And now the 419 with Gretchen DeBacker, Matt Killum, And Kevin Mullen.

Welcome into the 419 powered by WGTE presented by Whetro Wealth Management.

I'm Kevin Mullen, Gretchen DeBacker, and Matt Killum.

It's a Thursday edition of the 419.

We're going to take a look at our toledo.com community calendar driven by TARTA, and we will be joined by the chief driver.

That's right, of TARTA Is that the official title?

I don't think so okay I don't think so.

Lower Cap Broski will be with us.

We'll also be talking to, our friends from Collingwood Art center.

They've got a big event coming up.

We'll chat with them as well.

A little bit later in the show.

We've talked about this a few times about the feedback that that we get, is as we make our way around the community.

And I got some interesting feedback.

So I've tried to tell my daughter, when somebody gives you feedback, you have to, like, start by immediately assessing.

Yes.

Is that what turning around?

That's right.

Right.

Start by assessing the person who's giving you the feedback.

Right.

Like do you care about them?

Okay.

Are they qualified to give you the feedback like these different things.

Right.

So, that's what I because my mom just told me to immediately internalize it and assume what they're saying is correct.

Yeah, that's a different approach that your therapist says as well.

Right.

Mom said that I'm the reason why my dad left.

So, so so again, it's a different style.

That's right.

So once a week we have dinner with Danny's grandparents.

And they are, without a doubt, the best humans I have ever met.

I mean, they are just.

No offense taken, I just people.

Yeah, yeah.

No, no no, I made it exactly the way.

Okay.

Got it.

No.

They're fantastic.

They listen to the show.

They watch the show every day.

Moved dinner into the living room to watch on 30.4.

And so the 6:00, like, that's their new routine.

Sure.

So they're watching right now?

That's right.

Yeah.

They're watching this.

Okay.

Hi, moose.

Hi, Poppy.

She hates it when I call her moose.

It's great.

She hates it when she hates you.

Accept her feedback when she says no, no, no, no.

Okay.

I've been calling her grandma moose since we first met.

Okay.

And and now my kids call her grandma moose.

That's fantastic.

So, anyway, she said, right out of the gate.

Came out swinging because your bow tie was crooked during the very first episode.

And it's like.

I mean, that was a couple weeks ago.

Yeah, sure.

I'm I'm like, thanks for letting me know.

And then she's never forgotten it.

That's right.

Hasn't forgotten it.

She talked about your hat.

Excellent.

She wants the hat higher so she can see your face.

No, she got so far.

That's three votes to get rid of the hat.

Okay.

But once he gets rid of the hat, there might be more votes.

Yeah.

More faces.

Grandma moose, this is a public service.

Yeah, yeah, we're moving this into a beekeeper's helmet.

So the other feedback I thought was interesting that I realized.

So they recently celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary.

Oh my goodness.

And, grandma said she has a hard time hearing you.

Okay, well, it seems like a lot of directed to me and.

Yeah, maybe.

Yeah.

And then, grandpa said he has a hard time hearing Gretchen.

Okay.

And I was like, explain this a little bit more.

And so then grandma says, well, I have a hard time hearing low voices.

Oh, grandpa says I have a hard time hearing high voices.

Yeah.

And I really I think that's how to the that's how they made it 70 years.

Yeah.

Sure is.

They just can't hear each other.

They haven't heard.

That's that's the Carter administration.

That's really actually the dream.

Yeah.

Yeah, man, I've been trying to tune you out for at least.

Yeah, at least two years.

All right, when we come back, we will be joined by somebody that we don't want to tune out.

Laura Ka Broski from Tata will join us, and we'll dive in to our daily dotcom community calendar driven by Tata.

We'll be right back.

Support for the 419 comes from Whetro Wealth Management, where we understand that your financial path is personal.

Advisory services are offered through capital investment advisory services LLC, securities offered through Capital Investment Group member Finra, SIPC.

More information at whetroadvisors.com The 419, powered by WGTE is made possible in part by supporters like you.

Thank you.

Introducing The Local Thread, a community news series uniting voices and storytellers from across the region in partnership with La Prensa, the Toledo Free Press, the Sojourner Truth, Toledo Public Schools, and veteran journalist Jerry Anderson.

The Local Thread brings you stories and conversations that connect our community.

Here at weeknights at seven on FM 91, with early access on podcast platforms each morning, the local thread only on WGTE.

Welcome back into the 419.

We're diving into our toledo.com community calendar driven by Tara and we are so pleased to be joined by the chief executive officer, chief driver of Tara, Laura Carol ski.

You welcome Chief rider, Chief Potter, because I certainly am not going to take credit to being able to drop like our amazing operator.

Incredible.

Have you ever driven.

Yeah.

The bus?

Yes.

On the back 40.

The backlot.

Yeah.

So.

And you know what?

We're going to be doing a recruiting event this spring.

Love to have all three of you come out.

You don't.

All you have to have is I would love to know how to driver's license.

I mean, there is nothing like getting behind the wheel of a 40ft bus.

And I think and hope we're going to be able to have the EV busses out there.

So what we love to do with that recruitment event is have potential candidates come out, get a feel.

You can do this even if you don't have a CDL.

And so a lot of power.

Yeah, sure.

That but it's really an incredible experience.

And so we've had the county commissioners comments on it would be really wonder if we come out, how much insurance do you have?

You have nearly enough, Gretchen.

There's not a lot of driving around.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, that would be very fun.

I did you pass your driver's test on your first try?

I did all right, I did.

Where'd you grow up?

I grew up in Sylvania, okay.

Sylvania, Ohio.

So.

Yes.

Did you take the won in the city, or did you ship out?

You head out the bowling green, making a left on, What street is that?

Heather downs?

No no no, no.

So, Heather dance is the one in South Toledo.

That's the hard one.

That's right, that's right.

And you just hope and pray they're not gonna make you go left.

They always make you go left or you go to Bowling Green, where if there's traffic, you can just turn around and stay in the parking lot.

Well, no, my parents wouldn't have done anything to make it.

She sure like, if you can't now, I didn't, but funny enough, my 20 year old son just took and achieved his driver's license in August, and we certainly did drive out to Bowling Green.

And so he was doing so well.

And then we go to Bowling Green to practice and get the vibe and we're like, oh, roundabouts shoot.

Yes.

That's all the way in.

Yeah yeah yeah.

But he was calm.

Drivers don't know how to do those.

So that's no no but you know what they are I mean I have a long history of variety of transportation in my background.

So I am a roundabout fan and the right places because safety wise, I mean, you will never have a spare critical right, unless T-Bone crashes are devastating and can take literally take lives.

What a fun guest.

When I yeah, I never let it go.

Yeah, it talks about infant mortality.

I never thought about roundabouts from the bus perspective.

I was just going to say, I mean, for me to get my car around it, it's great.

Like, not a problem when I have to, when I'm driving.

I got my beer serving fire truck right when I'm driving.

Right.

That around town, it's a little more challenging.

Yes, but, like, I can't imagine.

Well, they have to be designed properly.

Our county engineer, I'd say, understand that.

Go around the roundabouts on G Parkway.

You know, they're they're built.

So like semis and there's others around our county and the city to understand.

But you're right, in certain places they're not okay.

I mean, Detroit and Central now roundabouts I would say this is my perspective.

And what I know about of is that where they don't live up to the safe, as high as they could safety wise, is for pedestrians and bike riders and people who cannot see or hear, you know, but particularly sight impaired pedestrians.

So there's but in transportation, it's all about the right fit.

And it's about a system.

It's tough.

So when you think about transportation, you do you you just mentioned people, bicycles, pedestrians, people in automobiles, people that drive larger vehicles and then obviously busses and how the bus system interacts with all of those individuals.

Can you talk a little bit about that?

Yeah, that's what you're planning something.

Yes.

Yeah.

So we're thinking about all of that as well as the land use as well.

So there's a reason why we have three different services.

To get to your point, is that we have the fixed route, which is most available and most effective in dense areas, the urban city, because and it's our most efficient and lowest cost service per hour, and per ride.

But then you have we have our micro transit, our Tata flats, which is off the charts, popular in the suburban areas because that goes curb to curb.

I mean, there's a lot of great communities, but because of the way they are laid out, you might not have sidewalks.

It's not safe for someone to walk to a bus stop.

There's parts of Sylvania Township on Clover Township, so our Tata Flats can take them curb to curb, curb to point really?

Or even to a bus stop.

And then the third is to move paratransit.

So we in the transit industry, we are about accessibility for all.

And we feel very strongly, passionately, that transportation and access to work, to quality of life, our parks doctor's office should be is is basically a a right.

Yeah, it is a right.

And so paratransit are for those that have physical and cognitive and developmental challenges that preclude them from driving, but also may most of the time they're not capable to use the fixed route service.

And so together we kind of have our system within the system.

Certainly.

Last weekend, Gretchen, you were in New York City.

And I think when I, when I think about a lot of cognitive problems.

That's right, that's right.

That's the end of that comment.

You know, when I think about public transit, naturally, my mind goes to a city like New York, and I think about public transit from a New York City subway standpoint.

But that's I mean, that's not really a realistic expectation for public transit in Toledo, right?

I mean, what how do you sort of balance that kind of, you know, everybody sees big city public transit.

I take the bus every day.

I only take the bus and I don't need a car.

But but Toledo really isn't necessarily laid out as a city with the same density or intentionality that New York is for public transit to drive everything.

Right?

So a lot to unpack there.

Sure, but I know we don't have an hour.

Yeah.

So I'll take it kind of take a few of the top my top burning thoughts and reactions.

You know, I first experienced transit not in Sylvania, not in Toledo as a family trip to Washington, DC when in the Metro.

It was like blown away.

And it added to my to the appeal of the city.

It's like, I'm going to get back here.

Yeah.

Oh my gosh, you know, you had this and oh, I think we I was still in grade school okay.

Probably like sixth grade okay.

Seventh grade.

And my feeling and I want to jump to our youth summer blast pass I don't that was great for me.

I want every sixth, seventh, eighth grade, even younger, go to New York City, ride their subway, ride their bus.

But I want the first experience to be here in Toledo.

And so the youth summer Blast Pass program is we've removed the barrier of the cost, and we have specific travel training.

Get on the bus, get on even Tata Flax, if anything, Tata Flex with the app will help your young person learn how to use Uber or Lyft.

So that's the first thing about that.

The second thing is the appeal to New York City, Washington DC is the frequency.

And so I'm going to push back having a little bit because people do want that big time in our our reach.

And I just did the CEO coffee chats and everyone who rides the bus, who wants to ride the bus, they're like, can you come more often?

You know, every 60 minutes just isn't going to cut it.

And that's how people in New York City, San Francisco, Chicago, Chicago, DC.

Right?

I mean, they just go they don't they go up to the and I'm coming, it's coming.

Right, right.

And you get along and see, like, I was just in DC for work last week and it's like six minutes.

Like I got to get to the airport.

But that's what we're working on improving.

And we're actually up next, this coming up Sunday on the 25th, we're going to add four more routes to 30 minute frequency.

Cool.

All right.

Great times please.

I've had the privilege of working with, your organization for a couple of years, on your annual event.

And I know one of the things that you've been talking about is bus rapid transit.

Yes.

Is that part of this frequency conference?

Absolutely.

And it's taking frequency.

It's like even one up.

It's, to every 15 minutes.

That's so.

Yeah.

Bus rapid transit.

It's kind of the poor man's version of the metro, the subway.

And it brings elements of having stations, but you're using busses, which makes it very affordable.

You're not having to go underground.

You're not having to acquire a bunch of land to lay tracks so you can actually get it on the road much faster.

We could talk about this is a fascinating and I think not to make you feel uncomfortable, but your leadership, and I know that you share that amongst your great team.

But there's been a real cultural change.

How long have you been in the position you're in currently?

I've been, it's been for a little over four years.

Yeah, it was October 2021.

Yeah.

We were on the ballot.

I think I called it Sam.

Yes.

For, some help at that time.

It was.

Yeah.

We would say I came back to Toledo, came home from Columbus in, April 2020, and it was to save a transit system.

And it was because, again, the system part, the connection to the vitality and success of a region.

And I was so blown away, knew that things were thriving in this area.

And it was all good and goes so far with the broken transit system.

But I, I wasn't like the first one to identify it.

There was an incredible task force that came together.

And they laid out a plan and options and good for them.

They were right, like sales tax, switching the sales tax for funding and also, making the service countywide.

And our wonderful neighbors and Rossford maintaining they have been with us since the beginning, in the beginning of the beginning of Tada was January 1920.

Sorry, January 19th, 1971 71.

So we just celebrated our birthday on Monday.

And yeah, can you believe that?

That Rossford.

Yeah.

I mean, just that foresight.

Yeah.

And that continues there.

Mayor.

Mayor MacKinnon.

Yes.

He always talks about that when the Amazon was trying to figure out where they would land first.

I mean, it's all infrastructure.

And they really believe in transit as another piece of infrastructure.

That's how they get their workforce right to them.

That's right.

And when they found out that at the time before the voters approved the sales tax levy, a Maine charter was so broke, we didn't run any service on Sunday.

Well, guess what?

That's not that's not normal, right?

In communities the size of Toledo or a metropolitan area with Rossford.

And so, that was just one situation that I think really motivated our elected leaders, economic development leaders.

The Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce was a huge advocate, and we had to do some real work at the state House to give us a level fair playing field to go to the voters.

But I have to say something more about our anniversary and the birth of charters.

So it wasn't just elected officials and Rossford that had the vision.

Do you know, it made the news that, first of all, this ballot initiative, it was January.

And so I was rereading the news articles this week because of our anniversary, and it was sub freezing weather, kind of like this week.

Right?

Right.

And, so they weren't sure special elections didn't bring out much of the population, but this election brought out 56%.

That's amazing.

You're kidding me.

The voters.

Yeah.

Because they wanted they they wanted it.

And Community Traction Company was going broke.

So the city of Toledo in the article was frantic because if this didn't pass, they were expecting another 15 to 20,000 cars on the road, which they were ready for sure.

And they didn't have the budget to accommodate.

And so not only did that many voters, you know, they came out the ballot initiative passed with 76%.

But those are unprecedented numbers, right?

Yeah.

Yeah.

So I think I mean, still, we won in 2021.

And it was I'm trying to remember if that was like 54, 56%, but we thought we were going to eke it out.

We did.

We did pretty good.

Absolutely.

I don't remember the number either, but I remember feeling, extremely positive about our community.

Like, okay, I think people are getting it.

Yeah.

So it's certainly thrilling.

We're wrapping up the first segment, or I do have a quick question, a little.

Laura played with cars.

What how how did you choose this path or how did you choose you I didn't well, I wouldn't say I didn't play with cars because.

But I liked to build little houses in neighborhoods.

Communities.

Yeah.

With my blocks and my fisher Price people.

And my brother had all the Matchbox cars so we could combine a great.

That's right.

Right.

But I was I was part of a great program at Sylvania Northview High School journalism.

And so what I think more so instilled in me was like, I'm going to have a career that makes a difference.

That's good.

I was really I was that nerd watching news in 60 minutes and, you know, and it was like, I want I wanted to tackle the hard stuff.

Sure.

And so after a political science degree, a master's in public administration at Bowling Green State University, I went down to Columbus, took a job, thought I'd eventually get into state government for me.

Thank goodness I did it, because I need to be kind of where things happen.

And instead I went to a council of governments and went right into transportation and a place taught me, yes, development, environmental energy.

Like I got to see it at all angles.

And then I spent a lot of time basically being a lobbyist, government relations and doing policy making way back home.

And you've done an incredible job.

So, at the, at the helm of Tarter, we appreciate that.

When we come back, we're going to talk with Laura about our top five, our toledo.com community calendar, the top five events of the week.

And, how to get there and we'll help you get there as well.

We're also going to dive into our 419 quiz, Gretchen's wacky quiz.

It's all coming up on the 419.

To me, community means connecting to others.

What will it really take to bring peace to Toledo's neighborhoods?

I love PBS Kids.

We're a community committed to education.

Discover new ideas, dive into exciting subjects, and engage with the world around you.

It's all chapters in a book.

I would send them personally a t shirt.

Crime doesn't pay in the old West End.

Pass it on.

That's how we cleaned up the neighborhood.

Brings back memories that you don't think are there.

You know.

WGTE public media invites you to get out and play day.

The people of Toledo have really become family.

You know, they walk in and it was just like, hey, it's so good to see you.

Hello there, and welcome to a WGTE public media town hall meeting.

WGTE where you come to watch, listen and learn.

I love PBS kids.

Welcome back into the 419.

It's time for our toledo.com community calendar driven by.

Tada!

We're hanging out with Tada CEO Laura Broski.

First and foremost, thank you for the support of this show.

I say first and foremost as we start our second segment, but I appreciate, not only the work that Tati does to connect the community to events and things that matter, but joining us in connecting the community conversations that that we think matter as well.

So, certainly we appreciate, that support.

One of the things that Gretchen sort of set out in the very beginning of this show is that our guests must bring gifts, or we don't let them stick around.

And I know that that I think it's true to that level of hospitality.

Yeah, absolutely.

Yeah, certainly.

But you you brought some.

You did bring some gifts.

Yeah, yeah.

Hey, I'm all about no free ride, right?

Right.

That's right.

So, we are talking about 55th anniversary.

So very glad to have your squishy boss.

Yeah, I love this, and I love it.

Start collecting them.

These are good for, Gretchen's gums, too.

She can be healthy on these.

Yeah, and then chew toy.

But, Oh.

Nice.

Yeah.

I love the bus stop sign.

I didn't take this down.

That's what, one of the perks, you know?

Yeah.

Yeah, right.

Is, is being able to get a sign or sign.

That's amazing.

We're going to put that on her shelf.

Yeah.

Thanks.

And just so now when you talk about transformation, this was like a two year endeavor.

And, these are some old signs.

Let me know.

I mean, this is really represents new chart, a new image.

And just the fact that you can see the signs.

Yeah.

And they typically are listed with the roots and that is, that is an official target, bus stop sign.

So this is, that means that we are.

Yes.

Yes.

Okay.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I mean, we get cool things.

Sure.

And one last squishy to kind of transition to talk about what's going on this weekend while I shuttle Pax.

So nice.

So tell us a little bit about the walleye shuttle.

Sure.

The walleye shuttle.

That was a major promise to the community to bring that back in 2021.

And it's a direct, ride to Huntington Center to see the walleyes.

And we, run the shuttles from multiple locations.

So in Toledo, it comes from Miracle Mile.

We had the Sylvania shuttle, new location, Lourdes University.

We're really excited about that partnership.

We have Waterville mommy.

And I feel like I'm forget Oregon.

All right, well, you basically get dropped right at the rear, right at the doorstep, 60 minutes before.

Our drivers are there.

They never leave.

So I know that's a little fear of people.

Sometimes with trans riding transit, you'll be left behind.

The busses stay there throughout the whole game, and then they leave 20 minutes after the game.

But if the game runs over, we're not leaving.

Yeah.

And, it's a great partnership with the walleye.

I mean, Neil and his whole team have been so supportive.

Absolutely great guy.

Yeah.

Very smart guys have done I mean obviously the multi shuttle kind of similar structures walleye.

But I know you guys have also done this for Jeep Fest and other kind of.

Yeah major downtown events as well.

Yeah.

Jeep Fest, jazz Fest I should say it's $3 round trip.

Kids are half price.

You just you can pay cash.

You can also go to easy fair and you can pay by credit card.

You could go to transit apps.

So there's multiple ways.

And we have validators on the bus.

Yeah.

You validator on this.

And parking is $25 for events usually.

So kind of mom that's a problem.

And you know, I've talked to a lot of our customers who even love using it one way because think about that.

If they're going down there, they want to have fun round trip at Uber.

Yeah.

You know, I've heard people say 80, $90.

So if you cut that in half and then you can go have fun.

Yeah.

I mean, a lot of good places to go out around there.

I love it, I love it.

All right.

So, every Thursday we dive in to our toledo.com community calendar.

Look at the top five events of the week.

And, just an opportunity to get out and and see our community.

And, of course, wherever you're going.

Tada!

I can get you there.

What's, what's on the top five for this week?

Well, thanks to toledo.com, our first, event for the week is the Shot Musical, which is at the Stranahan Theater.

I did a little bit of, quick research to show that the story is basically, Cobb County on every town type place.

There a corn obsessed town.

Sure.

And suddenly the corn starts dying, and it's going to affect the wedding of the lead character named Maisie.

Also another this.

And then.

So she leaves the town to go and try to find a corn doctor, and then hilarity ensues.

Okay.

And so then you song and dance.

Yeah.

Spoiler alert, I don't know.

She's been dead the whole time.

Yeah, yeah, I don't even know that.

I need to see the show.

No, no.

You know, I mean, yeah, throw in one musical number, Gretchen, and we've got it.

I mean, you got to love it.

And so that's the Stranahan this week.

I saw something with this show, and I hadn't seen and maybe, you know, because my kids are now into musical theater, I'm paying a little bit more attention to this now.

But there's a partnership with, the American Theater Guild and Live Arts, Toledo and Toledo Ballet that today.

Yeah, the cast is doing a masterclass with with kids.

And then the kids get a free ticket to go see the show to sell funds.

But it's a, I mean, this kind of free, opportunity to train with, actual life.

Yeah.

You know, and it's great because as we know, we had Zack on.

And so the Toledo Ballet is right there at the Stranahan.

So it's another great opportunity with them being there.

So the second event for the week is live at the library with Chloe Kimes.

Chloe is a singer songwriter out of Nashville, Tennessee.

You can get more information about her at Chloe Times music.com.

The library's doing this series, at the downtown library.

And this is today.

Tonight, rooftop concert.

No, I think it's inside the theater.

Yeah, I can take a stab at that.

I'm back.

Did you come on the show?

I'm available.

We're looking to make some changes.

What about Bailey?

Yeah, I, I was really, The third event, thanks to dotcom, is Skate to Eliminate Cancer, which is going to be at, Glass City Ribbon.

And that's Friday, January 23rd.

I'm going to talk a little bit about that.

Yeah.

Really exciting.

Really just another, feather in the cap of our downtown Metropark and great partners, at Tada.

And, many people in the city have made that work.

We've had, 150,000 people, skating already this is just, just to be proud of, again, another way of activating that space.

The team down there works so hard, to make sure that everything is top notch.

So being able to secure this is just a further sign that we're moving in the right direction.

This is a Scott Hamilton funded or started founded, anti-cancer organization.

You can get more information at metroparks toledo.org another BG alum Scott Hamilton.

Awesome.

Yeah yeah.

Do you scary thing.

Yes I do I my own skates okay.

Can you do a backflip.

No, but I can skate backwards.

Oh I got something.

Yeah.

Maybe a little better backwards forward.

So now I love our rib.

And I was just in Columbus visiting some friends.

And so went to an outdoor skating rink in Dublin.

Yeah.

Yeah, yeah.

Going around in a circle.

Yeah.

Kind of overrated.

Thank you.

Yeah.

If it's not a ribbon, what do you even doing?

That's right.

Right, right.

Yeah.

That's right.

Yeah.

When the, when the ribbon opened, I mean, it was like I had not seen this before.

Yeah.

And so it was like this I it's, it's that moment where it's like oh it doesn't have to be an oval.

Right.

Like, you mean you could put ice on anything.

Yeah.

And it's just now I feel the same way.

You see the, the ice rink and you're like, it's like a really boring NASCAR race.

Yeah.

Like, as opposed to.

You mean the car could turn right?

And that's an available option.

Okay.

The fourth event is something that I'm excited about because I'm going to it and it's, Nate see live.

It's his comedy tour.

That's coming to Toledo on Saturday, January 24th.

And I it's gonna be fun.

I'm excited.

Okay, close.

I think he's probably the best in the business right now.

Pretty thrilling.

Are you, by any chance, comedy person, do you have a favorite comedian?

I don't know, oh, well, I should say my coworker Susan Gardam.

Yeah, yeah.

All right.

How fun it is.

Turned me on to local standup.

Okay.

All of us is she.

Does she do stand up?

Yeah.

How fun is she?

Does.

Yeah.

She does.

That's amazing.

I did not know that about.

Yeah, that secret power once in a while.

Yeah.

If you you engage with it.

Should get some of that humor.

Yeah, I love it.

But, Yeah.

And one of her writers is Sam Melvin.

Yeah.

Yes.

So it's it's a team.

Sam is funny looking.

I don't know that he's that.

Yeah.

It takes all kinds.

Yeah, yeah, it does the fifth event for the week again thanks to toledo.com is a tribute to Count Basie with the Toledo Jazz Orchestra.

And that is also Saturday, January 24th.

Obviously a very, amazing American jazz pianist.

You can get more information about that at Live Arts toledo.com.

And of course, all of the events details.

You can find it toledo.com.

And each and every one of these events, you can also get there courtesy of our friends at Tada.

So if you need a ride, Laura will pick you up.

Yeah, well, we're home phone numbers having put on, on the website.

Time for Gretchen's wacky quiz.

I'm trying.

I'm trying to come up with a theme song for this so we can make it even crazier.

But I think Matt's voice there was no.

That was pretty good.

That's pretty good.

All right, I'm going to give you four rapid fire questions, okay?

Gretchen, scores already told us she doesn't like to not pass quizzes.

I know, separate from us, but I think you'll be fine.

There's no wrong answers here.

Gretchen's going to ask you for your favorite thing in the region, and then Matt will ask you to describe the region or, give us nine words, about Toledo.

All right, here we go.

What is your idea of the perfect birthday?

Oh, my gosh, the perfect birthday at this point for me, having two grown kids, one in North Carolina, one in Athens, Ohio, would be that they came home with me.

Yeah.

A little bit of mother's guilt and.

Yeah.

Yeah, I'll send them a link.

Yeah, yeah, that's easy.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Watch, watch.

Up until about the four minute mark.

Yeah, yeah.

Have you ever made a homemade gift for someone?

I did it was.

It was decades ago.

I used to, for a short while did knitting.

Okay.

And so everyone got a scarf.

You know, you get a scarf, you get a scarf.

Yeah.

Couldn't do anything else, but I did that.

Well, yeah.

Well received.

Well, I'm glad our friendship started now.

Not 20 years.

Oh, you're getting a scarf next year, right?

That's because of that.

But, what time you usually wake up in the morning?

I usually wake up, before six.

And so sometime between 530, 5:45.

That doesn't mean I'm ready to leave the house till I have about three cups of coffee.

Sure.

Yeah.

All right.

And question number four.

Do you believe in second chances?

Absolutely.

Yeah.

Okay.

Look, I'm living and working at a place where people gave it a second chance.

So.

Yes.

What's your number one?

Best thing.

Favorite thing about Toledo or the region?

Go on.

Going out to eat.

I mean, when people come visit or we're just getting to gather with friends, it's like it takes a good half hour and then rethinking to run through the list of restaurants, you know, what do you want?

Sure.

Everything.

Every.

Does everybody feel like.

Yeah, yeah, I scarves.

Yeah.

Yeah.

But my brother, he makes it up here once once a year and it's always for workers, you know.

But then other friends come home and they're like, it's got to be, Beirut, you know?

And then there's always somewhere new to try.

Yes.

Good.

Yeah.

All right.

Nine words to describe the city and or region.

Yeah.

Do it.

Oh, I thought about that.

All ri First.

Is that so?

I got a thing here.

But it's nine words.

So first is big little town I love it okay okay.

Because so much going on.

But it's so friendly.

And I mean look at this.

The network.

Do you consider that to be one word or three words.

Three three okay.

Just run a little.

That's what I got.

That's what I got.

Yeah.

You know I already said Foodie town okay it busy town I love it I mean you just there's all the activities going on this weekend and then transit town which I think is both real and a bit of aspiration certainly.

Oh perfect.

Good job Laura.

Thank you very much.

Certainly appreciate the work that you're doing in the community.

Appreciate your support of this program and helping us, encourage people to get out around town.

Visit different, events and activities.

Again, it's a it's a busy town.

And, you know, if you don't want to fight the chaos of parking.

Tada will get you there.

Yeah.

Gretchen drive, you know what?

You're in for a treat.

Yeah.

And and then we're going to we're going to come out and we're going to have a driving test to see.

I love it's one of the three of us.

Yes.

Scores the highest.

But they have to be practice in a fixed score.

All right.

We'll schedule okay okay okay.

Yeah, but I want to just say to thank you for doing this program.

I mean, this is incredible.

And we should, as residents, understand that many communities have something like this.

And I think it just really represents Toledo in such a fantastic way.

So thank you.

I know you all have busy careers and lives and so thank you.

Thanks, Laura.

Honored to do it.

Thank you.

Laura is Laura Broski CEO of Tada.

When we come back, we will talk with Jason Jason Schneider with the Collingwood Arts Center about event they've got coming up.

We'll be right back with the 419.

Support for the 419 comes from Whetro Wealth Management, where we understand that your financial path is personal.

Advisory services are offered through capital investment advisory services LLC, securities offered through Capital Investment Group member Finra, SIPC.

More information at whetroadvisors.com work.

Spring HR issues and employee well-being go hand in hand.

Work spring supports employers through compliance, training and wellness.

Because healthy workplaces don't happen by accidents.

Learn more at work.

Spring dawg.

Toledo Refining Company, a subsidiary of PDF energy.

Toledo Refining Company is a supplier of fuels that keep our region moving.

Located in Oregon, Ohio, the refinery processes crude oil into gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and other petroleum products.

and Tada!

Celebrating its 55th year of connecting Northwest Ohioans to their community.

More information@tada.com.

Welcome back into the 419.

We're taking a look at some great events happening around the area this weekend.

We're joined now by Jason Schneider from Collingwood Arts Center.

Jason, thanks for being with us.

Oh, thank you, I appreciate it.

So, tell me, what's your role with Collingwood Arts Center?

So I, I definitely do a lot of the fundraising events there, with the paranormal community and then with the speakeasy as well, which is coming up here on Saturday.

I feel like maybe I need back up, like, what is the county?

What art center?

Yeah.

If people aren't familiar with where is it?

So the Collingwood Arts Center is on Collingwood Boulevard.

It's right across the street from Scott High School.

Yeah.

It's the the beautiful mansion that sits out front.

Was, done by the Gerber family in 1872.

And then the Ursuline nuns came in in 1905 and built that whole big structure behind it.

How big is it, Jason?

It's over 80,000ft.

It is massive.

It is massive.

And they they held that until I want to say 1984.

But it was Mary College and so it was an all female school prominent here in the community.

And then in 1984, it became an art center, until about 2013.

And now it's it is what it is are today.

They rent out spaces for local artists, musicians and that so and they hold a lot of different stuff there.

And there's an amazing theater.

Huge.

Steve.

Yes.

Huge.

Nelson theater.

It's, they have tons of different shows there all year round.

So it is the only places I've ever been in my life where you can walk through hallways and hear someone practicing drums, seeing someone paint.

Right.

The hallways are filled, to your point.

Absolutely.

People making things.

It's a cacophony of culture.

It's it's not only physically overwhelming to scale, but, there's a lot of magic that happens there.

All the historical part, I mean, to be interested in just to get back to the paranormal component of it.

So let's talk about that for the next 2 or 3 hours.

Sure.

What?

Tell me about that.

Is it on the registry?

Are you interested in paranormal activity?

So we started a paranormal team about 20 years ago.

I work with Lucas County Sheriff's Office, and a couple of us, started a team, Lake Erie Paranormal.

Excuse me?

A couple of years ago.

20 years ago.

Sorry.

And by working with Lexi and working with the Collingwood, I've done a lot of different movies and met people over the years with conventions and doing the paranormal stuff.

So we wanted to start getting people into that building and bringing the paranormal community in that building as well.

So started working with Lexi to do some fundraisers there.

We do a lot of paranormal conventions.

We do, public investigations, private investigations all year long.

So it's just about giving back to the building.

But getting people in there as well.

It I guess two questions.

What is your favorite horror movie?

Favorite horror movie?

It's got to be the original Exorcist.

Okay, that's a rom com with you, Grant.

Yeah, yeah, I haven't seen it, but you had me at Halloween, right?

That's right.

The, And you've been interested in this since you were a kid.

Or the play, sort of.

You know, I got interested in it because it absolutely scared the heck out of me.

You're thinking about, you know, we're walking around with things we can't see or, So I wanted to start learning about it.

I wanted to start, delving into it.

And that's what got me in the paranormal.

Do you have to have some kind of special, perception skills or, you know, like a medium or someone like that can sense these things?

Or.

Are you listening?

What?

What is it that you're doing when you do these investigations?

I think everybody has it.

I think if you just open up and are willing to experience stuff that's happening around you, I think everybody has the ability to, to experience something there.

And the Collingwood, I'm not just saying it because it's coming, but it never disappoints.

There's always something, something going on there.

I, I'm just so skeptical of this.

But also, enthralled.

Yes.

I got fascinated and also terrified.

Right.

Like, I don't know that I want to, like, speak ill of the ghosts that they, you know, follow me around the rest of the day.

Right.

But I just think, I don't know, I, I see the TV shows and, and I just wonder how much had we actually had ghost hunters?

There a few years ago.

It took us a while.

I know a couple of the guys from the show, and we had set it all up, and then Covid hit, so that scratched it all.

And then when things started opening back up, Ghost Hunters reached out again and we were able to actually set up, and they came out and filmed an episode.

There's probably multiple personal experiences, but do you have like an moment or one that gives you, the, the chills up your spine, even talking about what's what is the most significant interaction you've had with the paranormal?

There's been this morning right here, on the fourth floor, we call it the nun cells.

And that's where they would live.

And they're very small rooms.

But I was in one of those rooms and just talking and asking questions, and, I was displaced.

I was actually moved, wasn't pushed.

It wasn't like, a demonic or anything like that.

No, but you could feel it around you.

And then it had enough energy to make me try to catch my, my footing.

And that's only ever happened at that building.

And I've been doing this 20 plus years.

So to the.

This may be a dumb question, but do the people have to have died in the place to still be there?

Because this has been around since 1872.

All these people lived here?

Or can it just be that they're just dropped off by Tada right down to 30?

Well, I look at it like this, energy can't be destroyed.

It can only be displaced.

So with the thousands and thousands and thousands of people that have died and, the wars and everything that's that's been through here, I can't say that the things that happened at the Collingwood are just things that there were at the Collingwood or, you know, whatever.

But it's, it's definitely if you're interested in the paranormal, I would definitely give Collingwood a try.

Does it make you scared to be in there to work and and being there during non searching times?

No, I absolutely enjoy the building.

Yeah I miss my own fixation.

So I know we did a deep dive there.

Thank you.

Yeah but the place is magical.

It is in all positive ways.

There's children's activity.

Birds Eye Circus is a home is there.

It's a it's a truly magical, magical place.

We had Lexi Staples on the podcast and she had talked about a, I just remember her telling the story of a noise artist that like their performance and, you know, they're practicing and curating their show, at the Collingwood Arts Center.

But it was just, I mean, to describe it inappropriately.

It was just noise, right?

It was like, we're going to look at MRI.

Yeah.

Like what?

We're going to we're going to break a glass and we're going to use a typewriter, and we're just going to create all of these noises that layer on top of each other like jazz.

Yes.

Exactly right.

Yeah.

That's exactly, but I think it's, you know, it's it's great to have a space where anything can happen, right.

Where, it kind of everybody belongs and everybody's on equal footing, and.

Yeah.

And I think that's, you know, one of the beautiful things about the Collingwood Arts Center, your biggest fundraising event of the year is this coming Saturday night.

And it's a speakeasy.

And I remember seeing, images and and videos and things from this event.

Last year, which was thrown with, rave reviews.

Can you tell us anything, can you tell us more about what the what people can expect?

And sure.

So, if you do the VIP tickets, the that they will open at 6 or 6 p.m.

and that starts with like a cocktail hour in the Gerber Mansion itself, which is beautiful, is amazing.

Absolutely amazing.

So from 6 to 7 with your VIP ticket, we'll have cocktails in the mansion.

And then from 7 to 11 is the actual event.

And that will be in the underground.

It's more intimate, you know, low lit, speakeasy style.

There will be burlesque shows.

There's going to be, different silent auctions and that kind of stuff.

So, Gretchen, you've been most Saturdays drinking by yourself in the dark, would you have you considered maybe venturing out, too?

Yeah, I think a basement with other people would be good.

Yeah, sure.

Yeah.

I was so nervous you were going the burlesque route with that entire cover.

Yeah, well, the the evenings young.

Yeah.

That's right.

Anything is possible.

What this support from this event, where does it, you know, where does it go?

The proceeds from this.

What?

So the proceeds go back to the Collingwood?

It's it's a new construction.

I can't imagine you needing any money.

Right?

I mean, it's it's a brand new building.

Right.

But it's, you know, for upkeep, and there's a ton of stuff.

Lexi would be more, able to answer those kind of questions.

Because it's there's so many different things.

The roof needs to be repaired.

And with those kind of buildings to repair, that roof has to be done a certain way.

So you have to take each tile off and set it and then redo it, and then put them back on the same.

It's not like, you know, just tearing off your roof at the house with an historic building and location.

There's a ton of rules and things that you have to do.

And it's massive.

It's it's yeah.

So people can get more information on the Collingwood Art center, Facebook page or Collingwood Art center.org.

Jason, why do you choose the Collingwood Art center as a place that you devote your time and want to spend your volunteer hours?

Well, it's special to me because my mom, went to college there when it was Mary.

So cool when I found the opportunity to work with Lexi and bring in the, You know, the stuff that I do on the side, I was like, you know what?

What better place to to try to give back?

So I try to do as many fundraisers and help out as much as I can over there.

A lot of it.

Then I've had a lot of volunteer opportunities, I'm sure.

Well, how can people plug in?

I just, contact them on the, on Facebook.

Awesome.

And, message them and it because they will never turn down here.

Yeah.

Did I hear you say you're also, Lucas County sheriff?

That's correct.

Yeah.

Just 30 years.

Just just 30 years.

30.

Yeah, yeah.

So I that's what I do full time.

And then, with the acting and producing and the paranormal and that kind of stuff.

So are you on the road or are you at the jail?

I am, on a specialized unit.

I do, sex offenders, arson, violent offender unit.

Okay, so all fun stuff, right?

Yeah.

Sexy.

Yeah, exactly.

And so there's a couple other guys that work at the sheriff's department with you that you that you do some of this paranormal stuff, man.

We've, like I said, we started that group about 20 years ago.

And, you know, family gets in the way right now.

But it's, adulting and all that stuff.

So I've still been able to keep the team going and, with, you know, with other things.

But on the team, who's the biggest was it's the biggest security cat.

You can say the name.

No matches.

It.

I would say Sean.

Yeah.

All right.

You heard your first down on a we don't tell right words just right.

Yeah, right.

I would be Sean.

What's the what's the dream for the, the paranormal group here in Toledo or for the Collingwood Arts Center?

And what's your what's your hope or goal for that?

My goal is just to keep giving back.

We we truly enjoy giving back to the Collingwood and, you know, just getting people in the building.

It's a lot of people I, it's hard for me to believe that a lot of people don't even know about the building.

But once we do these events, we sell out our public investigations.

We do 3 or 4 of those a year, we sell those out within 2 or 3 days of putting tickets out.

People are always wanting to do privates.

I totally, implore you to run it and do it.

I'm usually there helping, so I'll be more than happy to answer questions.

And walking around the building, you get a historic tour every time you're there, so you learn about the building and and just what it means to Toledo.

And, anything that we can do to help and keep bringing money into that building, I. I'll do it.

How many people if I, if I wanted to bring a group through to say, all right, we're going to do, a ghost tour of the Collingwood Arts Center, what's the perfect number?

I would do ten, 10 to 12.

Yeah.

All right, 10 to 12 people I got to find.

I got to find seven other friends.

Yeah.

You're coming with.

I'm in.

All right.

Okay.

All right.

Yeah.

We're down to six.

That's right.

Yeah.

That's right.

And when you're done, we got this.

Yeah.

What?

Is there a particular moment?

I know you said, you know, there was the one moment when you kind of, when you got moved or got kind of nudged, what what happens when you go through and nothing happens, like I do those I, I had imagined at some point, oh, that was the place.

And it absolutely does.

I mean, I it's like fishing, you know, you get in the boat, you go out, you fish, sometimes you catch a whole bunch, sometimes you don't.

It's being in the building and just experiencing the stuff around you.

Like I said, it's 80,000ft or over.

That's a lot to walk around.

It's a lot to take in.

And just to think about the people that walk the halls or who was here, you know, 100 year.

You know, it's just to me, it's the history.

To me, it's walking the walk in the halls and and just taking all that in, is is enough for me.

But no, it's definitely cool.

You carry around your cooler a Bud Light.

It's like you're fishing as well, right?

Right.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

So what?

We had a good time in a couple of cases of Bud Light.

It was.

That's right.

Came home empty handed.

But I'm not gonna lie to you.

I would not be upset about a tour where nothing happened.

I agree.

That's that would be.

That would actually be my dream is like I again, it's this weird space for me that I'm fascinated by it, but also terrified.

Yeah.

I don't I don't like the, like the haunted houses and.

Sure, like, I don't actively I don't, I don't I'm not going to watch horror movies.

I don't yeah, I don't I need to seek out a horror movie.

The worst.

No.

Absolutely.

Oh I'm 100% Sean is whoever Sean is.

Right.

Way tougher than I like.

Sure.

You that, Well, thank you very much, I appreciate it.

More information on, the event, the speakeasy event.

This weekend is available at Collingwood Arts center.org.

Or you can find it on Facebook as well.

Which is also possessed.

Well, that's a whole different show.

Careful.

Once you click tickets still available, tickets are still available, but they are one time fast.

Yep.

All right, so by the time you catch this, tickets could be gone.

But get there.

Collingwood Arts center.org for more information.

Jason, we appreciate your time today.

When we come back, we'll wrap up this Thursday edition of the 419 powered by.

Every day when you laugh with us, you learned with us a neighbor.

We made sure your child had with special memories that could only be provided.

PBS and you.

For generations, we've given you programs that made a difference.

Programs that entertain, inform and inspire.

And today is no different.

This is WGTE public media in Toledo.

It's where you belong.

Introducing The Local Thread, a community news series uniting voices and storytellers from across the region in partnership with La Prensa, the Toledo Free Press, the Sojourner Truth, Toledo Public Schools, and veteran journalist Jerry Anderson.

The Local Thread brings you stories and conversations that connect our community.

Here at weeknights at seven on FM 91, with early access on podcast platforms each morning, the local thread only on WGTE.

Lauren, welcome back into the 419.

I love that as we're, We're off on commercial break.

Inevitably, you guys get into, a riveting conversation, and I'm the one that gets to deliver the quiet on set.

Yeah, which which no one else is saying.

Yeah, you pretend like they're saying it to you in the control room, but really, you're just saying it to us.

Also, Gretchen saves all the good questions for when we're off the air.

Yeah.

That's true.

Yeah.

I'm going to try, to use that throughout the rest of my day.

Yeah.

Just be like, Sorry.

Quiet on set.

I'm sorry.

Danny 10s.

I feel getting a message that my wife will have the same reaction that you guys do, which is like, no one's talking.

I know good divorce lawyers, so just let me know how that works out for you.

I assure you, I don't.

I don't need one.

Okay.

But Danny, probably shares.

Yeah, that's.

Oh, my goodness.

This is a fun another fun show.

I love it, I love Thursday, certainly appreciate Tata kind of bringing this to us, but the opportunity to look at some of the really cool things that are happening in, in the weekend.

And every time there really like diverse opportunities.

Twitter.com John, our friend John, I guess, does a very good job curating this list.

There's a real nice mix of things that people can choose from every week.

So, there's a full list of other things here.

These are for the individuals who say there's nothing to do here.

That's right.

Yeah.

And it's and again, we can get all of it.

Yeah.

I would say Hollywood Art center, their speakeasy event isn't on Toledo dot coms top five, but it's still a really cool event.

That's happening where the ghost find out John will be haunted by.

They're going to be mad.

We didn't ask Jason if the if the ghosts can travel, right.

Like, do they are they fixed in a location or have work or could they literally, you know, go track John down at his house?

Sure.

That's we're going to tell John they can.

That's right.

Okay, I like it.

Yeah I like it.

But it's going to be real cold this weekend still.

But chance to get out, get bundled up busses to go to your city.

Yeah.

Exciting.

Get out.

And warm up with warm company like we have today.

That was a s trick.

I'll take it.

Was that.

Be sincere for me.

If you missed any portion of the show.

Three great opportunities to enjoy the 419 7 a.m.

on YouTube channel, 3 p.m.

on FM 91 and 6 p.m.

on Wjct Connect's channel 30.4.

That's where grandma, Bruce and Poppy enjoy it every day and you should too.

When we come back tomorrow.

I am so excited because it is our surprise guest episode and it's my week night, so I'm bringing the surprise guest.

Can you give us a hint?

It's a ghost.

You know, I think this is somebody that, This is somebody that can go the distance.

Done.

Okay.

So I'm gonna think about it on the band.

That and more coming up tomorrow on the 419 powered by CTE and presented by Retro Wealth Management.

We'll see you tomorrow.

The 419, powered by WGTE is made possible in part by supporters like you.

Thank you.