And now the 490.

With Gretchen de Bakker might kill them.

And Kevin.

Mullin up.

Welcome to the 419.

That thing's making noise again.

My timer occasionally.

Was sitting here in the middle of the night and changes the settings on that.

Yeah.

The details.

You know what?

It's a real thing.

Welcome to the 419, powered by GT, presented by Retro Wealth Management.

I' Kevin Mullin.

Gretchen Debacker.

Matt Killam.

It's the time of the year that my voice doesn' quite know what it wants to do.

A little froggy.

Yeah, yeah, it's.

Wait, did you eat the frog?

Did you lick the frog?

You know what?

That might be the issue.

I may have licked the frog.

Yeah, yeah, let's not do that to.

The frog one.

But we've got an exciting show every Tuesday.

We we really try to take a look at and spend time having conversations with, folks that are making a difference in our community.

And there's no question.

Kevin, you sound like a tough guy.

From boys to men.

Okay, I'll take that.

Yeah.

Oh, if I have a ticket for sure.

Yeah.

That's right.

Although we go to the end of the road.

Yeah.

No we can't.

Yeah.

Let go.

That was.

That was quick.

That was a big dance.

Those allergies are not affecting his brain.

They might be.

They're not hurting their, Okay, that that doesn't feel right.

Yeah.

We're talking to Mike beach from Historic South.

We'll be on the program today.

Karl Wagner, who?

I, I'm gonna have to work really hard to continue to call him Karl for the interview, because he was always Mr.

Wagner to me.

Mike is from John Henry Aldridge Foundation.

That's right.

I'm sorry.

Yeah.

Talk about the history.

And talk about historic South.

It is affecting his brain.

Ministers.

Yeah.

And then Karl Wagner's with historic south.

Yes.

Initiative.

And then we will have, black cake coffee.

Yeah.

It's going to be here.

Is very.

Excited.

So, you get excited any time the coffee shop show up.

I'm hoping that they bring Bagel bites selfishly.

Yeah.

No.

Right.

So some.

You don't have to say selfishly, I. Think, but.

I also need a pound of beans.

I'm surprised if Mike Leach brought both of those things.

He is.

And a lot of people knows Mike is a pretty well known baker.

Is that true?

It is true.

He's going to probably.

Come on.

He has.

I think he makes, snickerdoodles.

He certainly had time to get some things made before the show.

I don't know.

I, I believe none of this.

Dietsch doodles necessarily cost looking for him when he comes up.

Oh my goodness.

All right.

I have a brand identity right now for that.

I realize we don't talk a whole lot about, how people can contact the show.

Yep.

And so it exists which.

Was largely.

Purposeful.

Well, that's that's true.

We don't want your complaints.

But if you want to reach out to us, if you've got an idea for a conversation for us to have on the program, or you just want to tell us how much you love us, shoot us an email for one 9@gt.org.

And that'll get passed along to us.

We've gotten a couple peopl that have reached out, that way.

We've had some of them on the show.

They can come and meet us i person if they would like that.

A few days from now, on April 19th, 2 to 6 will be at group mode.

We're going to do a live, recording of our podcast at 4:19 p.m.

to celebrate, for, for a nine day, in Toledo.

So that'll be fun day.

And I booked a phenomenal guest.

You did.

For the.

Show.

It's not going to be a secret.

You can tell us.

It's it's a big deal.

I'm not sure I tell you yet, but.

Will they participate in the rib eating competition?

100%.

They will because they've already competed in a food eating competition in Toledo.

So.

Yeah, and they were.

They were great.

It's not Joey Chestnut.

Okay, well it's fine.

Okay.

We'll find out.

Yeah.

You know, pretty close.

So I would you.

Would, you would.

Go.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Well chestnut has eaten a record number of doodles as well.

And that's another thing we'l ask Mike about when he comes on.

All right.

And that's the entire conversation here we talked about.

To make it perfectly good works of wha he's done for rural libraries.

Not.

The brilliance that is.

Mike DeVries.

Let's talk about his bacon.

Yeah.

Okay.

You know what?

Let's that's that's wha you can expect here on the 419.

The hard hitting questions and topics and us diving into the most important facts about someone's life.

People try to say cookies aren't important.

We ask the questions that no one even knew they wanted to ask.

And then they were certain after we asked them.

Yeah, well, you know, it's sometimes getting the answer is just as important as asking the question.

That's right.

I mean, I indices now, okay.

All right.

Let's take a break.

When we come back, we'll be joine by Mike Dietz here on the 419.

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Welcome back into the 419 powered by GTI.

We're talking about, folks and organizations that make an incredible impact in our community.

Our friends at the Community Foundation are encouraging us to highlight these individuals and put a spotlight on the great work that they're doing in and around the Toledo area.

There's no question, this applies to our guest, Mike Dietsch from the John Henry Eldredge Foundation.

Mike, thank you for being here.

Thanks for having me, I appreciate it.

I want to apologize in advance.

I had a Texas sheet cake with me that I dropped on my way in.

Is it outside?

On the sidewalk?

Yeah.

But that's all right.

The raccoons are.

Really enjoying a great day.

Yeah.

What makes it a Texas sheet cake?

Now?

Nothing.

Yeah.

That's right.

And it's flat.

Yeah.

Okay.

Yeah.

That's true.

Yeah, I think so.

I actually I don't know, I've never made.

One selling it.

You're selling it?

Yeah.

They don't have guys like you just, support foundations for me.

If people want more information on just doodles, where would they find them?

Just Google it.

Okay?

You'll find it.

Yeah.

Got a phone?

Yeah.

Mike and Laura at work.

We're always at risk of getting too casual, too quick with people who we are friends with in the door.

That isn't the case here, but, But I do want to talk about Mister Eldridge first.

Eldridge.

Eldridge.

Sorry.

Forgive me how we started.

How that, came to be the business that created in the man.

Do you min giving us a little back history?

I'm sure.

So I'm very pleased to be abl to carry on the legacy of John Henry Eldridge Jr.

John grew up in Galion, Ohio.

I think it's fair to sa he had a difficult upbringing.

But books were always his access to, new opportunity.

I is just outside Tiffin.

Yeah, it's sort of, I would say almost like the furthest southeast corner of the th large expanse of northwest Ohio.

Okay.

So rural community, you know, he bounced around, but eventually settled in Toledo as an adult and was an entrepreneur, you know, sold, a number of products, you know, wine, etc., and then eventually opened video stores in North Toledo, called Sights and Sounds.

You may remember them from the 80s.

And while he was running that video store.

A video rental VHS.

Mike.

Yeah.

Okay.

Yeah, yeah this is, Yeah, back in the day when you would, like have a wall of, like, cassettes.

And he was approached, at one point by friends, colleagues tha if you remember, video stores, they would stock a new release and you would have like 10 or 20 of them.

And they said instead of discarding those when it's time to, like, reduce inventory, why don't you sell them to the public library?

And so John started doing that in the back of his sights.

And sounds as sort of a side business.

He was selling AV materials to public libraries.

And then in the 80s, 90s, blockbuster, bought him out.

Right.

Well, they were clearly on a upward trajectory at that point.

Sure.

Still are.

And so he took all of that capital and said, I'm going to invest in this other business.

And so he created a company which is here locally called Midwest.

Hey, They're one of the largest, suppliers of AV materials to public libraries across the country.

And then their big product is hoopla.

So it's.

Yeah So you can, you can download it.

It's connected to the Toledo, Lucas County Public Library, but they're connected, again, across the country and globally as well.

And, you know, quietl built this large organization, 400 employees based in Holland, very successful.

And John, during his lifetime, not only was he a successful businessman, he was also a very caring individual.

And gave gave a lot, but very quietly.

So he set up during hi lifetime, he set up a foundation and his mother's name, Dorothy Louise Cuyler, and some of that was because he wanted to be able to give in his own way.

Right.

You know, the moment that you put your name out there, then people start knocking on your door and you know, they want you to support their causes.

And I appreciate that.

But John wanted to be able to give to the types of organization he wanted to be able to give to.

So he started initially giving to rural public libraries and low income communities around the country.

Like if you if you know this, if you don't have a spot, bu give me a little the chronology.

He was how old when these things occurred and he started the foundation.

So the foundation was initially started, what, 14 years ago?

So 2012.

So he would have been in his mid 50s, okay.

At this point, relatively young, yet relatively young.

So he unfortunately he passed in 2021 unexpectedly.

He was in his early 70s.

So, but so he had established this, this legacy that he wanted to be able to, leave, which eventually became the Joh Henry Alger Junior Foundation.

So he starts this foundation, the Dorothy Louise Keeler Foundation.

It exists for about nine years or so.

And then when he passes, he sets up his estate to go into a foundation.

The board is formed because when John was living, he was the board chair of the Dorothy Louise Cuyler.

He had a few, board members but they they knew that it was going to be bigger than this.

So his stepdaughter, Kate Blake, who I believe you know as well as Gretchen, she mentioned that you know each other from, the art museum.

That's right.

She was asked to run the foundation, so she built the board.

They worked with Ali Sterling Philanthropy to help build out some board governance.

And what the the infrastructure.

Yeah.

That's right, that's right.

And so quietly launched as the John Henry Ultra Junior Foundation in 2022 and started giving grants.

At that point, they established three funding priorities locally.

So that would be housing stability, food security and youth education.

And that's Toledo in northwest Ohio.

It was really important for the family and the board that they really wanted t anchor the foundation locally.

You know I think what they have seen is.

Like locally in this definition is still northwest Ohio.

Yeah, Toledo, northwest Ohio, because we do still support rural public library that's across the country.

Right.

And that, that, that is that is the legacy portion of our foundation and supporting.

In what way what does that look like?

Supporting children's collection.

Okay.

Capital infrastructure related to children.

So, you know, you need new stacks, you need new tables, new iPads for children's programing, programing more broadly.

That's and that nationwide is always interesting to me.

The net, and certainl in the legacy of this gentleman should be highlighted today while we have you, nationwide.

Any idea how far this has reached in the time that.

So since 2012, I believe we have given grants in 40 to 45 states.

That's amazing.

Yeah.

I mean, all of them, right?

Yeah.

That's right.

Yeah.

You didn't go to children's like I did.

Yeah, yeah.

Before this gentleman, our library was not strong, right.

And backs some things there, but that's that's an incredible thing as well.

And to.

To give you a sense of the libraries that we have been supporting, these are in communities that have 25,000 or less.

As a population, there are at least 10 or 15 miles from some sort of urban cluster.

And they generally have poverty level of around 20% and then median income around 50,000.

So these are, these are distressed communities.

That's right.

Right.

And so we've been abl to support where these libraries are often a staff of one.

Oh right.

Right.

Or maybe a. Half an all volunteer right.

Or all volunteers.

Some are connected to municipalities, tribal governments for sure.

Think about that.

And so they're they're very under-resourced.

But you all know libraries.

They're pillars in whatever community.

That's one of the things whenever we go on vacation, like any town we're in, we try to find the library, go in and enjoy, and the kids enjoy flipping through books.

But, I mean, we and part of it is because we've got such an incredible library system here in Toledo, right, that our kids and, you know, we've all fallen in love with the library.

And then we go seek it out in other places and everybody's got their own unique charm, right?

I mean, it's it's not that dissimilar to a coffee shop, right?

You go to a coffee shop in a big city.

It's going to feel a certain way.

You go to a coffee shop in a small town, it's going to feel it's going to feel different.

But it's, you know, special in its own way.

We're talking with Mike Leach with the John Henry Aldridge Foundation.

You know, the challenge with having you on and just having one segment with you is there's so much to talk about and not enough time to do all of it.

But I know, we're going to have Carol Wagner on with Historic South.

I know that's an important, organization to you guys as well.

And one of the tenants, priorities of the organization.

Yeah, certainly.

Yeah.

So one of the top a little bit about kind of what you guys are doing with historic South and why that's why that's an important initiative to, you know, to you guys, but also our community.

Yeah.

I, I'm a huge fan of Historic South and the work that they're doing.

And Karl leading that organization has has done so much.

I don't want to say for the community, I want to say with the community that that's what's.

Going to please.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I mean, I think that's so, so as I mentioned, our, our, our core priorities are housing, food and education.

And so we are fortunate, to be able to, give money out, right, to put it very like, directly.

And we do this through grants.

We have open applications so organizations can apply for grants.

But one of the thing that my board is committed to is they really want to try to move the needle, by addressing some of the root root challenges that our community faces.

Can you do that through, a grant application that maybe is five, ten, 15, $20,000, perhaps ripe for individual lives?

That makes a big difference, right?

But the challenge our community faces are they run much deeper than that.

And have been and.

Have been right.

I mean, this is we're talking the the certain individuals, certain neighborhoods, certain sections of our community are in the position they're in because of decades of disinvestment.

It's going to take decades of investment to get them to a poin where they can start to thrive.

And the way that everybody deserves to thrive.

Everybody always thinks about, you know, it took this long to cause this problem.

It's going to take that long to to unwind it.

Right.

And I think people want to see, you know, I want to snap my fingers and, and it's done right.

But the reality is even, you know, the investment that the Metroparks make, right?

I mean, you can you can build a park in a couple of years.

Right?

But it really takes still even takes time for that park to become the anchor in that community.

Yeah.

And it certainly takes time before the first shovel is turned metaphorically for i to be embraced by the community.

And it has to be to your point, Mike, to put make you feel uncomfortable in just a second based on how humble you are.

But without the people's input to live around it.

When in terms of design or input or buying in any way you want to describe it, then it's just a green space and no one has any connection to it.

Mike.

One of the things and Keith Summerfield, who is equally humble and and pleasant, I'm sure you'll feel a chill and I believe him when I say this.

It can also not just be one entity doing it right.

You've said it again.

There's no reason, to deny it.

Although I'm sure that you do it.

We are friends.

We talked about this with some regularity.

It has to be a community that, a group of foundations, a group of people that are focusing on, an area or a problem like housing, because the problem with housing is, is that one thing either.

And we'll get into this later with, Mr.

Wagner.

Certainly.

But there's a national housing crisis.

But the housing crisis nationally is not the same in Toledo, Ohio, as it is i the, sort of the coastal areas.

Right?

Ours is we have giant older homes that you don't have or homeowners don't have the ability, nor would they want to necessarily make the investment to make their houses get right again.

From the financial standpoint.

So you talk a little bit about the collaboration or the circling of the wagons.

Yeah.

And again, I remember you saying this when you first took on this role.

Or shortly thereafter, that this was one of the tenants in the priorities.

And it was going to take a sort of all hands on deck here.

So do you might talk a little bit of a it's a complex question, the ceiling with just a few minutes, but a little bit.

But the idea of a community coming together and why housing in particular is going to take, a village, if you will.

Well, I'm nothing if not concise, as you know, from our rambling conversation.

So.

That's right.

Or with a questio I just delivered to you.

Right.

Yeah.

But but to tie it to, to Kevin's question as well.

So we identified, old South End as a priority neighborhoo for us because we believe that while we have investments tha we can put into the community, we want to concentrate those to see what difference we can make.

Right.

And from there, we can see what is working and what is not that we can ideally replicate in other communities.

That's right.

We chose the old South End for a number of reasons.

The city, of course, has made significant investment, like drive down Broadway.

You can see the beautiful streetscape, you can see the sculptures that are there.

You have amazing anchor organizations like Sophia Cantero, the Belief Center, Danny Thomas Park, even a little bit further down the way.

We don't mention other parks.

Yeah, yeah.

Oh, sorry.

They're not in Metro Park.

Yeah.

But then when you look at what, Historic South initiative has done in that neighborhood over the last decade, they've they've addressed 400 homes in that community.

And I think your, your your question is a good one, Matt, because housing is so complicated and so layered.

Right?

You've got the you've got the homeowner who is in their home who is having difficulty potentially maintaining their home for one reason or another.

Maybe they have been faced with a catastrophic medical bill.

Right.

And suddenly the repairs on the home have to stop because they have to address some other priority.

Maybe you have somebody who is interested in moving into a home, right?

But they don't have the credit.

They don't know what it's like to be able to buy a home.

Sure.

Maybe you have somebody who is in a home, but you have a landlord who is not from this area.

They're not taking care of the home.

They don't know what they can do about it.

They don't know what their rights and their opportunities are.

So and that's those are just three very, very quick sort of superficial levels.

There are so many layers.

And so there's so many complexitie and so we have worked alongside, Historic South initiative as well as the land bank.

Yep, Miami Valley, Habitat for humanity, Lisk Toledo, and then an organization called Letter of Housing, to pull thes organizations together to form the Old South in partnership, to really begin to address.

And I want to I want to emphasize that we are just beginning to address the complexities o of housing in that neighborhood.

And we just announced this, only a few weeks ago.

But we are going to be working alongside the neighbors of that community.

We are not doing this for the community.

Right.

We are doing this with the community, and we're going to make mistakes along the way.

There is no doubt about that.

You know, community doesn' always see where organizations do.

An organizatio certainly don't always see where community does.

But I'm thrilled at the, the leadership that we have at the table, the organizations that we have brought together and that everybody is willing to work together.

That's great.

It's amazing.

Mike Dietsch with the John Henry Eldridge Foundation.

If people want more information on, the Foundation, where can they find it?

You can visit our website jh e foundation.org.

Mike, thank you so much.

We definitely need to have you back on.

Talk about more of the great work you guys are doing in the community.

We appreciate you being with us today.

Thanks for having me.

When we come back, we'll be joined by Mr.

Carl Wagner, from the Historic South Initiative.

We'll be right back on the 419.

To me, community means connecting to others.

I'm Danny Miller, and welcome to the point.

I mean, yes, yes, we are a community committed to education.

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

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It's the 419 powered by W GTD with Matt Killam, Gretchen De Backer, I'm Kevin Mullen.

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Where you come to watch, listen and learn.

Welcome back into the 419.

On Tuesdays, our friends of the Community Foundation encourage u and help us talk to great people in the community doing incredible work.

We're joined now by Mr.

Wagner.

I think he's encouraged me several times to call him Carl, but I won't do it.

Mister Wagner with historic self.

Thank you so much for being here.

Thanks.

Thanks for having me.

So you had the distinct privilege of being a former principal at Saint John's High School.

And so that's where you and I would have first met.

And so that's why you wil forever be Mister Wagner to me.

And me too.

Yeah.

Thank you so much for being here.

Thanks.

What is.

If people aren't familiar with Historic South, what is Historic South?

So Historic South Initiative is a nonprofit.

It's focused on the old south end of Toledo.

We're 12 years old at this point, so we're still a relatively new organization.

We focus on four areas.

One is housing.

Second education.

Third is working with community organizations.

Fourth, which is, commercial development, trying to take the lead in, in those four areas.

What are the what is the geographic area that's considered to be historic?

South.

So it's always a good question to because, there's a lot of different terms.

Even our name is Historic South.

You know, the area is no designated as a historic right.

The south end is much wider.

So.

So we define the old south end, in a very clear way.

So the river and the trail would be the the east and west boundaries.

Okay.

I-75 that comes over Broadway one and and Danny Thomas Park at the other end.

There's the Norfolk Southern viaduct there.

That that little rectangle, I guess it would be is how we define the old South.

Can you can, you to continue to provide some context to our listeners, that gives us sort of the boundaries.

Can we talk a little bit about the area within said boundaries so that the number of people living there?

I know that, Mike talks about 400 homes, but provide some context of what, who and what lives inside those boundaries.

So let's take a step back.

So historically.

You don't have a one up me.

Mr.. Just setting some context.

Yes, sir.

Yeah.

You know, this was a, Irish immigrant neighborhood, you know, back in the 1800s.

So it was as many of the neighborhoods that ringed downtown Toledo with a very strong immigrant neighborhood.

Over time, it developed, you know, some more diversity besides just Irish immigrants.

It became a really strong working, middle class neighborhood.

Then about three generations ago, it started to deteriorate as disinvestmen happened in that neighborhood.

So today it's a very diverse neighborhood.

Probably one of the most diverse in Toledo in terms of ethnic diversity, age, religion.

The very young neighborhood, actually if you look at the median age, lots of younger families, but it's with, with kids, probably in the 30s, along.

Now again, that's median.

Right.

So there's there's still remnants.

Of that, the median age of the show.

Yeah.

Gretchen really brings it down.

You have babies right behind us, even at that.

But, you know, there's a population.

It's older.

Just lived there for a long time.

Yes, sir.

And there's younger people that are coming into kind of housing.

And that's actually part of the work we're doing is trying to make the old South End a destination, destination neighborhood fo for younger families coming in.

And of course there's all kinds of components to make that happen.

How did you get involved with the with the initiative?

So it's a it's a good question, Gretchen.

A lot of good morning.

Not every morning.

But, I'm going to give you two answers to that.

One would be I grew up in an adjacent neighborhood, so I grew up down by Walbridge Park.

When I was young, the South and Broadway area was just like a downtown.

At that point, for you younger people, there were no malls.

There were no shopping centers.

Yet.

So everything we needed was on Broadway there, the library, the post office, the pediatrician, pharmacy.

I mean, everything we needed was there.

And for me, even when I was 8 or 10 year old, I was on a bike ride away from all the trouble to go down there.

Yeah.

And even my parents allowed me to ride my bike when?

8 or 10 years old, down to the library, check books out.

That all changed.

I've had two careers.

One at Saint John's and one learning.

And as I kind of ended my tenure at At root, the opportunity came to join the board at Historic South.

Actually, it was Art Hills.

And for some Otto who brought me to a meeting.

Art is the father of John Hills, one of my best friends, or was on the board at the time, and he said, oh, I think this would be a good spot for you.

So I took him up on it, bought five years ago, and here I am today.

One of the first things we're talking to Carl Wagne with Historic South Initiative.

What are the first things that you know, I knew about Historic South, quite honestly, was your incredible dedication to this mission?

It I had to continually remind myself, like, you're a volunteer board member, right?

You might be the most dedicated board chair in the region.

With the the time an the passion you put into this.

So first of all, thank you for for everything you're doing.

You talk about, you know, growing up, what that Broadway corridor look like is the goal of historic south to bring that back to what it was.

So I think somewhat I think we always want to be careful trying to bring the past into the future.

That's why so.

But but I think, you know the inspiration for us would be it was a community hub.

It was thriving.

So what do we need to do to bring it back to that level so that it the needs of the people in the community are served?

The they like living there.

It's thriving.

And so there's all kinds of aspects to that.

So I guess one answer would be no, I don't want to bring it back t what it was like in the 1960s.

That doesn't work for today, but what would work for today and in the future?

I think we need to continue to look at what are the services people need.

The housin stock is over 100 years old.

So.

So how are we going to continue that?

How do we bring new housing into the neighborhood?

Even the work we do with other community organizations, how do we make sure that the other organizations can survive and thrive, whether that's a church or whether educational institution, whatever it is, it's a very holistic approach we need to take.

It sounds like the historic South is really a leader in the housing situation.

When we have mayor on, certainly mayor, just mayor kept scavenge just in his state of the city this week talked about housin as related to population growth and that that's a priority.

It's a priority.

When Marcy Kaptur was o the show, talked about housing, housing, stock, investing in housing.

Historic South has investe in improved and over 400 homes.

You have these new modular homes.

What what what are you getting right?

What's working that's allowing you to.

And who are your partners that are allowing you to have this this clip that doesn't seem to be happening in other neighborhoods yet.

So again, we're 10 or 12 years old.

I think we're we're just hitting our stride at this point.

We've we've learned a lot of lessons.

We've made mistakes along the way.

But I think a couple of components to our success would be we have a very stron board that supports what we do.

We have strong partners, which I'll come back to.

But I think a focus on just getting the work done is really what's allowed us to be successful.

It's not rocket science.

Homes need to be fixed up.

New homes are a little bi of a different challenge.

But, to work with residents to find out what they need and to secure the funding, quite honestly.

So the funding i a significant part of the story.

So at first we were relyin on almost individual donations.

We've received grants from the city of Toledo through the Cdbg program.

But the most significant impact we had over the last six years was we were in the state budget.

We were part of the lead safe program at the state of Ohio.

We received over $10 million from the state over the last 6 to 8 years.

And that suddenly came to an end last June with the latest budget.

Right.

So, of course that was of great concern to us, but we've built our story over time.

I think we've proven with the re with our business models.

We've only got four employees.

And so we rely on contractors and other partners to help us get this work done.

Talk to us about what you what the team looks like today.

You mentioned you've got four employees who are.

Who are those folks and what were their roles?

So Joe Cordova is our vice president of operations.

So he's in charge of everything day to day.

All the different programs we run, whether it's housing, whether it's in the education arena, whether it's solar array.

We're beginnin to look at building right now.

All of those things are kind of under Joe's purview.

Mike Matich is our director of housing, and Mike Anderson is ou assistant director of housing.

And you can even hear in the positions, Joe is operations.

And we have two people that are working on housing.

That's that's kind of their main focus.

And so they've develope expertise over time and working with contractors and workin with permits, with inspections.

And that expertise and experience has really allowed us to accelerate.

Based, on my day job, I do get the opportunity to lobby on behalf of the Metroparks in our region in Washington.

At the risk of beating us to death.

Help people understand the concept of crisis and what the housing stoc and the challenges we're seeing.

I don't know tha people have heard this enough.

Do you mind walking us through this?

So, you know, and there's two angles to it.

One is just a lack of houses, right?

Period.

And so the old south end, there's 5 or 600 empty lots that houses have been demolished.

They got so rundown they had to be demolished.

We're focused o the ones that are still there.

And so think of a 100 year old house.

If it hasn't been well taken care of, even if it was 50 years ago it's now due for the next round.

And that could be, you know, an old hole in the roof, which I would say maybe the most significant kind of issue we might think about.

Water gets in there, goes down the walls.

It goes everywhere.

Most of these houses have led issues.

So there's there's there's lea poisoning, lead safety issues.

And so that's one of the primary things we try to d is to at least to minimize the, you know, the lead risk.

But really if you own one of those homes, you know, there's going to b investment needed to keep it up.

So whether that's it, put siding in, more energy efficient windows, you know, water tanks and furnaces.

And as you all know, so much goes into to owning and maintaining a home and the crisis.

If people can't afford to do those things, they want to.

Of course.

It's not that they don't know that they have a hole in the roof, or that the the paint on the on the side of the house is both peeling and it's lead based.

Right.

But where do they go?

And that's really where HSR has come in as a resource for residents who desperately need the help to upgrade their house.

Well many of those things you talked about, I mean, those are DIY projects, you know.

Right?

I mean, it's not hey, I need to replace my roof.

Let me just go up there and do it myself.

That right?

I could do.

That.

Yeah.

And have.

Yeah.

We actually encourage it.

You know, I try to get Matt to get on every roof and especially in the high winds.

Yeah.

You're welcome.

You know, I, I think that's the, I mean, the so what are the what are some of the practical things that you guys are doing t actually help people with the, the lead based paint with the roofs?

What if someone is watching this and they're like, you know, I live in historic Sout and didn't know you guys exist?

When I find that hard to believe.

But but what would they what would they come out and ask you for help with?

And what would that look like.

To your point?

More and more people do know who we are, what we do, and are trusting that we can help them.

Yes, that's not always been the case.

We needed to let people know we had a program.

As we get more funding, we needed people to apply.

And so there are very few rules in terms of the application process The three of you are homeowners.

You need to know we have a program.

You also need to know that primarily it's been exterior repairs because of the, the way the grants were structured.

And that there' a couple requirements for you.

One could be depending on the grant you might have an income restriction.

The biggest one that we run into is you have to be current on your taxes.

And so those with back taxes, it's not that they can't get help.

We need to help them get on a plan.

And agai that's just probably one signal of what they're dealing with in their life.

That's the property taxes right.

Yeah.

And they you kno they don't want to be resident delinquent on their taxes.

They don't want a hole in their roof.

But the transmission in their car.

Right.

And so all of these things to get.

To make.

Choices.

I it's right.

Putting you on the spot, Mister Wagner.

Why should other people care about what's happening?

And why should other people care about a housing crisis?

Because people usually care about things that only affect them.

But having institutions like this and neighborhoods being rebuilt or revitalized does serve the greater.

Yes.

We talked a little bi about why it matters to others, but just to be sure.

And I think we can go both directions from the neighborhood out or from our country.

And so, yes, sir our country has an affordable, quality housing crisis.

The old South End is not the only place.

Right.

The city of Toledo and five other neighborhoods is not the only place.

It is a national problem, an there's a lot of reasons for it.

So I think if you come back to your question, you know, we're just this one little piece.

And as I tell people, we are laser focused on that geographic area that I told you about.

In some ways, maybe that makes it a little bit easier for u to come up with some solutions.

We're not dealing with the city of Toledo in all the neighborhoods.

We're dealing wit the whole south end of Toledo, but there's a ton of lessons to be learned from what we're doing.

It could easily be copie in another neighborhood right?

What it take as an organization is focused.

It has a strong board that it's able to get the fundin and then to get the work done.

But I think we can be a model for Toledo, even for other places in the state of Ohio, for how to get stuff done.

But specifically in terms of the housing efforts we're making.

And presumably neighborhoods that are adjacent also are lifted, by the city.

Yeah.

So so I think.

More small businesses are thriving, are supported by this effort.

Correct.

And al the neighborhoods are connected.

We're also connected directly to downtown Toledo.

So the the relationship between downtown Toledo and the old South End, something we we've not even directly connected.

Right.

It's really important, though, that you know, the the work you guys are doing with the Metroparks is is so critica to what's happening in downtown.

We're going to that, right?

That's right.

It's a bike ride away.

Right.

I've seen you ride a bike.

So it's great.

We have bike lanes now on the south end.

So you don't need a breakfast away.

We've got bike lanes too at the Metro Park.

Carl Wagne with Historic South initiative.

If people want more information where can they find they.

Go to our website.

Which is historic South Lawn.

Thank you so much for so.

Much.

For so much of my life.

You've you've been an inspiration and I appreciate it's incredible seeing.

I mean, you talk about, you know, two careers.

The reality is three of them and you've been great at all of them.

So, thank you for wha you're doing for the community.

When we come back, we'll be joined by Black Kite Coffee as we continue our tour de cafe that is Coffee Quest.

I like to so much.

The last time I thought I'd bring it back.

We'll be right back on the 490.

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Welcome back into the 419 Powered by Coffee Quest is happening.

Happening right now all across northwest Ohio.

There's some incredibl local coffee shops that you got.

You got to get out and try.

We're joined no by folks from Black Kite Coffee.

Emerson is with us now.

Emerson.

Thank you so much for being here.

Yeah.

Of course.

Welcome.

We had you.

We usually have to apologize to the guys.

I guess we we do record early in the morning.

Yeah but this is not early for you.

Yeah.

Not really.

Yeah.

But we're thrilled to have you.

What?

There's so much incredible ness in front of us.

What what did you bring for us to enjoy?

But before.

I'm sorry to interrupt.

Kevin, can you tell us where Black Kite is located?

In just a little bit in general about the about the location?

Yeah.

It's in the old West End.

It's on the corner of Delaware and Collingwood.

Okay.

So it's pretty central to the neighborhood.

It's one of the few places, in the whole neighborhood to really get any food or anything like tha other than a few corner stores.

So pretty centra location in that neighborhood.

And how long have you worked there?

A little over three years now.

Did you get training from the folks at Black Kite?

Had you worked at other coffee places?

Yeah, a little bit of both.

I worked at, other coffee shops for about 3 to 4 years before working at Black Kite.

And then when I started there, I got training from employees that were ther and also a coffee training from, Angie at Flying Rhino.

Yeah, because we got all our coffee from flying.

She's exceptional.

It's a very distinctive little corner, location.

Very entrenched in the neighborhood.

Yeah.

Can you talk a little bit about the community and the, customers and people that come in to Black Kite?

Yeah, absolutely.

I really like the community that we have in the old West End.

It's relatively tight knit.

I mean, even if I'm not friends with anybody, you know, I just don't know them.

So, you see them out in the wild and you can say hi.

What do live in your question?

I do.

I just.

I don't understand for the last four.

Years that I'm, Robin Wood.

Oh, nice.

Me, too.

Yeah.

Yeah.

What do you do with the same house?

Let me ask you.

I have a crazy idea for a question.

Yeah.

What if I went back and asked the question that you interrupted me on?

Yeah.

Go back.

So, barbecues.

Not feeling great?

Yeah, I. Know I'm crab because I haven't eaten yet.

Because I was waiting to fin out.

What.

Okay, okay, I got it.

Answering Emerson, yo brought, some incredible treats.

And some drinks.

What?

What all did you bring that?

I mean, folks can find this on the menu.

Pretty much every day.

But what what did you bring for us?

Yeah.

So I brought, our cheesecake, cinnamon rolls and our, spinach artichoke balls, which the our spinach artichoke bagel ball is our bagel ball for the month of April.

So we baked both of those in-house.

We make the dough, we make th fillings, the icing, everything.

Like before you.

Were here, I said, I hope they bring the Bagel bites.

I didn't call them balls, but because I didn't know that's what they were called.

Yeah, but here they are.

They are miraculous little items.

The outside tastes obviously like a bagel, hence the name and the filling.

This month is really good.

So that that, that little, is up is a thing that changes every month.

So we do like a few.

So we have our regular bagel ball with roasted red peppers and chives that we have all the time as well.

So delicious.

Yeah.

As well as the breakfast bar which has sausage and eggs.

And then, recently we started doing a monthly bagel ball.

So it was a thing that we did in the past.

It kind of fell off a little bit because, you know, Covid and everything like that.

But, we brought it back because people like, we, they like to see different flavors of the bagel ball.

So last month we did the pickle ball.

This month we've got spinach artichoke.

We have some more coming up.

But now Matt's already consumed an entire body.

Yeah.

I'm sorry.

They're so.

Good.

Yes, and he's trying to steal my.

Matt.

You can have it.

Okay Thank you.

You're welcome.

Yeah.

Yes.

The breakfast bars as well.

I forgot about those ones.

So those are vegan.

Not gluten free, but they're vegan, so they're like flour, some applesauce.

Cherries.

Chocolate chips, almonds.

They're really good.

Yes.

They are.

Good And they're pretty filling, too.

It's a good it's a substitute for a bowl of cereal.

He's not kidding.

They are delicious.

Yeah.

You should not talk about how filthy they ar as Matt dives into number one.

Yeah, well, that wouldn't stop me anyway.

Yeah.

Yeah, that that's fair.

And then we got coffee.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah.

The drinks.

I do want to talk.

For.

There are some real coffee snobs out there.

And I, As there.

Should be.

And I will tell yo that everyone loves black eyed coffee.

Talk a little bit about your beans because it is different.

Yeah.

Yeah.

We get all of our beans from flying right now.

Like I mentioned previously.

Angie does a lot of care t make sure she's getting, like, good quality beans that she roasts and she takes the care to roast them?

Well.

So I think a lot of, other than, you know, the fact that our, our employees know how to make good coffee as well, because that is my point.

Good portion of what goes into it.

So on top of our employee knowing how to make good coffee, we also start wit just the beans being good.

Yes.

The coffee quest is happening right now, and it's a opportunity for folks to get out and try the different coffee shops across Northwest Ohio.

Why is this program important to you guys?

Yeah.

It's it definitely helps drive in some business.

Especially near the tail end of the slow season.

End of winter.

Beginning of spring is really slow for a lot of coffee shop and just businesses in general.

So it really is helpful, to really kick start the beginning of spring to just have coffee kind of slide right in there.

It also gets a lot of people from other parts of Toledo into the shop, which is really nice because I see a lot of people from the community.

Most of our customer base is people who live, you know, in the old West End that need our town, right?

Things like that.

So I definitely see a lot mor people from like a wider spread of Toledo than I otherwise would during coffee class.

I noticed that in the stores.

Yeah, absolutely.

Sure.

That's that's amazing.

Yeah.

That's great.

There are a lot of events that happen, within the four walls there as well.

And the wine selection, which is particularly good and interesting.

Can you tell us a little about that?

Yeah.

And talk a long time so I can eat.

Yes.

Buy me some time.

Emerson.

So yeah, we do quite a few events.

Most notably, we do two wine tastings a month, the second and fourth Thursday of every month.

We have four wine sometimes.

Usually we have a fifth, one that we kind of pull off the shelf that the familiar will pick as a bonus one.

But always for wine that the familiar, hand picks, and it's really casual.

It's really nice.

Just $5, you know, with tax, for four different wines, some snacks.

It's really casual, where you come to hang out, get the wine poured for you.

It's approachable too.

Yeah, absolutely.

I think people are going to be somewhat intimidated by the experience, or onl if it's your first one, right?

But in typical black type fashion, it's very welcoming.

And it's approachable and it's a, it's a community event.

Yeah, absolutely.

It's definitely a community event.

We have, few regular groups of people that come to the wine tasting every, you know, every two weeks.

And it's always the same group sitting at the table as wel as, you know.

So those are cool.

So what's your g to drink when you get into work?

You and you place your order.

What are you getting?

I usually get a cold brew.

I tend to change up the flavors just because I'm there five days a week.

So I get, you know, if I do the same thing every day, it's going to get a little boring.

But my typical thing that I do will be almond and caramel with, like, a little bit of oat milk.

I just think I'm no flavoring.

Yeah.

Got it.

I think those two flavors go really well together.

I really like our almond flavored sirups.

All right, so I get the same thing every time, everywhere I go.

And I don't.

And I don't want to, but don't know enough about coffee.

And I feel like when I walk into a coffee shop, I feel a little intimidated because, yeah, I mean, one, it's all the same ingredients that make everything it's on the menu.

It's just the order you put them in.

So I'm totally confused.

In between a mocha and a latte and, whatever.

But I have a real lack or self confidence.

Thank you.

So.

So what do you get?

I get a decaf caramel latte everywhere I go.

What should I get?

Well, first of all, in my personal opinion, Emerson back me up.

Well, you just said you liked it.

I think caramel is the worst possible flavor in the history of the world.

The sirup.

The.

Whoa!

Now, that's a that's a hot take.

Not real caramel.

Yeah.

Not like real.

Like caramel.

Like a natural.

I mean, you take a bigger bite before you answer the next question.

I think he needs to switch to, like, a and I smoke I kind of situation.

Yeah.

I think it's sugar.

Free vanilla even.

Right.

I think I think it really depends on what the caramel is because caramel sirups.

Yes.

I also don't think are great.

Thank you.

But caramel sorry.

Really?

That was the word I was looking for.

What a difference between these two things.

So, you know, it's like the difference between.

Something that with their.

Hand, it's like the.

Difference doesn't make any sense.

Chocolate flavored sirup.

And like a, like, hot fudge sauce.

Yeah.

Yeah.

It's like the actual caramel.

Like a caramel flavore sirup versus.

Like, this idiot.

But he just said It's like kernel extract.

Okay.

So, yeah.

You telling me that carame is isn't helping me figure out.

Okay.

Another drink to get, I'm afraid.

I guess I wasn't asking, like, what's another flavor I could put in my latte?

All right.

But give me something I could orde that makes it sound like.

Yes.

Yes.

Yeah.

Okay.

Yeah.

I mean, during the crappiness, it wasn't just grass.

The others up here.

It's me.

I think it's all me.

Yeah.

I'm fine with it.

I'm owning.

It.

Yeah, yeah, you're hearing it, right?

Yeah.

I think so.

A decaf caramel latte is pretty good.

I do like a caramel latte.

Given that it's caramel sauce versus a caramel sirup, because that is a thing I am particular about for guessing.

But, I mean, I think a lot of it just comes in the confidence, like, if you as long as you're confident in what you're ordering, it's going to seem like, you know what.

You're Devin's got that in spades, don't you fret.

I am confident in all kinds of things I don't know nothing about.

Yeah yeah, yeah, I definitely think, trying some new flavors is good though.

Like mocha is pretty good.

But, like, looking at what specials they've got at, you know, whatever coffee shop you're going to, or even just asking the barista like, hey, this is what I usually.

Get that I'm going to put on the spot.

Now, is there something that people order and then you turn around is really your eyes because it's a pain.

What's the biggest pain to make?

Frappuccino.

But you don't make.

No, we don't we don't make any blended beverages.

And honestly, I think thank God.

Yeah, yeah, that's true in the bar business too.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

But what is the is there anything then that is like oh God.

Another one of these I gotta make.

Are they all kind of the same.

And you like doing it.

I. Just it doesn't listen to the chefs at all.

I like making drinks.

So, there really isn' many things where I'm just like, oh, this.

Okay.

Yeah.

All right.

I mean.

Unless it's what messes up the flow of the line from the customers, right?

Yeah, yeah.

Some idiot that's ordering hot tea.

That's fair.

Like, that's.

Not is.

No place to.

It's water.

But it's it's not just that.

Say, if you'll get the tea is like a. There's a box.

Of espresso machine.

It's like.

I'm sure in the restaurant business too hot tea and everyone's like.

Exactly.

This chest that is.

Especially to me.

Oh yeah.

Of the line.

So that's.

Fair.

I'm like, it' the easiest thing you can make because it's impossible.

It's so.

All right, we're going to run out of time here, but we're going to put you on the spot okay?

She's right.

She's ready.

We're ready.

You're ready.

All right.

Now time for Gretchen's wacky quick way.

All right.

All right.

We are going to ask you out of doing this a new way.

The old way.

We'll try it the new way.

We'll see what happens.

We're going to ask you for rapid fire questions.

All right.

We're going to ask yo to describe Toledo in one word.

And then you're going to list off your nine favorite things in Toledo.

Okay.

They could be places.

They could be people.

To be a part of.

The three.

Of them.

Three of them right here.

You could just list the three of us as your favorite people over and over again.

Not going to happen.

No.

Especially not me today.

All right.

For wrap.

Don't agree with.

That.

I'm sorry.

I've been supportive.

For rapid fire questions.

If you could un invent something, what would it be?

What a good question, I invent something.

Oh my gosh.

If you.

Had to.

Say the Frappuccino.

Know.

Okay how many languages can you say hello in?

Hello.

Me?

How, nice you are.

Hola.

At least four.

All right, I love it.

All right.

What do you wish you had started doing earlier in your life.

For, learning another language?

Okay.

And what's something, no.

It's good.

What is your lifelong dream?

To be able to make art and just have.

That would be my life.

Yeah, I love that.

Is there a particular style of art that you.

A medium that is your favorite?

I like to draw, like with colored pencil.

I do a lot of, like, cartoony stuff.

So drawing a third pencil are like digital art.

Awesome is amazing.

Okay.

What is what's the new question?

Describe Toledo.

Describe Toledo in one word.

One word.

In another language.

Can eat.

You are, I think one of the.

We told you, though.

We gave you the old way.

I think evolving.

That was one of my nine words in the original way.

So they give you tha and they relate to them?

Yeah.

I evolving all right.

And then nine of your favorite things in Toledo could be great things.

Places, things.

Okay.

Cool animals.

Well, I like the Metroparks.

God bless you.

And I do like the zoo.

Okay.

Going downhill.

There's a so there's other a lot of other coffee shops that I like as well.

So just like, generally, yeah, I really like I really like Sweet Nights.

I really like Flying Rhino.

I love, I love a lot of the baked goods at brewhouse downtown.

I do too, I'm gonna give it two for that.

Two more.

Two more.

Okay.

Oh.

Of course.

Last time you ate.

Go listen to these awful people.

The so many restaurants I love the, like, number of, like, food.

Give me your favorite one right now.

Favorite one?

It's technically in Perrysburg.

Okay.

It's called bento.

Go.

Yes.

What's that?

What's your list?

It.

Yeah, it's a it's a bento restaurant in Perrysburg.

They make, like, authentic Japanese, like, lunch foods and stuff like that.

Cool.

Yeah.

Okay listen, with black cake, coffee, if people want more information on black coffee, where can they find it?

We have a website.

It's just black coffee.com, as well as on social media, which is all just black coffee.

There you go.

And remind us again of your location.

2499 Collingwood Boulevard.

It's the corner of Collingwood and Delaware and the old West End.

Excellent.

Thank you for coming.

And thanks for all the trees.

So nice to meet.

All right.

When we come back, we will wrap up this Tuesday edition of the 419.

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Welcome back into the 419.

As we wrap up for Tuesday edition.

Did I say I am?

I did mean.

Again.

No, he said.

I said our mouths were full because we're still eatin all the good stuff from black.

Right.

And I said, I hope we don't choke.

And I said, I have a do not resuscitate.

I said, a t shirt that us because I listen.

So I'm going to know.

Right.

Exactly.

I was talking one tim in a restaurant with my sister.

We talk about this story all the time.

It was in Chicago and I literally was choking.

It's the only time it's ever happened because, you know, you can't talk.

You can't swallow on food.

We're sitting in this booth and my sister Liz finally just yells out in the restaurant.

She's choking.

My sister.

Is choking.

Well, someone help!

And they're all just like.

So anyway, I guess with no one and this guy just comes by and brings over this little cup of water and I'm like, I tried just three days.

It was terrible.

I ended up surviving, obviously I did.

I was I was wondering.

Yeah, that was a real bad.

It was like watching the Titanic all over again.

Yeah.

What are you right for?

The iceberg.

But no one in the restaurant knew what to do.

You're kidding.

Me.

No.

I feel like that's.

That should be a mandatory training.

I think they have those, like, Heimlich posters in the kitchen, but.

Oh, it's difficult to run to go look at the poster when they come back.

Right?

Yeah.

All right.

Huge thanks to our guest fo being on the program today.

Yes.

Again, we always run the risk when we've got people on that we know.

And we like.

We dive too deep, too fast.

But there is so much to talk about.

That's right.

With Mike Dean from John Henry Elder Foundation, Carl Wagner with Historic South.

And of course, we're still enjoying the treats.

Yeah, Emerson was great.

That's a great shop.

Has been around for ten plus years and that doesn't happen by accident.

7 a.m.

on YouTube, 3 p.m.

on FM 91.

In 6 p.m.

connect 24 over seven online at Augusta for one night.

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The 419, powered by GTI is made possible in part.

By supporters like you.

Thank you.