wherever we call home. In the future, a greater local commitment may be required to sustain the decades-long effort of maintaining a healthy aquatic ecosystem in our region. But for now, working toward their preservation is something anyone can participate in, even if it’s just heading out with a few friends to a stream or river near you to clear its banks of trash.

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Waterways cleanup is GAME ON at Partners for Clean Streams! Learn how you can get involved.

Discover how plastic residue is affecting wildlife and human health.

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Toledo’s Old West End Festival, now in its 5th decade, is one of the Toledo area’s most well-attended neighborhood festivals. A major reason for its enduring popularity is the historic homes tour, an exceptional opportunity for people to view remarkable examples of late Victorian and Craftsman-style homes built at the turn of the last century.

But none of this would have been possible without the persistent dedication of those who’ve come to the neighborhood over the last 50+ years with the mission of preserving these architectural treasures. Two such people are the guests on the interview posted here — Michael Walker and Chuck Madrigal.

Michael and Chuck are among many who migrated from other regions, both near and far, to settle in Toledo’s Old West End. As the neighborhood saying goes, “We came for the homes and stayed for the people.” To be a part of preserving what is now the largest continuous neighborhood of homes from this era east of the Mississippi is to be a part of an active community dedicated to a mission — and it has attracted a colorful group of people to participate in it.

As Michael and Chuck note in our conversation, this mission is NOT easy. They admit you have to be a little crazy to devote time and funds to bring sometimes uninhabitable homes back from the brink of total ruin while maintaining their historical integrity. But you can also hear in their voices the joy that comes along with it — and that joy can be infectious.

I’m personally grateful that in our throwaway culture, there are people like this who not only work to beautify our communities but who also preserve our anchors to the past and the people who built them. Such tangible connections to the norms of another era can inspire us to consider how our own future could be just as markedly different from what we consider “normal” today, and to value building things worth preserving.

If you are able, I encourage you to mark your calendar for the first weekend in June (it’s the same weekend every year) and visit the Old West End Festival. Come for the homes — and stay for the fun! The wacky, exuberant kick-off parade on Saturday morning. The music, the food, the yard sales, the art. The pure joy of watching families share the moment together. And of course, the homes.

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Here’s a sampling of the homes discussed in the interview:

The in-progress “Delaware House”

The Virginia Land Bank House — before and after

The (mostly) rennovated Ford Mansion and the Knight House next door

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The Old West End Festival is always the first Saturday and Sunday in June. For details about or tickets to the home tours, visit the House Tours page at the Old West End website. (tickets are NOT required for the Project House or the Virginia Land Bank House).

I had a chance encounter at a downtown Toledo brew pub with the guests on this edition of Your Community Matters, Sue Terrill and Tonda Koszycki. Instantly, we discovered we had something in common: we were all fan girls of Edward Drummond Libbey and his wife, Florence.

What’s more, I learned that Sue and Tonda were involved with multiple events honoring the two during Toledo’s 419 Week celebrations, April 13-19, which coincidentally happen to include Mr. Libbey’s birthday on April 17 — so it seemed natural to invite them to share their favorite Libbey family stories on this podcast. Here are the two of them, photographed as we wrapped up a lively discussion about why these two people still mean so much to the people of Toledo 100 years after Mr. Libbey’s death.

There are so many 419 Week events to include in the show notes this week that I will refrain from my usual commentary and simply say that if Jessup Scott hadn’t persuaded Edward Libbey to move his glass manufacturing enterprise to Toledo, it is doubtful the city would ever have been known as the Glass Capitol of the World. Today, the glass industry is no longer central to the economics of the region — but the Libbey legend lives on in the many lives they still touch today through their groundbreaking contributions to the city.

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419 Week Events

419 Week is Toledo Week! Full of fun and diverse events brought to you by local organizations and small businesses to celebrate Toledo and its history.

Edward Drummond Libbey’s Birthday Celebration & Crystal Awards

Libbey House Foundation FREE Open House

Sunday, April 13

11 AM - 3 PM

2008 Scottwood Avenue

Celebrate the late Edward Drummond Libbey’s birthday with a FREE open house tour of all three floors of the historic Old West End mansion, and announcement of this year’s Edward Drummond Libbey Crystal Award recipients. Birthday cake and punch will be provided by the Libbey House Foundation.

Holy Toledo Polka Days

April 10-13

Holiday Inn & Suites (and other locations)

27355 Carronade Drive

This Polka Festival will feature the some of the top polka bands in the industry.

Earnest Talk & Libbey Trivia

Tuesday, April 15

5-9 PM

Earnest Brew Works Downtown

25 S. St. Clair Street

This edition of the Earnest Talks features a lively presentation from Sue Terrill and Tonda Koszycki about the Libbey's legacy in Toledo and Toledo Trivia with Jo Mo on the Mic. Doors open at 5:00 PM, Talk & Trivia begins at 6:00 PM

Earnest Brew Works 419 Bike Ride

Wednesday, April 16

6-9 pm

Earnest Brew Works South Toledo

4342 S. Detroit Avenue

Bike from the brewery’s Detroit Avenue location to Side Cut Metro Park and back. Enjoy friends, hand-crafted Earnest brews, and the scheduled Big O’s Food Truck.

Florence Scott Libbey 419 Day 5K Early Packet Pickup

Thursday, April 17

5-8 PM

Just Toledo

909 Jefferson Avenue

Stop by Just Toledo to register for the race or to pick up your race bib and shirt. Enjoy an artist reception for Jeff Schofield (6-8 PM) and browse Just Toledo.

The Florence Scott Libbey 419 Day 5K and Ryders Free Kids Race

Saturday, April 19

8-11 AM

Ottawa Park

2205 Kenwood Blvd

Celebrate 419 history and the woman who helped make the Glass City great with a 5K through the beautiful grounds of Ottawa Park, the City of Toledo's first and largest park. “Mrs. Libbey” will be on hand to start the events and present you with a special 2025 finisher medal designed by Ryder, inspired by Toledo. Register now!

Ode to the Zip Code

Saturday, April 19

2-4 PM

Toledo School for the Arts Portal

1401 Adams St

What does your ZIP Code say about you? Ode to the Zip Code celebrates the stories that shape our neighborhoods. Poetry contest winners will be announced!

Downtown Toledo Best Bites on 419 Day — SOLD OUT

Saturday, April 19

12- 4 PM

Ticket holders will do a self-guided tour of 12+ different restaurants to savor amazing cuisine from the 419. Must be 21+ years of age to participate.

419 Day at Culture Clash & The Switchboard

Saturday, April 19

912 Monroe Street

Celebrate 419 Day at Toledo’s iconic Culture Clash & The Switchboard with multiple opportunities, and entertainers, including live music from Keepitcasual, The Essentials, and Live Roots. Shop records at Culture Clash, score local 419 art/clothing vendors, and savor delicious, authentic Döner Kebap from Naam Stop Kebap.

419 Day Toledo Night Market

Saturday, April 19

5-9 PM

Glass City Center

401 Jefferson Avenue

This year's Night Market offers FREE ADMISSION and a chance to enjoy all things 419, including more than 100 local artisans & sellers, live music, and a scavenger hunt.

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Libbey photo credit: http://www.utoledo.edu/library/canaday/exhibits/oi/OIExhibit/ACityBuiltofGlass.htm, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6863909

When I tagged along with a friend to a Sweet Adelines event in Cleveland, I was completely captivated by the intensity of community spirit I found there. So, even though this was a women-only group (and thus only half of any community could participate in it), I thought it was still worth exploring in an interview for Your Community Matters.

As it turned out, my conversation with the director of the Pride of Toledo Sweet Adelines Chorus, Dawn Seigneur (below), revealed aspects of this type of community singing that would be relevant to anyone. One of them was the concept of “woodshedding.”

Dawn explained to me how the term is used with barbershop-style singing, the musical genre of all Sweet Adelines groups. Curious about its origins, I looked it up online (where else?) and discovered the term is also used by jazz musicians, but in a somewhat different way. Nevertheless, in both cases it represents the work musicians do in private, apart from an audience, to craft their own distinctive sound.

This idea of woodshedding strikes me as fundamental to the camaraderie that was so salient among members of Sweet Adelines choruses. And conversely, perhaps the reason so many of us feel alienated and disconnected from those around us is because we aren’t “woodshedding” with anyone.

Dawn and I also talked about how much we loved high school band — and it wasn’t just because we loved music. It was also because band members worked together on a common project that brought us joy. Doing our own woodshedding in the band room and practice field, week after week, we forged a musical unity that in turn gave us connection, confidence and a sense of personal worth. And, best of all: it was fun!

There are many ways we could be woodshedding with others. In my own neighborhood, we have almost literal woodshedding happening with neighbors who have come together to restore an architecturally significant home. And here at YCM, we’ve already heard how one area artist helped reframe her community’s sense of pride through a shared creative project, and how classes developing hands-on skills can build commonality between participants.

So if you love singing, can match a pitch, and have two X chromosomes, Sweet Adalines might be the right woodshedding opportunity for you:

prideoftoledo.org

facebook.com/PrideOfToledoChorus/

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Oh, and if you are an XY, no worries — there are area groups that include men, too:

barbershop.org

facebook.com/barbershopharmonysociety

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“I want to go peacefully in my sleep” is the response most people will give when asked how they want to die.

What makes this choice so popular (or so it appears to me) is that few among us want to deal with our mortality. And so, it may seem that if we go to bed one day and simply don’t wake up the next, we can sidestep the issue entirely.

But according to Sara Chambers, a Hospice of Northwest Ohio nurse and end-of-life educator, it’s precisely the ability to consider our mortality — and plan for it — that allows us to have a truly good death.

“Death is not a dirty word,” Sara likes to say — and she should know. In this conversation, Sara shares with us the pivotal experiences with death and dying that taught her this lesson early in life. She talks about the history of the hospice movement and how it came to be an established standard of care. She also explains when to involve hospice after a terminal diagnosis (spoiler alert: most people do so far too late), and what to look for when choosing a hospice provider.

But Sara’s role as a Hospice nurse educator — indeed, the heart of her mission — is to teach others how to have a “good death.” In our conversation, she describes important legal and interpersonal steps that will pave the way for an end-of-life experience that is not just peaceful, but meaningful as well.

Sara also emphasizes how this planning should start in everyone’s early adult years. However, if you or someone close to you has yet to do this, Sara’s insights could be a game changer. Her advice could make the difference between experiencing life’s ultimate transition in uncertainty and stress and an experience that will give both you and your loved ones the peace and comfort we all desire.

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Connect with Sara to ask questions or schedule a presentation sponsored by Hospice of Northwest Ohio.

Access a calendar of scheduled programs presented by Hospice of Northwest Ohio.

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When I sat down for my conversation with Heather Gallant, Executive Director of the 577 Foundation in Perrysburg, Ohio, I knew it was going to be a lively one. Heather is a dynamic person with a great sense of humor. She leads a remarkable institution, and as you can see, we had a very good time speaking with each other:

But one of the most interesting things about the conversation for me was how it felt at times as though there was another person in the room with us. That’s how strongly the presence of Virginia Secor Stranahan is felt at the 577 Foundation, an institution she created by transforming her family home into a gift for the people of Northwest Ohio.

Virginia was an exceptionally well-born young woman who was raised with a sense of duty to those who did not share her unusual good fortune. She married into the entrepreneurial Stranahan family, legendary in Toledo as founders and leaders in the Champion Spark Plug Company. For decades, the Stranahans have funded cultural and humanitarian programs in the area, and their family estates have become public places enjoyed by thousands of people each year.

But there is something unique and rare about the 577 Foundation — and that something is the vision Virginia had for it.

Unlike the vast grounds of the other Stranahan estate at Toledo’s western edge, 577 (the family’s name for their home, derived from its street address) was a comparatively modest former farm along the Maumee River. The larger Stranahan estate was unoccupied for years and narrowly escaped being turned into a luxury subdivision, becoming one of the area’s most popular Metroparks thanks to a citizen-led campaign.

In contrast, the 577 Foundation was entirely the brainchild of its former resident and her intentional, collaborative engagement with her neighboring community. Virginia, a passionate environmentalist who was dedicated to education, firmly resolved to keep these concerns central to the mission of 577 — but she was equally committed to soliciting community input on the features and services they offer, an approach that continues today.

The result is a place that is neither park nor sanctuary, neither school nor garden, nor artists’ colony nor meeting space. Rather, it’s a little bit of each and — thanks to Virginia and the people who continue her mission — a whole lot more: it’s a place dedicated to restoring the humanity of each visitor. I hope this conversation with Heather will inspire you to make a visit and find out for yourself what a treasure “the 419” has in the 577.

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Several years ago, I was standing in a long line at a crowded grocery store when the thought occurred to me: What if someone in this line is famous for something?

By “famous,” I was thinking of what you might call “niche famous.” In other words, a person unlikely to appear on the cover of any magazines sold in that grocery but, nevertheless, distinguished as a leading light in some American subculture.

Could a champion amateur bowler, or a gamer with a massive following on Twitch, or Ohio’s Teacher of the Year be in line right next to me?

If Del Ray Grace had been standing in that line, he would have been exactly the sort of person I was thinking of.

It would not be an overstatement to describe Del Ray Grace as the Alan Lomax of gospel steel guitar music. Known among its devotees as “Sacred Steel,” it is a distinct art form within the African-American gospel tradition — and Grace believed it needed to be preserved as such.

Beginning as a young man, he amassed over the next 40 years the world’s largest archive of recorded performances of and historical documents about Sacred Steel music. He recently established a brick-and-mortar museum for the collection in his hometown of Toledo, Ohio (and is already outgrowing his space!) — but that’s not all. He and his family members have staged annual events here that have made the city a major destination for the nation’s top Sacred Steel performers. And, in true evangelical spirit, Grace has a website and broadcasts on local cable to share the story of Sacred Steel and its music with all who want to experience this distinctive form of religious expression.

You don’t have to be an ethnomusicologist to be fascinated by the story of Sacred Steel — or Grace’s personal story of testing and triumph as he worked to make his vision a reality. And, the music itself simply must be experienced. You’ll get a taste of both in this week’s podcast. If you like what you hear, you’ll want to visit sacredstrings.com for an encounter with Sacred Steel Hall of Fame members and to explore the deep variety within this uniquely American style of music.

I should also note that the Sacred Steel Museum was supported in part by The Arts Commission, which was the first organization featured on Your Community Matters.