Fulton County Ohio Media

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Along with family, friends, employees and Swanton Chamber of Commerce members, Angela and Le Nuhfer cut the ribbon to their newest PizzAroma location at 133 E. Airport Highway in Swanton.  The Nuhfers, along with their son Austin, moved into the space formerly occupied by Pisanello’s Pizza several months ago and began renovations.  Officially, the Swanton PizzAroma will be having their Grand Opening on Thursday, March 30, 2023.  Below is their story as they like to tell it:

PizzAroma’s Story:

Angela, Lee and Austin Nuhfer.  Wife, Husband, and Son! Just us three!  No business partners, no investors.  JUST US. A small family business living out her dream. We have been in the Pizza Industry for over 30 years.  February 2012 changed our lives forever!  We became owners of PizzAroma in Maumee.  We have owned this location for 11 years.  

On March 30, 2020 (Yes, right when the Pandemic started), we opened up our second location in Holland/Toledo.  We had been working on getting our second location open since September 2019….

So, needless to say, we had no other choice but to keep moving forward with our second location as we had put all of our blood, sweat, tears into it, with many emotional breakdowns. 

Three weeks after opening our second location and the start of Covid, I (Angela) was diagnosed with breast cancer!  To say we were devastated was an understatement!  2020 was a Nightmare! 

Fast forward to 2023.  NOW OPENING OUR 3RD LOCATION PizzAroma Swanton!  I (Angela) started at Marco’s Pizza when I was 14 making $4.25 an hour.  My life is Pizza 🍕 Lol.  Our local small family business is passionate about our product, service and image while loving what we do!  We are very excited to build relationships and help other local small family businesses strive!  We are thrilled and eager to help build and be a part of Swanton families along with our schools and communities. 

PizzAroma Offers:  Fundraisers – School Pizza Nights – Catering – Concessions – Benefits – Organization Events – Athletic Boosters – Team Dinners – All Communications with Schools – All Communications with Summer Fairs – Donations – Etc…..

Our Family is here to help with anything we can!  Thank you for giving us this opportunity to give a little story about our family PizzAroma 🍕

We look Forward to our GRAND OPENING IN SWANTON!!!! 

Hours are as follows: Mon-Thus (11am-9pm) * Fri-Sat (11am-10pm) * Sunday (12pm-9pm) Phone: 419-704-5945

Click on the link above to view photos and menus

The 2023 General Election, which will take place on November 7, 2023, may seem a long time from today and not worthy of much thought or consideration.  However, depending on your chosen level of political involvement in your community, the time to act could be fast approaching.  You may decide to run for political office or encourage someone else to step forward to serve their community while you support their effort.  If so, there is important work to be done to place your name, or any name, on a ballot.

A petition must be filled out and endorsed by a predetermined number of signatures by valid registered voters in the appropriate jurisdiction.  Every petition must be notarized and submitted to the Fulton County Board of Elections (FCBE) by 4:00 p.m. on August 9, 2023.  The petitions will then be reviewed by FCBE staff personnel to ensure compliance with Ohio Election Law.  If any petition is rejected for errors, such as an invalid signature, the process will be allowed to start again but the deadline will remain the same.

If the deadline is missed, an individual is allowed to file with the FCBE to be a write-in candidate.  The deadline for write-in candidates is 4:00 p.m. August 28, 2023.  A blank line will appear on the ballot for voters wishing to write in one of those candidates.  By the way, spelling counts.

I will always encourage everyone of legal age and qualified to register and vote to ensure their voice will be heard.  To have a stronger voice to help enact change or shape how you and your fellow citizens are governed, you will need to become more involved.  In smaller communities, such as we have here in Fulton County, filling ballots and making them competitive can be a struggle, leading to individuals to run unopposed or being appointed.  This essentially, denies the voters a true say in who runs their community.   Finding quality candidates is an even greater challenge but so vital to the welfare of every community.

To begin the process, if you are interested, I would recommend you visit the FCBE, located in Wauseon at 135 Courthouse Plaza just behind the Sheriff’s Office on the west side of Fulton Street.  Their hours are 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday thru Friday.  Their phone number is 419-335-6841 and their email is fulton@ohiosos.gov.

For information purposes, below is a list of seats that will be contested this November. Listing the incumbents in this editorial is not meant to be, in any way, a reflection on their performance while in office.

Fulton County Ohio Open Election Seats
Position	Jurisdiction	Incumbent	Petition Signatures	Filing Fee
Mayor	Archbold	Bradley Grime	50	$    30.00
Mayor	Delta	Frank Wilton	50	$    30.00
Mayor	Fayette	David Borer	10	$    30.00
Mayor	Lyons	Andrea Gleckler	10	$    30.00
Mayor	Metamora	Richard Sauerlender	10	$    30.00
Mayor	Swanton	Neil Toeppe	50	$    30.00
Mayor	Wauseon	Katherine Huner	50	$    45.00
Council	Archbold	Karla Ball	50	$    30.00
Council	Archbold	Kevin Eicher	50	$    30.00
Council	Archbold	Kevin Morton	50	$    30.00
Council	Delta	Anthony Dawson	50	$    30.00
Council	Delta	Lynn Frank	50	$    30.00
Council	Delta	Chad Johnson	50	$    30.00
Council	Fayette	Suzette Boesger	10	$    30.00
Council	Fayette	David Wheeler	10	$    30.00
Council	Lyons	Nelson Ebarnhiser	10	$    30.00
Council	Lyons	John Good	10	$    30.00
Council	Metamora	John Hudik	10	$    30.00
Council	Metamora	Karon Lane	10	$    30.00
Council	Swanton	David Pilliod	50	$    30.00
Council	Swanton	Dianne Westhoven	50	$    30.00
Council	Wauseon	Shane Chamberlin	50	$    45.00
Council	Wauseon	Scott Stiriz	50	$    45.00
Council	Wauseon	Brandon Tijerina	50	$    45.00
TWP Trustee	Amboy	Thomas Herr	25	$    30.00
TWP Trustee	Chesterfield	Clark Emmons	25	$    30.00
TWP Trustee	Clinton	Larry Neuenschwander	25	$    30.00
TWP Trustee	Dover	Larry Burkholder	25	$    30.00
TWP Trustee	Franklin	Michael Kinsman	25	$    30.00
TWP Trustee	Fulton	Scott Gillen	25	$    30.00
TWP Trustee	German	Kennet Leupp	25	$    30.00
TWP Trustee	Gorham	Eliot Richardson	25	$    30.00
TWP Trustee	Pike	Jon Ehrsam	25	$    30.00
TWP Trustee	Royalton	Neil Shaw	25	$    30.00
TWP Trustee	Swancreek	Gene Wilson	25	$    30.00
TWP Trustee	York	Mark Jones	25	$    30.00
BOE Member	Anthony Wayne	Jeffrey Baden	25	$    30.00
BOE Member	Anthony Wayne	Pam Brint	25	$    30.00
BOE Member	Anthony Wayne	Jayna Reagan	25	$    30.00
BOE Member	Archbold	Jeremy Hurst	25	$    30.00
BOE Member	Archbold	Tyson Stuckey	25	$    30.00
BOE Member	Evergreen	Nora Kiefer	25	$    30.00
BOE Member	Evergreen	Zachary Murry	25	$    30.00
BOE Member	Fayette	Ryan Eberly	25	$    30.00
BOE Member	Fayette	Kirk Keiser	25	$    30.00
BOE Member	Fayette	Jason Kessler	25	$    30.00
BOE Member	Liberty Center	Jeff Benson	25	$    30.00
BOE Member	Liberty Center	Todd Spangler	25	$    30.00
BOE Member	PDY	James Bower	25	$    30.00
BOE Member	PDY	Alice Simon	25	$    30.00
BOE Member	PDY	Tamara Sprow	25	$    30.00
BOE Member	Pettisville	Brent King	25	$    30.00
BOE Member	Pettisville	Scott Rupp	25	$    30.00
BOE Member	Swanton	Benjamin Remer	25	$    30.00
BOE Member	Swanton	David Smith	25	$    30.00
BOE Member	Wauseon	Larry Fruth	25	$    30.00
BOE Member	Wauseon	Stacia Radabaugh	25	$    30.00

In November of 2021, a representative of Delta’s North Star BlueScope Steel facility, Kirsten Fruchey, contacted Swanton resident and well-known local artist Nannette Sturtevant for help with a major art project.  The company, which is based in Australia, had contracted for Ms. Sturtevant’s talents many times in the past, when they had her paint landscape portraits of the front of the Delta plant for executives located at their Australian headquarters.  While she had completed a total of 30 portraits over many of the 25 years since the facility was constructed, this new request would prove to be an undertaking like nothing she had ever even attempted before.

North Star asked Nannette to produce 33 10”x20” acrylic framed portraits similar to the ones she had created in the past and complete the project by June of 2022.  The portraits were to be given as gifts during the company’s holiday party in December to all the employees who had worked there all of the 25 years of the facilities existence.  Nannette, a graduate of Ringling College of Art & Design in Sarasota, Florida, was chosen to create these unique works of art because of her skill, talent and well-known reputation as an artist in Northwest Ohio.  Her works can be found in many homes and businesses in the area and at the Fulton County Museum in Wauseon as well.

Ironically, Ms. Sturtevant also had several connections to the steel plant long before she provided that first portrait.  At the time, she was living in Delta when construction began and, as a member of the Delta Chamber of Commerce, had an opportunity to meet some of the North Star executives involved in the construction project.  Her husband Scott helped build the plant while working for Rudolph Libbe Inc. who had been contracted to build the facility and the property on which the plant sits, was purchased from one of Scott’s cousins.

With 33 portraits to complete in just a relatively short time, Nannette had to try a very different strategy to meet the deadline.  Essentially, she employed an “assembly line” method to the process which drastically reduced the set up and prep time for the labor-intensive endeavor.  “I painted the sky, sky, sky, sky and so on,” she said.  “I had enough mixed up and used that color up and then I did the grass and the grass and the grass.  The last part was the steel mill and their sign.  Those tiny letters had to be perfect.”

Because it is impossible to duplicate each brush stroke from one painting to the next, every portrait is different from all the others and all are uniquely special.  Nannette was able to complete the project by the end of May, well ahead of the deadline, allowing several portraits to be given out right away and the rest in December.  Ms. Sturtevant is also a member of the Swanton Fine Arts Committee and enters pieces every year in the Swanton Chamber of Commerce’s Fine Arts Exhibit held at Valleywood Golf Club in October.

Pictured: Nannette Sturtevant with North Star BlueScope Portrait

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On Thursday, the Swanton Middle School’s award-winning Swanton Seven Initiative (SSI) held the first round of the Amazing Shake for all seventh-grade students.  The Amazing Shake is a competition that focuses on building soft skills in students, placing strong emphasis on manners, discipline, respect, and professional behavior. To demonstrate these skills, students worked their way through “The Gauntlet.”  There were 23 stations in “The Gauntlet” and each put students’ abilities to the test.  Each student had to show great poise and confidence in personal interactions as well as exhibit effective management skills.  And, they were given just 90 seconds at each station.

The stations included, among other challenges, several interviews, circles of conversation, knowledge of current events and popular faces in the news, business dining skills, telephone skills, appointment skills and business dress skills.  Every student was graded on a scale of 1-10 by volunteers from the local business community, community leaders, academic leaders and other professionals.  Scores were totaled and 21 students were chosen to move on to the next round.  Eventually, one winner will be selected and will be sent to Atlanta to compete in the national competition at the Ron Clark Academy next year.  The Ron Clark Academy is a highly-acclaimed, non-profit middle school that has received both national and international recognition for its success in creating a loving, dynamic learning environment that promotes academic excellence and leadership.

The 21 students that achieved the highest scores are as follows:

Gavin Voight   Christian Bulter   Gabriella Hites   Cara Ludlow   Brynn Godwin   Julianna Avery   Kinley Curtis  Wyatt Rhodes   Evelyn Ventimiglia   Leah Baldwin   Landon Hendricks   Christian McCarthy   Beyla Remer  Lacey Shinaver   Greg McGowan   Stella Menna   Charles Meyer   Lara Carrizales   Aiden Stevenson   LilyAnn Gasche  Madelyn Pelland

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

At approximately 2:30 PM on Friday, February 24^th, two crews of Swanton Fire and Rescue Division (SFRD) paramedics were dispatched to the Swanton Meadows Trailer Park in the Ai community of Fulton County on a medical emergency.  En route, the paramedics, Colin Fessenden, Jeff Dawson, Drew Brennan, Bryan Pouter and EMS intern Natalie Smith, were informed the emergency might involve a pregnancy and a language barrier as well. To further complicate the situation, an incorrect trailer lot number was communicated to the crews causing a delay in the response time.

When the crews finally arrived, they were unable to get a response from anyone inside after repeated shouting and knocks on the door.  They entered the home, searched several rooms and went back outside and called for law enforcement assistance.  Soon after, they heard a scream from just inside the front door, reentered and discovered a young woman who had crawled from the back of the trailer, laying on the floor.  Dawson, a 34-year veteran who was working with this crew for the first time, was the first one in, followed by Fessenden.  They quickly assessed the situation and began to administer care.  Within five minutes, the Swanton paramedics, who had been treating one patient, were tasked with treating two, the second one a fragile and vulnerable newborn.

“She just kind of sat back and we were outside getting things ready and we turned around and he (Fessenden) looked as said, ‘Baby!’ and there it was,” said Dawson.  “So, we just delivered it, clamped it off, cut the cord and the baby started spontaneously crying.  We warmed it up, took it out to the truck as they took care of mom and then suctioned the infant.  Mom and baby did fine on the way to the hospital.”

What made this story even more amazing was how fast the events transpired from the time the call came in at 2:30 PM to the birth of the child at 2:56 PM, a mere 26 minutes, most of which was travel time to the scene.  Combined with the obstacles of dealing with the language barrier, where the mother spoke no English and none of the crew spoke Spanish, delivering the baby inside a house trailer rather than a sterilized hospital delivery room with a complete maternity staff, and all but one of the crew with no actual emergency birthing experience, the outcome was nothing short of a miracle. 

Despite the varying levels of training and experience among the crew members and the short time they had worked together, they all worked in sync, each knowing and executing their specific responsibility.  “We looked like we have worked together for six years,” stated Pouter.  “It went as smooth as it could for this situation,” added Dawson.  “Some people never do it in their career.  It’s a life experience.”

Two weeks later, mother and child were reported still doing well according to Swanton Fire Chief Ed Dziengelewski.  The Chief commended all the members of his crew for their efforts in the chaotic situation and praised the Fulton County Dispatchers for their help, including providing a translator to tackle the language barrier.  They did exactly what they were supposed to do, hands down,” he said.  “The crew handled everything perfectly.  I couldn’t ask for anything better.”

At the next Swanton Village Council meeting on Monday, March 13, 2023 at 6:00 PM, a proclamation will be read in honor of the SFDR crew members and their commendable efforts of that day.

Photo: Swanton FRD Paramedics L to R) – Colin Fessenden, Jeff Dawson, Bryan Pouter, Drew Brennan, (Not Pictured) Natalie Smith

The Village of Swanton posted this note on their website on February 6, 2023.  It was a wrap-up of 2022 with a cursory look at what may be in store for 2023.

Let’s take a quick look at what your Village Council accomplished in 2022.

First of all, you elected 4 brand new individuals to Village Council. They all expressed a desire for transparency and growth. And they hit the ground running with their colleagues.

One of the very first actions they took was to establish a Live Streaming Policy that promotes greater access and awareness of the issues before the village and how they approach decision making. Now anyone may watch a Council, Commission, or Committee meeting on their computer in real time or at their leisure. And, by the way, a new microphone has been installed so meetings can be more clearly heard. It will be in operation at the next Council meeting.

The next action council took was to establish an Economic Development Commission. That happened last September. An introduction and orientation of the new Economic Development Commissioners will take place on February 8^th. The new commissioners will be announced at the next Council meeting on February13th. The purpose of this commission will be to work to develop a plan for economic growth. Someone once said that the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The person who plants the tree likely will never sit under the shade it offers nor enjoy the fruit that it bears. Similarly, the establishment of an Economic Development Commission is that seed that is being planted. It is a beginning, albeit long overdue.

Council also approved the establishment of a Dedicated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA). Council held three reading of this ordinance and listened to the input from many community members. They modified the original proposal in response to residents’ input and concerns. The DORA has been approved by the State of Ohio, signage has been ordered and the establishments have been given state approval.

This past year we also saw several businesses give their buildings a much-appreciated face lift. We are looking forward to even more improvements this spring and summer.

You also may have noticed that the village contracted to have about 600 sidewalk sections ground down. This was much needed and appreciated. Sidewalks sections that protruded less than two inches were ground flat.

Memorial Park has a brand-new fantastic playground area.

The brush pick-up policy has been changed to better accommodate the needs of the residents

Sewer separation and road repaving projects were completed.

We hired a new Fire Chief, Village Administrator, and Billing Clerk. Several firefighters, EMTs and Paramedics were also added to the village roster.

And get ready for a new pizza shop to open on Airport Highway and a new retail shop to open in the space left vacant by Younique Boutique. A child day care will also be opening next to the Board of Education.

These are exciting times for Swanton. Watch us grow!

Yours Truly,
Mayor Neil Toeppe

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Last Wednesday night in the first game of the Dlll District Semi-Final game at Napoleon High School, the Archbold Blue Streaks took on the #3-State Ranked Toledo Emmanuel Christian Warriors and their highly touted sophomore Jerry Easter ll.  Seeded #8, the Streaks battled the #1 seeded Warriors throughout the contest and trail by only four points with just over a minute left before giving up the final three points of the game to lose 58-51.  Entering the game as heavy underdogs to the 20-3 Warriors, the 13-11 Blue Streaks had to contend with a major height disadvantage, with their tallest player, 6’3” Micah Nofziger and the rest of the team going up against a very quick line-up featuring players of 6’8”, 6’6”, 6’5”, 6’5” and 6’3”.

As expected, the Warriors started fast and took nine-point lead before the Streaks came back to trail 13-7 after one.  It was obvious Archbold would have to rely on their outside shooting and did so in the second quarter with three of their eight triples to pull within 24-21 by halftime.  Emmanuel Christian pulled away again in the third quarter, taking 45-36 lead into the final period where they would hold on to advance to the District Finals against the Wayne Trace Raiders.

Archbold:  7-14-15-15 = 51   Jayden Seiler (16), Cade Brenner (15), Sonny Phillips (7), Evan Wendt (6), Chase Miller (3), Stephen Diller (2), Micah Nofziger (2)

Emmanuel Christian 13-11-21-13 = 58   Jerry Easter (24), Jalen Brown (13), Nate Miles (11), Jamie Rivers (6), Tylin Patterson-Davis (4)

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: Jayden Seiler drives around Jamie Rivers

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Neither the Swanton Bulldogs, nor their opponent, the Wayne Trace Raiders were honed in on the basket on Wednesday night at Napoleon High School, but the fourth-seeded Raiders had just enough offense to upset the second-seeded Bulldogs 41-29 to advance to the Dlll District Finals against the Emmanuel Christian Warriors, a 58-51 winner over the Archbold Blue Streaks in the early game.  Wayne Trace held a 6-5 advantage after the low-scoring first quarter, but were able find the range in the second, racking up 15 points as Swanton continued to struggle from the field, failing to reach double digits and trailed 21-9 at the half.

The Bulldogs found their offense in the third quarter, scoring 14 points and pulling within five at 28-23.  However, their shots, for the most part, could not find the bottom of the net and the Raiders sealed the win by hitting five of five free throws down the stretch.

It was a disappointing end to another very successful season for Swanton boys’ basketball team and for the six seniors who played their final basketball game in a Bulldog uniform.  All were an integral part of a two-year run that saw them win 38 games, have an undefeated NWOAL Championship and capture a Sectional Title against only nine loses.

Wayne Trace:  6-15-7-13 = 41  Brooks Laukhuf (21), Kyle Stoller (15), Tanner Laukhuf (2), Tyler Davis (2), Cale Winans (1)

Swanton:  5-4-14-6 = 29   Luc Borojevich (7), Charlie Wood (6), Drew Smigelski (5), Hayden Callicotte (5), Cole Mitchey (4), Keyon Johnson (2)

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: Luc Borojevich hits for two.

At last evening’s Swanton Lions Club meeting, Lions District OH-1 Governor Dave Stockum presented Ten Year Milestone Chevron Awards to David “Jeff” and Dawn Patch.  Both award certificates read:

Congratulations on completing ten years as a Lion.  To commemorate and recognize your years of service I am presenting you with the enclosed Milestone Chevron Award.  Presented by Lions Clubs International, the Chevron Award is aptly named after the chevron symbol in reference to a badge or insignia indicating rank or length of service.  Your commitment to providing many years of service as a member of our association is honorable and commendable, as you have touched the lives of many. 

From the smallest project to the largest undertaking, your years of service have made an impact in your community.  Lions Clubs International recognizes the anniversaries of members like you because they are a reminder of the milestones in our lives.  The ripple effect of your service has touched the lives of many, and given us the opportunity to celebrate, commemorate and carry our long legacy of kindness forward into the future.  You understand that Together We Can achieve greater things.  And thanks to you we will.

Congratulations once again on your milestone.  I wish you many more healthy and happy years to continue your personnel commitment to service.  Continue to make a great day for you and others by being a great Lion.

The certificate was signed by Lions International President Brian E. Sheehan.

The Lions Milestone Chevron Award for Service is an impressive and well-deserved honor but for the Patches, it goes much deeper than that.  Jeff and Dawn, are two dedicated individuals who embody the spirit of community service through their work with the Swanton Lions Club.  You will see them at every Lions-Sponsored event such as the Halloween Hoopla, Easter Egg Hunt, Giving Tree, Adopt-A-Highway, the American Flag Program, Blood Drives and more.  Jeff and Dawn work diligently behind the scenes to raise funding and awareness for many worthy causes such as vision-related disorders, diabetes, heart disease and others.  Their children, David and Hannah, were taught the importance of giving back to your community as members of the Club’s youth affiliate, the Swanton Leos.  For them, community service in Swanton was, and still is, a family mission.  We are very fortunate to have them and the Lions Club in our town.

Photo: Jeff & Dawn Patch, Dave Stockum

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The end of a great season for the Delta Panthers Boys basketball team came last Friday night at Wauseon High School where they lost to a very talented Wayne Trace Raiders team 63-40.  Delta struggled to find an answer to the Wayne Trace scoring duo of Kyle Stoller and Brodks Lankanf who combined to score 49 of the Raiders’ points and also controlled the boards at both ends of the court.  The Raiders broke on top immediately and led 20-8 after the first quarter and 33-18 at the half.  Both teams scored 11 points in the third before Wayne Trace put the game away with a 19-11 scoring advantage in the final quarter.  The Panthers finished the season with a very impressive 17-6 record.

Wayne Trace:  20-13-11-19 = 63   Kyle Stoller (29), Brodks Lankanf (19), Tanner Lankanf (6), Hudson Myers (4), Caden Stein (3), Tyler Davis (2)

Delta:  8-10-11-11 = 40   James Ruple (12), Nolan Risner (12), Bryar Knapp (5), Bryce Gillen (5), Justin Ruple (2), Luke Reinhard (2), John Brasher (2)

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: Delta Senior Nolan Risner at the line.