Family briefs - "The Rooms of Illusion" opens at Imagination Station Toledo

        Seeing isn't always believing.
        Imagination Station’s latest temporary exhibit, The Rooms of Illusions, uses color, light and patterns to create experiences that can trick the eyes and mislead the mind. The exhibit opened Friday, Feb. 14.
        The Rooms of Illusion features four individually-themed interactive rooms with optical illusions that will challenge visitors’ perceptions and allow them to see everyday surroundings in a whole new light.
        • Optical Illusion Room: The walls are crawling; the ceiling is spinning and the floor is floating...or are they? This wall-to-wall optical experience will make your head spin...even if the room isn't.
        • Reflection Room: Immerse yourself in a world of reflection and light. Strategically placed mirrors create an infinity effect that draw you in to take a closer look.
        • Light Room: The absorption and reflection of light has an effect on the colors we perceive. This room explores how our eyes interpret color under varying lights.
        • White Room: Contribute to a kaleidoscope of color. The White Room is a community art piece inspired by Yayoi Kusama’s “The Obliteration Room.” Leave your mark, then come back again and again to see this space transform right before your eyes.
        The Rooms of Illusion is included in science center admission and is presented in partnership with COSI Columbus.
        On Saturdays, all Lucas County residents receive a $2 discount and free admission for kids 12 and under with paid adult admission, limit two children per adult.
        For more information, please call 419-244-2674 or visit imaginationstationtoledo.org.
 
Diabetes Get-together
        The Magruder Hospital Nutrition Department will offer a Diabetes Get-together Feb. 20 in the hospital conference center, 615 Fulton St., Port Clinton.
        The program is offered the third Thursday each month at noon, September through May. This month, Magruder diabetic educators will discuss diabetes complications.
        The group is for anyone dealing with diabetes or pre-diabetes, including family and friends. Light refreshments will be provided. No RSVP is necessary. For more information, call 419-732-4027.
 
Alzheimer’s program
        The Alzheimer’s Association Northwest Ohio Chapter will hold a free educational program on “Understanding Alzheimer’s and Dementia” Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 12:30 p.m. at the Walbridge Senior Center, 705 N. Main St.           The one-hour luncheon program:
        • Explores the relationship between Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
        • Examines what happens in a brain affected by Alzheimer’s.
        • Details the risk factors for and three general stages of the disease.
        • Identifies FDA-approved treatments available to treat some symptoms.
        • Looks ahead to what’s on the horizon for Alzheimer’s research.
        • Offers helpful Alzheimer’s Association resources.
        “This program offers an overview of the disease, how it progresses, and how to access resources,” said Pam Myers, program director of the Chapter. “It is our most attended and popular program”.
        Register online at alz.org/CRF or call 1-800-272-3900.
        In the United States alone, more than 5 million individuals are living with Alzheimer’s and 16 million are serving as their unpaid caregivers.
 
Ottawa NWR Chili Cookoff
        Friends of Ottawa National Wildlife invite area cooks to show off their talents at a Chili Cookoff, set for Saturday, Feb. 22.
        To enter the competition, bring a slow cooker full of chili at 11:30 a.m. to the Refuge’s Visitor Center, 14000 SR 2, Oak Harbor.
        The judges’ tasting will be at noon, with public tasting to follow. Three awards will be presented, including the Judges’ Choice Golden Ladle Award, the 4-Alarm (hottest chili) Award, and the People’s Choice Award.
        The free, family-friendly competition is open to the public. Wildlife Tours of the refuge in the Blue Goose Bus will be offered, weather permitting, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
        Any donations collected during this event will help to fund projects around the Refuge and support future events and tours that are open to the public.
        Friends of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge is a 501(c)3 non-profit established in 1997 to promote the preservation of the natural and historical resources of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, the only National Wildlife Refuge Complex in the state.
 
Programs celebrate Black History Month
        The Toledo Museum of Art (TMA) will host two free events in February as part of Black History Month.
        Organized by soprano, educator and community organizer Margaret Barron and visual artist and educator Yusuf Lateef, the two-part program focuses on conversation and spoken word in celebration of Black History Month.
        The spoken word event will take place Saturday, Feb. 22, at 2 p.m. in the Great Gallery. The music event will take place Sunday, Feb. 23, at 3 p.m. in the Great Gallery.
        Both events will explore this year’s theme of “African Americans and the Vote.”
        “This two-part event at the Toledo Museum of Art offers visitors the opportunity to hear from local voices as well as music that celebrates the history of Black History Month and the critical importance of voting to a community,” said Scott Boberg, TMA’s manager of programming and audience engagement.
 
Two Villages to present town hall on kids’ anxiety
        On Sunday, March 1, Two Villages will host a Town Hall meeting taking a look at anxiety in children.
        The event, “Addressing Anxiety: Helping Your Child Manage,” will be held from 1-3 p.m. in the Woodmore Elementary Middle School.
        Panelists Carla Smith, M.Ed., Special Education Director at Woodmore; Pat Hardy LISW-S, Mental Health Coordinator at Firelands Recovering and Counseling in Fremont and, Erin Carroll, LISW-S, Director of Clinical Services at RFS Behavioral Health in Toledo will present current information and answer questions from the audience.
        The panel will address several common concerns of parents and teachers regarding anxiety in children, including but not limited to:
        • Why are children anxious?
        • Are stress and anxiety the same?
        • How does trauma (real or virtual) factor in?
        • How do children learn to handle anxiety?
        • How are anxieties prevented and treated?
        Parents, grandparents, teachers and leaders of youth activities from Woodmore and surrounding communities are invited to this free event.
        Two Villages formed in 2009 as a response to the loss of young lives in local communities. As a grassroots group in the Woodmore community, Two Villages hosts a variety of events which focus on creating an environment where it is possible to raise healthy and resilient children.
        More details are available by contacting Jayne Klett at gunniek@aol.com.
 
“Cooking Under Pressure”
        Ohio State University Extension-Ottawa & Sandusky Counties will offer “Cooking Under Pressure 2.0” in March.
        The program is designed to teach people to use their pressure cookers, i.e. Instant Pots, which have become increasingly popular in the last few years.
        Katie Schlagheck, the Family and Consumer Sciences Educator at OSU Extension, will lead the class, which will be offered March 7 from 10 a.m.-noon at the Ottawa County Extension Office, 240 W. Lake St., Oak Harbor or March 14 at the Sandusky County Extension Office, 2000 Countryside Dr., Fremont.
        The cost is $10, payable at the door. RSVP to Schlagheck at schlagheck.11@osu.edu or call the Ottawa County Extension at 419-898-3631 or the Sandusky County Extension at 419-334-6340.
 
Kenn Kaufman to speak at TMA
        Naturalist and author Kenn Kaufman will offer a free, illustrated lecture on spring migration Saturday, Feb. 29 at 2 p.m. in the GlasSalon at the Toledo Museum of Art.
        Kaufman, author of “A Season on the Wind: Inside the World of Spring Migration,” will give visitors insights into the annual spring migration and what he discovered as he was researching his book. A book signing will follow the presentation.
        “The Biggest Week in American Birding is something we hear about every year, and Kenn’s book and presentation provide an in-depth understanding of what happens during this annual migration and why it is so important,” said Scott Boberg, TMA’s manager of programming and audience engagement. “This is a great way to leap into spring and prepare for this year’s annual migration and learn more about both the birds and the human impact.”
        The Museum will present, “Rare and Wondrous: Birds in Art and Culture 1620-1820” from May 2-Aug. 2. It is the fifth in the biennial series of bird-themed exhibitions in Gallery 18 timed to coincide with the Biggest Week in American Birding festival that brings tens of thousands of people to the Toledo area each spring.
        The Museum is located at 2445 Monroe St. For more info, call 419-255-8000 or visit toledomuseum.org.
 
“A Raisin in the Sun”
        The Toledo Repertoire Theatre will present, “A Raisin in The Sun,” directed by Irina Zaurov, opening Friday, Feb. 28 and running weekends through March 8.
        At 60 years old, Lorraine Hansberry’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway masterpiece, “A Raisin in the Sun,” remains a monumental work of the American stage and a powerful example of the Black Experience in the United States.
        The story tells about an African-American family’s experiences as they aspire to move beyond segregation and disenfranchisement in the south side of 1950s Chicago.
        For ticket information, visit www.toledorep.org or call 419-243-9277.
 
Free homebuying seminar
        Glass City Federal Credit Union is offering a free Home-buying Seminar Saturday, Feb. 29 from 10 a.m.-noon in the Community Room of the bank’s main office at 1340 Arrowhead Dr., Maumee.
        Presented by Glass City’s mortgage professionals, the class will include a review of various mortgage loan-related terms, tips for qualifying for a mortgage loan, understanding one’s credit score, the various steps of the home-buying process and more.
        To register, complete the registration link on the Mortgage Loan page at glasscityfcu.com or call 419-887-1000. Glass City is an Equal Housing Lender.
 
Senior Softball sign-ups
        The East Toledo Senior Center is taking reservations for its 2020 Senior Softball Leagues. All individuals ages 50 and over are eligible to play.
        The center offers two leagues: 50 and over and 58 and over. Registration fees are $60 for each league. Those who are 58 and older may play in both leagues for $80. Registration ends March 13.
        The 58-and-older-league plays Monday evenings and the 50-and-older league plays Wednesday evenings. Both leagues play in Navarre Park.
        For more details, call Mary at 419-691-2254.
 
Gulburger Nite
        St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, Seaman and Yondota, Curtice, will be cooking up the famous “Gulburger” again this year on Thursday, April 2 from 4-7:30 p.m.
        The one-pound hamburger, cooked with the Gulish family recipe, comes with cheese and grilled onions, served on a Kaiser roll with chips, pickles and peppers plus a choice of coffee or punch at a cost of $10. Fresh-cut fries and sodas will be available at an additional cost.
        Dine in or carry out.
        Tickets, available by advance-purchase only, can be purchased from any church member or by calling 419-691-1918.
 
 Zoo  Job Fair
        The Toledo Zoo will host a job fair on Wednesday, March 4 from 3-7 p.m. to fill more than 200 part-time and seasonal positions.
        The Zoo is looking to hire outgoing individuals with customer-focused attitudes to fill a variety of guest service positions.
        Job fair attendees are asked to park in the Anthony Wayne Trail parking lot, enter through the main gates and follow the signs to the Malawi Event Center. Zoo parking and admission fees will not apply. Business casual attire is preferred. Attendees are requested to bring a professional resume or completed Zoo application, available at toledozoo.org/jobs. The last walk-in time will be 6:45 p.m.
        Most positions require a minimum age of 16, however, some require candidates to be 21 with a valid driver’s license. Those interested must be able to work flexible hours including weekends and holidays. Some positions may also require working in all weather conditions, the ability to stand for extended periods of time and extensive walking on Zoo grounds.
        For more details, email toledozoojobfair@toledozoo.org or refer to toledozoo.org/jobs for details and position descriptions.
        Toledo Zoo provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics.
 
Cholesterol screenings
        The Wood County Committee on Aging, Inc. has scheduled their cholesterol screening clinics for March.
        Clinics are open to Wood County residents age 25 years of age or older. The cost is $20 for those 60 and over and $25 for those 25-59. These screenings require an appointment and pre-test instructions must be followed.
        The screening panel includes: total cholesterol, HDL (good cholesterol), LDL (bad cholesterol), triglycerides, total cholesterol/HDL ratio and a blood glucose level. Results will be immediately available and discussed with clients by a registered nurse.
        Screenings are available at three of the agency’s eight senior centers and are scheduled as follows:
        • Wood County Senior Center (Bowling Green), 9-11 a.m., March 5, 13 and 24.
        • Perrysburg Area Senior Center, 9:30-11:30 a.m., March 10.
        • Rossford Area Senior Center, 9:30-11:30 a.m., March 19.
        To schedule an appointment, call 419-353-5661 and ask for the Social Services Department.
        For information on Wood County Committee on Aging programs and services, call 419-353-5661 or visit www.wccoa.net.
 
Anti-human trafficking initiative launched
        State Senator Teresa Fedor (D-Toledo) spoke at a press conference Feb. 6 in Lucas County for the launch of a new community-wide anti-human trafficking initiative, the F.O.C.U.S. Runaway Project.
        The program was created by Lucas County Sheriff John Tharp and Dr. Celia Williamson, a professor at the University of Toledo, who recognized the correlation between homelessness and human trafficking.
        The University of Toledo Human Trafficking and Social Justice Institute reports that runaway and homeless youth are at the greatest risk for being trafficked. Toledo ranks as the city with the greatest number of homeless and runaway youth in Ohio.
        “This plan will allow Lucas County to protect our children from reentering the cycle of runaway behavior and the associated outcomes of drug addiction and sex trafficking,” Fedor said. “I was grateful when Sheriff Tharp and Dr. Williamson contacted me about starting this project.”
        “If we can keep our children connected with their families and away from the dangers of the streets, we will be able to better protect those children from becoming victims of human trafficking and drug abuse,” Tharp said.
        The F.O.C.U.S. Runaway Project aims to both locate missing youth in Toledo and reconnect them with a Unified Long-Term Service Plan – wraparound services like counseling that are designed to support children so they are less likely to run away again. The initiative expands on current services in Toledo, including the Rescue Mental Health & Addiction Services, as well as leaders in the community, including Toledo Police Chief George Kral and Lucas County Commissioner Tina Wozniak.
        “This project shows that we have people right here in Toledo who are taking the time to work together and come up with a real plan to find our most vulnerable youth,” Fedor said. “I am proud of our community for being champions for children.”