News Briefs Week Of 12/10/2021

Hayes Home Holidays
Experience the magic and supernatural side of Christmas with beloved Christmas stories, including “A Christmas Carol,” by Charles Dickens during an evening tour of parts of the historic Hayes Home.
Hayes Home Holidays: Spirits of Christmas tours will be offered Saturday, Dec. 18; Sunday, Dec. 19, Wednesday, Dec. 22 and Thursday, Dec. 23
Dickens, one of the most popular writers of the Victorian era, was a favorite author of President Rutherford B. Hayes and lived at the same time as Hayes. Hear Dickens’ beloved stories in Hayes’ Victorian mansion, which will be lightly decorated for Christmas.
Enjoy the warmth of the Hayes Home at night, hear stories, and savor a cup of wassail, a traditional holiday drink during Victorian times.
Tours will be offered at 5, 5:30, 6, 6:30, 7, 7:30 and 8 p.m. each day. If those slots sell out, additional tours will be added.
Tickets are $15 for adults 19 and older, $8 for ages 6-18 and free for kids 5 and younger. Tickets for non-members are $18 for adults ages 19 and older, $10 for kids 6-18 and free for kids 5 and younger. Advance tickets are recommended and can be purchased at rbhayes.org/news/2021/10/18/general/hayes-home-holidays-spirits-of-christmas-offers-evening-hayes-home-tours-with-dickens-theme/.
Tickets will be sold at the front desk the days of each event, pending availability.
Those who are not fully vaccinated for COVID-19 must wear a face covering. Additional safety protocols could be put in place. For updates, visit rbhayes.org.
For more info, call 419-332-2081, or visit rbhayes.org.

Lake Police Dept.
renews holiday
package project
Lake Township Police Chief Mark Hummer has announced his department will again offer a holiday package delivery project for township residents, in which packages can be delivered to the police department and picked up at a later time at the police station.
“In the past, we’ve had some reports of packages being taken from in front of residences, which can happen anytime, but is more prevalent during the holiday season,” Chief Hummer said. “Many people are away from home during the daytime, when packages are usually delivered, and these packages can be prime targets for thieves.”
Some people also have the option to have packages shipped to their workplace or to have a neighbor get packages and secure them until the recipient arrives home later in the day.
“Those measures may not be options for some people. For example, if someone works in a factory, that business may not be amenable to having employees’ packages delivered there. Additionally, some people may not know their neighbors well enough to be comfortable asking them to retrieve packages,” Chief Hummer said.
The project, which will run through Dec. 22, will require residents to notify the police department in advance of package acceptance. Packages will need to be delivered to the police department during normal business hours and participants will need to pick up packages prior to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and show proper identification.
Package weight limit for the project is 25 pounds.
“We want everyone to have a happy holiday season, and we are trying to do our part to avoid any disappointments,” the chief said.
For more info or to sign up for the project, township residents are asked to call 419-481-6354.

Sobecki honored
Rep. Lisa Sobecki (D-Toledo) was named Legislator of the Year by the Ohio Association of County Boards of Developmental Disabilities.
“I am truly humbled and privileged to have been named Legislator of the Year by the Ohio Association of County Boards of Developmental Disabilities,” Sobecki said. “The Association’s vision of an Ohio that is strong, connected, and inclusive and where people have the opportunity to choose and live the life they want and deserve is a remarkable goal to strive for, and is incredibly important, especially during these past few years. I’m honored to advocate for the Ohioans the Association serves.”

Info sought on
car wash fire
The Division of State Fire Marshal’s Fire and Explosion Investigation Bureau is seeking tips from the public regarding an intentionally set fire at a Car Wash in Bowling Green.
On Nov. 30 at 10:53 a.m., the Bowling Green Fire Department responded to the Super Wash Car Wash, 1003 North Prospect Rd., for a reported structure fire. When fire crews arrived, they encountered a fire in the office and utility room of the facility. The fire was extinguished without incident but resulted in damage to the building, office, and equipment.
The State Fire Marshal and Bowling Green fire and police departments are conducting the investigation. A reward of up to $5,000 is being offered by the Blue Ribbon Arson Committee for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the fire.
Anyone who has information, photos, or videos of the fire should contact the State Fire Marshal’s tip line at 800-589-2728.

Eastwood Wreaths
Across America
The Eastwood Community Wreaths Across America ceremony and wreath placement will be Saturday, Dec. 18.
A short ceremony will be held in the Eastwood High School auditorium at 10 a.m. Following the ceremony, everyone will split up and go to various cemeteries to place the wreaths. Those who wish to go directly to the cemetery are asked to be there by 10:20 a.m.
Family members who attend will be asked to come forward at the cemetery and place their loved ones’ wreaths first. Then volunteers will place the rest of the wreaths. Volunteers are welcome.
For more details, call Anne Michel at 419-308-0142; Becky Dippman at 419-409-6032; Chad Albright at 703-298-7435 or Nathan Howard, Eastwood High School at 419-833-3611.

Fur Angels offering
Dec. adoption special
The season of giving is upon us, and for the cats with Fur Angels Rescue, the greatest gift of all is a loving, permanent home.
The animals come from all over – maybe not as far as the North Pole – but from places throughout Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan. They all have different stories, like a black cat named Shade who was pulled from a burn pile right before it was lit. They all have different reasons why they ended up homeless, like a young torti named Jules who was wandering around an apartment complex and was likely left behind when her owner moved. And they all have one thing in common; their greatest wish is a home for the holidays.
Fur Angels Rescue is offering a “Home for the Holidays” adoption special. Through December, the adoption fee for all cats 1 year and older is $50 (normally $80). The fee includes the spay or neuter, vaccinations, deworming, flea treatment, microchip, and testing for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) and leukemia.
“All of our foster homes are full, so we’re offering the holiday adoption special in an effort to send lots of cats home for the holidays and make room for more cats in need, especially as we head into winter when we’ll get lots of calls about friendly stray cats.” said Fur Angels Rescue Founder Brooke Dutridge. “We’re really hopeful that some of our longer residents, our shy cats and our black cats – who often get overlooked by adopters – will get their happy endings.
“We also have some really special cats who would love to start the new year in their very own home,” she said. “A few who come to mind are Cutie and Reagan, who are a year old but get overlooked for younger kittens; Gunner, who was found in the woods with a fractured leg that required amputation, and siblings Jack and Sally, who are hoping to find a home together."
Fur Angels Rescue Shelter is a no-kill group (unless the animal is dangerous or euthanasia is medically necessary) which provides temporary and long-term shelter, warmth and safety, food, medical treatment and love in a network of foster homes until each animal finds their perfect, forever home. The non-profit organization – which has a goal of having a brick-and-mortar shelter – does not receive any state or federal funding and relies on support from individuals and businesses to help the community’s homeless animals.
Visit furangelsrs.com or follow on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok for more details.

Riverview campus
announces hiring
The Ottawa County Riverview Healthcare Campus in Oak Harbor has announced the addition of Becky Lenke, APRN, FNP-C, Nurse Practitioner.
She will assist Riverview’s Medical Director; Dr. Sean Callahan, with his resident visits, any changes in condition of residents, as well as continuing her Minimum Data Set (MDS) Coordination and being Riverview’s Infection Preventionist.
She began her work at Riverview as a teen in the Food and Nutrition Department in 2004. After becoming a registered nurse in 2012, Lenke returned to Riverview as a night charge nurse and then became the night supervisor. In May 2014 Lenke became Riverview’s MDS RN Coordinator, overseeing the medical assessments of each resident, which are used by Medicare and Medicaid for reimbursement to the facility.
In December 2019, she became a Family Nurse Practitioner after graduating from the Ohio University.
“Skilled nursing facilities have continued to see more complex medical situations in both our short term and long term residents” said Riverview Administrator, Kendra German, “Having a nurse practitioner on the campus, will only further enhance the skilled medical care Riverview is already known for.”
Lenke resides in the Oak Harbor area with her husband Micah and their five children.