The Swanton Lions Club their 16th Annual Golf Outing this past Saturday afternoon at White Pines Golf Course in Swanton. As in the past, this year’s proceeds will go to funding a scholarship for a Swanton High School senior who has demonstrated service to our community, dedication to their academics and outstanding character.
Click on the link above to access photos from the outing. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded for NO CHARGE courtesy of the Swanton Lions Club and fultoncountymedia.com website.
At last week’s Swanton Lions Club meeting, Swanton High School senior Keagan Young was presented with a one-time Richard Notestine Scholarship of $1,000. The organization’s criteria are based on high academic achievement combined with strong community service. Each applicant is required to submit an essay on their community service experiences and what it means to them.
The Scholarship Committee was very impressed with Keagen’s academic achievements and were also emotionally captivated by her essay. Below is Ms. Young’s essay in its entirety:
Making a Difference – One Act at a Time
Throughout my high school years, I dedicated countless hours to serving my community through a wide range of volunteer experiences. From sports camps to blood drives, and supporting local festivals, I sought every opportunity to make an impact. Each experience, though unique, shared a common thread, my desire to contribute to the well-being of others and grow as a compassionate, responsible individual.
My journey into volunteerism began with a desire to give back. I quickly found myself involved with various organizations including animal shelters, community clean-up groups and the lower grade schools. The diversity of these experiences allowed me to develop new skills, gain different perspectives, and understand the value of adaptability. Whether I was recycling, helping the elementary or junior high school students, I learned that meaningful change often starts with small, consistent efforts.
One of my most memorable experiences was helping something at our school called Frosh Fest, a welcoming program designed to help incoming freshmen navigate their first day of high school. As an upperclassman, I had the privilege of guiding them through the hallways, answering their questions, and easing their nerves about finding their classrooms to understanding their schedules. It was rewarding to see their anxious faces gradually relax as they realized they were not alone and had the support from students who had once felt the same way.
I also enjoyed helping with the sports camps for younger students, especially when I saw the confidence grow along with their skills. Each interaction taught me something new about patience, empathy, leadership and the importance of teamwork.
Through these experiences, I developed skills beyond volunteering. Helping with my community festival taught me the importance of organization and communication, while working with other people in the community enhanced my ability to connect with people from all walks of life. Perhaps most importantly, I learned that genuine service requires humility and a willingness to listen.
Volunteering has shaped me into a more compassionate, resilient and proactive individual. It has inspired me to pursue future opportunities to serve others, whether through advocacy, mentorship or hands-on efforts. I am committed to continuing this journey, building on the lessons I learned and striving to make a positive impact wherever I go.
Keagan, who served as the President of Swanton’s National Honor Society this past year, has chosen to continue her education at Bowling Green State University and major in Interior Design. The Swanton Lions Club would like to say congratulations and good luck to Keagan in all her future endeavors.
Photo: Keagan Young receives scholarship award from Lions’ Secretary Holly Lawson
The Swanton Lady Bulldogs wasted no time in showing the crowd who was the better team on Wednesday as they scored eight runs in the bottom of the first inning and went on to run-rule the Evergreen lady Vikings 12-1 at Memorial Park in Swanton. It was the second win over Evergreen in the season, having defeated the Lady Vikings earlier 11-4 in NWOAL play. “Basically, we thought we needed to prove to them and to us how well we can actually hit the ball, and we did that,” said Swanton coach Lauren Yoder.
Swanton freshman Beyla Remer ruled the day in the circle with her arm and at the plate with her bat to lead the Lady Bulldogs to the easy win. She allowed just one run on five hits in five innings and went 4 for 4 with two runs scored and two RBIs from the lead-off position.
“I’m just so happy I get to play with this team, to be a part of it is so much fun,” said Beyla. Early in the year, Beyla, a natural right-handed hitter, struggled with her hitting until her coach talked her into switching to the left side and the results speak for themselves. “I feel much more confident on the left side. When coach told me to switch to the left side I was like, ’Uh’, but now I don’t think I could ever go back to the right,” said Beyla explaining her much improved hitting.
Coach Yoder also commented on Beyla’s pitching success. “She spins the ball so well. That’s been in all of our games, the way she spins it, hitting her spots and mixing up speeds. That’s been a key part in all of our wins this year,” said Yoder.
Others contributing to the 12-run and 14-hit win, were Lexi Shinaver (3/4 with 2R and 2RBI), Alexa Faber (2/3 with 1R and 3RBI), Jordyn Ramirez (2/3 with 1R and 1RBI) and Cara Ludlow (2BB with 2R), Kendal Baum (1/3 with 1R and 1RBI), Adriana Elliot (1/2 with 1R, 1R, 1BB). Megan Clancy led the Lady Vikings with two hits and one RBI.
The victory improves Swanton’s overall record to 13-13. They will now move on to face the #1-seeded Eastwood Lady Eagles next Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. at Liberty Center High School.
Evergreen defeated Ottawa Hill 10-1 yesterday to improve to 5-15. They will play the Lake Lady Flyers in a double header at home on Saturday to finish the season.
Click on the link above to access photos from the game. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded foe NO CHARGE courtesy of the fultoncountymedia.com website.
Richard Flores, of the Delta Panther powerhouse wrestling program, has signed a National Letter of Intent to continue his education and wrestling career at Tiffin University. “I like the coaches there and the people that are committing as well. I’ve got a few friends going there. It’s a really nice program,” explained Richard about his choice.
In his senior year, competing in the 132-pound weight class, Richard finished in second place in the NWOAL, Sectional and District tournaments, qualifying for the OHSAA DIII State Tournament where he stood on the podium in fourth place. He began wrestling in the third grade in Delta’s Biddy Wrestling program and has played a significant part in Panther Coach Ron Nagel’s very successful program.
While competing in the Dragons’ wrestling program, Richard will be majoring in Cyber Security.
Click on the link above to access photos from the signing. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and ca be downloaded for NO CHARGE courtesy of the fultoncountymedia.com website.
At tonight’s Village Council meeting, all six Council members, Derek Kania, Dianne Westhoven, Samantha Disbrow, John Schmidt, Patrick Messenger and Noah Kreuz, voted against sending a motion to amend the Village’s Ordinance prohibiting chickens within Village limits. Had the motion passed it have been sent to the Planning Commission and the Village Solicitor to change the verbiage and allow residents to keep hens on their property.
Prior to the unanimous vote, each Council member related that their decision was based on discussions with many residents and an apparent overall lack of support for the change from constituents and a poor showing by pro-chicken advocates at the Public Hearing conducted at the previous Council meeting, as well as a heavy agenda going forward facing the Council and the Village. Council President Kania emphasized that his decision and the decisions of his fellow Council members would not reflect their personal opinions, but only reflect what they believed to be the best decision for the residents of the Village.
On Friday afternoon at Delta High School, Connor Sintobin signed a National Letter of Intent to continue his education and wrestling career at Defiance College. Connor, who wrestled at 175 pounds as a freshman, finished his high school career at 190 pounds. He plans to wrestle in the 197-pound weight class in college for the Yellow Jackets.
Connor finished in second place in the NWOAL tournament this past Spring and took home titles in the OHSAA DIII Sectional and District tournaments, qualifying for the State tournament where he finished in fourth place. In the classroom Connor will be majoring in Environmental Science.
Nick Heban defeated Zack Colefrosch 259-203 in a roll-off last Wednesday evening to capture the championship of Swanton Sports Center’s handicapped Tournament League.
In a tournament league, bowlers compete as individuals and accumulate points based on where they finish each week. Each bowler rolls three games and the top four finishers move on to the championship round with a semi-final and final game. There is a payout at the end of each night. There is no requirement to bowl every week, however, the more weeks you bowl, the more points can potentially be earned and there is an additional payout at the end of the season.
Nick won the first half of the season with 26 points and Zack tied the second half with Jason Morgan with 25 points and beat Jason in a roll-off before facing Nick. If a bowler wins both halves, they automatically are declared the champion.
On Friday afternoon, the Delta Lady Panthers lost their final league game, 10-4 to the visiting Patrick Henry Lady Patriots.
Click on the link above to access photos from the game. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded for NO CHARGE courtesy of the fultoncountymedia.com website.
Photo: Lady Panther Gracyn Pelton drives the pitch towards left field
After tossing a scoreless top of the first against the Wauseon Indians, Swanton junior Luke Marlow singled to lead off the bottom of the inning and later came around to score the first run of the game. When Marlow scored again in the bottom of the fifth, it was the Bulldogs’ 11th run of the contest against the Wauseon’s lone score and thereby ended the game, 11-1, under the mercy rule of a 10-run lead after five innings.
The bookend scores were not the only damage Marlow inflicted on the visiting Indians in the game, he also pitched all five innings for the win, giving up just two hits, zero earned runs while walking two and striking out seven. “My slider was working better than my fastball so I stuck with that,” said Marlow explaining how he shut down the Wauseon hitters.
His teammates provided with plenty of run support including three RBIs from Adam Lemon, two hits and three runs scored by Brady O’Shea, two hits and two runs scored by Carson Bond and two long doubles and an RBI by Evan Smigelski. Mykale Schneider took the loss. Caleb Kissel and Braylon Miller each had a single for Wauseon.
It was the final league game for both teams and they each finished with 3-4 records in the NWOAL. Overall, Swanton is 14-5 and Wauseon is 5-10. The Bulldogs travel to Northwood to face the Rangers on Monday and Wauseon entertains the Defiance Bulldogs.
Click on the link above to access photos from the game. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded for NO CHARGE courtesy of the fultoncopuntymedia.com website.
On Tuesday afternoon, The Swanton Area Chamber of Commerce (SCC) held its annual meeting and luncheon in the banquet room of Benfield Wines, located at the corner of N. Main Street and Zeiter Way in Swanton. Delray Busch, SCC President and Executive Director, opened the meeting by welcoming everyone in attendance.
“Good afternoon! Thank you for being here and for your continued support of the Swanton Area Chamber of Commerce. Before we begin with today’s agenda, I’d like to take a moment to recognize the individuals who guide the vision and operations of the Chamber—our Board of Directors: ● Robert Benfield – Benfield Wines ● Bill O’Connell – Swanton Sports Center ● Jennifer Knapp – F&M Bank ● Da Netra Smith – Level Fitness ● Shelly Keifer – First Federal of Delta ● Eric Fessenden – Fessenden Hardware ● Seth Thomas – Thomas Construction ● Sheena Baker – Oncore Brewing ● Rick Lederman – Soaring Software Solutions,” she said. “A special note of gratitude goes to Rick Lederman and Seth Thomas, who are completing their service on the board. Their years of insight, leadership, and dedication have significantly shaped the Chamber’s progress. Please join me in thanking Rick and Seth for their outstanding contributions to the Swanton business community”.
Ms. Busch then presented two individuals to the membership for consideration to join the Board of Directors, Kate Huiskens, Director of Operations & Strategic Initiatives at Fulton County Economic Development Corporation and Julia Benfield, Co-Owner of Benfield Wines. “We’re confident both Kate and Julia will bring fresh energy and expertise to the Chamber board,” she remarked. Delray then formally called for a vote to appoint Kate and Julia to the Board of Directors and they were both voted in unanimously. “With unanimous support, I am thrilled to officially welcome Kate and Julia to the Board of Directors,” she said.
“Next, I would like to sincerely thank our event sponsors. Your support ensures the continued success of our annual meeting. A special thank you to Pizzaroma for providing today’s delicious meal. In addition, thank you Julia and Rob Benfield for allowing us the opportunity to have our meeting in your beautiful space. Thank you to our keynote speaker today, Custom Training Solutions, for taking the time to talk about their programs. Lastly, I’d like to thank Tomahawk Printing for supplying all of our programs this year.”
Delray next touched on the major highpoints realized since the 2024 annual meeting. “We’ve made tremendous progress over the past year, and I’d like to share a few key highlights: ● We have welcomed over 40 new members ● We have hosted nine ribbon cuttings, 11 networking events, and six block parties in partnership with Hub’s Swantucky Bar and Benfield Wines ● Saw significant growth in online engagement: ○ 5,500+ website visits ○ 630 new Facebook followers ○ Over 20,000 Facebook page visitors ○ An overall 77,000 accounts reached on Facebook ● Launched new branding and a new logo in 2024 ● Rolled out an updated website and database system in 2024 ● Expanded to new platforms and now active on LinkedIn, TikTok, and Instagram ● Achieved cost savings of over $10,500 annually, including over $5,000 in building expense savings due to the sale of 100 Zeiter Way ● Had the most well attended and profitable golf outing in chamber history in 2024,” she listed.
“Finally, I want to thank each of you for your involvement, collaboration, and belief in what we’re building right here in Swanton. None of this would be possible without our community’s ongoing support. My door, well, email and phone and unofficial office at CK Sweets, is always open, and I genuinely enjoy learning more about your businesses and how the Chamber can support your goals. Here’s to another strong year ahead,” added Delray.
Finally, it was time to introduce the meeting’s keynote speaker. “It’s our pleasure to welcome Custom Training Solutions (CTS) as this year’s keynote speaker. As a division of Northwest State Community College, CTS is dedicated to equipping both individuals and organizations with a competitive edge through hands-on learning and real-world applications. Custom Training Solutions works directly with businesses across Northwest Ohio to deliver high-impact training in areas such as ● Advanced manufacturing ● Computer applications and programming ● Safety and leadership development ● Industrial automation and maintenance with locations in Archbold and Maumee, CTS offers flexible training formats and customized workforce solutions that help companies stay current with evolving industry standards and technologies. Their mission is clear: to bridge the skills gap and support long-term growth and success for local businesses. Please join me in welcoming Custom Training Solutions!”
Click on the link above to access photos from the meeting, including the 2025 Annual Program. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded for NO CHARGE courtesy of the fultoncountymedia.com website.
Photo: SCC Executive Director Delray Busch with the new Board of Director members, Kate Huiskens and Julia Benfield
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