ETC: Wood Co. Museum Tea & Talk series canceled; virtual talks set
Due to the ongoing pandemic, the Wood County Museum has canceled the Tea & Talk Program Series again this year.
“Please know that the Museum struggled with this decision, but the safety of the attendees comes first,” said Marissa K. Muñiz, Marketing & Events Coordinator. “The museum is excited to offer a few of the originally planned Tea & Talk Series programs virtually via Zoom.”
The Virtual History Series will be available online through a partnership with the North Baltimore Public Library, free of charge, on the second Thursday of each month at noon.
Visit the Wood County Museum website, woodcountyhistory.org, for schedule details or follow the museum on Facebook at Wood County Museum.
The Virtual History Series is presented by Edwin and Irma Wolf and Lynn and Betty Wineland.
For more info, call 419-352-0967 or email marketing@woodcountyhistory.org.
Theater groups collaborate
Three area theater companies are teaming up to produce a slate of live productions at the Ohio Theatre this spring.
The companies involved in the project include Children’s Theatre Workshop (CTW), Black Swamp Players (BSP), and Actors Collaborative Toledo (ACT).
The project is funded through the Community Resilience Fund from the Greater Toledo Community Foundation. The three organizations were awarded a total of $9,000 for a grant written by Aimee Reid, Executive Artistic Director of CTW. They are collaborating on co-producing each other’s productions with the intent to discover potential cost-savings opportunities and improved artistic and operational processes.
If successful, the companies will emerge from the pandemic with new partnerships and better theater experiences for artists and audiences alike.
Productions will begin in April with CTW’s “Honk, Jr.,” which will run April 16-18. From May 20-23, BSP will present Jane Martin’s “Talking With.” Finally, in June, ACT will stage Maddie Corman’s “Accidentally Brave,” from June 18- 20.
Additional info about performance times, safety protocols, and ticketing can be found on the individual organizations’ websites and on the Ohio Theatre website.
The Community Resilience Fund exists to address long-term recovery efforts of organizations as a result of the COVID outbreak. In 2020, the Greater Toledo Community Foundation disbursed a total of $247,824 to 23 area nonprofits for its Community Resilience Fund.
Golf outing planned
The High School Youth Group of St. Mark Lutheran Church, 611 Woodville Rd., will host its 14th Annual Golf Outing Saturday, June 5 at 8 a.m. at Legacy Golf Club, 7677 US 223, Ottawa Lake, Michigan.
The cost is $80 per golfer and includes lunch, a golf cart, desserts and prizes. Proceeds raised from the outing will help offset expenses for the youth to perform mission work in Northwest Ohio this summer.
Interested golfers may contact the church at 419-691-3597.
National Library Week
During National Library Week, April 4-10, and Ohio Library Week, April 5-9, the Wood County District Public Library encourages community members to visit the library or its website to explore and access services and programs.
WCDPL offers a wide array of online resources that are available at the library and from the comfort of one’s home, including a variety of adult and children’s programming, research databases and assistance, curbside pickup, personalized reading suggestions, and eMedia resources such as WCDPL OverDrive, hoopla, Flipster, and Tumblebooks.
National Library Week is an observance that highlights the essential role that libraries, librarians, and library workers play in transforming lives and strengthening communities. This year’s theme is, “Welcome to Your Library,” which promotes the idea that libraries extend far beyond the four walls of a building and that everyone is welcome to use their services.
For more info, visit wcdpl.org or follow WCDPL on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
Free downsizing workshop
Terra State Community College will host a free downsizing workshop on Saturday, April 10 from 9 a.m.-noon at the Ronald L. Neeley Conference & Hospitality Center on the Fremont campus.
The workshop is sponsored by the Kern Center’s Life Scholars program and St. Francis Senior Ministries of Tiffin.
The event will offer free professional advice and services for those who may be thinking about making a move to a smaller home or different living arrangements and may be struggling with that decision.
Industry experts will be available on a variety of topics. Vendor spaces will be set up as an open house, so guests do not have to stay the whole duration of the event. Keynote speakers will also be presenting.
A continental breakfast will be offered. Pre-registration is required due to social distancing guidelines. To save a spot, call the Kern Center at 419-559-2464 or register online at learn.terra.edu by searching “downsizing event.”
Plant sale set
The Sandusky/Ottawa Master Gardener Volunteers are sponsoring their 16th annual plant sale at the Sandusky County Fairgrounds on Saturday, May 1, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Numerous annuals, perennials and vegetable plants will be on sale, along with gardening-related items such as garden gloves and decorative pots. Master gardeners will be on hand to answer gardening questions. Masks must be worn and social distancing guidelines will be followed.
Master Gardener Volunteers provide such educational services to their communities as answering gardening questions from the public; conducting plant clinics; conducting gardening activities with children, senior citizens or disabled persons; beautifying the community; developing community or demonstration gardens and other horticultural activities.
This annual event is a fundraiser for the Master Gardeners to help them continue to provide these services to Ottawa and Sandusky county communities.
For more info, call the Sandusky County Extension office at 419-334-6340, email gahler.2@osu.edu or visit mastergardener.osu.edu.
Mud Hens approved for
30% attendance capacity
The State of Ohio has approved the Toledo Mud Hens safety plan to allow 30 percent capacity at Fifth Third Field when the season opens on May 4.
The team can now host up to 4,000 fans per game. The actual game-to-game capacity number will fluctuate between 2,700 and 4,000, depending on how seating pods are sold, in groups of one to six, with all social distancing protocols in place. The 30-percent capacity number is based on the seats available in the bowl plus the additional seating areas around the ballpark.
“We’d like to thank the Governor and Ohio Health Department along with our local health advisors for their support and guidance during this process,” said Mud Hens General Manager Erik Ibsen. “A lot of people put in a lot of hard work to get to this point; every approval brings us one step closer to normal. We are counting down the days till we can safely reopen and welcome our fans back.”
Fans can expect the 2021 Health and Safety protocols at every game: mandatory masks for all attendees age 2 years and above, socially distanced pod seating, designated entrances, digital ticketing, enhanced cleaning protocols and plenty of hand sanitizers.
Visit www.milb.com/toledo for more details.
Pick Your Park
Three new Toledo Metroparks recently joined the lineup of beautiful natural areas, and there’s one within five miles of every residence in Lucas County.
Cannonball Prairie, Manhattan Marsh Preserve and Glass City opened in 2020, bringing the total number Metroparks to 19. Within and between these parks are more than 190 miles of trails. Everyone is invited to enjoy these clean, safe, natural getaways, every day, 7 a.m. until dark.
Explore parks atmetroparkstoledo.com/explore-your-parks/.
For the best route to all the scenery the Metroparks has to offer, pick a trail at metroparkstoledo.com/discover/trails/.
Travel guide available
The Lake Erie Shores & Islands 2021 Travel Guide Supplement and 2020 Travel Guide are available to help plan a vacation, weekend getaway or mini-break to Sandusky, Cedar Point, Port Clinton, Put-in-Bay, Kelleys Island, and more. The resources include travel tips, a map, and a discount savings card.
Visit www.shoresandislands.com/plan for more info.