And now the 490 with Gretchen de Bakker.

Might kill them.

And Kevin Mullin.

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

I'm Kevin.

Mullin.

Gretchen to Becker.

Matt.

Kill him!

We've got an exciting show.

Slight deviation.

Well, you know, it's Monday.

That's right.

And for the better part of the last, I don't know, six months.

Yeah, we've done the same thing every Monday.

That's right.

But you know what?

Let's do something different.

Trent.

I think the mayors have just boycotted the show.

We've had budgetary cutbacks.

So we're not.

We had to skip one Monday.

We have the same level of security to bring in local mayors.

We've been paying a lot of money to get the mayors on.

We've had a sniper on the roof.

Our bribery scheme is a lot of money.

Yeah.

But I think for an attorney to say I'm.

Yeah.

But, so no mayor's on the program today.

But you could say that each one of these people.

That's right.

Certainly, the mayor of their area of expertise.

And people that, you know, what we what we love about Mayor Monday is it's individuals that love their community that are working hard to make it better.

And the reality is, we can certainly say that about the three guests we have on the program today.

Yes.

Two of them.

We will tell, personalities.

Right.

Scott, the carpenters coming on.

He is certainly, the mayor of our brand storytelling for the Metroparks civic.

He's coming in to talk specifically about watershed region today.

So but in terms of being, the having a mayoral role on everything you read or hear from the major perspective here.

He's the guy.

Nathan, madam Mo is going to join us.

Talking about local art.

Public art?

It's the manager of public art for the Arts Commission.

Yeah, this is a throwback, I think.

I can't remember when we recorded.

Matt.

But he was commenting about the fact that the role that art plays in it and what a significant part, the Art Commission specifically plays Nathan and, and Mark and everyone on the team are humble.

But I think sometimes you can just drive by public art or if you grew up with it, it's part of your background.

But Nathan can tell you a little bit.

Storytelling.

It's not just the taking care of what we got, which they do an excellent job of, but there's some new additions this year that I, I, I'm particularly excited to hear about, not just who made them and what they look like, but the story behind them.

And then our final guest.

When when she spoke at the Rotary Club of Toledo, I introduced her to the group as my favorite nonprofit leader in northwest Ohio.

And I proceeded to, be accosted by another nonprofit CEO saying that, he was both offended and agreed with me entirely.

Wendy Hutley from connecting kids to Meals is going to join us.

Doing incredible work for me and hungry kids in our community.

And the numbers are insane.

Right.

When you talk about, how many meals they're serving.

And there's still there's still a need for for more.

Let's dive right in.

But we're gonna take a break.

When we come back, we're joined by Scott Carpenter from Metroparks Toledo here on the 419 support for the 419 comes from wealth management, where we understand that your financial path is personal.

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Welcome back into the 419 powered by GT.

We're joined now by joined now by Scott Carpenter with Metroparks Toledo.

Scott.

The most important question is what does Matt actually do for a living?

Because, Yep.

That's fair.

Let me get my pen.

Watershed weekend is coming up.

This is a this is a big deal.

It is going to be a big deal.

So we're, you know, we're reaching the halfway point in the development of the Glass City Riverwalk, which we think is a watershed moment for our community on the banks of the largest watershed on the Great Lakes, hence watershed weekend.

And, last count, I think we're at 42 different events.

During that four day period.

Touch just a little bit about the Riverwalk as a whole.

The project.

So Riverwalk, you know, people have really embraced Glass City Metropark.

On the east side with the ribbon and, the unique play areas that we have.

That represents 25% of a larger vision.

For Glass City.

Riverwalk, which will eventually stretch two and a half miles on each side of the river from the high level to the, Skyway Bridge bridges.

And, what I think is going to be impactful about Watershed Weekend is it's going to mark the opening of to the two latest additions, the Riverwalk and the, for the first time will be on both sides of the river.

So I think maybe it'll click with more people.

What what's really going on here?

You're an East Side guy that, grew up on the East Side and, you know, lives in downtown Toledo.

Now, what does that the development that has come to Metro parks, over the last few years?

Both downtown and across the river.

I mean, what does that mean to you personally?

And how is being walkable to breweries changed your life?

I can now walk to three different breweries.

It's not it's not been good.

To be.

To be here.

This show is actually intervention.

It's a sham.

You know, you're in a safe place.

Let's bring the brewery and come out here and tell the river.

You could always walk to a brewery.

Would just take you longer.

Yeah.

That's right.

That's the spirit I love.

There's one right on my street now, though.

You know, I always think back my, my my father in law was sort of a lifetime East side resident.

And one of those never give up on East Toledo folks.

Right?

And, where he used to walk, he he'd walk ten miles a day and one of his favorite places to walk is what is now Glass City Metropark.

And, I wish you were here today to see, because this is he.

You know, he he always knew East Toledo would come back and and and it was it was a passion for for him.

Scott.

You've gotten to experience, a lot of wonderful things in your long career with the Metroparks, and you've been a part of all of them.

You probably don't have a favorite.

And I wouldn't put you on the spot in that way.

But of just specifically this project are there's some specific nuggets that are highlights to you, maybe even happening across there's a walk that you wish that your father in law would have had certainly would check the box for important personal storytelling.

But you've seen a lot.

And what is what what are some of the things that you pulled from this project?

You know, real highlight for me is seeing what's what's happening in what used to be called International Park, now called International Cove.

I kind of I go, I'm, I'm old enough to remember when it, when it opened as an international park and to see that become what it is today.

I was there last night.

You were too.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And, it's, it's just beautiful.

And, it's going to be the, the go to.

It's going to be the Instagram spot of Toledo.

I'm sure.

I'm sure if it isn't already.

So that's a highlight.

Yeah.

You mentioned I came from the East Side, Oregon and I live in downtown, so, but you know that that whole area connected by the Hallowell Bridge is, sort of my turf and, to to be able to, like, ride my bike now from home, to what we call the bend up over the MLK bridge to International Park.

You know, that's the that's my retirement plan.

That's going to be a daily routine some day, I think, for a lot of people.

The Riverwalk for just to make sure that people understand what the sort of geography is, it's basically the both sides of the water from bridge to bridge.

Yep.

And it's not just walking.

There's a walking past.

There's so many ways to engage.

Nathan.

Material from the Arts Commission is our next guest.

There's art installations.

There's places you can pop into, like Imagination Station, places to grab a drink, places to sit down and get a bite.

Engage with the water.

Why is this important for the for the city of Toledo to be engaging in this particular space in this way?

I think connectivity and activation are the two kind of nerd words we use a lot.

So.

We're just those.

River walk will connect six neighborhoods, including mine.

It'll connect eventually.

Three metro parks, Middle Ground, Glass City, and a future metro park in the visible neighborhood.

It'll connect some of the major, attractions on both sides of the river.

You mentioned Imagination Station, the national museum of the Great Lakes.

So it's it's the impact of Riverwalk, I think is really the connectivity and all the active connectivity and all the activity that'll take place along along that five miles.

So watershed weekend is June 11th through the fifth, 1411 through the 14th.

The real key day for the community is the set is Saturday, although there's, as you mentioned, there's 40 some odd events there.

Again, the Arts Commission is doing their, their art walk on Thursday down there.

There's just tons of stuff.

But in terms of the Metro Parks event Saturday, all day, the MLK bridge is going to be closed.

It.

And people will be able to engage with all of the metro parks, services and climbing wall and all of that kind of stuff.

Tell us a little bit about what that day will entail for families.

And it's free.

And it's free.

Yeah.

Part of the, idea of watershed Weekend was to to show the what the what's possible.

So, we have over those four days, from from an art loop to a techno music festival, a retro skate party, party in the park or Metro Park is doing a take over.

And then on that Saturday, we're asking people to meet us in the middle to really, symbolically and physically demonstrate how we're connecting the two sides of the river.

We're going to throw a party on the Martin Luther King Bridge.

So it'll be close to vehicles that day, and we're going to set it'll be Metropark style.

So we'll set it up as like one of our outdoor expos with climbing walls.

Pool where you can paddle kayaks.

I saw our folks are rigging up to be able to do, sort of like climbing off the bridge.

I was wondering that request.

I had a meeting a long time ago.

I'm so excited.

They're doing, They've got that rigged up now.

Very cool.

And.

Yeah.

So, all things Metroparks on that day.

A lot of partners coming into and, that's, that's going to be, I think, the highlight of, of the whole four day weekend.

But to the, the shall we talk?

Or maybe it's, as I say, talk about sort of of green boxing, the comparative, nomenclature for economic development, which is white boxing.

The green space by the Metroparks design.

And I think this is an embodiment of it.

There are 40 events.

A few of them are in the Metroparks, but the rest of them are the people the Metroparks serves.

Can you extrapolate a little bit on the metaphor of the just the Riverwalk and why?

That's just a good thumbnail example of what the broader is.

Yeah.

So that way is, Riverwalk is a is a is a beautiful thing in itself.

Know it will be where people recreate and gather, but it's also a, like a spine where the will or the connective tissue, if you will, that will connect all of the really interesting and, innovative things going on downtown.

If you've been down Summit Street where there's some really, some real activity happening in development, alongside, this to a neighborhood, Imagination Station, the hotels, the restaurants.

I mean, not far off of the Riverwalk is, you know, the third field.

Huntington Center, and, and Glass City Center.

So it really does connect, all of the places you want to be downtown.

And you mentioned the genius of the naming of Watershed Weekend.

Who came up with that?

I love the name, and I didn't come up with it.

So I had some.

When it when it was tossed out, a coworker of ours, Mike and I were talking about it, and, first we said we don't have a better idea.

And second, the fact that it's going to make some people say, what does that mean?

Kind of works in our favor because, you know, among other things, we have.

Whose.

Idea of an educational institution.

Was.

That that came up with Watershed Week.

And I and I don't.

Like it anymore.

I gave Mike credit the other day, and he was quick to point out that that was you.

Right?

Because Matt demands that as part of his leadership role.

Leadership is give me credit.

That's right.

Yeah.

No.

I but I do think it's a good, tee up to, a lot of activities.

And, well, there's a part of this for our next interview with Nathan as well.

A lot of activities, a lot of fun stuff.

But it is a little bit of, of a the vector for a true mission sounds not accurate, because connecting people to nature is, is the is the mission, but we're a conservation agency.

Do you mind leaning into that just a little bit?

Because I know it's something that you care about.

Yeah.

So what people may not know is that, 80% of the land Metroparks owns is for conservation.

So, you know, where we're at here at Riverwalk is even 80% conservation.

Despite all of the many things, we pack a lot into that other 20%, right?

The other 20% is getting people engaged in nature.

So we do, we do, you know, programing are some really creative facilities.

And for for kids, especially at Glass in Metro Park.

We took a lo the lighthouse behind Imagination Station, lit it with LED lights to make it attractive, and put a slide going down.

So there's an element of fun and, you'll that's what you'll find.

That and some other surprises.

A tugboat, a tugboat.

How did you walk along the Riverwalk?

How do Metroparks believe or or Scott, do you believe that the Riverwalk will translate into people caring about the water that we live in?

People naturally want to be by water.

It's probably the the number one attracting people attraction.

I don't think that's going to be a problem at all.

I think we just wanted to be able to get it.

So, you know, if you go way back and I. This is not my line, but, for too long, we treated our river like our back door instead of what?

It should be our front door.

I think of it, too, is not just a benefit for downtown, but a gateway to all in northwest Ohio.

Because I just carpenter with Metro Parks Toledo.

Scott, in your time with the Metro Parks?

I've got to believe the the pace of innovation, has, has changed, how you engage, how you leverage that 20%.

Where does this where does this go?

Right.

What's what's next?

How do you how do you keep up with with all of this.

So we have a lot of competition these days that we didn't have in the past, namely these.

Right.

So, I mean, so my age know, when I was a kid, mom said, go outside and play, right?

And partly that was for her benefit, I'm sure.

But, I think we know as parents intuitively that that's a good thing for kids to play outside.

But I didn't have air conditioning, cable video games.

So, you know, tablets.

So that's what we're competing against today.

And we, we've realized that we have to up our game.

That's why we build a treehouse village.

That's that's partly why.

Why Riverwalk?

You know, the other the other reason for Riverwalk is, it's no secret to littles lost population.

Businesses tell us that, you know, we, attract.

Attracting and retaining talent is vital for their future.

First, we have to make it a great place to live.

And, And that's what the parks do.

So that's I. I've forgotten your question.

No, you answered exactly.

You can't get to the Metro Park, Scott.

When you first started, what was your role when you first started?

And how did you get there?

Sure, I was, I started I was a newspaper reporter and editor for 15 years.

And, With the late.

At the know at, the Port Clinton, the Fremont Gannett newspaper is now called the USA Today Company.

And, before that, a group of weekly newspapers that stretched from Oregon to east of Cleveland and, that I never thought I'd do anything else.

I wanted to be a newspaper reporter since eighth grade, and, realized that the only way to move up with the company I was with was to move.

Move?

So I could have gone to green Ba Lansing or, or, Las Vegas, I think was a, and I, I couldn't we had too many family ties here.

My wife's career was taking off here, and so I started looking for something different.

I knew, some folks at Metro Parks and heard about an opening through my resume in at the very last minute and hired it basically as a writer, because back then, this is 29 years ago, our main channel of communication was a magazine.

So I started, you know, being a magazine writer, basically.

And, the PR side of it grew from there.

How has, writing changed for the current audience?

It's got shorter, short attention spans.

People.

You know, I joke that I write the great stuff in between the pictures.

Now, I'm going to take pictures of.

But, Yeah, things I think are quicker.

Longer.

Many of us still appreciate long form, but for our primary, you know, channel of communication, which is online, you want it, you want to keep it, keep it short and, punchy and, probably more entertaining oriented because it's an entertainment entertainment medium.

Now.

So sorry I said this is just a personal question.

So folks that are watching this on TV will see.

You've got, a tattoo on your left arm.

Oh, I did, I talked to me about the story about behind, but.

I did not I did not tie him up for that.

If, I think it was ten years ago, when we.

So the number of acres you own as a park system is a big measure of success for us.

Maybe nobody else does even knows what an acre is.

It's a football field, by the way.

So, when we reached 12,000 acres ten years ago, I, made a fan a comment that if we ever got to 13,000, I would get a tattoo.

I was, of course, you know, I was told that that wasn't possible in my career.

Well, we did that.

And two years ago in January, my 60th birthday happened to be that March.

So I, fulfilled my promise.

And, these are all, marsh birds that I enjoy out at Howard Marsh.

And, I have six grandkids.

I got six birds.

I love it.

So it's got to, run us through, the calendar, if you can, of, watershed things.

Can people participate?

Check it out.

And plug in.

We're going to kick it off with a, sort of, rise and rally event and a news conference to to announce the whole weekend on Thursday, June 11th.

In the morning, that evening will be the art loop.

I think Nathan's probably going to talk more about that.

But the, you know, can I just a little detour, one of the, one of the events that, I, I've always enjoyed the most are the art loops.

It was actually, it was one of the reasons I moved downtown.

Because that's what's what always drew me down there.

So I love that event.

And, it celebrates.

It'll celebrate, the international theme as well as the art, at International Cove.

And then Friday Metroparks will have a heavy presence at party in the Park, which is going to be, a expanded event with a couple of different bands along the Riverwalk and a balloon blow.

Balloon.

Oh, yeah.

On both sides of the river.

Either one, either one.

On both sides of the river.

That's Friday, Saturday and Friday night.

It also has a retro skate party at the ribbon, which was always a popular event.

We've got on Saturday.

The the event on the, on the Martin Luther King Bridge.

That'll be the, the main event for a public event, that evening is, Tech Toledo, the, electronic Music festival, and then, the ribbon at the ribbon.

And then Sunday we have the Barbie Run Club is going to do A5K run.

It's a club that got started on, you know, running on the the what is the Riverwalk.

So that'll be.

At the Scott's Point.

Things are at an all the time as people as we want them to do rides their riverfront.

So, we've got the B team bicycle group that is going to leave.

And, do a ride downtown.

We have a Celtics, premier game, that's going to be played on the adjacent field.

That we're pro soccer.

Yeah.

So pretty exciting about that.

And, some kids like football again.

This is getting people think differently about the green spaces or open spaces downtown than that is for other people to decide, not us.

Yeah, I appreciate that connection.

Kind of reminder of, of, you know, this weekend as an analogy for what the metro parks are, which is really a blank canvas for our community to make connection.

That's right.

What's the website where people can get more information?

You know, if you go to Metro Parks, little.com, it's right on the front page or Metroparks twitter.com/waters It'll get you right there and.

All social media pages.

Oh yeah.

It's got carpeted with Metro parks.

Toledo.

Thank you so much.

Thanks for having me.

We're gonna take a break.

When we come back, Nathan Mamo will join us from the Arts Commission talking public art.

And we'll probably talk about, Scott Carpenter's art loop as well.

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Welcome back to the 419 powered by GT.

We're joined now by Nathan Madama with the Arts Commission, the, mayor of public art, if you will.

Yeah, that's.

No, I'm the director of art and public places.

Same thing.

You know, we need.

To find the theme.

So there's a. Certain stature that comes with mayor that I'm willing to take on.

The parking.

Don't pick up the mantle.

If you come to break.

One of the things that people don't understand, I think that people don't understand about the Arts Commission is that we were and I'm on the, board there, but the that we were originally started by the city of Toledo to take care of, to manage and take care of the public art that the city of Toledo owns a million multimillion dollar collection.

Yes.

Your job and the 1% of the arts funding that we get from, thankfully get from taxpayers of the city of Toledo is to take care of that collection.

To start, can you talk a little bit about what the collection is?

Maybe some highlights of where some of the pieces are that are currently, taken care of by the Arts Commission?

Yeah.

So the there's about 153 individual pieces in the City of Toledo's collection that ranges from, you know, large scale sculptures like city Candy at the Vistula parking garage to, poetry that's stamped into sidewalks so huge kind of range of scale, materials, approaches.

You know, we've we've designed projects that are for artists that aren't sculptors or aren't traditionally public artists.

So, the signal box wraps, the vinyl wraps on signal wrap, signal boxes.

Most of the concentration of work is, in the downtown area and kind of surrounding, but we do have work in, every district in the city.

And, yeah, this program was started in 1977.

I think the, 1983 early 80s was really when the program took off with, citywide sculpture exhibition that was a citywide partnership with folks like the museum, the City Arts Commission, lots of, private funders and that many pieces remain from that event.

I think, the blubber sculpture, the tire swing at the at that museum came from that effort, so.

Oh, I didn't know that.

Yeah.

So it's, you know, it's, Yeah.

Long legacy.

Lots of, pretty tall shoulders that we stand on that that fought and and worked to put that the 1% for art program in place since.

We've just had our friends from the Metroparks on.

Can you talk a little bit about the some of the commitments the Arts Commission is working with the Metroparks on in terms of public art, on the Glass City Riverwalk?

Yes.

We so we're on our second project, you know, major project.

We've partnered on art loops and some other things.

But as far as, like, major commissions, we just completed, well, just assembled, our second project, which is Starburst over at International Cove.

We did, a few years ago, we did the Field of Histories, which was, and really an incredible project, that, engaged over 200 people, residents, many of them from the neighborhood, about, historical objects.

So it was really a mechanism.

Public art is a mechanism for, you know, this, bringing community together to talk about history, to talk about their community, their neighborhood, their family, where their father worked.

You know, it was like my father had this tool.

He was a tool dye guy, and this was his tool.

So it for the people might not be familiar with the project.

So we talked a little bit about story time, but if you don't mind digging a little bit deeper, because it is a, it's a fine example of, the, the intrinsic value of storytelling in how public art, falls through with that.

Can you talk a little bit about what that installation is and the pieces in it?

Field histories.

Yeah.

So, there's 170 glass spheres on poles.

They are illuminated at night, and each sphere has a, a laser engraved image of an object.

So we did a couple workshops where, we invited the community again, over 200 people showed up, like 240 people.

I think, we photograph those objects, and I think 12 different views.

So then the artist's team, Briony, Roberts, is the artist, who was, she was, out of New York at the time.

I think she's in California now, but her team, 3D, rendered every object, and then had them engraved.

So it's, you know, it's it became this museum or this archive of history.

I think the, the really the I think the coolest part, one of the coolest parts about that project is the website that the Metroparks created.

Every object that was submitted is, is shown, and we captured those narratives.

So you can read about those pieces, the history.

And also everybody that participated, is in the actual installation, but every object that was submitted, over again, close to 240 or more are on the website.

What types of objects are we talking about?

Yeah.

Yeah, I missed that part.

So, There's a rosary.

There's, there's a Jeep.

There's a glass bottle from obviously our glass history.

Yeah.

The city's in there.

There's a there's a pay stub from someone's grandfather.

Great grandfather's first paycheck from.

Yeah.

Pilkington or was the parent company.

So to Nathan's, well articulated point, we talked about storytelling, but, you know, 300 people came.

And these were there Toledo's stories.

And you can visit the website.

Not all of the stories could be told on on the site, but on the physical site.

But the virtual site, all the stories are there.

And at the risk of doing this, there's are different objects and different people.

But what you can get from the broader is that a lot of the stories are the same.

So we talk about the city and talk about connection.

And this is exactly what the Art Commission brought.

And I also I do take a little I'm going to push back on Nathan a little bit.

There might be 2 or 3 specific projects that that they participated in the Riverwalk, but their participation in the planning, and the connection, the thoughtful way to think about where public art should be, is been an integral part of the thought process.

The Metroparks is not the birth of the Riverwalk.

It is people like Nathan, Mark Falk, Jennifer, that team, that sometimes, gives us information and also sometimes, just as importantly, says stop.

Right.

And it's the same exact role they played for the Glass City Center.

Anyone that's been around there knows about the millions of dollars of investments that happened in the Glass City Center to really make it the, the landmark institution, facility that it is.

Nathan, can you imagine what the city of Toledo would be, would look like without the public art installations and the murals?

And why is that?

Fostoria?

I can't, I know, I could, I could because I probably wouldn't be here.

Yeah, I think I probably just I wouldn't know what it would look like because I wouldn't be here.

In a, in a, in a similar lane.

I mean, is, is public art nice to have or is public art something we need to have?

I mean, I think it's something that we need to have.

I know that's arguable.

I think, you know, where's the, you know, the funding that goes into it is always a kind of a conversation.

But I, you know, I think, public art is, it's a way to show, the pride in your community that biography, that connection to history or nature or whatever that may be, abstraction.

You know, we have pieces that, you know, don't really relate to anything specifically.

They're just really cool and they fit in within the environment.

I think the Glass City Center is a great example every piece, and we made sure that every piece that was installed had some connection to the city.

I mean, there's there's light boxes, these really beautiful light boxes that represent six different metro parks.

So we wanted to make sure that, you know, the all of that is connected in that project specifically.

But I think that's that's something that we do, we try to do with every project.

Another example of the connectivity and the identity is the recent, maybe a year or so since it's open is the Broadway corridor and the sculptures that are in it right down the middle of that community's new road.

Yeah.

And that project, came directly from a planning process with the Toledo Design Collective.

That was, almost two years or more, meeting with the neighborhood, kind of, interfacing with the city as they, started to plan the road reconstruction.

If you look at that design collective plan, there are sculptures in a median that were basically, called out by the community.

So they said, we want public art as part of this project or any future project.

And if you look at that plan and you look at our sculptures, they're definitely different sculptures, but it's almost like this is this is what the community wanted, and this is what we worked to deliver.

And we worked in community to sort like the artists, to select the final pieces, to make sure that there was, you know, a reflection of the folks that live there.

I mean, art is how people react to art is different, right?

Everybody.

And so, I mean, a new project pops up and, you know, I'll look at it and be like, I, I don't understand that at all.

Right?

How, how how are spokes from your perspective?

How would you like the community to approach new installations and, and maybe even things that we haven't discovered before.

What what's that first step that that you say this is, I think how we get the most out of it.

It's a good question.

I think, you know, we have a process that is pretty tried and true.

And I think that leads to our process really does lead to the best result.

I really believe that, now, whether folks are going to understand that or not is, you know, everybody's perception is different.

I kind of like things that I don't understand.

I like to, you know, I like to learn about things and learn to undertake, you know, an understanding about I don't know why things are in the landscape, whatever.

But I think, public art is also, you know, it's kind of a cliche, but it's also about public dialog, right?

So public art isn't about, well, here's the thing.

And there you go.

Enjoy it.

It's it's a continued dialog.

It's a continued dialog with the environment that it's in.

I mean, we, we, we move sculptures because the landscape around them changes.

Levis square was redone and we were moving a sculpture, kabuki Dancer, actually in the process of doing the foundation work for that right now.

So where's that moving to?

Over to Bashan Stein Park.

So right over in front of, the Owens Corning kind of their campus, right next to the Washington that that big blue bridge like railroad, railroad bridge.

So you, you're you're hinting at something.

And I know this isn't necessarily the sexiest part, of the job, but.

But Gretchen talked about the interview in this way.

I'm curious as to it is easy for people to focus on the new right.

That's always exciting.

But as Gretchen mentioned, and a large portion of your role is, care and maintenance, a boring people about, a maintenance plan.

But I am curious.

You have 153 pieces.

You steward, that are made of all manner of things, that are all manner of ages.

They're in all manners of places in the community that have, that are more in the sun.

Not sure.

Where does this live and what does planning look like for long term care and maintenance of these, pieces that cannot be replaced?

It's.

Yeah, it's become it's almost half of the work that I would imagine.

And it's and it is the, the lack it's the non sexy aspect of it.

Right.

But but no it's a it's a it's it's extremely important.

I, I firmly believe that if we can't maintain what is already out there, we should not be putting new work into the, into the public.

It's just there's, you know, because what we are doing when we put a sculpture, a mural, like in a neighborhood, we're making a commitment to that neighborhood.

We're making a commitment to that, that, you know, that we're going to maintain it.

You know, sometimes, we like to think in perpetuity.

Nothing is permanent.

But, but no, it's critical to what we do.

We're, it's it's it's it's kind of that it's almost growing to, almost it's about half of what we're doing right now.

It's just the workload.

What's the city other than Toledo that's like the Mecca for public art, like the model for other cities, also Fostoria.

Wow.

That's interesting.

I mean, I think we punch above our weight.

And Toledo, I'm going to say that we're up there.

I think for the population that we have, you know, the all the, the metrics that we have in Toledo, we punch way above our way with the public art, program.

I love Cincinnati.

I think Cincinnati's mural program, artworks is one of the main organizations that kind of, you know, manages that, that mural collection is incredible.

It's diverse.

It is, it talks about their history.

It it talks about the future.

It's just fine.

And I know it's a major concerted effort.

They have Poulenc every other year.

So it's it's a big festival.

But, the way and I think the way that they, they work with the existing building stock, which is also very impressive in downtown Cincinnati, is there's very few parking lots.

So the way they use the buildings, and artwork to draw attention to, you know, the use of these buildings and downtown, that's, that's I've been there a few times recently, and it's just a striking.

Very cool.

Yeah.

What's your data, madam mayor?

With the Arts Commission.

We're wrapping up this segment, but, Scott Carpenter mentioned that part of the reason why he moved downtown was the art loop.

What is the art loop?

And how can people find more information?

So the art loop, it's it's definitely evolved over the years.

It's almost turned into, like, a block party.

Now, but I think this is our second year, doing the art loop at the Glass City Metro Park.

Now, over at the International Cove side.

You know, it's evolved from, multiple locations that a bus would kind of take you around to, which, you know, had varying success were we'd like this concentration of activity.

Now where, we bring a bunch of artists together, we're going to have a live mural painting.

We'll have, this is a, a kind of an international theme, as Scott mentioned.

So we'll have a number of different ethnic dancing troupes, and performers, kind of in, to celebrate that, that culture of that space, the history of that space.

We have, the starburst sculpture, that will, that I mentioned was just completed, as of yesterday.

But, we have a dedication, next week, on on the fourth and then the 11th will be, the, art loop.

So, so, yeah, it's, It's a way to express all of it, I think.

And again, it is a very purposeful way, as the Art Commission is known to be.

It's a thoughtful, commentary on whatever the theme is.

And everyone's input has been included in it.

So we're grateful for it.

Yeah.

No.

And we're grateful for your guys's partnership on this and and all the public art.

I mean, these are these are substantial installations that we've been able to accomplish that with your guys's partnership.

So who's a better DJ?

You were merfolk.

It depends on any you ask, I won't.

I'm not going to.

I think it's best when you're together.

Nathan Manama with the Arts Commission.

Thank you so much for joining.

Hearing or not, we take a break, we come back, we'll be joined by Wendy Huntley with connecting kids to meals here on the 419.

Thank you.

Buddy.

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Welcome back to the 419 powered by GT.

We're joined now by Wendy Huntley with Connecting Kids to Meals.

Wendy.

Welcome to the 419 powered by GT.

Thank you for having me.

We had you on the podcast.

Yes.

You were my surprise guest.

We did a live event.

That's right.

Out at Glass City Metro Park.

But this is.

I think this is your first time here on this.

Very first.

Thrilled to be here, which is, I'm.

I'm sorry that it took us this long to get you here.

Sorry.

But you guys do incredible work year round.

But obviously, summer is a unique sort of chaos for you guys.

What?

What does connecting kids to meals do?

And why is summer different and important?

Sure.

So first of all, thank you again.

Just excited to be here.

Connecting Kids Meals is a local nonprofit organization.

What we do is we focus on providing healthy meals to kids at no cost during out-of-school time.

So after school hours and summer months, this is critically important because we got one out of every four kids in our community that faces food insecurity.

So during the school year, our numbers are about.

Can you educate us a little bit?

I think that we're now becoming more familiar with people or we were hearing food insecurity, but do you mind giving us a definition of that?

Yeah, food insecurity means that, a person does not know where the next meal is going to come from or doesn't have enough to eat.

And so we have our kiddos in our community that are really struggling with this.

And, we partner with our afterschool programs, summer sites, libraries, community centers, pretty much.

So wherever kids gather, we're going to be there to make sure they don't have to worry about.

Yeah, transportation to a place to get meals.

Cost associated with getting meals.

Any of those typical barriers.

And so we want to be where those kids.

Are in the summer.

Sorry.

It's a combination of both quantity and quality.

Right.

Not having enough food but also not having access to healthy food.

Absolutely.

Absolutely.

So right now we're doing about 2000 to 2500 meals a day.

Repeat that one more time.

2000 to 2500 meals a day.

Every day, every day, Monday, Friday to Friday.

I mean, I it's it's a little heartbreaking.

Yeah.

To think about a community that I love so much.

And you know, we talk about every day.

We talk about opportunities and we talk about, you know, positive things in Toledo.

And then to hear that there are thousands of kids that are hungry every day.

Absolutely.

Tens of thousands of thousands, to be accurate for sure.

And so our goal is really to partner with those folks that are giving kids a safe place, those folks that, you know, and educational programing, enrichment, programing, sports teams, pretty much any, any place again, where kids are gathering.

And so our summertime becomes critically important because during the academic year, our kids are able to access breakfast and lunch at school.

So that's why we focus on the afterschool hours when they've eaten at 11:00 or 1130.

And then come 330, you're asking them to participate in some sort of Stem class or as a sports practice or any other process.

And so they're hungry.

They can't focus.

That's right.

Talking about the geography of this, I think I think there's sort of a misconception that hunger in our area is in one area, and that's not the case, is it?

Educate us on this.

No, it's not the case at all.

You know, when we look at the recent data from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce about the free and reduced percentages throughout our community and for all of our school districts, certainly TPS is leading the way.

It's an urban, large urban school district, but we know that the numbers are high in Sylvania.

We know they're high in Springfield.

We know their high and Maumee, we know that they're climbing in Anthony Wayne.

We know they're climbing in outlying areas.

Perrysburg school districts.

We know Northwood.

We know all that's happening throughout all of the school districts, throughout our community.

In Lucas County alone, 75% of the school buildings, including charter schools, have at least 50% of their kids who qualify for free and reduced meals.

Talk to me a little bit about pardon me.

Are some of these numbers soft?

What I mean by that is some of it has to be by self identifying.

No.

Question.

And there's a lot of pride.

Pride is a sin.

Right.

But also it's understandable to not want to admit or have trouble with asking for help or needing help, or that maybe having it be identified that you're not capable for any manner of things to feed your children.

So I guess, and I'm not asking for a number here, and I hope this doesn't put you on the spot.

But pretend like it was Gretchen who had now is abandoned.

Abandoned?

I this has to be a little bit of a soft figure.

Even though the figure is staggering.

The numbers, in fact, are soft.

Yeah, because every year when school resumes around October, families have to complete income eligibility forms.

And we've talked to the school districts about their percentages, and they're the first to tell us it's a bear trying to get the parents, all parents to complete these forms.

Some of th families are concerned because they may be close to what's called the benefits cliff.

And so they don't want to reveal information to anyone for fear of getting pushed off of that cliff and losing some of those vital benefits that they receive.

How is this all funded?

Connecting Kids to Meals is funded primarily as about 60% from federal reimbursement funding, so we are able to submit, excuse me, all of the paperwork comply with all of the ridiculous rules.

I'm sorry, what?

All of the ridiculous rules and regulations.

And then at the end of each month, we tally our partners, tally all the meals that are calculated and served every day.

We take all of that paperwork and we collect and analyze the data.

And then we have to submit a request to the state of Ohio to get some support.

And then we have to fundraise for about a third of our annual budget.

But 2500 meals a day?

Yes.

Five days a week?

Yes.

All month?

Yes.

That you have to front.

We have to lay out about three, on average, about $300,000 every month to feed kids in northwest Ohio, but predominantly Lucas County.

And we don't get $300,000 back.

Let's be clear.

So we're grateful.

Let me use this as a quick of coin to say to our public and private funders, thank you for our individual funders.

Thank you.

Our volunteers.

Thank you.

Because that is the only way that we're going to be able to continue to help kids in our community.

Let me where the hat here that is almost ever worn on this trail, certainly, or by any of my friends and colleagues in the street.

But let me play the role of the cynic.

All right.

These are my kids.

What do I care?

I get that question every time.

Almost every time I go and speak to groups.

Why aren't their questions a little bit shifted?

Or the parents take care of their own kids?

Well, after I take it, you know, I count to ten.

Yeah, I have to share bathroom now.

They have to do that next time.

I have to share that, you know, families are struggling.

We all know that.

We have had to ask for help at some time.

Yeah.

Don't act like no one has ever had to ask for help.

And so at the end of the day, we're trying to make sure that folks understand we may have a very small percentage of folks that don't, you know, they're home, they're lazy parents not doing what they need to do, but the vast majority are working two and three jobs just to make sure that their kids have the necessities.

Not everything they want, just the necessities.

And also t who's going to take care of these people if our kids can't learn because they're hungry?

Well, I don't know what Bible.

I don't know what Bible a lot of folks are reading, but I know mine says that, you know, we're supposed to feed the hungry.

Yeah.

Yes, ma'am.

You are.

I said in the intro to the show, you were one of my, not only favorite nonprofit leaders, one of my favorite people in Toledo.

So what what brought you to this work?

You know, I was off having, you know, gone to law school, gotten a large job at the large law firm, live that life and not fulfilled, and started working on my church ministry.

And it was in connection with our outreach efforts for back to school events in Columbus, had an opportunity to take a peek into what was happening with a lot of families.

I'm very, very fortunate, come from a lower middle class family, but my parents work really, really work to put all three of us, my brother and sister, into private school.

Here's the biggest thing would be between the other two.

What's what?

What?

Okay, I'm the best.

Yeah.

And so, you know, I come from a privileged background, so to speak.

And so I know the importance of how every day I came home, I don't even know how my mom did it with three kids.

She got her doctorate.

She was a professor.

And, like, what in the world you didn't miss any of my sports events?

Nothing.

But I know the importance of having a hot breakfast and then having a hot dinner with my family every evening.

So when I saw that the need was high in Columbus, upon returning to Toledo, I saw that the need was equal, and I said, how can this be?

We're not even close to the same size, right?

And I wanted to get involved.

And so I started getting involved with a different hunger relief organization and made my way to connecting kids to meals.

Eventually we are we are so blessed to have you back in Toledo.

When you and I met, I was working with the United Way on a campaign.

We got randomly paired together for, a presentation at impact, in fact.

Yes.

Right.

I mean, I, I mean, I remember this as clear as day because you open your mouth, and I was like, that is what Toledo is about, right?

I think it reminds me that I think both of you, having come as every time either one of you open your mouths, I want to move this, it's a similar.

Yeah.

Thanks, Matt.

I love you, too.

Yes.

All right.

It's now time for Gretchen's wacky quiz.

You'll be.

Great.

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

Awesome.

Matt, in the role of Gretchen, I ask you to describe Toledo in exactly one word.

And then you will work together to list the nine best things in Toledo.

All right.

Question number one.

If you were an artist, what would you paint on your first day?

An angel.

God bless you.

For me.

What's something you know that you aren't supposed to know?

Oh, or just some random dumb fact that.

You wow people with I never.

This is on the other side of the backdrop.

I'm gonna bring in the Buckeye.

Trivia, right?

Yeah, we got creamed.

I mean, it is evident.

I don't know those questions.

All right.

Are you, are you a Harry Potter?

I'm not.

Okay, well, then this next question is going to work.

What do you think of when I say fruit?

Melons.

All right.

Yeah.

What's what's something that makes you cry?

The thought that kids are out there every day that we're not able to reach.

All right.

Favorite thing about the city?

Enough to transition into a tractor.

Yeah, well, I have, you said one of my favorite things on.

One.

Of a number one word.

One word to describe to lead us.

I meant.

Lord, Lord, help.

We'll take it.

Yeah, it would help us.

I would if I was.

Yeah, we'll take it.

That's right.

All right.

Nine of your favorite things about the city.

Yeah.

So one.

Kevin.

Yep.

Two.

Matt.

All right.

Three.

And Gretchen in that order.

Let's do that over here.

Yeah, sure.

All right.

We can written down further for you.

Riverfront.

Riverfront.

God bless you.

All right.

University of Toledo women's basketball, as well as Bowling Green State University.

All right.

Basketball.

Got to be I got to be fair to my.

Oh, no, no, I. Got three left.

What do you my staff.

Your staff.

Yeah.

And volunteers and volunteers for sure.

And I'm.

And funders.

All right.

Yeah.

One one left.

What's the last thing?

Favorite restaurant in Toledo?

The Alexanders.

There you go.

Wendy Hundley.

Thank you so much.

There's there's such an incredible need in the community.

You guys do amazing work and have an awesome team.

But what do you need?

What can that what can the community do to be involved and help?

Two things.

One, we're going to escalate to 6000 meals a day, between 5 and 6000 meals a day in summer because kids don't have those school meals.

So volunteerism and donations, people want to do food drives for us, but what they don't understand is because we're running federal programs, we have to purchase the food from USDA approved vendors.

So your dollar, any dollar contributed is going to go much further than what you could do purchasing something and donating it to us.

And so volunteerism, donation and this spreading the word about the need in our community and hopefully the work that connecting kids meals is doing.

It.

I have had the the opportunity with community groups, as well as with my own family to go to connecting kids to meals and stuff and pack meals and, and it's an all ages thing, right?

So that the kids are you not only helping pack the meals, but they're also making inspirational encouragement cards for the kids.

It is, it's an incredible organization that we unfortunately need.

But we are so grateful to have you leading the charge and supporting thousands of kids every single day.

So, Wendy, thank you so much for what you do.

Thank you, thank you.

We take a break.

People want more information.

Website is connecting kids to meals.org.

Yes.

All right.

We're we take a break.

When we come back, we will wrap up this Monday edition of the 419 every day when you laugh with us, you learned with us a neighbor.

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Welcome back into the 419 powered by.

We promised, a different approach, for today, what would normally be a mayor Monday?

But we brought three incredible individuals.

No doubt, the top of their field.

Great.

As.

And folks who love the community and are certainly doing incredible work to make it a better place.

Watershed weekend had the conversation with Scott.

If folks missed that conversation, obviously.

Go back and watch the interview with Scott.

It was awesome.

But, give me the details on Watershed Weekend.

Yeah, it's 11 through the 14th.

There is all kinds of activities in and around it.

The Metroparks is closing down, the high level bridge.

I'm sorry, the Martin Luther King Bridge, for having lot of expos on it, but just as importantly, so many different community leaders are having events in or around the river.

Party in the park.

You know, we're going to have a soccer game downtown.

Pretty exciting stuff.

And what it is about is bring people together.

And that's what this is doing.

Incredible.

Thanks to Scott Carpenter and Nathan, IMO and Wendy Huntley for joining us on the program.

Tomorrow we're going to talk with Mike George from Janet Cross Lutheran Services.

We'll talk with Wendy Bhajji, from Ronald McDonald House, and then we'll have, Matt Foss and Cavender Brook talking about a film they're making here in Toledo.

So, incredible program coming up tomorrow as well.

If you missed any part of today's show.

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on FM, 91 or 6 p.m.

connects channel 30.4.

Of course online August the 4th one nine or download the new and improved app.

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