Family briefs: African Safari Wildlife Park nominated as nation’s best

        African Safari Wildlife Park has been nominated as one of the top safari parks in the United States by USA Today 10Best, an editorial travel and lifestyle website. The park placed ninth on the list last year.
        Voting is open through Monday, March 6 at 10best.com/awards/travel/best-safari-park. Readers may vote once per day.
        “We’re simply thrilled that 10Best recognizes the incredible experiences our Park has to offer, from the Drive-Thru Safari to our unforgettable animal feeding experiences,” said park director Kelsey Keller.
 
Toledo Zoo Orchid Show
        The Toledo Zoo invites visitors to discover the vibrant colors, delightful fragrances and interesting backstories of rare and exotic orchids from around the world at the Orchid Show, open weekends through Feb. 26 in the ProMedica Museum of Natural History and Aquarium.
        In addition to more than 1,800 orchids, the show includes a variety of classes, demonstrations, and workshops. Visitors will see a “bee’s eye view” of what orchids look like to pollinators.
        The Orchid Show is open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays and is included with zoo admission.
        To commemorate the show, there will be an opportunity for the public to purchase an orchid at the Orchid Show Plant Sale Saturday, March 4 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the ProMedica Museum of Natural History Great Hall.
        For more information, visit toledozoo.org/orchidshow.
 
Community Clay Night
        Oak Harbor High School Art Club will sponsor a Community Clay Night Wednesday, Feb. 22 from 5-6 p.m. in the Art Room (Room 609).
        The cost for the family-friendly event is $20/ per person, and all ages are welcome. Participants will have the chance to glaze/paint a ceramic piece created by high school art students with handprints, designs or a solid color. Glazed ceramic pieces will be available for pick up the week of March 6. 
        For questions or to RSVP, email egilbert@bcssd.com.  Spaces are limited.
 
Intro to Alzheimer’s
        The Alzheimer’s Association Northwest Ohio Chapter is joining with Dr. Dionis Kononov, medical director of the Senior Behavioral Health Unit at the University of Toledo Medical Center, for a free in-person education program in February answering common questions about Alzheimer’s disease.
        The program, “Conversations with Dr. Kononov: Introduction to Alzheimer’s,” is being offered free to the community and will be held from 1:30-3 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 28 at the Alzheimer’s Association Toledo office, 480 W. Dussel Dr., Suite 140 in Maumee.
        Pre-registration is required. To register, call the Alzheimer’s Association’s 24/7 Helpline at 800-272-3900 or the Alzheimer’s Association Northwest Ohio Chapter at 567-302-3608.
        “We are so fortunate to have Dr. Kononov practicing in our community,” said Pam Myers, program director for the Alzheimer’s Association Northwest Ohio and Central Ohio Chapters. “He works with individuals living with dementia as well as their caregivers and families on a regular basis and has great insights to share.”
        Dr. Kononov will discuss Alzheimer’s disease warning signs, diagnosis, medications, behaviors and treatments, as well as how to access valuable resources and ways to join the fight against the disease.
        There were 220,000 Ohioans age 65 and older living with Alzheimer’s disease in 2021, and that number is expected to increase to 250,000 by 2025, according to the Alzheimer’s Association “2022 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures.”
 
Cardinal Stitch to present ‘Mary Poppins’
        Cardinal Stritch Catholic High School & Academy is planning something supercalifragilisticexpialidocious as students present “Mary Poppins The Broadway Musical” Saturday, March 4 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, March 5 at 2 p.m. in the Fassett Junior High auditorium, 3025 Starr Ave., Oregon.
        Tickets are $15 and may be purchased at showtix4u.com.
        The cast and crew, comprised of Cardinal Stritch students in grades 5-12, have been practicing for months this musical story of the Banks family. Cardinal Stritch teachers Nikolai Dignoti, Jeff Kesselring, and Abby Fanscali are directing and choreographing the production. The musical was developed by Cameron Mackintosh from the classic 1964 Walt Disney film and written stories by P.L. Travers
         Audiences should be ready to sing along with classic “Mary Poppins” songs such as “A Spoonful of Sugar,” “Let’s Go Fly A Kite,” “Chim Chim Cher-ee,” “Feed The Birds,” and more.
 
Diabetes Get-Together
        The next Magruder Diabetes Get-Together will be held Thursday, March 2 at 11 a.m. in the conference center at the hospital, located at 615 Fulton St.
        These free get-togethers are for anyone dealing with diabetes or pre-diabetes, including family and friends. The topic for March will be “Dining Out with Diabetes.” Certified diabetes care and education specialists lead the discussions.
        RSVP not required. Call 419-732-4047 or email tstadler@magruderhospital.com for more information.
 
Euchre anyone?
        Oregon Jerusalem Historical Society is opening the historic Brandville school one afternoon each month for Euchre and cards, camaraderie, food and fun at the Brandville School.
        The cost for the afternoon is $15 per person. Dates include March 21, April 18, Sept. 19, Oct. 31 and Nov. 21, from 2-5 p.m.
        OJHS will be serving sandwiches, chips and beverages. There will also be fun prizes.
        Funds raised will help the historical society’s efforts to preserve and restore the outdoor-back end of the One-Room Schoolhouse. The schoolhouse, once called a portable, was used at the turn of the century when additional classrooms were needed for the growing community. Originally, there were three portables. After Coy School opened in 1926, the portables were converted into homes.
        For a short period of time OJHS trustee George Hart, member of the Perry Coy family, lived with his family in the portable on our campus.
        Since becoming part of the museum complex, the inside of the building has been restored to its original purpose.
        Individuals and groups are invited to play. OJHS membership is not required. Call Kitty at 419-376-9491 to make a reservation.
 
Gardening workshops
        The Black Swamp Conservancy team will greet the spring season with a duo of gardening workshops led by master gardener Vicki Gallagher, who will offer gardening tips and inspiration.
        The first workshop, scheduled for Saturday, March 18, will focus on “A Year in the Garden” and will take participants through a calendar year of developing and maintaining flower and vegetable gardens. The class will be beneficial for new gardeners and those who want a refresher.
        The second workshop, set for Sunday, April 16, will highlight “The Benefits of a Vegetable Garden.” Participants will learn about soil preparation, seed and plant selection, crop rotation, successive gardening, pest control, harvest and end-of-season best practices.
        Both workshops will be held from 1-3 p.m. at the Way Library, 101 E. Indiana Ave., Perrysburg. Registration is $10 per workshop, and the events are limited to 20 participants each. Learn more and register online at blackswamp.org/upcoming-events.
        Gallagher has been an OSU Master Gardener for 29 years. She recently retired from the 577 Foundation in Perrysburg, where she served as a horticulturalist for 28 years. She also has 11 years of wholesale and retail greenhouse and market experience, and she is a food bank vegetable grower.
 
Walk MS-Fremont
        The Third Annual Walk MS-Fremont will be held Saturday, May 13 at Conner Park, 2300 Morrison Rd. The official start will begin at 11 a.m. Attendees are asked to meet at the rear shelter houses for registration beginning at 10:30 a.m. The walk will take place on the track. 
        This year’s event will feature Forced Blue D.J., The Bean and Things Food Truck, face painting, door prizes and more.  Sponsors include Katura Recovery, Sabroske Electric, Crown Battery and Phaze 1 Screen Printing & Graphics.
        Dana Roca, patient advocate living with MS and the host of the walk said, “This is my fourth walk for MS and my 14th year since my diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. I can say that my diagnosis was a defining moment in my life and after many years of living with fear and uncertainty, I was so relieved to be able to participate in this positive contribution to MS research. My entire family participates in this momentous event each year and it is a rally call for each of us that hope exists.”
        For more information or to donate to this year’s walk, visit walkms.org/dana’sdesperados, call 804-467-9881 or email danaroca8@gmail.com.
 
Grant to expand Senior Farmers’ Market Program
        Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, announced a $3.971 million grant award to the State of Ohio from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to expand the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program Ohio.
        The Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) is a federally funded program that aims to lower food insecurity among seniors and support local agricultural producers.
        USDA awarded $50 million total in American Rescue Plan Act grant awards to 47 states. Each year, more than 800,000 seniors across the country receive coupons worth up to $50 through SFMNP that can be exchanged at nearly 20,000 farmers’ markets and food stands nationwide for fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, and honey. In Northwest Ohio, the Area Office on Aging administers the program in Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky, Williams, and Wood counties – distributing coupons to seniors each year.
        The $3.971 million expansion of SFMNP in Ohio represents a 150 percent increase for the program and is funded through the American Rescue Plan, passed in 2021. The new funding will allow SFMNP administrators such as the Area Office on Aging of Northwestern Ohio to serve more seniors and expand to serve new areas. Rep. Kaptur was instrumental in SFMNP’s creation in 2001 and has long championed the program. In August of last Congress, Rep. Kaptur introduced H.R. 8707 – the Farmers’ Market and Food Bank Local Revitalization Act – to increase federal funding for the senior nutrition effort.
        “The Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program is near and dear to my heart,” Kaptur said. “This low-cost, innovative partnership allows seniors to purchase locally grown fresh and nutritious produce while also supporting our family farmers – it is a real win-win for all involved. With this additional funding from the USDA, we’ll be able to improve the lives of even more seniors and farmers from all across Ohio.”
        “Through the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program, older adults are provided the means and impetus to consume healthy food in the form of fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, and honey,” said Area Office on Aging of Northwestern Ohio vice president Rebecca Liebes. “This directly reduces the effects of chronic diseases such as hypertension, heart disease, arthritis, and others. Older adults rely on this program to fortify their diets and prevent food insecurity, hunger and malnutrition. In addition, farmers are able to increase their business, grow additional produce, and recognize that they are making a difference in the lives of low-income older adults.”