And now the 490 with Gretchen de Bakker might kill them.

And Kevin Mullin, Welcome in to the 419, powered by GT and presented by Retro Wealth Management.

I'm Kevin Mullen.

Gretchen Becker, Matt Guilhem.

We got an exciting show today.

That was a pregnant pause.

Yeah.

Congratulations.

Yeah.

It's a boy.

That's right.

It.

No, it's not a boy.

It is our toledo.com community calendar driven by.

Tada!

That's a Thursday edition of the 419, where we take a look at some of the cool things that are coming to Toledo this year.

The regions or the region.

Okay.

Yeah, we can, because let's be honest, tired.

You can get around the region, not just Toledo.

That's right.

And so, we'll take a look at the top five events.

We've got a couple of exciting guests.

Rick Bailey, deputy CEO of Tada, is going to talk about some of the great things that they're doing.

Arrival to Kevin's voice.

We're going to.

I don't like it, but yeah, it's going to be a competition for who has the best radio voice.

Who is going to be.

It's going to be tight.

It's that close.

It's going to be Rick.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And then Matt Lentz from Valentine Theater.

Talk about some of the cool things they've got going on and some real family events.

And then, Katie Brzezinski from, Cork and.

Nice.

Yes.

Very nice to talk to them.

Cool business in downtown.

But before we get to the important stuff, this is the banter part.

I this is I we we have a hero in our midst.

What?

Yeah.

Our friend Matt Killam just last evening.

Oh, was called into into the fray.

He was called into the line of duty because our friend Rhonda Shaw had a bat in her house in.

And so she calls around.

She lives downtown, so she's calling around people that she thinks lives in the neighborhood.

What time was this?

11:00 last night.

It was about 9:00.

9:00?

Yeah, that's a 12:32 a.m., right?

Yeah, exactly.

And so he she goes over there noon.

Yeah.

That was the downside.

I was I didn't understand the call.

I don't often see photos of Matt on social media.

Yeah.

Outside of like this show.

Right.

But I did see the photo flashlight in one hand.

Yeah.

Tennis racket in the other hand.

So let me go looking for the bat.

Yeah.

Let me give you this.

This is just a little bit of bat tips.

Tennis racket is the best foil for a bat.

For those of you who don't know, cuz you want them to fly into it.

I it's just the best thing to whack me.

Now, do you have.

Did you take the bat home to giv to the girls or.

I took the bat home.

What happened to that?

Really?

None of your concern.

Did you actually find the bat?

I didn't, I've never been in, Rhonda's apartment before.

At least that's what she wanted me to say.

On the show.

So she has, like, 20ft tall ceilings.

Yeah.

So the minute I walk in there and it's well decorated, so it has, like, attractive lighting.

So it's dark to you?

I'm like, I was when I walked in, was like, there could be a million bats in this place.

We have, for all we know, bats.

We had a bat in our house.

Yeah.

Couple of years ago, and, like, saw it flying around.

Couldn't find it.

Danny found it when she got in the shower the next day.

It was literally, the shower curtain.

You know, they can get very, very small when they.

When they're hiding.

So it's terrifying then when they.

Yeah.

But then I go in the neck, but then it's like the frustrating part is like when they fight crime.

So then you pay like, you know, you hire a company to come out and take care of it.

Yeah, I should have a hero.

But they come out and they basically do the same thing that I was going to do, which was use a Tupperware container, stick it up against it and like, but then the most frustrating part, you pay this company to come out and take care of it.

And I want the thing to go away.

And they take the bat and literally set it on my roof to get right back in the hole.

They can be like that's where it came from.

Yeah.

They were like well we got to leave it where it was.

And I'm like what are you doing?

I want you to take it to Kentucky.

Let me tell you.

Yeah, that's exactly right.

Yeah.

Let me tell you a little something about the Matt Killam method.

It is a rack.

Do you want to?

Then I take it to a farm.

Okay.

On the outskirts of town.

Just out of respect for your full time employer, do you want to think twice about.

Yeah.

It's a free trade.

I take it out where the golden retrievers and all the other dogs, man.

Well.

Thank you.

I know they're on the.

Thank you as well for your hair heroism.

Yeah, it's just something I do.

Not all heroes wear capes, and sometimes that's all they wear.

When we come back, we'll be joined by Rick Bailey, deputy CEO of tired, as we take a look at our toledo.com community calendar driven by.

Tada!

It's the 408 team.

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.

It's a Thursday edition of the 419.

That's when we take a look at our toledo.com community calendar driven by Tara.

And we're pleased to be joined by Tara's own deputy CEO, Rick Bailey.

Rick, thanks for joining us on the program.

Thank you for having me, Kevin.

So it was teed up that you are now officially the best voice on the show, 100%.

The only thing I had going for me and now it's now it's yours.

So thanks a lot, Rick.

Thank you.

People talk about voice a lot when they when they meet you.

Every once in a while.

Yeah, yeah.

I've just always had kind of a deeper.

Yeah.

Deeper voice.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Me too.

Me too.

Hawaiian when I was growing up.

Do you inquire?

Yes.

All right.

Where'd you grow up?

Pickle.

Ohio?

Yes.

Pequot, Ohio.

So jokes that I got.

No.

No show choir.

No.

Pickle has a good show.

Do they have, state champion, I think.

What?

I don't know what what's happening right now.

I'm like, I'm not kidding.

I knew that, but no one would kid like that.

Yeah, that's, That's fair.

So, Rick, what bus line did you take to get here this morning?

I did not.

I live in Sylvania Township, and our service doesn't run that early, so I actually drove my, car.

Okay.

On foot.

If you could have a flexed.

Could have to reflect.

Yes.

In within the appropriate zone.

And then, normally catch either the two or the 20.

What is hard a flex for people that haven't heard about it yet.

Yeah.

So it's hard to flex is our, it's kind of like Uber like service.

So you can travel within the zones if you are a paratransit eligible or 65 years or older.

You can't travel zone out of zone.

Just as long as one of the trips start or end in the zone.

Rick.

How did little Rick Bailey aspire to get into transportation?

Oh, so I was a, struggling accounting major.

Yeah.

And just kind of, you know, lucked into it.

Was looking for a major to transfer into.

I was at Wright State University in Dayton and the Ohio Department of Transportation had a public and social services certificate program, and I was in an elective class and just happened to be there when Odot gave a presentation and looked at the program and said, well, all I really have to do is one extra internship, and the rest is history.

I interned at, Dayton, RTA, Dayton, Ohio, spent 13.5 years there.

Wow.

So I can't tell you the amount of people who have told me that they went to an Odot presentation and felt inspired with, what?

So then what brought you back to Toledo, then?

So really, all of us.

Yeah, it was, you know, interesting story.

A coming out of Covid.

You know, things kind of changed.

Projects had slowed down a little bit.

Dayton, we really spent my my entire tenure there really reinventing, the agency.

So we had brand new busses, brand new facilities.

Started to look around, and I was like, well, I could spend the next 20 years here with, with new stuff or go other places and, and kind of help rebuild.

Yeah.

So I spent a year in Cincinnati Metro, and then was fortunate enough I had a, contact that was, was here that I'd met professionally.

Met Laura, I believe right around this, this time in 23, on a I think it was a team's call on Valentine's Day.

Funny enough, I think it was to, And then.

Yeah, came up here in early March to to interview on a recruiting visit.

Wife and I kind of fell in love with it.

And, the rest is history, as they say.

Well, Laura's exceptional.

She's run the show.

Obviously, we're a big fan of her.

And you guys have done an incredible about-face, for for Tartu.

So I hope you're proud.

You should be.

Yeah.

I mean, at the risk of asking, like, an overly simplified question, like, I mean, for part of this show is, you know, for at least for me, is helping people celebrate the great things we have in Toledo.

And I think we take so much for granted.

Tired of being one of those things that we sort of take for granted?

What was it about Tada that that had you saying like, yeah, this, this, I'm going to I'm going to uproot my family, we're going to move to Toledo.

Like, I love what we're the I love the direction this is going.

Oh, Sam Melton okay, Sam, that's exactly the way you wrote that.

That was exactly what he paid me to say this morning.

Another two.

Sam Melton.

Build.

That's right.

No, not it was, yeah.

You know, I would say just having you know, I think the interesting thing about me is I had been here in 2017, for a conference and at Tada!

And really, to see the difference in the transformation, I think, that Laura had had brought to the agency, it looked like a totally different property than when I was here in 17.

You know, two and three things I look at when I'm looking at jobs.

Right.

It's is it affordable to lose?

Is there you know, the sales tax is obviously a big part of that because that's helped us be sustainable.

What can be future forward thinking?

And then really, I think, you know, for me, I have three kids.

So it's really all about school districts and education and, really, Toledo checked all three of those, but how old are the kids?

In a 15, 13 and ten year old.

So it's it's pretty busy.

That is a nightmare.

We're talking about teenagers there.

Yeah, with Rick Bailey, the deputy CEO of Tada.

What are some of the things that you're most excited about that are that are coming down the, coming down the road?

Yeah.

Good.

Coming down the road.

I love it.

You know, I would say the our bus rapid transit study is, is wrapping up.

So, really just a plug this morning.

May 14th, is our final report.

It's going to be at the glass salon at the Toledo Metropolitan Art Museum.

Excited about that?

March.

We are wrapping up our work week study.

So that's our Wood County, transportation planning feasibility study.

And that presentation will be at Penta.

That's like an open house forum.

So I think those are two big things.

I mean, I look back, we kind of got those grants from Odot, right?

When I started.

So it's been exciting to kind of see those application now to, to wrap up, for those of you who don't know what a BRT is, talked a little bit about that.

Yeah.

BRT it's it's basically, our fixed line service with, faster frequency.

So usually 10 to 15 minutes.

The bus is coming, this instead of a bus stop in a shelter, it's more of, kind of station like.

So it's made to simulate rail.

So you'll have a level platform boarding step right on the bus, off board payment.

You know, they have security lighting.

You know, screens that really show the real time information.

So it's just it's kind of like, must put an elevated bus service on a on a line.

Realistically, when would Toledo see the BRT start to show up?

I think realistically, late 27, early 28.

Potentially.

And then, you know, I think, you know, we could see some delays depending on funding and, and other, you know, factors.

Having this, be available around the Riverwalk eventually would be an amazing addition.

Yeah.

To getting from event to event or, you know, how long the six neighborhoods that that are connected.

That's exactly right.

So just thrilling stuff, Rick.

But I know we you know, we we can't talk about price specifically, but, you know, as we think about kind of the ability to, you know, hop on, hop off and bounce around it kind of, you know, for me, like I look at the scooters downtown, you know, made it easier for me to, you know, if I'm in my office downtown and I want to go have lunch somewhere.

Yeah.

I'm not just walking.

You know, typically, I. I want to enjoy downtown.

And so what I don't want to do is get in my car and go drive to the other side of downtown.

That just feels like too much effort for me.

But I'll hop on a scooter and go bounce around.

But to be able to literally pick up and hop on the bus and drive around, I got to believe that's that's the point of it, right, is to make it easier to get from points that are closer to each other.

Or is it, you know, hey, bringing me from, you know, West Toledo to downtown Toledo more frequently?

I think all of the above, really.

I think, you know, our focus has been on Monroe Street in that corridor.

So I think, you know, from a standpoint of if I live in the mall or if I live in Kentucky, amazing.

And if you live in the mall, what shop would you want to watch?

A great American cookie company for breakfast every day.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah.

Real convenient to quick to get downtown.

And then I think, yeah, to your point, it's easy to get from destination to destination downtown without having to walk through.

You know, we're talking with deputy CEO, a deputy CEO of charter, Rick Bailey.

We're going to talk about the top five events of the week with Rick right now.

Are you guys ready?

I mean, you have a the first event for the week brought to you by target.com, supported by Tada, of course, is the Pro Home Show, which is at the Glass City Center.

This weekend.

February 20th through the 22nd.

You can get more information at Glass City center.com.

I'm going to this because I'm trying to redo my bathroom, so I'm going to go and check it out, see what I can find out.

So you're going to go are you hoping to get tips on how you can renew your bathroom?

Or you're hoping to find someone to come in and redo your bathroom?

Yes, you have a vision.

A better shower is really my main vision.

Oh, okay.

Yeah, yeah, that's all I have.

You go to the show bigger shower.

Not a yeah, just not a 100 year old shower.

Okay.

All right, all right.

The next that we talked about with John when he was here before, again brought to you by twitter.com is the Perrysburg Winterfest.

You can get more information about that at downtown Perrysburg.

Gorg.

I'm wondering if they're going to run into whether this.

This weekend, the Perrysburg Winter Fest is always 70 degrees.

Opening day for Mud Hens.

20 degrees.

That's right.

That's that's what I do.

Yeah.

I was like, all right, I'm pulling up this is also February 20th to the 22nd.

I, it should be noted that my birthday is Friday, February 20th.

So you can do these events outside of celebrating my birthday.

Yeah.

Plan accordingly.

In between all of the parties and all the things you had planned for delivering presents to Gretchen, the flex will be in and out of that.

Yeah, it's really hard to get.

And so they've got, really cool ice sculpture.

Yes.

And just a lot of different activities and things.

A real family friendly event.

But yeah.

So it looks like this might be the coldest, being in the 40s.

All right.

Might be the coldest winter fest.

Harrisburg has had in decades.

While can they do ice sculptures in the 40s?

Oh, well, they've done it in the 60s.

Yeah.

I mean, doesn't last long.

Oh, okay.

Yep yep yep.

I also I've made an inland lake so.

Well that's great.

That's good.

I recommend you get there Friday.

That's right.

Yeah.

Oh the third event of the weekend is, the play Lost in Yonkers, which is at the Toledo Repertory Theater Friday, February 20th through the 22nd.

This was a real famous movie in the 80s, but it's a story about two young guys living in, you guessed it, Yonkers, Yonkers, New York after their mom.

Don't give it all you got to go to see.

And their mom passes away and they move in with grandma.

Funny.

It's not.

It's not a comedy.

Oh, sorry.

In part, I think it's good.

I think it's sentimental.

Sweet.

Anyway, that's going to be at the little wrap.

Have you ever seen the play?

I have not, you know about the Picture Show Choir, but you don't.

Okay.

Yeah.

Everybody knows the state.

Well, if the show player had done unfortunately they had to be stripped of that due to doping.

I just, classic tale.

The fourth event on the toledo.com calendar, brought to us by Tada, is the speakeasy at the Collingwood Arts Center.

We had our friend come in and talk about ghosts and, other things happening at the Collingwood Arts Center, but mostly ghost oriented.

What you got on the back?

But this weekend is their big annual fundraiser, where you can get more information by looking at the Collingwood Arts center.com.

That is.

Saturday again, will not interrupt any birthday celebrations planned for me.

Now the event of the weekend.

Rick, you might already have tickets to this, I don't know, this is really the penultimate celebration of Gretchen's birth.

Yeah, I think that's probably why it's here.

Oh, no, it's not even on my birthday.

It's Saturday and Sunday, but it's at Huntington Center.

You can get more information at hunting.

Hunting, hunting ten center toledo.com.

And that is the professional championship bull.

Writers.

She just all she has to do is read Rick.

She's reading from just reading off a piece of paper.

That's all.

It's all we ask her.

It's only once a week.

What?

What are going to be a good event?

What would you be more afraid of, Rick getting into the ring as a bull rider or trying to capture a bat in Rhonda Soules apartment, or being lost in Yonkers?

Those are tough, tough choices.

Definitely the bull riding.

Yeah, yeah.

That, That's life.

Well, I didn't tell you how big the bat was, Rick.

What is the size of.

Oh, yeah.

Go do it.

You did.

I I suppose the whole time I was just flailing away there.

I put on all of Rhonda's clothes and I. That's a lot of fun.

Yeah, yeah.

That's right.

Yeah, yeah.

I don't know if you knew this, a local hero.

Rick.

You are?

Yeah.

I am, a dragon slayer.

Some people say, after I wiped with my tears away and hid behind Rhonda's lovely daughter.

I left a real hero.

Real hero.

Thank you again for your service, Gretchen.

It's, I'll take.

I'll accept that in each and every one of these events.

Perrysburg might be the interesting one.

Yeah, but the rest of them.

Tada!

I can get you there.

Absolutely.

People want more information on, the charter route to get them where they want to go.

Where can they find it?

Rick?

WWE Tartikoff guys are doing great work.

Rick I'm honored to be able to work with you, man.

The excited to have Matt on the board now.

Hey, congratulations.

I didn't know that.

They've had some real bad problems down here.

Downhill for here.

No more bets on busses, no mess around.

Could even could even deliver a dumb joke.

Did you hear that, Gretchen?

I haven't drink enough of this.

Yeah, that's bourbon in there.

Rick.

Yeah, she's hit the speakeasy.

All right.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, she's not speaking easy.

Yeah.

All right, Thanks to Rick Bailey from today.

Rick, thanks for being here, best buddy.

Thank you guys.

All right.

We'll be back.

We'll continue this toledo.com community calendar driven by Tara on the 419.

To me, community means connecting to others.

I'm Dani Miller and welcome to the Point.

I lost it yesterday.

We're a community committed to education.

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

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.

Vision loss for people is not the end.

It's the story.

It's the next chapter.

There we go.

Public media invites you to get out and play day.

Monday through Friday.

It's the 419 powered by W GT with Matt Gillum, Gretchen de Backer, I'm Kevin Mullen.

What can people expect on the show?

Give me an hour.

A reminder of why this is a great place to live, work and play.

Where you come to watch, listen and learn.

Welcome back into the 419 A Thursday edition as we take a look at our toledo.com community calendar driven by Tara talking about all the great events and things happening in Toledo.

And this may not be particular an event, but it's somebody who is certainly connected to a lot of great events.

Katie from Cork and Knife.

Welcome.

Thanks.

Thanks for having me.

Thanks for being here.

Tell us a little bit about, for those that have visited that your street market late lately, they might have seen that building downtown sort of on the backside of the Erie Street Market.

That looks like a sort of a Swiss chalet type vibe to it.

Tell us what's going on in that building.

Yeah.

So we've been there almost three years now.

Really exciting.

Yeah.

And, used to be the old roadhouse that a lot of people love to know what it was before.

And woodchucks, I guess.

That's right.

Yeah.

We love answering that question every.

Every time, every five minutes.

But.

And I'm not from here, so I know.

Where are you from?

I, I'm from Sonoma County.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Well, welcome to the big, beautiful city.

We must be over.

Well, but, we are like a catering and private event, private events company, and, we host pop, like, pop up ticketed events.

We host private events, corporate like showers, all kinds of stuff.

Weddings.

We've done a couple weddings there.

Now, the trip from Sonoma to Toledo, Ohio is a classic time honored story.

Absolutely.

Yeah.

This is a direct flight.

Young woman fulfilling her dreams.

Whatever.

Manifest destiny is in reverse.

What?

How did you get bring me from California to Toledo?

Yeah.

I don't think I really understood this part of the Midwest until I moved here.

And I actually, went to school at American University in Washington, DC and lived abroad in France for a while.

Came back and moved to Michigan with my old job, when I was corporate.

And, loved living there.

But I met my husband and, moved down here to be with him.

Yeah.

Where in Michigan?

Ann Arbor.

Okay.

All right.

So, yeah, a stone's throw.

Yeah.

So there's a lot going on at at Quirk and Knife.

But the cool thing, the, the special events that you guys have are so interesting, so cool.

Agreed.

Who does how what are the job breakdowns?

Are you the chef?

Are you the planner?

The graphic designer?

Whoever's doing that is delightful and, darling, it's always such an amazing team.

There's nothing better, in my opinion, than a party with a theme put all the way through to the to the nth degree.

You're doing that in the best way.

I went to the sex and the City Party classic.

You're up at the best.

So who's doing all of those pieces of of putting on such good events?

There?

So we're really small team.

We just brought on a thread at the end of last year and, but it's just my husband and I, and now Stephen, who's the best.

Yes.

And, he is the chef and I'm the event coordinator.

So when we first started, basically he came up with the menus.

I mean, he still comes up with the menus, he does all of that, and then I do all of that other part we collaborate a lot on, like the themes and fun little touches.

And now Stephen throws in and it's fun.

So you're a food from the beginning.

What is your career background that makes you so exceptional at this events?

I did corporate events before this.

Yeah, but it's funny because I never worked.

I feel like in college you kind of have two lanes when you're, like, side hustling and you're either like a server bartender or you do retail.

And I was always retail.

Yeah.

So, like, I didn't serve or bartend until I started this job.

And what was your most miserable corporate event?

Oh, look, right in that camera I give real name.

Well, it's just one organization, so I, you know, they're not all like, they're not miserable.

It's more that the people I worked for, it's all small towns.

So you're like, look, you're just staying at the Holiday Inn at every small town.

Yeah, across the US.

So you're not actually seeing anything?

Yeah, sure.

That's challenging.

What's an upcoming event that you guys have?

Going on?

So we're doing some fun stuff next Wednesday.

We're doing what we like, a series that we have called Family Meal, where we set up, like, communal tables and served like just a really yummy three course meal.

Just really good food.

Yeah.

We have coming up in March a dim sum inspired dinner.

Bright lights, big appetites, that one.

I think it's going to be really fun.

Yes.

We if anyone reads our newsletter, which, you know, thank you for the five of you who do.

But Gretchen read Kevin and I thank you.

So, yeah, we've got three people here.

Thank you.

For the other two people.

She's so good at reading.

But my my husband, Joseph put in the newsletter some fun food trends and, like, Asian flavors and, like, Indian flavors are really in.

And so we're kind of trying to, like, do some fun twists on.

There's so many people that'll be excited.

I'm glad you mentioned that.

Yeah.

Talk to me about how genius is discovered in your household.

Is it something you talk about, in passing or the downtime?

How do you.

Dude, you're bouncing off one another?

Or do you just go home and not talk?

I both yeah, I laugh because we've literally just talked about we were we do date nights, you know, because you have to.

And every single time we do a date night, he's like, we've just been talking about work.

And I'm like, but when it's our whole life, I know I get it.

It's like when it's your whole life.

Yeah.

But I think talking about like, work in a fun way is very different than talking about work and like just the logistics way.

And I've been at work.

I mean, it makes a big difference just to be out there for so and I also enjoy repressing my feelings.

So, you know, this is a good tip for everyone if we don't have to talk about our actual marriage.

Thank you so much.

Yeah.

Have you ever gotten into fantasy football?

That's another.

I can give you some tips.

We're talking with Katie Lynskey from Cake and, cooking.

So I'm going to get that right.

I've never like cake.

And I have those people miserable.

They're the worst talking talking that those videos where it is a cake or is it whatever the thing is.

Yeah.

Yeah, I hate those.

Anyway.

Sorry.

What was, you know, the move from corporate event planner to do your own thing.

What was the sort of, like, leap light bulb moment for you to go?

Was it just complete burnout that you were like, I just don't want to do this anymore?

Or was there something that you were like, and what holiday and were you in when you thought of this?

Right.

Yeah, I think it was Nashville now.

I guess that's the worst side of it there.

Courtyard is falling apart.

Yeah, not very often.

No.

We, my husband got furloughed, like, for Covid, and so he started kind of catering on the side.

It was not necessarily like we sat down and like, held hands and like, we're going to do this.

Yeah.

It actually was he just started catering because he can't sit still and has like a ridiculous work ethic, which is partly why I love him.

But we, he wanted to make a website.

I was like, why don't you put me on there?

You'll look way more legit because I'm like an event planner.

Yeah.

And then and humble everyone.

Yeah, yeah, but you put me on.

There's will be more legit.

Put me on the website.

So people trust you.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Well, like, it just looks like team like.

It's right.

Like it'll make you look really like you've got it all together.

Yeah.

And so then it kind of snowballed because I can't help myself.

Yeah.

And I did love my job.

And I worked with amazing people.

But I had been there a really long time and it just fell after a while, like the right move.

We started to just grow.

And so I left my job.

How is it that you came upon that building?

It had been vacant for a while.

What kind of work did you guys have to do to get that ready?

Yeah, it had been vacant, so it was.

We had to completely overhaul it.

Wow.

There is an apartment upstairs which is completely separate to us, and, we redid the whole inside.

We kept like this similar layout, because there were, like, walls, you know, some partial walls that were still there.

But it is fun because the people who used to run the old roadhouse would.

We've had a couple of, like, the daughter or the son come in and talk about how like, oh, yeah, we used to count cash in the back with my grandpa or whatever.

Stories is really cool to think about how different the building is now.

And you do you have that really nice patio there on the side?

The other cool thing that you guys do that I see on occasion, especially on social media, you can follow Kirk and Knife on all social media pages, but you do these dinners where you can just come by and do the work day and and get stuff to go.

Is that something you're still planning on doing in the upcoming seasons?

Yeah, so we used to do taco dinners kind of sporadically, and we have just recently our big, exciting 2026, thing is that we launched a membership program.

Oh, sweet.

So we are actually doing meals every month now very consistently.

And so when you sign up to be a member, you're not only getting you can do a meal for two or a meal for four.

Our program is called the Table.

We're working with an amazing company called table 22, who helps us basically navigate the whole membership system thing, and you'll get perks.

So that's you're not just getting a meal, but if you're attending our, you know, like the sex and the city brunch, you would get an extra course because you're a member, just kind of want to make you feel special.

And we love the idea of bringing the sense of community back within, you know, the co-working, nice clientele.

So, so the folks, your folks, what is your upbringing that brought you to event planning, where you always, a family that entertained or what?

What's your background?

So I grew up with a single mom who I think is why I am so, like, work ethic, like, just work, work work work work.

She, we did.

We always hosted.

We were like, I'm Polish, big Polish family.

We always used to host some stuff.

I just enjoyed putting parties on and in college, like, I was always the one who wanted to host stuff.

I always, like, loved thinking of all the details, which is probably I wonder why Gretchen has, it has a similar, I guess I would say, problem.

What?

And tell me, both of you, what is a theme that just did not land?

Nothing that I've ever done that hasn't landed.

Yeah, I don't I can't think of anything.

Yeah, sure.

That's a question.

This this is may only be a question that I'm interested in answering, but as you do events, you know, you you get the different thematic things, you get the glasses and was going to make sure I understood what you said.

I only want to ask a question that I may be the only one.

I may never talk to Katie again.

I have yeah.

She's lucky.

Oh, no.

I'm sorry.

Okay.

I just I want to make sure I clarify, because what I heard you say was, I'm going to ask a question that I may be the only one that wants to answer.

No, that I know the answer.

I just wanted to make sure that you were asking a question of Katie and not asking the question.

No.

Okay, you have our own show, you and I. Yeah.

Let's do it.

Yeah.

I could stop you.

Right?

Let's think of some funny.

Yeah.

Yeah, absolutely.

Yeah.

Gretchen, please finish the question for your the thematic things.

You got the decorations, whatever.

What's your storage and organization plan for these, these things, like if you repeat it or can you use it for another event, you know.

Yeah.

We keep we we have it just takes a lot of stuff.

It does when you're doing catering.

And I don't think people realize that so or care.

But please continue answer.

Yeah.

No.

They are more of, organized chaos.

Yeah.

Certainly it's not a system I like feel great about, but.

All right.

People always joke around who work for us that it's crazy because we'll go, you know, into our storage area.

And I know where everything is.

And they look around and they're like, how?

Yeah.

What system?

Never know when catering or hosting.

What like little bowl you're going to need and you have to be able to go in and just like one thing that Gretchen likes to do is leave, her trinkets all across the county.

I've housed wineglasses for you for a better part of a decade.

Yeah.

Votives.

I have a collection of bodies.

I was looking for those.

Yeah, I've got them.

You stole them?

Yeah.

All right, let's talk, to Katie about the four by nine quiz.

Don't don't do it.

Let's do it.

We got it.

We got.

All right, here we go.

All right, I'm going to ask you for rat.

I'm sorry we didn't do our interview.

Oh.

Oh.

I'm sorry.

It's now time for you, Gretchen.

Quiz.

Gretchen, I was going to say real quick, if you like.

My shameless plug is.

If you do want to shop any of our random storage stuff, we're cleaning house and we're doing a huge sale on March 7th.

She will be there to be there on the sixth and get a pre pre pre look.

Yeah maybe we're going to post some pictures okay.

Well everyone will see it.

All right I just I just feel like this might be you literally getting into her mental illness just a little too.

Yeah yeah yeah.

It's called an enabler.

It's called the dealers.

Oh yeah.

That's right.

Yeah.

This is this is way beyond any way I could borrow your belt.

Catching a bit.

Yeah.

Yeah, that's exactly right.

All right.

So I'm going to ask you for rapid fire questions.

Gretchen's going to ask you for your favorite thing in Toledo.

And then Gretchen or Matt is going to make you describe Toledo in exactly nine words.

We'll do it together.

Don't worry about we got it.

Yeah.

We've had way dumber people than you.

If you had to use a fake name, if you had to use a fake name, what fake name would you use?

I have an alter ego, and her name is Alicia de con Fernando.

We have the C, I guess that.

Yeah, yeah.

When did she come out?

Do you see her right now?

When I was younger, I used to get magazines to our house.

And my mom would be like, who is this person?

Like?

I have no idea.

It's awesome.

It's the spicy Katie.

Yeah.

The the magazines that you didn't want to get in your own name, but you still wanted to become.

Yeah.

TV.

Yeah.

It.

Yeah.

Teen Venus yeah.

Grayson still gets that, what's something exciting happening in your life right now?

Who?

We got a puppy or what are you doing to yourselves?

Okay, now we're masochists.

I'm George, he's from Milan.

Pet hood.

Yeah.

We love him.

He's our third.

Yeah, and he's crazy, but it's exciting.

Any linkage to the dim sum dinner in the dog?

Oh my gosh, Max.

Yeah, I'm reading that.

Yeah.

Oh wow.

That's a we're going to get a letter for that.

Yeah.

What is your least favorite type of music.

Oh I don't know.

I like all music.

That's it.

That's an answer for to be honest I don't don't get mad at me.

I don't make it up.

I don't, if you could, would you go to outer space?

Oh, I don't know.

It has to be with Elon Musk.

I know it's definitely.

That's reasonable.

What's your number one?

Most favorites or what you consider to be the best thing about Toledo?

The parks.

Yes, that's right.

I love the metro parks.

Yeah, I think that it is really, like a true Toledo jam.

All of the amazing parks in the area.

Great.

Katy, you are the best guest we've ever had.

I don't mind saying that after that answer.

All right, nine words.

We're going to do this together.

The describe the city and.

All right.

Ready?

Let's do it.

All right, all right.

One community.

Yes.

Good.

Good start to affordable.

Love it.

Three.

Evolving.

Evolving.

Yes.

We're a third of the way done.

We love the people.

I know that you're people.

Person people.

Yep.

Food.

Food.

Yes.

Food and beverage events a food and beverage and events.

Good.

The Holiday Inn to your liking?

How would you like it?

Let's do it.

Hey, whose show is it?

You can make the call.

Okay.

Holiday in two words.

Last word to describe the region.

Community was like my first spot because I love it.

I like, think cozy.

Cozy is a good way to close it out.

Good for you.

Yes.

Take it, Katie, for being here so much.

Thanks for having me.

Hopefully we'll see you at an event soon.

Not a chance I do want.

So we're gonna take a break.

But when we come back, I do want to talk just a little bit longer with you.

I want to dive into the anatomy of a great event.

Okay.

Can you help?

Kind of just give some advice.

Gretchen knows how to do this.

Matt and I are still very much learning.

Okay.

Yeah, right.

But we'll dive into that.

We'll come right back here on the 419.

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Welcome back into the 419 to Thursday edition toledo.com community calendar driven by Tara talking about great events in the region and some of the folks that make those happen.

We're talking with Katie from Cork and Knife.

I got it right this time.

You know, old dog.

New tricks.

See dog get it.

Throwback to the last segment.

Before the break, I get asked about the anatomy of a great event.

Obviously, you guys are really good at this, but what what, to you are the building blocks of a truly memorable event?

Yeah.

So I would say kind of the initial ideas phase and then the prep of like making sure that you have all of the elements together, the plates, the napkins, all the little things that I think are utilitarian to an event and the execution, those are my like three, like the fun, creative side, the prep side, and then the execution side.

I think a really great event is an event where you can really actually enjoy your guests.

I think people focus so much on the details and they get so much anxiety over it being perfect, but I think it's really about how you make people feel, rather than whether or not you had the bow on that cup.

Yeah.

You know, I think people really have lost sight of that in some ways when we do events.

I'm I'm noticed best.

Yeah.

You're here to enjoy this, not to have this be.

Yeah, sure.

Yeah.

But I think that the thinking about, at least from my perspective, thinking about the event and the way it's going to go off and the and the and what you want to try to have ready in advance so that you can enjoy your guests.

But to be, I think, has being hospitable is is, is an art.

I mean, it's, it's makes people feel comfortable in your space.

It's welcoming to people.

It having taking someone's coat and giving them a drink and having them have a little bite to eat, like the soon as they come in, either to your space in your home, I think is just such a nice thing to be able to do for people.

So I've never been invited to your home for anything.

Is is that is that how your parties go?

Yes, I, I get this from my parents who were my dad, especially who like, the second you would walk in the house like anything I could get anything to drink.

Yeah.

Have a seat.

And then you pull out 19,000 snacks that you can choose from and would then serve it to you.

And so that's just like, you know I, I find it, I find it difficult to go to events where it just something is thrown together because I feel like I also feel like it's really not that hard to make it a little bit nicer for people.

Just.

Do you feel like that?

Right?

I think it's very interesting, Gretchen, because I think hospitality right now is such a big word beyond just events and restaurant industry.

I think there's so many ways to make people feel warm, whether you're going into a restaurant or you're coming to an event of ours, you're hosting people.

But I think that there's ways to do it amongst retail.

I think you could do it, you know, in so many other fields and, you know, they have this unreasonable hospitality is a book that came out and everyone's reading it now, but I think it really is about how can we?

I think people have lost sight of hospitality, and I think people get so into that.

The bottom line and the dollar and like, go, go, go, go, go.

Everyone wants to do everything fast and have everything fast that we've lost, like enjoying or to making like.

I like making eye contact and greeting people.

Right?

You mentioned that that's not to be lost on the the details and exquisite food.

It is meeting people at the door.

Having it make some sense.

You know, people coming in your home with first time, removing their shoes, or whatever it is like that greeting is important.

And you mentioned retail.

A greeting is critical.

People usually remember how you started and how you end the middle.

There's a lot to make up.

I've walked out of stores.

If I'm under police, no one is.

If no one says anything to me, if they don't even say welcome in or something like that.

I mean, like, like retail stores.

That's all we have to do, man.

Yeah, that's right, I don't I'm not.

I haven't touched since we started the show.

Oh.

All right, who's who's somebody that does it right.

Right.

From a hospitality standpoint, whether it's, whether it's a restaurant or it's a store, while I immediately think, can go.

Yeah.

Because they have such a fun way of greeting you.

Yeah.

You know, everyone that comes in, and, I mean, their food is amazing.

So that's that's immediately what came to mind.

Our other go to place that we love, which, you know, sad story of late is, was Dino's, and mommy, it was our go to like date place because we can't really go out at night.

So we would have breakfast there a lot.

Sure.

And we just loved it.

But I was happy to see that they have new ownership.

Right.

And the menu is supposed to be the same.

We have been following along with that.

Sorry, that's a really charming answer.

That is a staple in Miami in a diner is a great place for people to to convene.

You know, when people usually places take on the spirit of their owners, or the people that execute there.

So if someone were to ask you what a key the experience is like, what how how do you describe it?

Well, I would hope that they would answer with warm or cozy or, welcoming.

Yes.

I think clever.

You're right.

Yeah.

I think like our we just did our Valentine's dinners and we seriously put a lot of personalized effort.

So they had a personalized mini Valentine and a personalized menu.

And I think those touches.

Yeah, they really don't.

I mean, I would say they don't take up a lot of time to make, but that's Steven's job.

So thank you Stephen.

Take your time.

But and then he was sick for weeks.

But I think those little touches really do make someone feel special.

And I you know when they come in I want them to know that you're not just one of many.

We're not a corporation.

Yeah, you mean a lot to us.

And when you come and you support us, you're actually just you're literally helping us pay our mortgage and support the community and support the farmers and hire people and bring all of that back into the Toledo area.

Do you rely on the in the in the spring and summer on the farmers market there that you're adjacent to?

Do you get much from there?

Yeah.

So our whole thing is that we're farm to table, which I think is a phrase that's kind of thrown out a lot now, but we genuinely, have great relationships with farms in the area.

Shared Legacy farm.

Yeah, cool is one of them.

We love, the two of them and their team, muddy River farms is another one.

Same.

They're amazing partners.

River farms, who does, mushrooms is is a great team.

So I have an uncle that did mushrooms.

We just.

Yeah.

I don't know if it's the same.

I was listening the whole thing, but.

No, it was a similar story.

Kate, you were right.

Yeah, yeah.

Give me, give me your garbage snack food.

Throw away that you're embarrassed to admit.

Oh, man.

Yeah, we can just cover your mind.

So Joseph actually just got me an ornament.

I love cheese balls.

Yes, like the giant container of the bear.

That's my recent small to the Utz family.

Yeah, that's my recent, really bad, shrimpy Utz family.

We're talking.

Okay, we're talking with Katie from Cork and nice.

My my brother in law lived with us.

For for a spell and was obsessed.

Like, all he would eat is cheese.

Something cheese related, right?

He was like, never eat a vegetable, ever.

He's since gotten married and like grown up and felt lucky go.

But he.

I remember him making nachos.

Yeah.

With Doritos.

Oh, not cheese puffs and then cheese.

And it was like the most insane, unhinged thing I've ever.

I've heard another theme.

Oh, man.

Yeah, yeah, it's going to be called the Clogher.

The the like the closest I get to like create in my world like creative stuff is when I like dabble as a graphic designer and I'm trying to put together a flier or, social media graphic or something.

I struggle with stopping, right?

I struggle with, like, knowing that I've hit the finish line and like, enough is enough.

How do you guard yourself on an event of, like, not going overboard and not like not doing that?

One more thing.

Are you actually reading my newsletter?

Because that was a whole thing I wrote about because I think for me, especially 2026, that there's a Coco Chanel quote about, like, before you leave, take one more thing off, right?

And I think of that where like, I will like, futz with an event.

I don't know if that's the word, but I'll like, you know, fiddle with things when I'm setting a table.

And at a certain point I just have to say no.

But this is just somebody to walk away.

And I think, I think that you can feel yourself being like, this is ridiculous.

Yeah.

What?

No one is.

What am I doing here?

I, I turned to this plate, but I know.

Yeah, but I think it's more about like I am saying, I, I know this is going to be a like a controversial thing to say, but I really wish people would stop with like really big bulky charcuterie boards.

I think that they can be like they just overall overwhelm people.

I think I like the idea of just one, really 1 or 2 really thoughtful appetizers, more personalized, I think, kind of just doing less and doing it right.

I'll tell you what, the new tweet is looking for exactly that kind of controversy.

Katie, thank you for your bread.

I cannot wait for the documentary in your honor.

I hope you get letters.

And Kim, you know, can we make vegetable trays go away?

Nobody wants it.

Nobody wants a tray full of at the big like it's at the end of every event.

I have a beer.

Tell me if I'm at the end of every event.

The only thing melon that still has a bunch of stuff on it.

I don't want to.

I don't want to save it.

Like our vegetable trays are better.

But when you've had chef's Ranch tap, hell yeah, you're going to air them with a vegetable.

You're going to eat it with it.

I would with your finger.

Yeah.

So I would bathe in it.

I've had it sell it.

Yeah we do.

So we do sell our ranch in my brain.

I should open up your own market.

I thought about starting a catering company.

Yeah, Richard's the Rockefeller.

Vice.

Whoa.

Yeah.

You should get seven more dogs.

Yeah, yeah.

Give us the dog's name.

If your husband was going to make you, I'm sorry.

You're, like, the best comfort meal that you.

That you guys enjoyed together.

What would you.

What would it be?

I love his pasta.

I think he makes amazing pasta, but his biscuits are also really amazing.

Yeah, and they are comforting.

Yes.

Yeah.

Biscuit is how many cheese balls fit in his biscuit recipe?

Well, I think it's like step to like, fold in the cheese ball.

That's the yardage fold.

Yeah that's right.

That's when the magic happens.

Yes.

The secret so I know.

Yeah you and my wife have a wedding you guys are working on coming up.

She's in the event planning business.

One of the challenges, one of the things that just drives.

You know, I won't say her like.

But both of us crazy is the number of people that say, oh, I went to a party, or I threw a party, or I got married, and now I can be an event planner.

I wonder how do people like, you know, Gretchen thinks she could be a, a caterer because she throws great parties, right?

I wouldn't know, I've never been invited.

I actually was a caterer when we had our business plan.

There you go.

But, you know, what is it like for you?

Kind of that that difference between the the amateur and the professional that that separates, you know, you guys from the person at home saying like, oh, I can do what I can do what they do.

Oh, I think like catering especially, I think people do not realize how hard it is.

And I mean, bless my husband, he's amazing because it is so grueling.

Yes.

The amount of hours that you put into something, whether it is a charcuterie board.

But I think people think I can do this myself easy.

But I think it's that element of like, yeah, you can cook for your whole party and you literally won't talk to anyone night because you're going to be so focused on and exhausted.

Timing of everything.

Yeah, it is exhausting.

It just the prep and the details and the the little touches of everything.

It just takes a lot of effort.

I think people don't think about all the little things.

What's something that's missing in Toledo from a from a culinary perspective?

Oh, I to be honest, I think that's partly why we opened up our business.

We loved the idea of these pop up events, the fun themes, but also just the the family meal of like three really like three courses of just really good food.

It doesn't have to be fancy.

We just want good whole food.

And I think that, you know, there's a lot of good places in Toledo, but I think that feeling of just simple, really good food isn't here in the way that I wish it was.

That's interesting.

I'm gonna have to.

We're gonna have to start ordering those meals 100%.

Yeah, 100%.

Dogs names.

Where are they?

Albert, Frank and George.

Yes.

All right.

Do you have a favorite?

Well, Albert's the OG.

He's the original, so I, I love him.

Yeah.

Looking at dog, their pet mixes.

Yeah.

Rescues all of that.

All right.

Awesome.

Katie with caulk and knife.

If people want more information on cork and knife, where can they find it?

Our website is Cork Knife provisions.com, and we're on Instagram.

We're on Facebook.

You can sign up for our emails right there on our homepage.

And your next big event.

Next.

Yeah.

Next Wednesday, the family meal.

We're really excited.

Done.

Thank you so much.

Yeah.

It's been so nice.

Yeah.

Thank you guys.

Really excited for your business.

Yeah it's been great when we come back.

Thanks for bringing food.

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

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welcome back into the 419 as we wrap up our Thursday edition, our toledo.com community calendar driven by Tara.

Rapid fire.

Gretchen.

Top five events.

Let's do it.

My birthday.

Oh, that's one through five.

The pro home show went a Perrysburg Winter fest lost in Yonkers at the Rep Speakeasy at the Collingwood Art center, and of course, the professional championship Bull Riders at Huntington Center.

If you could combine any of those two events into one, obviously, the Professional Bull Riders and a speakeasy.

Yeah, yeah yeah, it's burlesque.

Yeah, burlesque on the Bulls.

That's right.

Basically I want wait a minute, I want the bull Riders in the home show.

Yeah.

I just want absolute chaos.

Yeah.

You got to make it through Gretchen's new bathroom.

And I have, Gretchen talk to me about any ideas, wallpapering.

I know you talked about the shower, which couldn't have been a more boring lead in.

Yeah, but thanks for the follow up.

What are you dreaming on?

What?

What the.

If you can have any bathroom.

Have you been to a friend's bathroom that you want to brag about?

I would love if I lived in, like, a new house, which I don't have in the 100 year old house, but the whole concept of, like, walking into the bathroom and then the closets on the other side and like, you open like a I have dreams of closets on your side, like you walk through the bathroom in, like there's another huge walk in closet on the other side of the bathroom.

So it's like shower into a car wash into like, just walk, right?

Like a Narnia thing where you go in and it's another dimension.

Yeah, that's what I'm looking at.

So obviously I love Narnia references.

I do the conversation with Katie, you know, from an entrepreneurial standpoint and all that.

But obviously, I mean, you're you're a party thrower.

Yes.

And an excellent one.

I would know, oh, I mean, when you have your first one, what's the what's the next big idea that you got from that conversation?

Awesome.

Narnia bathroom experience.

I think I think we should have a little dinner party series.

I think that would be nice.

I've all I've often wanted to, like, have friends grab a cookbook, and you have one.

Bring something from a cookbook, like for a series and try new dishes that way.

When I was in Dallas, a friend of mine, they did once a month.

They did, it's called Dinner at Emily's, and it was it's his wife.

And so they would everybody go over to his house, they would take care of the entree, everybody would bring a side and whatever you want to drink.

And it was great.

And there was like, there wasn't any decorations or any play.

And occasionally they threw out like, hey, this is the entree.

And people would plan around that.

But that was about it.

But yeah, so I've always wanted to do that and I haven't, but now maybe I'll get invited to yours.

Okay.

All right.

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Oh.