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Click on the link above to access photos from the coronation. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded for NO CHARGE courtesy of the fultoncountymedia.com website.
Photo: 2023 Delta High School Homecoming Queen Danica Ford
One benefit that voters have in any upcoming election between an incumbent and their opponent is an opportunity to research the incumbent’s track record while in office to determine if they deserve another term. The progressive initiatives Mayor Neil Toeppe has been able to implement the past two years, with the blessing of the current Village Council, have brought the Village of Swanton well ahead of its long stagnation of years past. I say only two years because Mr. Toeppe’s initial efforts were completely obstructed by angry and resentful Council leaders who placed their grudge-held sentiments of the new mayor before the needs of the Swanton citizenry. Fortunately, two years after Mr. Toeppe defeated eight-year incumbent mayor Ann Roth, four Council members were replaced and the Village finally began to move forward and has been on a fast track ever since.
What I believe to be the most important accomplishment of the mayor’s current tenure was the implementation of Live Streaming of all of the Village’s meetings. Basically, it brought complete transparency and full disclosure of Council proceedings into the home of all constituents or anywhere they happen to have access to the internet. These meetings can be viewed in real time or at any time, day or night, for the next 12 months. No longer do we have to be in attendance or wait two or more weeks to receive a copy of abbreviated and sanitized meeting minutes. Watching the proceedings tells the viewer not only what is said, but how it is said and what the visceral feelings are of the individual players towards an issue as well as the overall mood in the room. Nothing is hidden.
Mayor Toeppe was also able to create an Economic Development Commission (EDC), an all-volunteer group of business and community leaders who now work on bringing more business opportunities to the Village to help increase the tax base. With an increase in economic development comes an increase of business taxes, thereby lessening the tax burden of the hard-working citizens of Swanton. More tax revenue will allow the Village to maintain and improve its services to its residents and provide quality health and safety assistance through its Police Department and Fire and Rescue Division.
Recently, under the Toeppe administration, a DORA (Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area) was established in downtown on Main Street. It allows drinking establishments within the area to place tables and chair outside in front of their business and serve adult beverages. Block parties were organized this summer in the DORA, bringing more business into the community and again, more tax revenue that benefits everyone in the Village.
Another major asset Mayor Toeppe brings to the table is his almost 21 years serving as the Executive Director of the Swanton Area Chamber of Commerce. Through this position and his time as Mayor, he has constructed an enormous resource network composed of business and political leaders throughout the State of Ohio. He has used these resources to make informed decisions and recommendations to Council on ways to maintain high standards of service to the citizens of Swanton and to do so in a fiscally responsible manner.
Neil Toeppe is an excellent communicator. He responds to people’s questions and concerns he sees on social media, publishes important messages and information on social media as does the Village Administrator and reinstated the Mayor’s Report at all Council meetings. On sensitive issues, Neil has been known to knock on people’s front doors to allow them to explain their grievances in person without having to make an appointment with the Village Office. His soft-spoken tone and calm and friendly demeanor make him very approachable and gives other the confidence that he will listen and take their concerns seriously. At the same time, he is clear-eyed and pragmatic and will tell someone when a problem cannot be quickly resolved.
In full disclosure, I have served on the Swanton Area of Commerce Board for approximately eight years, working with Neil and other board members to support the Chamber’s members and their businesses. I have witnessed the many great things he has done for this community working behind the scenes through the Chamber. Have you seen downtown lately? It is a complete transformation. No more do I see those “ghost town” postings referring to Main Street of Facebook. Neil Toeppe has been the catalyst behind the amazing change. His assistance in helping my family bring back the Swanton Sports Center was invaluable and still continues today.
More full disclosure. I am not a member of Mr. Toeppe’s campaign nor have I made any financial contributions towards his re-election, but I do fully support it. That being said, early voting has begun and no matter where your loyalties lie, the important thing is to exercise your right to vote. One way or the other, get to the polls and set the example for others. It may be a cliche, but every vote counts.
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Here is a list of the artists who were awarded ribbons from the panel of judges for the 9th Annual Swanton Fine Arts Exhibit and Sale sponsored by the Swanton Area Chamber of Commerce and held at Valleywood Golf Club this past weekend. First Place won a Blue Ribbon, Second Place won a Red Ribbon, Third Place won a White Ribbon and Honorable Mention won a Grey Ribbon.
Acrylic: First Place – Susan Miller of Morenci (MI), Second Place – Steve Mueller of Holland, Third Place – Steve Mueller of Holland, Honorable Mention – Beth Stewart of Sylvania.
Drawing: First Place – Debra Buchanan of Toledo, Second Place – Karrie King of Swanton, Third Place – Karrie King of Swanton
Mixed Media: First Place – Judy Kahle of Wauseon, Second Place – Kenneth Jackson of Holland,
Oil: First Place – Alexandra Lederman of Swanton, Second Place – Don Rowland of Toledo, Third Place – Denis Chalwick of Toledo
Photography: First Place – Bill O’Connell of Swanton, Second Place – Bill Meyers of Grand Rapids, Third Place – Bree Shulters of Swanton
Water Color: First Place – Harry Daugherty of Whitehouse, Second Place – Beverly Engler of Sylvania, Third Place – Michael Hill of Toledo, Honorable Mention – Cody Winter of Riga (MI)
Student Drawing: First Place – Allena Cosgrove of Wauseon Student Oil: First Place – Jordan Deaver of Swanton
Best of Show: Alisa Rowland of Toledo for Oil “Catch of the Day”
People’s Choice: Debra Burrows of Swanton for Oil “Baby Girl”
Click on the link above to view photos of the artwork in the exhibit.
Photo: “Baby Girl” People’s Choice Award by Debra Burrows of Debra’s Art World on Main Street in Swanton
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In thrilling, nail biting, heart pounding and edge of your seat fashion, the Swanton Lady Bulldogs defeated the Patrick Henry Lady Patriots 2-1 to bring home the NWOAL 8th-Grade Volleyball Championship. The match was played in front of a packed house at the Wauseon Middle School with a deafening and spirit-filled crowd, colored purple and white on one side and red, white and blue on the other.
Patrick Henry entered the match as a slight favorite, having defeated Swanton earlier this season and twice the year before, including for the 2022 NWOAL Title. The Lady Bulldogs, however, were very confident, sporting a 21-1 overall record with that one loss on the road. That confidence was evident as Swanton pulled away late in the first game for a 25-19 victory. In game two, the Lady Pats roared out to a 17-7 lead, let the Bulldogs get close, then closed out the 25-17 win to even the best-of-three match at one apiece.
The winner-take-all game three was everything you would want in a championship match, close and hard fought all the way. After Patrick Henry grabbed a 14-12 lead, Swanton quickly tied the score and neither team held more than a one-point advantage until the Lady Dogs went on top 24-22. The Patriots scored to close the gap and regain the serve but their next serve went out of bounds, giving Swanton the 25-23 victory and the NWOAL Volleyball Tournament Championship.
“I thought, talent-wise, we were evenly matched, but we play hard and we played smart,” said an elated Madison Albring, Swanton’s head coach and Swanton Middle School (SMS) science teacher. “This group of girls is tremendously special. Between school and travel, this is the 9th team that I’ve coached. I have found it is almost always the case that a team is either very talented OR very kind humans who get along well, but almost never both. This team overall is very talented, but they also all get along great off the court. They have a lot of fun together, and they are exceptional leaders not only on the court but in the classrooms and halls of SMS. During the regular season, as a middle school coach, I ensure that all of my girls get to play every match. But during the tournament, we play to win. Tonight, as hard as it is for me to sit anyone, three of my girls very graciously supported their team from the bench to make room for our most talented players to remain on the court for longer.”
“This team also comes with a group of wildly supportive and involved parents. They all did a lot for the team this season, but one parent that I would like to thank for helping us win is Ben Remer, father of star passer, Beyla Remer. He filmed every single set this season and made those videos available to anyone on the team who wanted them. At the request of the girls, we had our one and only Sunday practice the day before the championship. After we secured our spot in the finals with two decisive victories on Saturday, I went home and re-watched and analyzed our film from the last time we played Patrick Henry. This made it clear to me that in order to win, we needed to utilize the element of surprise. I have several big hitters who love to send over rockets, but we needed to mix it up. We worked on utilizing all of our hitters, as well as sneaking in some well-placed tips.”
“And finally, we had to not let them surprise us. Patrick Henry also has some big hitters who do a great job of mixing it up, so we had to be ready for it. In the middle of the match, we changed our defensive strategy. We were struggling to pick up their tips to the middle of the court, so I told my outside hitters to camp out in the middle of the court to pick them up. Those girls rose to the occasion and took away that hole in our defense. I have never been more proud of a group of girls, or more sad for a season to end. But I can’t wait to see what they do at Swanton High School. Go Dogs.”
Click on the link above to access photos from the match. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded for NO CHARGE courtesy of the fultoncountymedia.com website.
Photo – Front Row (L to R): Josalyn Kahl, Beyla Remer, Brynn Godwin, Julianna Avery Back Row (L to R): Gabryelle Smith, Marah Stinehelfer, Evelyn Ventimiglia, Stella Menna, Cara Ludlow, Lara Carrizales, Kinley Curtis, Lacey Shinaver Coach: Madison Albring
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The visiting Evergreen Vikings spoiled Homecoming Night for the Swanton Bulldogs with a 30-21 victory at David W. Hansbarger field on Friday evening. Swanton held an early lead at 7-3 in the second quarter before Evergreen rallied to go ahead before halftime.
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: Viking senior Riley Dunbar heads up field on a punt return.
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Swanton HS 2023 Homecoming Court
Queen – Peighton Manning
King – Jonah Rico
Freshman – (Landon Bolyard, Madilynn Stevenson)
Sophomores – (Hudson Pancoast, Lauren Bettinger)
Juniors – (Lillyanna Valderas, Evan Smigelski, Isabella Bonifas, David Bartlett)
Seniors – (Luke Arnold, Samantha Nelson, Olivia Gowing, Kaden Nofzinger, Brady Arnold, Sydney Ruiz, Kyleigh Shinaver, Brennon Mersing)
2022 Homecoming Queen – Katie Floyd
2022 Homecoming King – Drew Smigelski
Click on the link above to access photos from the coronation. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded for NO CHARGE courtesy of the fultoncountymedia.com website.
Photo: Drew Smigelski, Jonah Rico, Peighton Manning, Katie Floyd
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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.
Photo: Swanton seniors in front of their float
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The Evergreen Vikings used a strong clock-eating running attack to beat the Swanton Bulldogs 32-20 under the lights at Swanton’s Hansbarger Stadium on Tuesday night. All four touchdowns came by way of the ground game and the Vikings converted two-pointers after each. It was the season ending game for both teams.
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: Viking running back Hayes Studenka heads upfield as Bulldog defenders Brady Haselman (32) and Emillio Torres (23) close in for the tackle.
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It is time again for one of the best art exhibits in Northwest Ohio. The 9th Annual Swanton Juried Fine Art Exhibit and Sale will be open and FREE to the public on Saturday, October 14th and 15th at Valleywood Golf Club’s Banquet Room. This year the Swanton Chamber of Commerce hosts 38 artists from 17 cities. They will be presenting 103 pieces of Fine Art. Both adult and student art will be on exhibit. Categories include Acrylics, Drawings, Mixed Media, Photography, Oils and Water Colors.
Of the 103 pieces, 64 will be available for purchase. The total value of these pieces is $23,500.00. Prices range from $50.00 up to $1,400.00. The average price is $351.00. Twenty-seven percent of the art is from Swanton residents, 19% is from Toledo artists. Fulton County artists including Swanton, represents 34% of the art.
The artwork will be judged by three acclaimed jurists.
Erin Palmer Szavuly: Erin is an Associate Professor and Chairperson of the Art Department at Lourdes University in Sylvania and has been on the faculty since 1990. She studied at Bowling Green State University where she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts and her Master of Fine Arts degrees. She currently sits on the community boards of the Toledo Area Cultural Leaders, an art advocacy committee and the Toledo Federation of Art Societies.
Christine Deemer: Christine is the Art Curator for the Sisters of St. Frances and Lourdes University in Sylvania. She is a Fine Arts graduate from the University of Colorado and began her MBA studies at Regis University in Denver. Christine went on to earn her Master of Arts in Museum Studies at Western Illinois University in Macomb, Illinois. She has traveled extensively and has had the pleasure of visiting over 80 national and international museums.
Suzanne Schmidt: Suzanne holds a B.A.E Arts Specialist degree from The Ohio State University and a M.A.E. Fine Arts Major from the University of Toledo. She has 40 years as a public and private Art Teacher. Suzanne is a member of the Toledo Craftsman Guild and is a professional print maker, sculptor and artist.
The talent and skill displayed in these works of art is amazing can only be fully appreciated in person. Through the efforts of the Swanton Chamber of Commerce and many others, this exhibit has become a major draw for the best artists in the area and a must-see event for local art aficionados.
Click on the link above to view photographs from the 2022 exhibit
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Jack Tansel scored two goals and added an assist to lead the Bulldogs to a 5-3 victory on Senior Night this past Saturday at home. Also finding the back of the net was Landon Bolyard who scored with one second remaining in the first half to give Swanton a 2-1 lead at halftime. Evan Reinhard and Brendan Upham each had goals for the Bulldogs. Reinhard and Isaiah Bolyard contributed an assist to the winning effort. Prior to the game, a ceremony was held honoring seniors Branson Robledo, Owen Hansen, Dawson Garn, and Jack Carrizales.
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.
Photo: Seniors (L to R) with their families – Branson Robledo, Owen Hansen, Dawson Garn, and Jalen Carrizales.
Fulton County Ohio Media 