The Swanton Lions Club has officially scheduled their widely popular Halloween Hoopla for Saturday, October 26, 2024, from 3:00-5:00 PM in Downtown Swanton. With the five-day gap between the Hoopla date and the traditional Halloween date, the Village of Swanton has decided to schedule their Trick-or-Treat night for Thursday, October 31, 2024.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/o6xGWaKeLWn8ckrRA
If you ever need assistance organizing an event for hundreds of people to help them understand why and when they must give more money to the government, DO NOT contact the Office of the Lucas County Engineer for “How To” lessons. If you were anywhere in the vicinity of the Swanton Public Library on Chestnut Street between the hours of 3:00 PM and well beyond the scheduled 7:00 PM allotted time, you were witness to, what many described as, a “cluster ____.” And what a cluster it was.
The event by was put on by the Office of the Lucas County Engineer (LCE) to allow property owners affected by Joint-County Ditch Improvement Petition filed by the Village of Whitehouse on March 20, 2021, to ask questions of LCE personnel. Unfortunately, the resources devoted to the meeting were woefully inadequate with only six LCE employees to separately respond to every individual property owner’s questions and concerns. And, with all due respect to the Swanton Public Library and its employees, the venue was far too small and completely unsuitable. It appeared the LCE totally misjudged the response to the event and they were absolutely overwhelmed and under staffed.
The end result was hundreds of people waiting outside in a Cedar Point-like queue in the hot sun with temperatures in the mid-80’s. The queue began at the door of a room in the back of the library with the six LCE personnel serving one customer at a time then spilled down the hall, past the front desk, out the door, turned east then north down the sidewalk and finally into the parking lot. Both the library and Pilliod Park parking lots were filled and the overflow vehicles took up a lot of the grassy areas in Pilliod Park and Rotary Park to the west.
There were also several dozen people gathered around Mike Pniewski, Lucas County Engineer, firing off questions and trying to get answers in a very chaotic atmosphere. As you would expect, emotions ran high as some people talked over others and Mr. Pniewski struggled to give answers quickly enough before being pelted with more questions. What possibly exacerbated the situation was the initial distribution of information cards to land owners with significantly inaccurate assessment values, which the LCE attributed to a computer glitch. A new set of cards were mailed out but this created a serious credibility issue for the LCE.
I do not know why another venue such as the gymnasium at Swanton High School could not have been used or more LCE personnel could have been assigned to handle the response. It would have kept everyone out of the weather and there would have been a lot more room to set up separate queues for easier and quicker flow and to field more questions. School is not in session right now but the library was open as normal until 7:00 PM today.
Without commenting on the necessity of the ditch improvement project and annual maintenance fees for the Swan Creek Watershed, the implementation of this project has been poorly handled. When you are telling taxpayers they are required to pay more, it should never be done in the hit-and-run manner that the Lucas County Engineer used today. They deserve better. Another Q&A session is set for next week, 7/30/24 at the Whitehouse Village Hall from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM. The hall is located at 6925 Providence Street in Whitehouse. I do not know the venue’s capacity, but I would recommend you get there early and bring a lunch.
Click on the link above to access photos from the meeting.
Photo: Mike Pniewski, Lucas County Engineer addressing the crowd.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/iPzxs8MXRQiHQ2nN7
Click on the link above to access photos from the parade. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded for NO CHARGE courtesy of the fultoncountymedia.com website.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/hZqnbEL92kgnXX7Y6
Click on the link above to access photos from Friday evening and the Saturday morning car show at the 2024 Delta Chicken Festival. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded for NO CHARGE courtesy of the fultoncountymedia.com website.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ELZ5oqiwdPnEtbGC7
The Archbold-based U14 Thunder Softball team rallied from five runs down in the fifth inning to pull within two but ran into a rule-imposed time limit and fell 5-3 to the Toledo Wizards in the Classic Fast Pitch Softball Tournament at Maumee’s Rolf Park yesterday. The Thunder struggled early against the Wizards’ ace, Luna Gallup, who struck out the first eight batters she faced. However, the Thunder bats began to boom in the fifth inning, scoring three times, but came up short when the last out of the fifth was made just after the time expired.
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.
SACC Press Release:
We’re thrilled to announce the sale of the 100 Zeiter Way building, a location that has seen many transformations over the years. From serving as a police station, a rest station during corn fest, to housing our Chamber office, it has been a cornerstone of our community. We are incredibly excited about what it will soon become. We think you will think it’s pretty sweet, too. Stay tuned for the full announcement!
Despite the sale, it will be business as usual for the Swanton Area Chamber of Commerce. Our Executive Director, Delray Busch, will continue to:
-Engage with Local Businesses: You’ll find her visiting local businesses and fostering a supportive community environment.
-Support Local Commerce: She will be a regular at local coffee shops and restaurants, demonstrating our commitment to supporting fellow business owners.
-Stay Accessible: She remains just an email or phone call away, always ready to assist and engage with the community.
By selling the building, the Chamber will save over $5,000 annually, not to mention the costs associated with potential repairs or unexpected expenses. These savings will enable us to reinvest in our community, support initiatives that drive growth and success for all local businesses, and ensure the Swanton Area Chamber of Commerce will be around for years to come.
We look forward to seeing the new incoming business’s positive impact on our community and are excited about the continued growth and development of downtown Swanton. Thank you for your continued support and trust in the Swanton Area Chamber of Commerce. Please note, our mailing address is PO Box 116 Swanton, OH 43558.
Please review our Facebook page for additional information.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/vdDbLZ1hjtnhNMjHA
Nobody does Independence Day Fireworks like the Village of Swanton. Village Officials and the Fire and Police Departments do an excellent job in organizing the festivities and keeping everyone safe. On Saturday evening, at Memorial Park, a fun-filled four-hour party began at 6:00 PM and culminated in 30 minutes of bombs bursting in air to the delight of the thousands of spectators gathered at the Park as well as back yards, front yards, parking lots and roadsides all around the Swanton community. Here are some photos from the ground activities at the Park before the main event.
Click on the link above to access photos from the night. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded for NO CHARGE courtesy of the fultoncountymedia.com website.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/HNNmna1uSNQQbtS69
The Swanton Lions Club held their annual Installation and Awards Dinner last Friday evening at the Swanton Community Center on Chestnut Street. The event is used to install new officers for the organization’s upcoming fiscal year which runs from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025 and to award selected members for their achievements during the previous year.
The new officers are as follows: Scot Lawson (President), Jeff Patch (Vice-President), John Bay (Second Vice-President), Dr. Penny Jones (Treasurer), Holly Lawson (Secretary), Lloyd Cass (Lion Tamer), Dawn Patch (Membership), Dr. Mark Jones (Tail Twister).
The Club also recognized members with milestone anniversaries. The Swanton Lions Club officially received its charter in 2009 and still has these six members active today after 15 years of dedicated service to the Swanton Community: Carolyn Kahl, Bill Witt, Matt Fetterman, Travis Weigel, Lloyd Cass and Dr. Mark Jones. Also recognized for their service was Holly Lawson with 10 years and John Bay who transferred in from the disbanded Delta Lions Club with an incredible 45 years of service with Lions Club International.
The final award of the evening was “Lion of the Year” which was given to Holly Lawson for her devoted contributions to the Lions Club and the Swanton Community in general as the organization’s secretary. The Club Secretary is the most demanding officer position, requiring a commitment to accurate and detailed record keeping, timely communication of Club information including event notifications and specifics and all meeting minutes. Holly has excelled at all these duties and is always deeply involved in every event and program the Club puts on. Her overall meticulous focus of the Club’s activities helps keep everything running smoothly.
The Swanton Lions will have a presence in this year’s Swanton Corn Festival then will be working to organize their biggest event of the year, the Halloween Hoopla. The Giving Tree program will follow that just prior to the winter holidays.
Click on the link above to access photos from the dinner. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded for NO CHARGE courtesy of the fultoncountymedia.com website.
Photo: Holly Lawson – Lion of the Year
https://photos.app.goo.gl/yH18AC8xZBFi3n4w7
This past Friday, in near perfect weather, the Swanton Athletic Boosters held its 36th Annual Golf Outing at Valleywood Golf Club. The entire course was filled with 36 four-person teams competing for the top spot in a best-ball scramble format. Coming in ahead of the rest of the field with a very i9mpressive score of -18 was the team of Steve Bloom, Mike Thompson, Mike Gorey and Brad Christensen.
Click on the link above to access photos from the golf outing. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded for NO CHARGE courtesy of the fultoncountymedia.com website.
Photo (L to R): Brad Christensen, Mike Gorey, Steve Bloom, Mike Thompson
https://photos.app.goo.gl/4c86QY6DKhc6ED447
Last Friday, June 14th, the Swanton American Legion Murbach Siefert Post 479 paid tribute to Swanton’s Boy Scouts of America Troop 208 for their 100st anniversary. After apologizing for missing the milestone last year, Legion Commander John Schmidt read a Proclamation honoring the troop that was formally chartered in 1923. The Proclamation also stated that the Swanton Legion has hosted Troop 208 for the past 95 years.
Following that observance, Post #479 held a ceremony to retire over 1,000 American Flags that had been collected from the Swanton community over the past year. According to the United States Flag Code, “The Flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.” When an American Flag is worn beyond repair, it should be retired in a respectful manner. Swanton Boy Scout Troop 208 assisted in the ceremony and the subsequent burning of the Flags outside, behind the Legion’s banquet hall.
Click on the link above to access photos from the ceremonies. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded fore NO CHARGE courtesy of the fultoncountymedia.com website.
Photo: Swanton Boy Scout leader Alan Raven holds the Legion Proclamation for Swanton BSA Troop 208
Fulton County Ohio Media 