fostoria

Transcription

fostoria

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2011
REVIEW TIMES
C1
2011
COMMUNITY
The New Nest
makes Fostoria
rock again | C2
Brothers have
patrons flipping
for their food | C5
Pahl settling in
as new face of
Fostoria | C10
C2
COMMUNITY UPDATE
FOSTORIA REVIEW TIMES, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2011
Making Fostoria rock again
Fostoria
Scrap
Father-son
duo bring
in national
acts for local
audiences
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419-435-7792 • fax 419-435-7793
By ALLISON WINGATE
STAFF WRITER
Bar owners Steve and Will
Risner have managed not only to
keep their doors open in an tough
economy — they’re watching “The
New Nest” thrive.
The father-son duo opened
the Columbus Avenue bar on
New Year’s Eve 2009 with a goal
of keeping “the Friendliest Bar in
Fostoria.”
They planned to do so by
appealing to an older age-set and
by keeping the so-called “riff-raff”
out of their establishment to begin
with.
From the get-go they established a dress code in an attempt
to eliminate any issues related
to gang-wear, weapons or other
offensive clothing.
And so far, they’ve managed to
keep things pretty tame.
Each weekend the bar sees
hundreds of patrons walk through
the doors, even more so when the
stage is livened by hard rock acts.
On nights of live performances,
there are between 6-8 bouncers
at the venue keeping the peace.
“We’ve had no major issues,”
Steve said.
While local acts often shred on
their performance stage, The New
Nest has featured performances
from national acts such as L.A.
Guns and has recently booked 90s
hard rock band Jackyl for a concert
on March 26.
“We get a lot of out-of-town
people coming to our shows,” said
Will, who noted some attendees
came from as far as New York to
attend the L.A. Guns concert. “If
we based bands on doing what
Fostoria is into, we wouldn’t be
here, we wouldn’t be in business.”
The concerts are hosted in the
bar’s back room, which opened
April 1 after a renovation. The
stage’s premiere was marked with
a two-day concert April 1-2, featuring bands The Other Half and
The Hanson Brothers, the latter
comprised of former owners Ron
and Don Hanson.
“They were impressed. We
kept some of their ideas the same
but added some of our own,” Steve
said.
Best Western Fostoria Inn and
Suites offers concertgoers a special hotel rate of $60 a night upon
mention of “The New Nest” and
guests may take advantage of free
rides to and from the hotel those
nights.
Impaired bar patrons are personally driven home or shuttled
to and from local hotels by Steve
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ALLISON WINGATE / the Review Times
business, Will said, as they’ve
been using demographic data
from their Facebook fan page to
determine what kind of bands they
should book and drink specials
they should offer.
They’ve even used the site to
offer their patrons contest opportunities. Until a winner is present at the time of the drawing,
the New Nest will pick a name
at random from their Facebook
fans list at upcoming tribute band
concerts.
The winner and their guest
will receive passes to all New Nest
events for the year as well as meet
and greet opportunities with the
bands. The contest is in celebration of reaching over 1,000 fans
of their page.
“It’s worth coming to see if
your name gets pulled,” Will said.
“People say there’s nothing to do
in Fostoria, but we’re giving them
something to do.”
While their overall business
has been surviving a tense economic climate, they cannot say the
same for M and Js Midwest BBQ.
Brothers Issac and Isaiah
Morton began operating the restaurant in The New Nest kitchen
in late July but closed up shop in
December.
“We provided an opportunity
for a group of gentleman to open
a restaurant here. The economics
didn’t work out where they had
enough money and they needed
to shut down,” Will said.
The Morton brothers previously manned the kitchen of The
Café, 603 Plaza Drive, for 10 years
before pursuing their own restaurant.
As for future plans for the bar’s
now dormant kitchen, they plan
to re-open it in coming weeks
and will offer a menu of standard
bar fare including chicken wings,
chunks and burgers. They plan on
hiring additional staff to handle
such orders.
For more information on the
New Nest, 11295 Columbus Ave.,
visit their official Facebook page
or call 419-937-1510.
Businesses still opening in Fostoria
Numerous entrepreneurs brave the
economic climate to realize dreams
By ALLISON WINGATE
STAFF WRITER
Times have been tough for
business owners across the nation,
many buckling to economic pres-
)RVWRULD3OD]D
BAR OWNERS Will (left) and Steve Risner opened the Columbus Avenue bar, The New Nest, on New
Year’s Eve 2009 and have brought a number of local, regional and national touring bands to Fostoria.
The bar bills itself as “the Friendliest Bar in Fostoria.”
and Will, who say their customers
feel more comfortable riding with
them than an unknown bouncer.
“We’ve learned people feel
more at ease riding home with
people who have been serving
them for the past six months or
so,” Will said, adding they gave
approximately 76 rides home after
a recent concert.
Sometimes doing what’s right
by their bar patrons isn’t always
the popular decision.
Will recounted taking a customer’s keys when he felt she was
unable to drive herself home and
the negative reaction it elicited.
“I tell them, ‘If you don’t take
the free ride home, you’re going
to take the other free ride home,’”
he said, referring to police escort.
He said the woman returned to the
bar the next day and thanked him
for using his discretion.
“You could come here and not
know this place and still be comfortable here,” Steve said.
Online social networking has
become a valuable tool for the
sures and shuttering their livelihoods.
Determined to beat the odds,
a group of ambitious local entrepreneurs opened businesses in
Fostoria in 2010.
A.J.R. Morales Café
ing in 2007.
Located at the former site
of Candyland, 224 N. Main St.,
the grand opening of the A.J.R.
Morales Café in May breathed new
life into downtown Fostoria.
The restaurant is operated by
Isadore “Izzy” Bustamante and
owned by his father-in-law, Hank
Elchert, who purchased the build-
The restaurant has undergone
cosmetic renovations and has seen
the addition of a “sports cantina”
where Bustamante said customers can come watch the game and
have a cocktail in peace.
Community Hospice Care has
earned the Joint Commission’s
Gold Seal of ApprovalTM
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COMMUNITY UPDATE
C3
Judge orders up
some change in
the courtroom
FILE PHOTO
FORMER FOSTORIA fire chief Russ Rife (left) pins the chief’s badge on new chief Keith Loreno at Loreno’s swearing-in ceremony Aug. 23,
2010. Loreno was the first chief hired from outside the ranks, according to Mayor John Davoli.
Chief has faith in his role
Loreno leans on family,
firefighters for support as he
heads up fire department
By CHANDRA NIKLEWSKI
STAFF WRITER
For Keith Loreno, the road to
the role of Fostoria Fire Chief was
paved with good opportunities
and a bit of an obsession.
“You can talk to anybody in the
fire service. It’s like a bug. Once
you get it, it’s not easy to get rid
of it,” Keith said.
Keith became involved as a volunteer firefighter in 1983 and at
some point, Keith said his career
focus turned to law enforcement.
“I can’t tell you to this day what
sparked that, but that’s the direction I took,” Keith said.
Perhaps, it was simply the calling of a higher power.
Keith eventually majored in
criminal justice at Bowling Green
State University, but saving lives
was actually a second choice.
Saving souls was a consideration
first.
“I was seriously considering
the priesthood,” Keith explained.
Although his career has
spanned various agencies dealing
with firefighting, law enforcement
and sometimes a combination of
the two as a fire investigator for
the state fire marshal’s office,
Keith never abandoned that first
career decision completely.
“Faith has saved me more
times than not and, in this business, you’ve got to have faith,”
Keith said.
Faith in his family and faith in
the people who work beside him
are vital considering the bond firefighters share is due, in part, to the
nature of the work.
“The guy you’re with that day,
you might die with them,” Keith
explained.
But, it is his wife of 21 years,
Sue, who has been by his side
while he went through the experiences he says change a man.
“A lot of times you see a lot of
crazy things and you’re exposed
to people in a lot of situations,”
Keith said.
But, Keith explained most
people, whether in law enforcement or fire service, develop a
distorted sense of humor in order
to survive the days.
“I think it’s a defense mechanism because a lot of guys have
said, ‘If I didn’t laugh I’d be crying
right now,’” Keith explained.
Keith said his coworkers have
also become his counselors, as
happens for all firefighting units.
“Who’s rescuing the rescuers?”
Keith said after explaining some
of the situations firefighters have
to go through.
For example, it was only a
few short months ago, on Dec.
28, 2010, when firefighters were
called to a motor vehicle accident
at the intersection of Stearns
Road and Ohio 199. A woman
was killed and her 7-year-old son
was pronounced dead at Fostoria
Community Hospital.
“You can’t go to an incident
with a child death and not be
affected for the rest of your life,”
Keith said.
But, that’s where the spouses
come in and step up to help the
firefighters when they aren’t able
to counsel each other as well.
Keith said Sue is important to
his life as a good leader for the
Fostoria firefighters.
“As a leader, you have to have
someone to fall back on and your
spouse is essential for that,” Keith
said.
Keith explained Sue has a
great sense of humor and that
he believes the role of a spouse is
critical for anyone’s success.
“I have a phenomenal wife that
keeps me set straight,” Keith said.
Although, why she chose him
and stuck around for so many
years is a mystery, Keith explained
with humor.
“I ask her, ‘Are you crazy or
really in love? ’ She still hasn’t
given me an answer,” Keith joked.
Sue said it’s a little bit of both.
“I love him to death and yes, he
makes me crazy,” Sue explained.
Sue was the sister-in-law of a
friend, Keith said. Their romance
flourished and Keith and Sue have
two children. Gina is 16 years old
and a student at Gibsonburg High
School and Anthony is eight.
“Every good Italian family has
to have a Tony,” Keith explained
with all seriousness.
Keith relies on his time with
family to also handle anything
that comes his way and schedules
camping trips on the weekends.
While not extreme roughing-it
trips, Keith said he comes home
on some Fridays to find the bags
are already packed for time with
family and a group of friends.
“That’s my release mechanism
and my opportunity to spend quality time with my family,” Keith
explained.
While his family life has
remained solid for years, Keith
has changed jobs throughout his
career, with this one possibly
being his last. His goal is to retire
from Fostoria, but he said he has
done his time with public safety
yet can’t say for certain what will
happen. His only real plan is to
go where life takes him, he said.
For now, the Fostoria firefighters
make up his other family.
“I enjoy every day being with
these guys here and the support I
get from them,” Keith said.
The city also means a great
deal to him and he explained he
is fortunate to work in a place he
likes.
“There’s nothing worse than
being employed somewhere you’re
not happy,” Keith said.
Keith said he enjoys a good
laugh and has learned to expect
a good laugh while working with
the men under his command at
present.
“They give you every opportunity for a laugh,” Keith said.
He said it also helps to vent
and, as the city constantly fights
declining revenue.
“Firefighters have gone from
heroes to budget bait,” Keith said.
But, he said it’s nice to work
with people who are willing to
pitch in to make things easier on
the pocketbook.
Keith said there was a piece of
equipment broken down recently
and it would have cost approximately $1,700 for repairs, not to
mention the time the equipment
would have been unavailable to the
department.
One of the firefighters came in,
found the problem, ordered parts
and had it fixed that day for less
than $200 for the parts.
With the 2010 layoffs and
the fight Keith has led to bring
them back through federal grant
monies, he explained he is not
dealing with anger or disappointment, but admitted everyone has a
mark in their career where they hit
their threshold. But, the desire for
the “bug” that each firefighter has
is much stronger than budget cuts
and revenue restrictions.
“This is a career you literally
have to love,” Keith said.
JOEL SENSENIG / the Review Times
JUDGE JOHN HADACEK is retiring from Fostoria Municipal Court
at the end of this year after 18 years in the position. He began his
law career as the city’s prosecuting attorney 35 years ago.
County public defender, then as
Fostoria’s law director. Finally, he
became a judge at Fostoria Municipal Court.
But for someone with a career
in law, that wasn’t actually
Hadacek’s original intention. He
actually planned to study chemistry.
Hadacek, who will turn 62 this
year, was born in Fostoria.
He went to Ohio State University with the intention of majoring in chemistry. Instead, he got
a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy, and became particularly
interested in studying the philosophy of law.
That led to a law degree
from Ohio Northern University.
Hadacek passed the bar in 1975.
He said he didn’t have specific
plans for what to do after getting
out of law school.
Hadacek
stepping down
from Fostoria
Municipal Court
after 18 years
By SARA ARTHURS
STAFF WRITER
It will be the end of an era when
Judge John Hadacek retires.
When his current and final
term ends Dec. 31, 2011, Hadacek
will have had 18 years as a judge
at Fostoria Municipal Court. But
his career in public service actually goes back further than that,
spanning 35 years.
Hadacek began his career as
the city’s prosecuting attorney.
Later, he served as a Seneca
See JUDGE, Page C6
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IN THE TRI-COUNTY AREA
CHANDRA NIKLEWSKI / the Review Times
1860
BONNIE HANSON, senior program director at the Geary Family YMCA, has dedicated 21 years of her life to helping people address mental
and physical issues. She said exercising at the Y is a fun alternative to exercising at home.
your town
your life
your paper
113 E. Center St. Fostoria 419-435-6641
Pumping Fostoria up
YMCA’s Bonnie Hanson uses
exercise to address a number
of physical, mental problems
By SARA ARTHURS
STAFF WRITER
1906
5990 W. Tiffin St. • Bascom
419-937-2222
1912
1913
Geary Family
YMCA
“Traditional Craftmanship
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Stop In
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www.gearyfamilyymca.org
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419-435-3872
154 W. Center
Fostoria, Ohio
419-435-6608
701 Van Buren St., Fostoria
1919
1927
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550 E. Zeller Rd.
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Family owned &
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419-435-6653
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Bill Koepfer - Owner
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344 W. South St.
Fostoria
419-435-3548
Est. 1937
Do you have high blood pressure? Is your child overweight?
Are you dealing with stress in
your life?
These may seem like separate
problems, but they have a common
solution: Exercise.
Bonnie Hanson, senior program director at the Geary Family
YMCA, said she has seen exercise
help people’s physical and mental
health through her 21 years with
the Y.
“I’ve done a little bit of everything,” she said.
Her journey as an employee
began with an interest in swimming. She started coming to the Y
when she was a child herself, and
enjoyed swimming. Eventually it
was suggested that she help teach
a swimming class. Then came lifeguarding and running the aquatics
program.
“And the rest is history,”
Hanson said.
Working at the Y, she said, is
never boring, and no two days are
alike. She said that when she went
to the Y as a member, the people
who worked there just seemed
happy, and it seemed like it would
be a good place to work.
“You get to meet so many
people,” Hanson said. “I think
I know just about everybody in
town.”
And, for her, part of the joy of
her work is turning people on to
exercise. Hanson said a lot of it is
preventative.
With people out of work, with
the emotional stress that comes
from that, “Marriages could
break up.... It could be a sad world
because of stress,” she said.
But, she said, working out and
exercising helps with emotional
stress.
“It makes all the endorphins,”
Hanson said. “It changes your
whole attitude.”
Hanson said some people first
come to the Y because their doctors have told them they need to
exercise. They’re often struggling
with health conditions like high
blood pressure and diabetes, she
said.
And exercising at the Y is a fun
alternative to exercising at home.
“It’s a social thing, too,” she said.
Hanson said it’s easy to be
caught up in trying to take care
of others but “you’ve got to find
time for yourself.” And exercise is
a part of this, she said.
The variety of Y users demands
a variety of activities, she said.
Adults 40 and older are particularly drawn to the pool while
younger adults like cross-trainers, treadmills and other higherimpact exercise, she said.
“Strength training’s for everyone,” she said.
But men are more likely to go
for free weights, she said.
Fostoria, like the rest of the
nation, is grappling with a childhood obesity epidemic.
Hanson said she sees many
children who are overweight. She
said parents have good intentions
and want to feed their children
well, but we live in a world of prepackaged food and fast food that
makes it harder to eat healthy.
“Fast food — it’s simple, it’s
easy, at least you’re getting your
kid fed,” she said. “But it’s not the
most nutritious thing.”
The Y started a collaboration
with the schools and the hospital, Extreme Team, to work
with area children who might
not yet be obese but were considered at risk. The program
included a dietitian and exercise.
More recently, Hanson started
the Mileage Club at the Y. In this
club, children and their parents
walk together on the Y’s tracks.
She has a sheet for the program
on the door of her office.
“Every time they do a mile, they
color in a footprint,” Hanson said.
They then get prizes the more
miles they do, such as a necklace after five miles. Hanson has
children in the program who, in
a month and a half, have already
walked more than 20 miles.
“And you know what? ” she
said. “They’re doing something
with their parents.... The kids are
getting fit with their parents.”
A parent recently suggested
starting an aerobics class for children and Hanson said it’s something she is considering.
Hanson is working with teen
Mikey Keiffer, who now works
at the Y and has successfully lost
weight himself. She said he’s a role
model for other children.
“He wants other kids to know
that they aren’t alone and that he’s
been there,” Hanson said.
Obviously, becoming fit can be
a challenge for adults, as well.
“The hardest part for anybody
is to walk in the door,” Hanson
said.
She said many adults show up
at the Y because their doctors told
them to exercise but they don’t
know how to get started.
“They don’t know what to
expect,” she said.
And sometimes people say that
they can’t go to the Y because, for
example, they don’t have anyone
to go with, or they don’t have the
right clothes to wear.
“There’s a million excuses, so
getting yourself in the door is the
hardest part,” she said.
And, Hanson said, people may
worry that others will be judgmental about the fact that they’re out of
shape or overweight. In 21 years,
she said, “I have never heard a
rude comment about somebody
in a bathing suit. Never, ever.”
Hanson has found that fitness
is an ongoing journey. Personally, she identifies swimming as
her favorite activity and the only
exercise she does regularly. But
Hanson has had her own health
issues and is trying to make some
lifestyle changes, including more
strength training.
Cardiovascular exercise is
something she also recommends
to others, although it can be more
intense than swimming. Swimming is something people can do
well into their senior years, she
said.
When people first come to
the Y, they get a tour from staff.
Hanson said she personally
makes a point of leading people
to the pool. The water classes for
seniors can help treat those with
arthritis or other aches and pains,
she said. If people have never exercised much before, “there’s certain
joints that they never use” and
swimming helps get them in use,
she said.
Hanson said the Y, a United
Way agency, has funding available for scholarships for people
who might not be able to afford
to be members. Hanson said
she believes exercise can benefit
anyone. If you are feeling tired, or
are in a bad mood, getting moving
can get your metabolism going.
And going to the Y gets you out
of your house, as well as getting
those endorphins going, she said.
But, she said, you have to first
show up.
“Our job is to help people, and
we can’t help you unless you walk
in,” she said.
Reineke keeps his eyes on the road
Longtime car
salesman has sold
cars in Fostoria
for 50 years
By SARA ARTHURS
STAFF WRITER
Cars have changed throughout
the last 50 years, and so has Fostoria. But both remain dear to Bill
Reineke Sr.’s heart.
It was in 1960 that Reineke
first opened a car dealership in
Fostoria.
Reineke was from Toledo and
came to Fostoria specifically to
sell cars. It was a move which has
worked out well for him.
Reineke said that, over the
last 50 years, Fostoria has treated
him well. Over the years he has
remained active and involved at
the community. Fostoria, he said,
has a lot to offer and he has high
hopes for its future.
In addition to the Fostoria dealership, the Reineke family owns
dealerships in Findlay, Upper
Sandusky, Tiffin and Lima. It is
a family business, with Reineke’s
sons, daughter and sons-in-law
also involved.
Sons Bill Jr. and Dan run the
Tiffin dealership, with Dan also
at the Upper Sandusky dealership. Son Tom manages the
Fostoria, Lima and Findlay dealerships, with Bill Sr.’s assistance
in Fostoria. Jacqueline Mitchell,
Reineke’s daughter, is personnel
manager for all the stores. Son-inlaw Kerry Mitchell is general sales
manager at Findlay and son-in-law
Robert Nusser is parts manager at
Fostoria.
And in 50 years of selling cars,
Reineke has seen the world of automobile sales become a different one.
“It’s dramatically changed,” he
said.
Some of the change has to do
with the process of the sale itself,
which isn’t as cut-and-dry as it
used to be. Reineke said even if
you are selling a car for cash, there
is significantly more paperwork
involved now than there used to
be.
Also, he said, the design of cars
themselves has changed quite a
bit. Today’s cars cost more, but
are designed with better safety in
mind, he said.
They are “a lot safer than they
were when I started 50 years ago,”
Reineke said.
There have been many changes
since Reineke, 82, first became
interested in cars.
“I can remember when cars
See REINEKE, Page C5
SARA ARTHURS / for the Review Times
BILL REINEKE SR. has been in the car dealership business in
Fostoria since 1960. In that time, he has witnessed a number of
changes to both the industry and the community of Fostoria, both of
which he believes will persevere in times of uncertainty.
COMMUNITY UPDATE
C5
U
O
R
H
T
SARA ARTHURS / for the Review Times
FLIPPIN JIMMY’s owner Steve Smith in front of the restaurant he opened in September 2008 at 118 W. North St. The restaurant has
thrived in the local restaurant scene despite the shaky state of the economy, due in large part to its “chicken chunx.” Below, Steve, center,
stands with employees Don Snyder (left) and Matt Emerine at the restaurant’s front counter.
Brothers have customers
flipping for their food
Flippin Jimmy’s serves up bar
fare in a family atmosphere
G
E YEARS. . .
H
T
H
1948
1950
Moes
Body Shop
Celebrating Our
60 Year Anniversary
NOW OFFERING
PAINTLESS
DENT
REMOVAL
Minor dents and dings
removed without painting
1247 Countyline St.
Ph. 435-6297 M.-F. 8-5
By SARA ARTHURS
STAFF WRITER
If you’re in downtown Fostoria
and you’re hungry for chunks of
chicken, where do you go but Flippin’ Jimmy’s?
Steve Smith, who owns the restaurant with his wife and brothers,
said they actually conceived of the
North Street restaurant more as
a burger place but it’s the chicken
“chunx” that have made Flippin’
Jimmy’s such a success.
Since September 2008, the
brothers have been bringing their
blend of burgers, chicken chunx
and french fries to the Fostoria
masses.
Steve’s brother, Jim Smith,
a culinary school graduate who
is responsible for the food at the
eatery, said it depends on what day
it is. Some days chicken is most
popular and other times it is burgers, he said.
“We sell a lot of wings, but not
as many as we thought we were
going to,” he said.
The idea behind the restaurant
was to offer something that was of
higher quality than fast food, but
more casual than a fancy restaurant, Steve said.
“Somewhere in between,” he
said.
Steve Smith said the goal was
to create a restaurant where families could bring in their children,
without a noisy bar environment.
Flippin’ Jimmy’s sells bottled beer
but not liquor.
The Smiths are graduates of St.
Wendelin High School and though
they had lived in other cities, have
a long connection to Fostoria.
He said the St. Wendelin parish
is a tight-knit community and has
brought them a lot of business.
In addition to Steve and Jeff,
the restaurant owners include
a third Smith, Dave, as well as
Steve’s wife Bethany.
“Our first hire was Matt Emerine... (a) lifelong resident of Fostoria,” Steve said.
The restaurant, which opened
in September 2008, has become
a popular downtown Fostoria
hangout.
“I think people like to come
downtown but they need a reason
to,” Steve said. “I think we’ve
given them that reason.”
Reineke
Continued from page C4
were sold without seat belts,”
Reineke said.
Or, he said, a car might have
seat belts only in the front seats.
Reineke, originally from
Toledo, feels a deep commitment
to the Fostoria area.
“The community’s been good
to us over the years,” he said.
He has served on many community boards and committees,
including the Fostoria Area Chamber of Commerce, the Fostoria
Economic Development Council
and the Greater Fostoria Community Foundation.
He has been involved with the
hospital and has been active in St.
Wendelin parish a great deal over
the years.
Just about everything in Fos-
But, he said, Fostoria’s economy presents challenges. The
significant job losses have left
the local restaurant scene a bit
unsteady. Unemployed people
don’t come to restaurants as much
even if they do stay in Fostoria,
Steve said.
As a small example, Flippin’
Jimmy’s saw the Time Warner
office a few doors down Main
Street leave. Steve said it had a
small number of employees, but
those employees were Flippin’ Jimmy’s regulars. Losing a few people
each time a business closes adds up
to a lot of people over time, he said.
However, Steve believes there’s
reason for optimism, too. He said
people in Fostoria pay attention
and they have used technology to
communicate. For example, the
day of the early February snow
and ice storm, Flippin’ Jimmy’s
staff posted on Facebook to let
customers know they were open.
The menu includes everything
from salads to gyros, but by far
the biggest seller is the “chicken
chunx,” Steve Smith said. The restaurant serves them with a variety of sauces. Steve said they’ve
gotten ideas for new sauces from
their customers.
“Our spicy Parmesan came
from a customer,” he said.
Steve said they’re always
introducing new specials. For
example, they recently introduced a bratwurst burger.
“We always try to change things
up a little bit,” he said.
During Lent, they offer a fish
sandwich or fish and chips.
Jim had been working as a
chef in Dayton when his brothers
and sister-in-law approached him
about heading up the food at Flippin’ Jimmy’s.
He said he thinks Flippin’
Jimmy’s success comes partially
from the fact that “we know a lot
of people in town.” Customers are
often people he went to school
with or their parents.
“I think there’s a certain level
of trust between us and our customers,” he said.
And that trust means knowing
that the food is of high quality.
“Everything is fresh,” he said.
“Nothing’s frozen.”
Steve said that includes fresh
chicken breast, rather than frozen.
Jim said he gets compliments on
the burgers and he thinks they are
burgers cooks of his parents’ generation used to make.
Jim attended culinary school at
Johnson and Wales in Norfolk, Va.
He said he enjoys getting creative
with the menu and including new
items. But sometimes it all goes
back to the burgers and chunx.
He said customers have said
that the chicken chunx are “addicting.”
Steve said it’s impossible to
compete cost-wise with fast food,
which will always have low prices.
Flippin’ Jimmy’s has higher prices
because “we have a lot of labor that
goes into our food,” he said.
The restaurant employs about
eight people.
“Friday by far is our busiest day
of the week,” Steve Smith said.
But there are no slow days.
Fostoria workers tend to all take
their lunch hour around the same
time, so the restaurant gets very
busy between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.,
then a bit quieter, then busy again
around 5 p.m., he said.
In order to drum up interest on
other days, Flippin’ Jimmy’s has
been running specials to attract
customers on Mondays and Tuesdays, Steve said.
With the economy the way it
has been the last few years, restaurants can suffer more than
many businesses, but Steve said
he thinks there will always be a
demand for what Flippin’ Jimmy’s
offers. People who used to go to
more expensive restaurants may
instead choose a less expensive
one, he said.
Steve Smith said the older
building, with its ornate old ceilings, attracts customers. A goal
when spring hits is to improve
the exterior of the building and
the parking lot. His advice for
those wanting to start businesses
is to pay attention to the grounds
and physical condition of the
building. In addition, he said,
take advantage of organizations
like the Chamber of Commerce,
which may be able to help in finding some funding.
He said organizations like
the Chamber of Commerce and
Fostoria Economic Development
Council may help businesses
acquire matching funds.
“Don’t discount them thinking
you don’t want to pay the membership fee, ‘cause they’ve saved us
thousands,” Steve said.
The family brainstormed ideas
for a name for their restaurant and
settled on Flippin’ Jimmy’s, in part
to use Jim’s name but also because
they simply liked the sound of it,
Steve said. “It sounds like a franchise restaurant,” he said.
The Smiths are in the process of opening another Flippin’
Jimmy’s, in Covington, Ky. Steve
said the downtown is similar to
Findlay’s and the community
includes a community college
and a federal building. The menu
will be a reduced version of the
Fostoria Flippin’ Jimmy’s menu,
specifically catering toward the
lunch crowd.
Jim will be running the new
restaurant in Kentucky. He currently lives in the Dayton area and
travels to Fostoria to work at the
restaurant, so the new restaurant
will be closer for him.
But he said Fostoria has provided him a chance to reconnect
with a lot of people.
“You see the same faces you
used to see 20-some years ago. It’s
nice catching up with old friends,”
he said.
toria that you can get involved in,
Reineke has given it a try. He said
he makes an effort to attend community functions and events and
get to know people in Fostoria.
And, he said, he has learned
that Fostoria has a lot to offer.
The community has had some
struggles, but Reineke said he
believes it will do well. Reineke
said he has “positive hopes” for the
community’s future.
Reineke has seen the community change. The population of
Fostoria, he said, has dropped by
3,000 residents or so in the time
he has been in business, from
16,000 to 13,000.
He said a drop in population
like this can present a challenge
for any business. But, despite this,
the Reineke dealership has continued to perform strongly, he said.
The secret to their success may
be their attitude toward customers, the businessman said.
Reineke said he has encouraged his children to follow the
rule of doing unto others as you
would have them do unto you.
You cannot make everyone happy
all the time, he said, but “You’ve
got to treat your customers with
respect.”
And he said that, despite what
you may be hearing about the
economy, business has been solid.
“Last year was a really good
year for us,” he said.
Reineke said there are many
types of cars that are particularly
popular, including the Fusion
and the Taurus. But, he said, the
whole Ford line tends to do well.
Reineke’s dealerships are Ford
dealerships with the exception of
the one in Upper Sandusky, which
sells Chryslers.
Asked about his own taste
in cars, Reineke declined to
answer other than to say cars
in general are something that
have always interested him.
“I’ve always been involved in
cars,” he said.
LUMBER & SUPPLY
22527 St. Rt. 12
419-435-3884
For All Your
Building Supplies
Locally Owned
& Operated
1951
1955
Munger’s
Paul L. Williams
Floor Covering, Inc.
“Everything For
The Interior”
•
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Carpet & Paint
Vinyl & Drapes
Wood & Laminate
Wall Covering
Sewer Cleaning Service
A National Service available locally
Fostoria Family Owned &
Operated for More Than 50 years.
240 W. North St.
419-435-4584
Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri. 8-5
Wed. 8-6 - Sat. 8-Noon
*Residential *Commercial
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Give Tim a call
at 419-435-3360
1957
TODD BURNS
Petroleum: Farm, Home, Commercial,
Industrial, Heating Oil, Gas, Diesel Fuel
270 U.S. Rte. 23
Fostoria, Ohio 44830
419-436-0562 1-800-231-1468
1957
THANK YOU FOR MAKING A
DIFFERENCE HERE IN FOSTORIA
Flippin Jimmy’s, 118 W. North
St., 419-701-7062.
Reineke opened his first dealership, Reineke Buick Oldsmobile,
on East Tiffin Street in Fostoria
on Aug. 26, 1960, according to the
company website. He moved to a
different East Tiffin Street location in 1962, and in September of
that year switched to Ford Motor
Company.
On Jan. 15, 1972, Reineke Ford
opened at its present location,
1303 Perrysburg Road.
Tiffin Ford Lincoln Mercury
opened in Tiffin in 1984 and
moved to its present location in
2001.
United Way of Fostoria
1960
1976
SENECA
LANES
1090 S. US 23
SAME FAMILY
SAME LOCATION
Over 50 Years of
Community Service...
Fostoria
The family bought dealerships
in Lima in 2005 and in Upper Sandusky in 2006.
In 2009, they bought the former
Kujawa dealership in Findlay.
419-435-3990
204 W. Market St
Tiffin
419-447-8382
Mon.-Fri. 9-5
Sat 9-Noon
C6
COMMUNITY UPDATE
Small NR squad runs through big 2010
Tight-knit unit has plenty of
fun in historic year for program
By SHANNON DOVE
SPORTS WRITER
NEW RIEGEL — New Riegel
will remember 2010 as the year it
made history in boys cross country, winning its first Midland Athletic League title, its first district
OU
R
TH
G
championship and qualifying for
state as a full squad or the first
time.
Coach Dan Beisner was named
the Division III boys coach of the
year by the Ohio Association of
Track and Cross Country Coaches.
Not too shabby for a team of
EARS. . .
Y
E
H
HT
1978
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FOSTORIA, OHIO 44830
419-435-3321
FINDLAY OFFICE
419-422-9237
Home Auto Ohio Mutual
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1983
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101 Main Street
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Tiffin, Ohio
419-448-1375
1989
STORAGE
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DAVE’S AUTO
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146 E. Crocker St.
Serving Fostoria for 10 yrs. with
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We Also Sell Tires!
419-435-6270
just seven runners.
The Blue Jackets’ journey to
the state meet actually started
several years ago, back when the
senior class of Daniel Arbogast,
Drew Cassidy and Nathan Schalk
were in junior high. They had
some success at that level, and
Beisner knew if he could keep the
group together it would be strong
in high school.
“Out of five years, we won
three or four MAL championships
for junior high and a lot of those
guys didn’t play golf,” Beisner
said. “They were good runners
and they all stuck to it and we kept
them on the team. That helped out
... it doesn’t happen very often.”
New Riegel ran well in 2009,
qualifying for the regional after
taking third at the district meet
and also finishing third in the
MAL. However, no individuals
made it through to state; in fact,
no New Riegel runner, male or
female, had qualified for state
since Jason Bumb finished 20th
in 2003.
But Beisner knew 2010 was
going to be special from the start.
He sat down with the kids individually and as a team to set some
goals.
“They had a lot more invested
this year of putting that summer
running in,” Beisner said, “so we
could really give them some goals
to shoot for. We made every goal,
so we were real happy about that.”
Pretty soon, he had the kids
believing, too.
“(State) was kind of a longshot goal,” Schalk said. “I knew
we could win MAL, but state was
kind of ...”
Arbogast chimed in: “I think
we all kind of thought it was out
there to start with, but as the
season went on, we thought more
and more we had a good chance.”
“I remember we won Columbus
Grove,” Schalk said of the seasonopening meet. “I think we were all
surprised that we won that one, by
a long shot. Then we were ranked
in the state after a few weeks and
we were really surprised at that,
I think. That gave us confidence.”
For Cassidy, the epiphany came
after the Tiffin Carnival in September.
“It got the wheels turning when
Beisner said we got 10th at the
Tiffin Carnival and in past years
the top 10 teams have all been at
state,” he said. “So that kind of got
things rolling.”
As the season wore on, the
Blue Jackets began to seriously
compare their statistics with
other local teams to gauge their
progress.
There’s stiff competition in the
MAL: Old Fort is always strong,
Mohawk’s Drew Trusty went on
to finish second at the state meet,
and Hopewell-Loudon seemingly
came out of nowhere at the end
of the season to qualify for state.
Plus, there’s Elmwood: Although
not in the MAL, the Royals have
qualified for state each of the last
four years and the Blue Jackets
often encounter them at invitationals.
“There are always guys you’re
looking for when you’re running,”
Arbogast said. “Like, last year
it was Old Fort; we were always
looking for the Old Fort guys and
trying to get ahead of one of those
guys. This year it was probably
the Elmwood guys we were looking for and trying to get ahead of
them.”
“We have that competition
then,” Schalk said. “If we just
wanted to beat Old Fort, we
wouldn’t have pushed ourselves
as much and wouldn’t have been
as good.”
There was plenty of competition within the team as well. The
2010 edition of the Blue Jackets
was truly a pack team. No indi-
Judge
“So I came home to Fostoria,”
he said.
He worked with a law firm in
Findlay but soon had the opportunity to become a prosecuting
attorney for the city of Fostoria
in April 1976.
As to why Hadacek got interested in philosophy, he put it this
way: it was the late 1960s and
early 1970s, a time for such topics.
Hadacek said many people his age
were influenced by those years.
Hadacek spent about five years
as a city prosecutor, followed by
six years as a Seneca County
public defender, then six years as
the city law director. And now, 18
years as a judge.
“It’s 35 years of being involved
as a public servant in the community,” he said. “Now, whether or
not I’ve done a good job, history
will tell.”
This year, Hadacek decided
not to run for re-election. Hadacek
said he’d made the decision not to
run again because, “after 35 years,
it’s time for a change.” He said this
File photo
NEW RIEGEL’S DREW CASSIDY runs in the 2010 MAL championships. New Riegel will remember 2010
as the year it made history in boys cross country, winning its first Midland Athletic League title, its
first district championship and qualifying for state as a full squad or the first time. Coach Dan Beisner
was named the Division III boys coach of the year by the Ohio Association of Track and Cross Country
Coaches.
vidual won an invitational, but the
team did. Arbogast, Cassidy and
Schalk often finished in the top 10,
and not always in the same order.
Often, a team has one runner
out in front of his teammate — for
Elmwood, it’s been Nick Goebel;
for Hopewell-Loudon, it’s been
Tyler Wise; for Mohawk, it’s obviously been Trusty. But the Blue
Jackets had a different runner in
front throughout the season.
“They competed for that,” Beisner said. “They like to pick on the
other one about, ‘I beat you this
race.’ They still talk about it.”
Beisner added that each one
has bragging rights. “Nathan
Schalk will say he has the most
victories from seventh grade to
12th grade,” Beisner said. “Drew
says he has the most victories for
high school, Daniel says he won
the last ones and has the fastest
time ever. They all have their own
little claim to fame of who’s the
best of them.”
That friendly competition also
motivated New Riegel’s fourth and
fifth runners, junior Ryan Schalk
and sophomore Jacob Welly.
They, too, alternated finishes at
the meets and were not far behind
the senior pack, often finishing in
the top 20.
“(It’s) friendly competition,”
Nathan Schalk said. “Beisner
always noted out to us that in practice we’d try to beat each other.
He’d always try to get us fired up
at each other. It’s a good thing.
Then our four and five runners
are always mouthing off back and
forth. Ryan Schalk is always telling Welly, ‘I’m going to beat you
next race,’ and I think by the end
of the season he actually did.”
One major factor in the Blue
Jackets’ magical season, considering their numbers, was avoiding
injury.
“Some week-long sicknesses,
but no leg, foot, hip injuries,” Beisner said of the season. “A couple
of sicknesses they had to recover
from, and that was our big thing.
We’re so small and we’ve got the
basic core five guys, if one got sick
going into districts and regionals, we wouldn’t have made it (to
state).”
Keeping healthy also meant
that the team could focus on their
workouts without losing any time
to injuries and the ensuing recuperation.
“It’s a good thing we stayed all
pretty well healthy,” Cassidy said.
“Beisner had us hitting our peak at
regionals. And I think we did hit
our peak at regionals and it got
us to state.”
Winning the MAL meet was
definitely a highlight, but the team
focused on what it needed to do
to get to state. The first step was
winning the Division III District
2 meet at Eells Park in Bettsville,
beating second place Old Fort
49-66. Elmwood won District 1
with 38 points, just four better
than Hopewell-Loudon.
The regional at Tiffin’s HedgesBoyer Park was where the team
felt the pressure to perform, and
perform they did, finishing third
to qualify for state. Also moving
on from the Tiffin regional were
Delta, Elmwood and HopewellLoudon.
“We wanted to do well at
state,” Beisner said. “We knew
Hopewell-Loudon was going to be
there from the MAL. We had beat
them at districts, and so we had it
in our mind that we still wanted
to beat them at state. We wanted
to stay focused, but we knew this
was a once-in-a-lifetime chance for
us, so we wanted to have a little
fun, too.”
Beisner was worried that his
team may battle nerves once it
got to Columbus, so he planned
the trip to be as relaxing as possible for the guys, staying at a nice
hotel and having a team dinner at
a nice restaurant the night before
the meet. The hotel even had a
water park inside.
“I didn’t let them play; they
only got to play an hour on it,”
Beisner said, smiling. “But they
got to play and they stayed real
loose.”
Before leaving for Columbus,
Beisner told his team that looking
back, people would ask them two
questions: ‘Did you go to state?’
and ‘Did you win?’ If you didn’t
win, nobody was worried about
whether you got fourth or 14th.
As such, he wanted his team to
stay loose and put in a good race.
“We had made it past regionals,” Beisner said. “That was nerve
wracking and we made it through
there. I wanted them to enjoy it.
I didn’t want them to go to state
and just sit there and worry, ‘How
am I going to do?’”
It turned out that he need not
have worried.
is true for him personally, but also
for the community.
“I have determined personally... it’s not only a time for change
for me but for the municipal court
itself and the community,” he said.
Fostoria Mayor John Davoli
said the community will miss the
longtime judge.
“He’s always been very friendly
and very easy to work with on
things. We will miss him around
here,” he said.
When it comes to imposing a
sentence for a criminal or traffic
case, Hadacek said he follows the
Ohio sentencing guidelines.
He also follows Ohio state laws
which often require a mandatory
minimum sentence. However,
Hadacek said that, although he
must follow the law, he does not
always agree with these mandates
from the state legislature.
“In my opinion, a judge should
be able to render an appropriate
sentence without being handcuffed by the legislature requiring a minimum sentence,” he said.
He said mandatory sentences
can be unfair. For example, he
said one such situation would be
if a person is charged with driving under a suspended license,
and comes to court and has a
valid license at the time of sentencing. State law passed by the
Legislature forces the judge to
suspend the person’s license again,
Hadacek said.
“That isn’t fair,” he said.
Hadacek has worked with
area students on mock trials and
educating them about the judicial
system.
“I felt that it was my duty as the
elected judge to go to the schools
and participate in the education
process,” he said.
Hadacek said he has always
tried to educate subjects coming
to court, explaining not only
what the sentence is but why
he is ruling the way he is.
“I’ve always done my best to do
that,” he said.
Hadacek said he did not want
to share stories of specific cases.
Often, he said, “a lot of the memories, the stories, take on a life of
their own.”
He is the father of two grown
children. His daughter, Sarah, 29,
is a lawyer in the Air Force currently stationed in Afghanistan.
Son Joe, 28, served four years in
the Air Force and is now in his
second year of law school at Washington University at St. Louis.
“I never, ever encouraged
either of my children to get into
law... But they have found their
way to that profession,” Hadacek
said.
He said when he asked them
why, they said he had raised them
according to the Socratic method,
which is the way they teach law
in law school, responding to
questions with further questions.
So, he said, over the years they
have learned to instead ask their
mother for advice.
Hadacek said that, as he concludes his own career as a public
servant, he looks forward to
seeing others with new energy
and fresh ideas get involved.
“We’ve got to look toward the
future,” he said.
Hadacek said he will work with
whoever is elected the next judge.
Councilwoman-at-large Barbara
Marley filed as a Democrat and
Fostoria Assistant Prosecutor
Barb Dibble filed as a Republican.
“I’ll do my best to make the
transition smooth,” Hadacek said.
Hadacek said he has enjoyed
being a public servant.
“I’d like to thank the community for these past 35 years,” he
said.
See SMALL, Page C8
COMMUNITY UPDATE
C7
Area auto dealers expect sales to climb in 2011
Past year showed
higher interest in
buying vehicles
By JORDAN CRAVENS
FOR THE REVIEW TIMES
Motorists were back at the
buying table in 2010. And northwest Ohio auto dealers are expecting an even better 2011.
“In 2010, the market was up
over 2009,” said John LaRiche,
owner of LaRiche Chevrolet Cadillac in Findlay.
LaRiche said 11.6 million new
vehicles were sold in North America last year, and an estimated 13.3
million are expected to be sold this
year, followed by 15.4 million in
2012.
“We are pretty optimistic for
2011. We continue to see the
economy get a little better,” said
Tom Reineke, president of Reineke
Family Dealerships, which has
locations in Findlay, Fostoria,
Tiffin, Lima and Upper Sandusky.
The market has been improved
by pent-up demand. Motorists had
put off purchases because of the
questionable economy, the dealers said.
“We are seeing a lot of older
vehicles out on the highway. I
think people were holding onto
them a little longer, waiting for
some more positive news about the
economy,” said Kevin Scheiderer,
general manager of Graff Chevrolet in Ottawa.
LaRiche said the average vehicle is 10½ years old.
Sales have also been aided by
greater credit availability, the car
dealers said.
“It was really tough to get
credit in 2008 and 2009,” but that
eased beginning in 2010, LaRiche
said.
LaRiche said interest rates are
low, too, which makes vehicle payments affordable.
“The manufacturers are really
pushing leasing again,” Scheiderer
said. “They have laid out some
really attractive payments, which
are really hard to pass up,” he said.
And with buyers starting to
open up their pocketbooks again,
manufacturers have had to step up
their game.
“There is a lot of competition
out there. And products are getting better and better every day,”
LaRiche said.
Reineke said the Ford Fusion,
Fiesta and Focus, which have good
fuel economy, sold well in 2010.
“If gas continues to hover in
the $3 to $3.25 range, those cars
will continue to remain strong,”
he said.
OU
R
TH
G
Similarly, the economical
Chevy Cruze was a good seller
for his dealership, LaRiche said.
“People are being more practical than they were in the past,”
LaRiche said. “They are definitely
doing their research before they
come into the dealership. They
know what they want before they
come in.”
Plumbers, electricians and
other tradesman, who depend on
trucks for everyday business, were
also coming into dealerships again
last year, Reineke said.
EARS. . .
Y
E
H
HT
2003
1999
File photo
2010 ELMWOOD GRADUATE Katie Reiser wins the 200 at last year’s state championships.
Reis-ing to the occasion
‘10 Elmwood graduate takes
her talent to college track
By SCOTT COTTOS
SPORTS EDITOR
Monica Arnold knows about
winning a state championship.
In 1988, Arnold, then known
as Monica Stone and a senior at
Elmwood, did just that in the 200meter dash at the state track and
field championships.
Fast-forward 22 years in Elmwood track, and she was coaching her cousin and protege, Katie
Reiser, in the exact same situation.
Only Reiser one-upped Arnold
and won the Division III state
titles in the 100 and 200 as a
senior.
“She’s going to remember that
the rest of her life,” Arnold said.
There’s no questioning that. As
for the present, however, Reiser
wonders a bit if, in the words of
Nelly, “it was only just a dream.”
“It still hasn’t come to me that
I was a state champion at all,”
Reiser said in a phone interview
from Kent State University, where
she is now a freshman competing
in track and preparing for careers
in early childhood education and
coaching. “It just doesn’t seem for
real yet. It’s hard for me to believe
I achieved the goal I had as a freshman.”
Her early ambition to win
both sprints at state carried a bit
of naivete. The daughter of Kyle
Reiser, Elmwood’s successful veteran baseball coach, Katie discovered early that softball wasn’t her
bag. But it was also apparent she
was extremely fast on her feet.
In the spring of her seventhgrade year, she worked the concession stand at her dad’s team’s
games. Then she went out for
track as an eighth-grader, had a
taste of success in the sprints, and
a hunger for more developed.
She sought the help of her
cousin, Arnold, and then ran for
her at the high school level as a
freshman.
“I could see she had talent,”
Arnold said. “It was natural for
her. And she was very coachable.
She listened to everything you told
her.”
Missing out on state as a freshman frustrated Reiser. But she
became more determined and
never stopped working to get the
most out of her talent.
The diminutive sprinter pro-
vided a glimpse at her drive a
few years back during an indoor
meet at the University of Findlay.
Coming out of the blocks, Reiser
stumbled and face-planted. While
some runners might have sat and
sulked, “she went to (Bowling
Green State University) that day
and practiced her starts,” Arnold
said.
Reiser’s sophomore year
brought her finishes of fifth in
the 100 meters and sixth in the
200 at state.
The next year, she trailed only
Gates Mills Gilmour Academy’s
Candace Longino-Thomas in both
the 100 and 200 at state.
Further fuel to Reiser’s fire
came the ensuing winter, when
Longino-Thomas nipped Reiser
for the 60-meter indoor state title.
While last season evolved
with Reiser and Longino-Thomas
apparently bound to meet again in
both the state 100 and 200, that
scenario went off track when a
hamstring injury forced LonginoThomas, a junior, to scratch at her
regional meet.
Suddenly, Reiser was the girl
to beat in both races, though she
never thought of the situation as
such.
“I don’t think I ever really realized I was the one with the target
on my back,” she said.
She acknowledged that she
would like to have had another
shot at beating Longino-Thomas,
but she knew she had to worry
about getting her job done regardless of the circumstances.
“I wish I would have had a
chance at revenge for indoors,”
said Reiser, who is actually quite
friendly with Longino-Thomas.
“But it was what it was.”
Certainly, she respected her
competition, knowing the likes of
Sidney Lehman junior Gretchen
Walter could be a thorn in her
side. Still, Reiser was more excited
than nervous at the start of the 100
final.
“It was kind of like it was now
or never,” she said. “It wasn’t so
much pressure as, ‘Here goes nothing.’”
“Nothing” brought something in the form of a first-place
medal and a spot on the top of the
podium. Reiser finished the 100 in
12.16 seconds to Walter’s 12.28.
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2005
Danny Doherty / Kent State Athletic Communications
2010 ELMWOOD GRADUATE Katie Reiser runs in a meet as a
freshman at Kent State University.
“I do remember smiling at the
end of the race,” Reiser said. “It
kind of overwhelmed me, but I
tried to keep my emotions in and
stay focused. I wanted to celebrate
after the 200. I think that’s probably why my smile was so big at
the end of the 200.”
Rain came before the 200,
prompting a suspension of the
meet of about an hour. Reiser and
Arnold felt the delay proved helpful in her effort to win a second
title.
“Everybody had time to congratulate her,” Arnold said. “Then
she went with my daughter and I
and sat in my van. It was like a new
start for her.”
Reiser stretched in the van to
stay limber for her next race.
“I think that kind of helped me
get the 100 out of my head and
think that I’ve got another job to
do and I had to refocus,” Reiser
said.
Before getting into the blocks
for the 200, Reiser thought briefly
about the high school career that
was about to end.
“I was kind of like, ‘This is
the last race of your high school
career. Leave it out on the track,’”
she said.
Again, Walter had to watch the
soles of Reiser’s shoes. Reiser finished the 200 in 25.03 seconds to
Walter’s 25.37.
Reiser then experienced a
jumble of emotions.
“It felt so nice to think that I
was at the top of the podium,” she
said. “And there was kind of a sigh
of relief, too.”
Her next stop was Kent State,
with which she had signed a letter
of intent in February. Several
schools had sought her services,
and Kent got the final nod over
Cincinnati for the opportunity to
run at the NCAA Division I level.
“The big thing for me was it
See REIS-ING, Page C8
2005
2010
Under New Ownership
Fostoria Inn
& Suites
1690 N. Countyline St.
419-436-3600
877-284-3600
2011 Memberships
Now Available
Open to the public
747 Independence Ave.
Fostoria
419-435-4248
C8
COMMUNITY UPDATE
Businesses
tions, including the traditional
soda fountain, dining room and
cantina, allow the restaurant
staff to work in more manageable
spaces.
The original plan was for the
menu to emphasize Mexican
cuisine, while maintaining some
traditions from Candlyand, such
as its Greek salad. However, this
expansive menu proved to be overwhelming to staff and forced the
restaurant to close after its soft
opening April 13.
The new streamlined menu,
premiered at the May 12 reopening, instead offers broad café
selections with Hispanic dishes,
created with Bustamante family
recipes.
Breakfast is served from 6-11
a.m., lunch and Hispanic dinners
from 11 a.m., dinners from 4 p.m.
to close, and soup and salads from
11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Senior citizens
are given a 10 percent discount off
their total bill.
For more information, call
A.J.R. Morales Cafe at 419-7017039.
Garcia’s Mexican Restaurant
Owner of Garcia’s Mexican
Store Miguel Garcia also ventured
into the restaurant business this
year as he opened Garcia’s Mexican Restaurant, 914 Sandusky St.,
on Jan. 13.
Taking the helm of the kitchen
is “real Mexican” chef, Antonio
Castro.
Castro worked for many years
in a restaurant in Mexico and
more recently worked in a Mexican restaurant in Bowling Green.
The menu includes traditional
Mexican fare from enchiladas
to fajitas, a la carte choices and
dinner and lunch combination
plates. Desserts range from ice
cream to tres leche cake (Spanish
for three milk) cake.
A children’s menu offers Mexican choices such as enchiladas,
tacos and quesadillas, but also
Small
“The whole trip down there
was just a blast. I don’t think
anyone was really nervous,” Arbogast said.
“I wasn’t,” Schalk interjected.
“I mean, we were just happy to be
there.”
Arbogast continued: “From the
beginning of the season we just
wanted to make it to state and we
said that we would just have fun
and we were going to play football or whatever. But we decided
that we made it there and we
were actually a pretty competitive
team, that we’d keep going and we
wanted to really see what we could
do down there.”
“I felt the pressure was off once
we made it to state, so just have
fun with it,” Schalk added.
Once they were at the meet,
they were loose and relaxed, just
soaking in the atmosphere at the
Scioto Downs horse track.
“Just hearing that crowd was
amazing,” Schalk said.
“That whole grandstand, and
hearing them yell and after the
race,” Cassidy said. “When you got
done and walked to the stands, it
was pretty awesome to see all the
New Riegel people down there to
watch us.”
Schalk added, “We had a lot
of fans and community support
us this year, which we’re really
thankful for. There was always
people out there cheering for us,
no matter where we were at.”
New Riegel finished 10th at
state, two spots behind Elmwood
and three ahead of HopewellLoudon. Arbogast was the top finisher for the Blue Jackets, scoring
16th while placing 36th overall,
followed by Cassidy (82nd overall)
has the standard fare of hot dogs,
cheeseburgers and chicken nuggets. All children’s items are $3.79.
The restaurant is open 11 a.m.
to 9 p.m. seven days a week and
take-out orders can be taken at
419-436-8227.
Asian Hibachi Buffet
The former East Star Buffet,
1659 N. Countyline St., was reopened on Dec. 6 under new
ownership after several months
of closure.
New owner Hua Liu ran a
similar restaurant venture, China
Grill, in Orlando, Fla. for five years
before relocating to Fostoria.
Hours are from 11 a.m. to 9:30
p.m. Monday through Thursday,
11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30
p.m. on Sunday.
For more information, call
Asian Hibachi Buffet 419-4352896.
Side Show Ink
Paying homage to his nickname “Side Show Bob,” Fostoria
native Robert Frary opened tattoo
parlor Side Show Ink, 134 E. Tiffin
St, in March.
Frary has dabbled in the alternative artform of tattooing for
approximately 13 years and after
finishing his apprenticeship at
Cameran’s Elite Ink in Findlay, he
decided to branch out on his own
and set up his own shop.
Pricing for tattoos at the shop
varies, depending on the amount
of ink and man hours required, but
they start at a base price of $25.
The shop has since begun offering piercing, and pricing specials
are occasionally listed on the Side
Show Ink Facebook and Myspace
web pages.
Frary said loyal customers
have sustained Side Show in its
first year of business, and that he
is currently considering moving
the shop to another location in
Fostoria.
and Nathan Schalk (87th overall).
Ryan Schalk (105th) beat Welly
(118th), and junior Collin Snyder
(142nd) was ahead of senior Mitch
Reinhart (153rd).
Winning the Division III coach
of the year was a pleasant surprise
for Beisner, who credited his runners for his success.
“Those good athletes and nice
boys sure help me look good,” he
said. “I can do the same things
that I did five years ago, and if you
don’t ... nice guys, hard workers
can make you look good.”
His runners said it was all
Beisner.
“He deserved every bit of it,”
Cassidy said. “He just knows how
to get you fired up.”
“He’s just an all-around good
guy, fun to be around, too,” Arbogast said.
Nathan Schalk agreed, saying.
“He’s not all about business. He’s
fun, too.”
“He’s down to earth,” Cassidy
said.
“We can relate to him,” Schalk
added.
“When you get that, it makes
sense,” Arbogast said. “You actually want to listen to him. You
know, if you don’t like him, you
don’t want to listen to him (and)
you think what he’s doing is just
crap.”
Cassidy added: “It makes a difference, too, when you’re having
fun during practices and in meets.
Joking around with your coach
makes a fun time, I think.”
“It was the most fun we’ve had,
too,” Schalk said. “Not just from
the winning and everything, but
all around the most fun we’ve had.”
Well, Beisner and his runners
may not agree on who’s responsible for the coach of the year award,
but they do agree on one thing.
“I had a lot of fun this year,”
Beisner said, summing up the
season.
FOSTORIA
While the shop accepts appointments during its Monday through
Saturday 1-10 p.m. hours, walk-ins
are welcome. Photo ID is required
for any tattoos as dictated by state
law.
For more information on pricing or appointments, call Side
Show Ink at 567-220-9515.
S&S Firearms and Training
Taking aim at Fostoria business is S&S Firearms and Training, 1610 N. Countyline St.
The business is a retail firearms and sporting goods, such as
archery equipment and ammunition, store. Hofacker, a former
Fostoria police officer, said the
business also hopes to do online
business.
The business is part of
SSTB Ltd., an LLC standing for
Hofacker, Steve Doe, Terry Hoening and Brody Walters.
The four entrepreneurs are the
only slated employees at the new
establishment at the present time,
but Hofacker said in a previous
interview because of their other
incomes, all wages will go back
into the store for inventory.
Within two years, the store
plans to hire four to six employees, but will at first start off modestly and work into the inventory.
For more information. call S&S
Firearms and Training at 419-7017514.
Reis-ing
comfortable,” Reiser said of the
Mid-American Conference school
in northeast Ohio.
She’s enjoying her first year
of school, both academically and
athletically. She’s facing some big
challenges, with improvement
taking priority over victories, at
least for now, on the track.
“It’s a big, big adjustment,”
Reiser, who recently finished
eighth in the 200 in the All-Ohio
Championships, said of the competition she faces. “You have to run
like crazy just to get to the finals.”
Eventually, Reiser would like to
be a MAC champion, but a more
immediate goal was to qualify to
enjoy a homecoming of sorts and
run for the Golden Flashes in the
conference indoor championships,
scheduled for Feb. 24 through 26
at BGSU’s Perry Fieldhouse.
Arnold, knowing Reiser’s passion for putting her all into everything from workouts to meets,
expects her protege to prosper in
college track.
“Now she has, no doubt, more
resources to help her along the
way,” Arnold said. “I just know
she’s going to enjoy this more than
high school track.”
Johns Performance Shop
www.johnsperformanceshop.com
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Hours: MWF 9:30-5:30; T-Th 9:30-7; FRI 9:00-6; SAT 9:30-1:30
Dillingers
Livening downtown Fostoria
is Dillinger’s Sweepstakes Club
at the corner of Tiffin and Main
streets.
The former bank building was
purchased by Don Hanson in September and now houses the club
which boasts room for 50 people
to sit and play various computer
games.
A lounge area has comfortable
couches and a television set up
and coffee, soda and popcorn are
provided at what used to be teller
windows.
Hanson said in a previous
interview there are a few businesses looking at moving into
the building already. “All Sewed
Up,” a business belonging to his
brother and business partner,
Ron, has relocated there and Fostoria resident Naomi Chapman
opened “Adventures In Books” in
the building on Feb. 17. Her store
features a variety of used books,
comic books, magazines, baseball
cards, crafts and more.
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any other media available in Fostoria.
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COMMUNITY UPDATE
C9
Staying positive in the face of negativity
Fostoria mayor says he still enjoys job
after 3 terms, despite the hardships
spark plug manufacturer, recently
announced the factory had been
sold and city officials are unclear
FOSTORIA — John Davoli, about the plant’s future.
the longest-serving mayor in
It has not been all bad news,
Fostoria’s history, still enjoys the
though.
job, although he admits it has not
been easy as the city’s population
Poet Biorefining opened an
declines and major employers ethanol plant in 2008; Sumitomo
downsize or close plants.
Manufacturing purchased Norton
Davoli, 49, is in the final year Manufacturing and continued
of his third four-year term. He is operations at the Ohio 12 East
seeking a fourth term and will plant; and Fostoria Community
face Eric Keckler, a retired city Hospital completed several renoemployee, in the November gen- vation and expansion projects.
eral election.
During his “State of the
Davoli is already the city’s City” address last month, Davoli
longest-serving mayor. Ken Beier announced that John J. Bones,
was serving a third term in 1990, of Michigan, has purchased the
former ThyssenKrupp building.
but left to take a state job.
Some of the space will be used by
Before he was mayor, Davoli Blanchard Valley Farmers Co-op,
served two terms as a council- he said. The remainder will be
man-at-large and wasn’t afraid developed into a Fostoria Techto speak his mind and vote “no” nology Center for entrepreneurs
if he thought it was necessary, he who need space to develop their
said. But the perceived “brash, plans, the mayor said.
loud-mouth” attitude caused
Another shuttered manufactursome friction between Davoli,
other members of council and the ing plant, the former Uniboard
company, has had “some activity”
administration, he said.
he said, and there is job potential
When he was elected mayor in at the site.
1999, his wife, Lisa, said he looked
The CSX intermodal rail yard
at the job “through rose-colored
glasses,” thinking everyone was being constructed near North
nice and following the rules, he Baltimore also may create jobs
for Fostorians, he said.
said.
On the negative ledger, torThrough drug raids in some
rough areas of the city and per- nados hit Fostoria in 2002 and
sonnel issues within city depart- 2008, and two downtown fires,
most recently
ments, Davoli
in
2008,
has seen the
“We need to reinvent
destroyed
other side of
downtown
city residents.
ourselves. I’m not
buildings.
B ut he’s
against
manufacturing
Three buildquick to say,
ings on the
“ T here a re
jobs, but because of
l a nd were
s ome go o d
leveled after
trade
regulations,
those
people” in
the 2008 fire.
Fostoria, and
jobs are hard to get.”
But negahe rema ins
tive feelings
positive about
- JOHN DAVOLI,
toward the
the city.
FOSTORIA MAYOR
cit y f rom
“The greatneighboring
est pleasure in
communities
life is doing
are not justified, said Davoli, who
what they say can’t be done,” is a grew up in Lorain.
quote on a plaque in his office. It
He also lived in Los Angeles
is not attributed to anyone.
for five years, and said Fostoria is
“It’s easy to be mayor in a “like a paradise to me,” compared
county seat which has lots of to his years on the West Coast.
money,” Davoli said.
However, changing the percepSince parts of Fostoria are tion of the city has been difficult,
in Seneca, Hancock and Wood he said.
counties, there are multiple govDavoli makes presentations to
ernment personnel from whom to
seek assistance, including state grade school children and encourand federal legislators, county and ages them to “stick up for Fostoria”
when they travel outside the city.
township officials.
When he was first elected, a
But it hasn’t been easy for Fosmajor
issue was the police departtoria.
ment, he said.
The city’s been hurt by the
“When I first ran for mayor (in
economic downturn the past three
years. ThyssenKrupp Crankshaft 1999) and was campaigning on
Co. (the former Atlas Crankshaft), Crocker and Poplar streets” near
Fostoria Industries and Ameri- downtown, he said, “a drug dealer
Kart were industries that closed came up to me” while Davoli,
in 2009. Honeywell, a longtime wearing campaign buttons, was
passing out campaign literature.
By JIM MAURER
STAFF WRITER
File photo
FOSTORIA MAYOR John Davoli delivers his “State of the City” address last month. Davoli said he still enjoys his job, although he admits
it has not been easy as the city’s population declines and major employers downsize or close plants. He lost a campaign last year for Wood
County commissioner. He ran because he thought a Fostoria charter amendment would pass, creating a city manager form of government,
and he would be unemployed. The charter amendment failed and Davoli kept his job.
But since then, the police
department’s drug busts, in conjunction with the Seneca County
drug task force, have dispersed
gangs in the near-downtown area.
“It has been an eye-opener,”
Davoli said about the drug traffickers.
When he needs to make a government decision, the mayor said
he seeks the advice and help of his
department heads.
“I tell them the direction I
want to take and ask them how
do we get there,” he said, “Then
I follow their guidance” because
they know their departments.
City finances are at the center
of government activities, he said.
The purpose of government “is
to provide the best possible service with the funds available,” he
said. There was $1.5 million cut
from the city’s 2010 budget to balance the books, he said.
During a recent interview,
Davoli used the term “right
sizing” to describe services that
are provided based on population
and jobs. As population and jobs
decline, available funds get spent
on necessary services: water,
sewer, streets and safety forces.
“It will evolve with improvement in jobs and the economic
base,” he said.
“We need to reinvent ourselves”
with technology and environmentally-friendly, energy-related jobs,
he said. “I’m not against manufacturing jobs, but because of trade
regulations, those jobs are hard
to get.”
Tourism is another angle that
could help the downtown, he said.
Some people scoff at Fostoria
being a tourist destination, he
said. But a planned railroad park,
with groundbreaking later this
year and completion by mid-2012,
will provide a new direction for
the downtown, he said.
The park will provide a viewing site for railroad fans. Two CSX
railroad lines and one Norfolk
Southern line crisscross the city.
More than 150 trains pass through
Fostoria daily, he said.
The city received more than
$800,000 for the park project
through the Ohio Rail Development Commission. The park will
spur downtown economic activity
and may create some niche stores
in the area, too, he said.
Davoli said his focus also is on
the city’s “quality of life” issues,
and he praised the hospital,
library, parks, and YMCA.
Efforts to improve the city’s
appearance continue. Davoli said
20 dilapidated houses were demolished last year and 10 houses will
be demolished this year.
Residents’ safety in emergency
situations will improve with the
construction of the Jones Road
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railroad overpass, he said. Police,
fire and emergency medical services will be able to respond more
quickly without having to wait on
trains.
The city continues to seek
funds for another railroad overpass, on Loudon Township 43, he
said.
Davoli said he is thankful to be
mayor.
He lost a campaign last year
for Wood County commissioner.
He ran because he thought a Fostoria charter amendment would
pass, creating a city manager form
of government, and he would be
unemployed.
The charter amendment failed
and Davoli kept his job.
C10
COMMUNITY UPDATE
Pahl settling in as the new face of Fostoria
Executive secretary making
a connection to her job, city
employees, the public
By CHANDRA NIKLEWSKI
STAFF WRITER
Shelly Naugle-Pahl is not the
type of woman to live in anyone’s
shadow.
As the executive secretary in
Fostoria, she knew what she was
getting into when she took over
the position originally held by
Diane Lind.
“I kept hearing, ‘You have big
shoes to fill. You have very big
shoes to fill,’ and I thought, ‘Oh my
gosh, what did I get myself into?’”
Shelly remembered.
She said her journey to the
mayor’s office started during the
2010 Glass Festival Pageant. Her
daughters were contestants and,
while there, her mother-in-law
approached her.
“She walked up to me with a
clipping and said, ‘This would be
the perfect job for you and you
need to apply for this,’” Shelly
said.
Shelly had been out of work
for nearly a year at that time. She
worked for Time Warner Cable for
22 years and was transferred to
the office in Fostoria, a move she
enjoyed because it was closer to
her home of eight years.
But, then the office closed and
her job was not spared.
“I lost my job. I always thought
I would retire from Time Warner,”
Shelly said.
Like many Fostoria residents,
she was without work and trying
to help her husband take care of
their large family, which includes
five children.
“We have a modern day Brady
Bunch family,” Shelly said.
She and her husband Doug
have two boys and three girls
between them with the oldest a
20-year-old woman and a student
at Ohio University and the youngest a 12-year-old girl and a St.
Wendelin School student.
“We don’t do anything without
our kids,” Shelly said.
The family is very busy due
to the amount of extra-curricular
activities the children are involved
in. She found the upside to being
home more after losing her job.
“Actually, it was a blessing
because I had a very stressful job,”
Shelly said.
Now her mother-in-law was
presenting her with another
opportunity and Shelly said she
had always worked with the public
so she gave it a shot.
The next morning, she walked
in to the city building only to find
there was a party going on to tell
Lind goodbye after her many years
of service.
“I was scared to death. I just
wanted to make sure I met their
requirements. I was just very nervous,” Shelly said.
After applying, she received
a phone call from Mayor John
Davoli, who asked her to send a
resume and references. Within a
few days she had an interview and
was officially hired.
“She came in here and right
away picked up on how to get
things done,” Safety Service Director Dennis Fligor said.
Fligor said she is excellent as
far as working with the public and,
sometimes, a little too nice.
“She’s not much of one to say
no. It comes to me and then I say
no,” Fligor said.
While she knew she would
answer phones, type and do general office work, she wasn’t aware
of all the city functions she would
be able to attend.
“That was kind of a fun twist
to everything. I’ve met so many
people and everyone has been
extremely nice,” Shelly said.
There were still comments
regarding her predecessor and
she knew she was being measured
up next to how things used to be
done, but she relied on her people
skills to make her own mark.
“You have to be a people person
and if you’re not, it’s probably not
going to be easy,” Shelly said.
But, for a woman who juggles
family obligations, personal time
and work schedules, she was able
to pull everything together.
“I can strike up a conversation
and talk with anyone whether
they’re 10 or 80,” Shelly said.
Shelly said she enjoys working with Fligor and Davoli and
explained Fligor is like a father
figure to her. She has a slightly
different relationship with Davoli.
“I used to say Diane Lind was
like my second mom, but Shelly is
like my second sister,” Davoli said.
She said there was no awkwardness when she came on
board, even though it was quite
a big change.
There were some words from
Lind that Shelly took very seriously, although she wasn’t sure
she understood at first.
“She said, ‘Anybody can come
in and do this job, but to really go
over and above, you really have to
care about the city of Fostoria and
the people who live here,’” Shelly
recalled.
Shelly wasn’t sure what that
meant for awhile, but one day
when she was out of town, she
finally got it.
“Someone made a comment
that wasn’t the nicest and I took
it personally and that’s when I
realized my whole outlook had
changed,” Shelly said.
Shelly had finally connected
with the job, she said.
Not only has she connected, but
she’s going to have more family in
the public eye as her husband is
the only candidate for the council
president position. That position
will open in January 2012 as Joe
Droll chose not to run again for
election. Her children having two
parents who have to answer to the
public is not lost on Shelly.
“I tell (our children) to be on
CHANDRA NIKLEWSKI / the Review Times
SHELLY PAHL, executive secretary of the city of Fostoria, is adjusting to the various roles of her
position. She said she has learned many lessons on her own. She knows the first task of the day is to
make coffee and she knows she sometimes has to stop what she’s doing to explain that the awful noise
coming from the corner of the room is the heater.
their best behavior because anything they do wrong, everybody
is going to know about it,” Shelly
said.
As the executive secretary,
Shelly said she has learned many
lessons on her own. She knows
the first task of the day is to make
coffee and she knows she sometimes has to stop what she’s doing
to explain to people in the office
that the awful noise coming from
the corner of the room is not a
monster jumping out of the walls,
but the heater which has its quirks.
She’s also learned there is no rest
once the day starts.
“Sometimes the phone starts
ringing right at 8 a.m.,” Shelly
said.
But, nothing is more important
than the small basket at the front
of her desk as far as keeping city
functions running smoothly.
“One of the biggest challenges
with this job is keeping the candy
dish full, because if you let the
candy run out, you hear about
it,” Shelly said. “A full candy dish
makes for happy city workers,
including myself.”
Shelly said she’s only had one
very embarrassing moment while
doing the job she’s come to love
and it happened when she accidentally hit the panic button in
the office while helping a man who
stopped in.
While she was speaking to him,
they both became aware of running footsteps in the hall and were
shocked when a Fostoria Police
officer came rushing in with his
hand hovering over his holstered
gun.
“(The officer) is looking at the
guy and I’m looking at him and
we’re all thinking, ‘What’s going
on?’” Shelly said.
Another running officer and a
brief clarifying conversation later
and everything was settled as it
was discovered the whole incident
was an accident.
“I guess it’s nice to know if
something happens, that they’re
on it,” Shelly said.
For now, Shelly continues to
move things forward for the city
of Fostoria while working behind
the scenes. Helping to set up city
functions, contacting everyone
who needs to know what’s going
on with various situations, greeting everyone who walks through
the door with a smile, answering
questions and keeping the coffee
and candy readily available are
only a few tasks Shelly has tackled
and conquered with ease as she
has chosen not to attempt to fill
anyone’s shoes, but makes ones of
her own.
“She’s worth a lot more than
we’re paying her,” Fligor said.
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Transcription

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