Fulton County Ohio Media

Starting the first week in January, the eighth-grade class at Swanton Middle School, (SMS) will begin their last several months at SMS before leaving and continuing their educational journey in high school.  This group of students will have the honor of being the first class to complete all four years of the Swanton Seven Initiative (SSI) program.

The Swanton Seven Initiative is a program first introduced and implemented into the curriculum of the SMS by Principal Matt Smith in 2018.  The program adopts the philosophy of the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta, Georgia and focuses on building soft skills in students, placing strong emphasis on manners, discipline, respect, and professional behavior.  Skills that will serve the students well for a lifetime.

To help sell the program to the faculty and, more importantly, to the students, the program’s structure was modeled after the Harry Potter house system with each house (Dignitas, Obduro, Gratus, Sapentia) comprised of a relatively even mix of all four SMS grades, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth.  “It was kind of a leap of faith in that first year.  Nobody really knew how it was going to be perceived or if the kids would buy into it or even the staff for that matter.  So, it was kind of like ‘Hey, let’s give this a shot.  I think it really could work.’  And the first year was better than we could have imagined.  It seemed like everything fell into place,” said Mr. Smith.

“In year two we thought ‘What could we do better?’  We added a few things.  We added a couple of events.  We added the Amazing Shake (a competition where students could display their newfound soft skills) that second year which was a big hit.”

The program was so successful in just its second year that the Ohio Middle Level Association (OMLA) selected, for its two most prestigious annual awards, Swanton Middle School as the 2020 Team of the Year and SMS Principal Matt Smith as the 2020 Educator of the Year. 

Unfortunately, like the rest of the world, SMS was forced to deal with the COVID-19 Pandemic in year three and the program had to scale way back to keep the students safe.  This year the program is making a slow comeback to “normalcy” and was able to hold the Amazing Shake again.

Asked to describe some of the impact the SSI program has had, Mr. Smith said, “It’s difficult to quantify but it’s certainly easy to tell there is a different feel in the culture.  When people arrive, they say they have a feeling of welcomeness and the kids’ behavior and expectation, they have risen in the past couple of years.  That’s what we wanted to do.  That’s what we set out to do and we’re happy about that.”

Despite the setback the SSI had to endure because of the pandemic, the one feeling that was not diminished by it was the enthusiasm of the students for the program.  In fact, for these eighth graders, it has grown since day one when they were all ushered into the gymnasium with no forewarning of what was to come.

“We didn’t know what was going on,” said student Hailey Frosch.  “We didn’t know what to expect but we knew it was going to be fun.”  Adding to the excitement of that introduction and making it more memorable was a fog machine which inadvertently set off the fire alarm multiple times.

As much fun as the program has been for the students and for as many of the new life-long skills they have learned in the three plus years, there have been several incredible and very positive by-products of the SSI that was passionately shared by a group of eighth graders, some from each house, during a recent interview.

One is the long-established pecking order found in all schools has taken a major hit at SMS.  “With the Swanton Seven and the House System, I’ve got friends in younger grades that I never would have had.  They’re more like siblings to me because I’ve never had a little sister or little brother.  So, they’re like my little siblings.  I watch over them,” said Carli LaGrange. 

These students realize they have become role models for the lower grades and they take that role very seriously.  They all agreed that each House was like its own family, like its own “wolfpack.”  And like a wolfpack, the older and more mature wolves teach and take care of the younger and less experienced wolves.  “It’s not like a normal middle school.  Bullying went down.  Tremendously,” said Autumn Collins.

The group also agreed that what they enjoyed the most was the House competitions where Houses are matched against each other in games and other skill-displaying events to score points towards winning the House of the Year trophy.  “I feel like the House competitions have brought us together.  Not as a House but as a school in general,” said Hailey.

Other great SSI by-products mentioned were the development of stronger student-teacher relationships and the bonding experience with the fifth graders and older incoming students during the House Reveal event. 

Graduating from SMS and leaving the SSI program will be bitter sweet for many of these students.  Because it has proven to be such a wonderful experience, they expressed hope that a similar program will be started at Swanton High School.  Either way, next year all four of the high school grades will be filled with students that have been through the Swanton Seven experience.

Pictured: (Back L to R) Mylee Rochelle, Brody Bergman, Gabbie Alexander, Brody Voight. (Front L to R) Hailey Frosch, Carli LaGrange, Autumn Collins

We are all familiar with the old adage, “When one door closes, another door opens”.  This wise proverb was my first thought when the Village Reporter, a weekly newspaper that covers Fulton and Williams Counties, unceremoniously informed me that my freelance services, articles and photographs, were no longer required.  I believe the owner capitulated to complaints from certain members of the Swanton Village Council with regards to my coverage of the Council meetings which detailed their decisions for the Village.  Apparently, my disseminating the truth to the general public had become a problem for them.

When that door slammed shut in late November of 2020, I began to work on finding another door to open so I could continue to cover village council and school board meetings while also photographing Fulton County high school sports and other local events and writing occasional human-interest articles related to the community. 

That other door turned out to be the fultoncountymedia.com website and blog.  I began FCM one year ago and it has allowed me to resume my journalistic coverage of our community with several added benefits. 

I can choose to report on only what I think others would like to read and what I believe is important they should be made aware of.  The photographs from any event I choose to cover, sports, festivals, fairs, plays and others, are edited, placed into a Google Photos file and made available on-line to anyone at no cost. 

On a more personal level, another new benefit was the opportunity to write editorialized pieces, similar this one.  These opinion pieces contained facts and what I believed them to mean and what impact I thought they had or may have our community. Obviously, not everyone agreed or will always agree with my opinions. My articles will remain the same, straightforward, listing facts and quotes without any added commentary.

I am convinced my removal from the pages of the Village Reporter were intended to silence my voice.  However, one of the items I found waiting for me when I opened the other door was a “bullhorn”.  It was the ultimate backfire.  When the deadline passed for filing a petition for election to the Swanton Village Council, the names of the four members of that Council, whose seats were up for re-election, were nowhere to be found.

I would like to thank everyone who has chosen to follow my blog and website in 2021 and hope to welcome more of you in 2022 as I cover as many Fulton County events as I can.  There is no charge to follow it and you will not be inundated with any advertising.  You will be sent an email every time there is a posting.  Have a safe and Happy New Year.

Sincerely,

Bill O’Connell

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The Swanton Bulldogs took control of the game almost immediately after the tip-off, racing out to a 14-0 lead, and coasted to a 56-25 victory over the Maumee Valley Country Day School Hawks to capture their own Bob Fisher Holiday Classic.

Excellent ball control was a key factor in Swanton’s win, a day after committing numerous turnovers in their 52-45 semi-final win over the Maumee Panthers.  “We had a come-to-Jesus moment before practice this morning about how flat we came out last night,” said Bulldog head coach Bruce Smith.  “Obviously, what we decided to do worked really really well against a very dangerous team.”

Senior Nic Borojevich, in his second game coming off an injury, jump started the Bulldog offense with 10 first quarter points and finished with 23 for the game to lead all scorers.  “He’s healthy again.  He hyperextended his knee against Edgerton and he missed eight days and he wasn’t very good yesterday getting his timing back,” explained Coach Smith.  “In order to beat good teams, we need him to play well.”  Cole Mitchey and Sam Betz each scored 11 points in support.

Swanton will have just a short time to enjoy the Classic victory before they dive into the meat of their schedule after the first of the year.  “It gets real hairy real quick.  Going to Evergreen, going to Ottawa Hills, Wauseon, etc.,” said Smith.  The Bulldogs open the NWOAL season in The Big House at Evergreen High School on Thursday, January 6, 2022.  Game time is 6:00 p.m. for the JV’s and 7:30 p.m. for the varsity.

Click on the link above to access all photos from the game. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded form no charge courtesy of the fultoncountymedia.com website.

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Early injuries knocked two Swanton starters out of the game, guard Jayden Hendricks and leading scorer Frankie Nelson, as the Lady Bulldogs dropped a 31-20 decision to the Leipsic Lady Vikings in the championship game of the Bob Fisher Holiday Classic on Tuesday evening.  Hendricks sustained her injury late in the first quarter and Nelson went out at the 5:16 mark of the second quarter.  Swanton played well for the rest of the contest, keeping the score relatively close, but were unable to make up for the loss in offense typically provided by Nelson and Hendricks.

The Lady Bulldogs earned their trip to the finals with a convincing 42-16 victory over the Fayette Lady Eagles.  They opened the game with a 15-0 run and were never threatened after that.  Frankie Nelson led all scorers with 15 points.  Katie Floyd had six points and Jayden Hendricks and Emma Crow scored four each.

Click on the link above to access all photos from both games. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded for no charge courtesy of the fultoncountymedia.com website.

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The Swanton Bulldog boys shook off poor ball handling in the first half and a one-point halftime deficit to defeat the Maumee Panthers 52-45 in a semi-final game of the Bob Fisher Classic at the Robert Fisher Gymnasium.

With legendary Coach Fisher sitting courtside, the Bulldogs outscored the Panthers 15-4 in the third quarter, riding the hot shooting of senior guard Sam Betz.  Betz trigger the blitz when he hit three straight shots, two treys and a deuce for eight points, and Swanton took a 34-24 advantage, into the fourth quarter.

The lead would eventually grow to 12 points before Maumee, out of the Northern Lakes League, forced several more turnovers and cut their deficit to five points.  Fortunately, for the Bulldogs, they were able to get to the free throw line 16 times in the final frame and sank 11 of those shots to hold off the charging Panthers.

Betz led all scorers with 17 points while Lathan Pawlowicz and Nic Borojevich had 10 points each.  Cole Mitchey added seven point, Luc Borojevich scored five and Hayden Callicotte had three.

Click on the link above to access all 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.

Law Director Kevin Heban informed Council members last Monday evening that Ordinance 21-21, directing the preparation and filing of ballot language addressing the issue of approving medical marijuana cultivation, processing and dispensing within the Village of Delta was being amended at the recommendation of the Fulton County Board of Elections.  “It seems the substance has not been amended but we’ve inserted the ballot language that’s actually going to appear on the ballot of this amended ordinance.  The Board of Elections has accepted it so it will go on for the public vote in May,” explained Mr. Heban.

In discussions before the Council vote on the ordinance, Councilman Chad Johnson asked if there were any opinions on the phrasing of medical marijuana versus medicinal marijuana.  “When I think of medical, I think of supplies and equipment,” said Mr. Johnson.  “But this is medicinal.  Were using it as medicine.  Unless we’re referring to the card.  I can see where that’s a medical card.”

There was further discussion on the distinction between the two marijuana terms and Mr. Heban told Council the change would require a second amendment of the ordinance but would not delay the process to meet the deadline to place it on the ballot.  The Council voted in favor of both amendments.

Mr. Johnson, speaking as the Chair of the Safety Committee, expressed his concerns about a possible vaccine mandate being imposed on companies with 100 or more employees and the impact it could have on the Village.  “It scares me to think what’s next to come for people that will resist it.  As a community, if there is anything that we can do to stop this from happening we should,” he said.  “I understand the we can at least put a resolution in place that says, ‘It’s not going to happen here,’ but it doesn’t hold any weight as far as the law is concerned.  You can’t supersede state law or federal law.  But it would send a message.”  Mr. Heban said because it was a general law, the Village would not be allowed to deviate from it.  The Council could, however, pass a resolution expressing their opinion on the law that would be sent to the state legislature and the Federal government.

Mr. Peebles also reported that the Village had been awarded $1,000,037 from the Build America Program of the Biden Administration.  “I don’t know if we will be in line for additional revenues as it pertains to the water tower project that we also made an application for,” he said.  Mayor Frank Wilton asked Mr. Peebles when the project might start.  Mr. Peebles said the design of the project is done but it had to be approved by the City of Toledo and the EPA but as already approved by the Fulton County Commissioners.  He expects legislation will be ready to be voted on by the next Council meeting.

Village Administrator Brad Peebles related details of a Village employee meeting, held on December 8^th, regarding paid employee holidays and a new holiday approved by the Federal government.  “It was a unanimous consent that we would give up Presidents Day and then recognize Martin Luther King Day,” said Mr. Peebles.  The employees have also requested to exchange Columbus Day for Good Friday and a full day on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

The next Council meeting will take place on January 3, 2022 at 5:30 PM at Memorial Hall.

At the final Delta Village Council meeting of 2021, Village Administrator Brad Peebles gave an update on the potentially new Delta Community Pool.  There were several schematic renderings of the pool on display for Council’s review as Mr. Peebles provided some detail on what the new facility would offer.

“With amenities, you’re going to see umbrellas, slides.  There will be an entirely new bathhouse because trying to adapt and reuse the existing bathhouse was not feasible.  It’s more cost effective to demolish it and start over,” said Mr. Peebles.  Other possible amenities could include a splash pad style attraction, water shower stations, a dual rock-climbing wall and a lily pad walk with an overhead balancing net.  He also explained that the entrance to the pool and the layout would differ from the current pool to give better access to existing water and sewer lines and avoid conflicts with other infrastructures in the park.

Mr. Peebles addressed the changes in the estimated costs of the project.  “Unfortunately, the anticipated costs just continue to escalate.  In large part it’s just because of the economic conditions we are currently in,” he said.  “Even if we wait, I don’t know if the costs are going to come down.  All indications are the costs are elevated and they’re going to remain elevated.  We’re anticipating if you were to try and construct that pool with the amenities as we currently have it, we’re between 4.5 and 5.0 million dollars.  Plus, we have another cost for demolishing the old pool and having it removed.”

From the Administrator’s Report:  To fund the pool project, it is estimated the Village will need a $4.5M bond issue at 3% interest for a period of 20 years which will require a levy for 5.75 mils per year on the November 2022 ballot.  A $5.0M bond issue would require a levy of 6.4 mils per year. 

Should the ballot issue fail, it will be placed on the 2023 election.  This would push the re-opening to 2024 at a minimum.  A new pool will require revenues to operate in staffing and maintenance costs.  It is estimated we would need an additional 1.0 to 1.25 mil levy for operations.  Should the levy request fail, and the direction be to close the pool, funds will be required for its closure and removal estimated at $200,000 to $250,000.

Pictured:  Administrator Brad Peebles presents new pool amenities to Council

December 22, 2021 DELTA, OH – Earlier this month, North Star BlueScope Steel (NSBSL) sponsored a meal hosted by The Open Door of Delta, an organization that helps those in need throughout the Delta area. The event took place on December 14th at The Open Door’s location on Monroe Street. Founded in 2003, The Open Door of Delta is a central hub of the community that serves as a food pantry, shelter and thrift store. The organization is run by faithful volunteers who host several events a year.

North Star donated 275 meals from Delta 109, a local restaurant, to help serve dozens of regional families and individuals. Six NSBSL team members and two team family members volunteered to serve food. “Volunteering is an important part of our lives,” said NSBSL volunteer April Johnson. “It provides each of us an opportunity to look beyond ourselves to the needs of others. It’s a wonderful way to spread hope and share happiness within our community and fill ourselves with love and gratitude.” North Star has supported this annual event for several years and frequently donates to The Open Door of Delta.

Several North Star employees arrived prior to the event to set up seating, prepare food and package meals before guests arrived. The event served as an opportunity to socialize as well, particularly for elderly Delta residents who’ve been isolated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Food was also prepared for takeaway meals, which were distributed to other senior community members by their neighbors.

“I had brief conversations with each person as they received their meal,” said North Star Inside Sales Rep Jamie Trzcinski. “I was very humbled by how thankful everyone was. Many people asked if they could take extra meals to go, so they could bring food to their neighbors who weren’t able to come.” The volunteers delivered extra food to Vision Ministries South Toledo Campus, where it was served as part of their community meal the following day. North Star BlueScope Steel is committed to supporting the community. If you’d like to learn more about The Open Door or make a donation, visit DeltaOpenDoor.org.

About North Star BlueScope Steel: Established in 1996, North Star BlueScope Steel is a highly productive steel mill that uses leading-edge technology and processes to produce more than 2 million tons of coiled steel every year. The company delivers hot-rolled bands to steel service centers, coil processors, cold roll strip producers, original equipment manufacturers, and the steel pipe and tube industry. North Star places a special emphasis on community and company culture. Employees enjoy an onsite fitness center, profit-sharing, and weekly bonus plans, plus health, dental and life insurance. Tuition reimbursement is also available for approved college courses.

Ten days ago, I buried Rick Claar, my best friend of over 50 years.  I am sure we can all relate, on some level, to how painfully difficult that can be to do.   He was not supposed to die.  Not just yet, anyway.  I did not want to go to the showing.  I did not want to go to the funeral.  I did not want to deliver the eulogy.  But I did.  With the support of my wife and my siblings I was able make it through all three.

The shock and denial of his passing seemed to fade very quickly.  But only because my anger with his death and the main reason for it was banging at my emotional door to let it in.  And now that it’s in, I don’t know when it will be leaving so I can begin to accept it and heal.

Sometime before my friend’s death, he was diagnosed with COVID-19.  He was not vaccinated.  He had made that choice not to be vaccinated.  I knew Rick’s politics, at least on a national level, were conservative.  I knew he voted for and supported Donald Trump. 

But I also knew how much he cared for others and how much he did for so many people.  Rick worked for the Woodmore Local School District for many years and the students and administration loved him.  He was also the Mayor of Elmore and an Elmore Councilman for 18 years prior to that.  Everything he did was for the students, staff and faculty at Woodmore and for the citizens of the Village of Elmore.  They were his life and he loved being there and working for them.

Rick had so much more to do, so much more to give, and more great plans to make Elmore a great place to live and raise a family and Woodmore a school to receive a great education.  That is why it is so hard to understand why he chose not to protect himself, to stay healthy so he could continue to serve his school and his community.  It does not make sense to me and makes me very angry.  Very sad, of course, but still so angry.

I live in Fulton County which is a heavily leaning conservative/Republican/red county in the red state of Ohio.  The latest statistics show Fulton County approximately 50% of the population having received the first dose of the COVID vaccine.  This is over 10% less than the state average and over 20% less than the national average.

The unvaccinated justify their choice in many ways.  The vaccines are unproven, it violates my freedom of choice, it goes against my religion, I’ve already been infected and survived, I don ‘t have time.  And the more outlandish reasons/excuses.  It’s all about government control, it contains a tracking chip, it doesn’t align with my politics. it’s all just a big hoax pushed mainly by big pharma.  The list goes on and on.

As we head into the holiday season and get together with friends and loved ones, I ask all that are unvaccinated to please reconsider your choice.  The pandemic is far from over. Look at those friends and family members when you are with them and imagine you not being there for them.  I know you do not want contract this virus and you do not want to infect anyone else.  You do not want to get sick.  You do not want to die too young.  You do not want to burden your family with having to arrange your funeral.  And trust me on this.  You do not want your best friend to give your eulogy too soon.

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The Swanton Bulldogs roared out to a 20-4 lead after the first quarter then watched the visiting Edgerton Bulldogs whittle that gap down to five points with just over two minutes remaining in the game before holding off the visitors at the free throw line to win 57-45.  Nic Borojevich, who led all scorers with 27 points on the night, sank 9 of 10 foul shots in the fourth quarter to spoil the Edgerton upset bid as Swanton won their sixth game in as many tries this season

Edgerton stayed within 16 points at the end of the half, 30-14, and managed to pull within 12 entering the fourth quarter.  The “other” Bulldog team kept the pressure on throughout the fourth, slowly chipping away at the Swanton lead until they were down just 46-41 with 2:16 left on the clock.

Needing to foul to get the ball back, Edgerton sent the hometown Bulldogs to the line 19 times in the final quarter where Swanton converted 15 of those opportunities to keep their perfect record intact.

Also scoring for Swanton was Kayden Davis with seven points.  Sam Betz and Lathan Pawlowicz had six points each.  Cole Mitchey added five points while Luc Borojevich scored four and Drew Smigelski had two.

Click on the link above to access all 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.