Fulton County Ohio Media

With the recent ending of the 2023 OHSAA Softball season, Macy Chamberlain of the Evergreen Lady Vikings received her last and most significant accolade when the junior, and Penn State University commit, was named to the OHSAA DIII Girls Softball First Team as a catcher.  It has been assumed, by many of those who have followed Macy’s career since she first stepped on the field as highly-touted high school freshman, that it was just a matter of time before she would be recognized at the highest level.  And now that times has arrived.  The All-Ohio honors came after Macy was named First team All-District, First team All-NWOAL and NWOAL Player of the Year. 

Obviously, what heavily factors when any choice is made by the selection committees, are the individual offensive statistics by the player.  Macy’s numbers this season were not just record setting, they were at video game level.   Her 2023 stats read like this:  Plate Appearances (75), At Bats (52), Hits (38), Batting Average (.731), Walks (23), On-Base Percentage (.813), Doubles (7), Home Runs (21), Slugging Percentage (2.077), Runs Batted In (44), Runs (32), Stolen Bases (8).  In one game she had three home runs, two of them with the bases loaded and nine RBIs. 

What may help put Macy’s 2023 performance at the plate in a better perspective are two considerations.  One, she played, debatably, the toughest and most physically demanding defensive position in softball, catcher.  Historically speaking, catchers are not often offensive statistical leaders due to the wear and tear the work takes on the body.  Two, Ms. Chamberlain come into this year already a well-known commodity.  In every game and every at bat, her reputation stepped into the batter’s box before she did.  Macy was feared as a hitter not just throughout the NWOAL, but by every opposing coach and every opposing pitcher who had to face her.  It was not surprising to see her issued a base on balls in almost one-third of her plate appearances, with many of those intentionally.

Macy Chamberlain has one more season of high school ball with her Lady Vikings before she packs her bags for Happy Valley and the campus of PSU.  She is a generational talent and one I know the Evergreen community appreciates and realizes how lucky they are to have been able to watch and be a part of.

Photo: Macy fires down to second base.

The Swanton Sports Center is hosting a craft show on Sunday, June 11, 2023 from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM with proceeds being donated to the fund-raising efforts for the new Swanton High School (SHS) Baseball/Softball Sports Complex to be located on the north side of the school’s campus.  The idea for this event is the brain-child of local craft artist, and one very busy lady, Renee Tufts.  Renee, who also works full time for Marco’s Pizza Distribution Center in Maumee and part-time as a cook for the Swanton Sports Center, has lived in Swanton for the past 15 years with her husband Kevin and daughter Tille (SHS ’22) and son Benjamin (SHS ’25).

She has been “crafting” for approximately 20 years, participating in many shows and decided to organize her own show for the benefit of Swanton Schools.  “I’m a non-profit girl at heart so, ’Who do I donate this to?’ My daughter played sports and my son is playing sports.  Being baseball and softball season, that was my first thought.  It was definitely a no-brainer that it needed to go back into the school system,” said Renee.

Ms. Tufts began her crafting career by sewing 1960’s and 1970’s vintage clothing items such as bell-bottom pants as well as doing a lot of patchwork art on purses and hand bags.  About six years ago she started working with an unusual and interesting type of material when she received a bowl made from a vinyl record.  “I repurpose old damaged vinyl records (33RPM and 45RPM) into everyday useful household items,” explained Renee.  “It’s everything functional, from drink coasters to coat racks and mail organizers.”

At this writing, there are 26 vendors that have signed on to be part of the show, guaranteed to bring a wide variety of crafts and artwork.  “There are so many different ideas out there and people’s passion flows right into their product.  It’s beautiful, it’s absolutely art in every form,” said Renee.

Also stepping up to the plate to help this event contribute to the cause and give the SHS baseball and softball players a much-needed updated sports venue, is the Swanton Sports Center, who is donating the hall and the Bulldog football team.  Renee’s husband is an assistant coach with the team and her son will be a junior for the Bulldogs this fall.  The players will be helping with the set-up and tear-down for the show.

In addition to all the wonderful crafts that will be on display, there will be a 50/50 Raffle and a Raffle Table.  For those who work up an appetite while perusing the tables full of craft items, there will be two food trucks. Cruising Cuisine, offering stir-fry, rice bowls, burgers and brats and Wanna Make ‘Er Loaded with wraps and salads. 

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Click on the link above to access photos from the day. 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 American Legion Murbach-Siefert Post 479 Commander Richard Maynhart salutes the flag during the playing of the National Anthem

Following an executive session during their May 22nd meeting, the Swanton Village Council voted to hire Swanton Police Officer John Trejo to fill the vacated position of Police Chief. The position became open when nine-year Chief Adam Berg resigned to take another position with the Archbold Police Department.

When the Village posted the opening, it received 15 applications and pared those down to three. After second interviews were conducted by Mayor Neil Toeppe, Administrator Shannon Shulters and Councilman Mikey Disbrow, Officer Trejos’ name was recommended to, and subsequently approved by the Council.

Chief Trejos spent almost 20 years with the Fulton County Sheriff’s Department, including some time serving with the K-9 Unit. He was then hired by the Village in February of 2019. He began his position as Chief on Sunday, May 28th and will draw a salary of $63,500.

Photo: Chief Trejo and Mayor Toeppe just prior to the 2023 Swanton Memorial Day Parade.

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The Swanton Lions Club held their annual golf outing last week at White Pines Golf Course in Swanton to raise funds for some of their charitable good works, including scholarships for selected Swanton High School graduating seniors. Once again, Co-Owner Karen Gerken and the White Pines staff were more than accommodating and served a great meal to the golfers at the end of the day. The course was in great shape despite all the rain from the day before. One hole, in particular, proved to be some what of a “drag” for many of the golfers but everyone enjoyed it.

The Swanton Lions Club would like to thank all the golfers who participated in the outing and all the hole sponsors who generously contributed to the cause.

Click on the link above to access over 400 photos from the event. Photos are in the jpeg format to allow for editing and can be downloaded for NO CHARGE courtesy of the fultoncountymedia.com website.

Katlyn Floyd and Megan Haselman were each presented with the Joe D. Kahl Memorial Scholarship at the Swanton Lions Club meeting last evening.  The recipients of the $1,000 scholarships, named for long-time Swanton High School teacher and coach and founding member of the Swanton Lions Club, were selected on several criteria including community service hours, academic standing and level of extracurricular involvement during their high school careers.

Katlyn, or Katie, as she is known by to family and friends, volunteered well over 100 hours in various community activities over the past four years.  “Volunteering is an important part of my school and my community.  I enjoy volunteering my time and knowing that I make a positive difference in the lives of others in my community and as a member of society,” wrote Katie in her scholarship application essay.  She also was on the High Honor Roll 15 times, a member of the National Honor Society and was a Scholar Athlete in volleyball, basketball and track & field.  Katie will be attending Ohio Northern University and will be playing volleyball for the Lady Polar Bears.  She is exploring biochemistry as a major with a minor in business and has already earned her Cosmetology Degree from the Penta Career Center.

Megan has performed over 120 hours of community service and took on leadership roles in numerous volunteer activities.  “I believe volunteering is important not only for the benefits it gives to my community, but also for the valuable skills I gained from these opportunities.  All these volunteer experiences taught me life-long skills such as leadership and communication, both of which are extremely important,” Megan wrote in her scholarship application essay.  She also was on the High Honor Roll 16 times, ranking third of 105 in her class, a member of the National Honor Society, was a prolific goal scorer in soccer and played basketball and track & field.  Megan will be attending Kent State University and majoring in Business.

Both scholarship recipients, Ms. Floyd and Ms. Haselman, are role models for the Swanton Local School District and the Swanton area community.  The Swanton Lions Club is happy to help these outstanding individuals to achieve their life-time goals.

Photo: Katlyn Floyd (left) and Megan Haselman

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The Archbold Blue Streaks took a 6-1 lead into the top of the seventh inning in their OHSAA DIII Sectional Baseball Championship game against the Pauling Panthers at Archbold’s Memorial Park then watched the visitors battle back with five runs to tie the score then one more in the top of the eighth to take a 7-6 lead. Battling the wind and rain as well as the Panthers, the Streaks responded by loading the bases with no one out in the bottom half of the inning and rode Mason Siegel’s two-run single to an 8-7 victory.

Siegel’s clutch hit drove home Devon Morris for the tie and Krayton Kern with the winning run to advance to the DIII District Semi-Finals to be played at Defiance High School on Thursday at 5:00 PM against the Evergreen Vikings who defeated the Otsego Knights 9-5 in another Sectional-Final. Kern and Dominique Carson led the Blue Streak offense with three hits apiece. In addition to his walk-off two-RBI hit, Siegel had another hit and a walk.

Jayson Seiler started the game and threw seven innings in picking up the win under unusual circumstances. After issuing a leadoff walk to begin the seventh inning, Archbold head coach Dick Selgo replace Seiler with Kern. Kern had control issues, was replaced by Siegel who struggled with control as well. Seiler was then reinserted to get the final out of the seventh then pitched the eight inning and was the pitcher of record when came back for the win.

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: Devon Morris scores ahead of the throw,

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The Evergreen Vikings took full advantage of two errors, two hit batsmen and four hits to score seven times in the bottom of the first inning and went on to defeat the Fairview Apaches 14-8 at Simon Field in Metamora to open the OHSAA Sectional Tournament on Wednesday.

Hunter Vaculik slashed three singles, stole two bases, scored twice and drove in one run to power the Viking offense. Chase Kirk had three RBI with two singles, Isaac Overfield brought home two runs on two hits and Brady Kanneman singled home two runs to help stave off several Apache rallies. Cory Kanneman picked up the win on the mound allowing three earned runs on three hits, six walks and five strikeout. Jackson Grime had two singles, a double and three RBI for the Apaches.

Evergreen (10-13) now takes on the Otsego Knights (16-8) for the Sectional Title today at 5:00 PM at Otsego High School.

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: Hunter Vaculik drives a pitch into centerfield for one of his three hits in the win.

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The Swanton Bulldogs and the Montpelier Locomotives met at 5/3 Field, home of the Toledo Mud Hens, in downtown Toledo on a warm and sunny Tuesday afternoon in a non-league baseball game. Swanton broke a 2-2 tie with three runs in the bottom of the third inning and went on to beat Montpelier 9-3.

Bulldog senior Ryan O’Shea went the distance, pitching seven innings, giving up one earned run on five hits, one walk and eight strikeouts to pick up the win. O’Shea also helped his own cause with a single and two runs batted in. Drake Harris was 2 for 3 with three RBI. Leadoff hitter Luke Marlow had two hits and two runs scored. Trent Eitinear also had two hits and one run scored.

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.

It takes a lot of courage for any high school student, who is about to begin their senior year, to leave their home, their family, their friends and especially their country, to begin a nine-month educational adventure as a foreign exchange student in another country that they have never before visited.  It was a decision Arnau Gonzalez, a resident of Canet De Mar, a city in Spain of just under 15,000, about 30 miles from Barcelona, had contemplated for a couple of years.  Initially encouraged by his father to make the move in his sophomore year, Arnau did not feel he was ready at that time, but felt more comfortable as a senior and made the decision that brought him to the United States of America and Swanton, Ohio to be more precise.

Applying to become a foreign exchange student is a lengthy and complex process and applicants must meet a strict criterion.  “We started in October with an agency called United Studies.  You have to fill out paperwork with your grades for the last three years,” explained Arnau.  “Then through October, November, December they start asking you for more things like (academic) awards, blood test and other physical tests.  Everything has to be fine.”

Once he survived that process, he next had to apply for a visa, another red tape-filled procedure that required a road trip to Spain’s capital city of Madrid.  “It was difficult,” said Arnau.  “There is a consulate in Barcelona but they made me go to the (American) embassy in Madrid, a six-hour ride by car.  It is only open for five hours a day and they gave me a date of August 5^th and I was coming here July 30^th.”  Fortunately, the embassy was able to reschedule the appointment for a better time for Arnau and his mother to make the trip.  The appointment, in typical bureaucratic fashion, lasted 15 minutes, where he answered five routine questions, signed a document and got back on the road for the long ride back home.  “You got to be kidding,” Arnau remembered thinking to himself and wondering why something so simple could not have been handled by his local consulate.

Once he finally arrived in America, he was placed with Swanton resident Samantha Kies, who had hosted exchange students in the past.  Arnau was, of course, nervous and apprehensive about how he would be treated, as a foreigner, by his fellow students.  His fears were quickly allayed when he joined the Bulldog soccer team and attended his first practice.  Players befriended Arnau almost immediately and his soccer (Futbol) skills, along with his ability to speak English (mandatory school subject from first grade on) very well, allowed him to become accepted as one of the guys.  Youth sports in Spain, unlike here in America, are not a part of the education system.  Organized sports programs are conducted in what we would call a “club” format.  In the American education system, the inclusion of sports brings student athletes together for a large part of the day and facilitates a tight knit bonding experience.  This familiarity, combined with Arnau’s friendly and charismatic personality, made for a great experience for him and his now many American friends,

The Swanton High School Class of 2023 graduation is just a around the corner.  Unfortunately, Arnau has other pressing issues that will not allow him to walk with his fellow Bulldogs on that day.  He needs to return to Spain to take scheduled exams that will essentially decide his future.  How well he performs on these exams will be added to the grades he received during his last two years in high school.  His overall average will determine what to college he may apply and what he will be allowed to study.  “That’s all that matters.  Your last two years and those exams,” said Arnau, emphasizing the critical importance of his need to return home a little earlier than he would like.  His goal is to be accepted into a university to study law and become an attorney.  In Spain, students wanting to earn a law degree are not required to obtain an undergraduate degree prior to entering law school.

Swanton students, teachers and parents speak very highly of this young man from Spain and say he will be greatly missed. Arnau completely immersed himself in the educational and social culture of Swanton, Ohio, taking full advantage of his opportunity.  He was even able to take side trips to Chicago and New York City.  Chances are very good though, that America and Swanton have not seen the last of Arnau Gonzalez.  He plans to visit at least once a year in the near future.  There is no doubt he will be warmly welcomed back.

Photo: Arnau Gonzalez