Problem gambling can be a “hidden” addiction because unlike others, individuals with gambling addiction do not display physical signs. While visible symptoms are minimal, individuals with gambling addiction are often depressed, anxious, and may have suicidal thoughts. Additionally, gaming in adolescents can be the gateway into gambling addiction and create problems in adulthood. Because of the invisibility of problem gambling, there can be stigma associated with individuals struggling with the behavioral addiction. Many factors contribute to stigma including personal knowledge and experiences, cultural stereotypes, media stories, and more. Regardless of the reason, stigma continues to be problematic for those who struggle with mental illness and addiction, and even though society recognizes this as an issue, people still hold negative beliefs, causing those who need help to avoid care.

Stigma Busters is an original podcast created by the Wood County Alcohol, Drug Addiction, and Mental Health Services Board. Since 2021, local mental health professionals and advocates have come on the podcast to talk openly, and freely about mental health and substance use related issues. On Saturday, March 25^th, the episode “Pause Before You Play,” premiered, which focuses on the stigma and impact of problem gambling and gaming. This included a conversation with Kyle Clark and Bill Ivoska from the Wood County Educational Service Center, who spoke about signs and symptoms of gambling and gaming addiction as well as the prevention and research being done through programs and services right here in Wood County. To listen to this episode of Stigma Busters, search the podcast Apple Podcasts, Spotify or visit https://stigmabusters.buzzsprout.com.

The Wood County ADAMHS Board promotes community well-being and increases quality of life for Wood County. They exist to advocate, plan and fund community-based mental health and addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery services for the community. For more information on Wood County ADAMHS, visit https://www.wcadamh.org or follow them on Facebook or Instagram.

Small businesses and start-ups in Sandusky, Seneca, Ottawa, Erie and Huron Counties now have a new local resource for discovering training, mentoring, and business and workforce development resources that will help them gain knowledge and skills essential to starting or expanding a business.

The Business Resource Center, located in the Kern Center at Terra State Community College, will serve as a one-stop resource and call center to connect new and existing small businesses within the community with assets, training and mentors.

The BRC works in collaboration with area chambers of commerce, economic and workforce development agencies.

Throughout the year, the Business Resource Center (BRC) program instructors and business mentors will connect individuals and provide trainings on a range of programs focused on topics of interest to small business owners and their team members. Topics include, but are not limited to, starting and growing a business, accounting and finance, computer/business technology, insurance, taxes, human resources, business development, workforce talent, certifications and Ohio Business Gateway navigation. Additionally, the BRC’s knowledgeable and experienced instructors may also be available for direct training and mentoring opportunities. The free trainings will be offered on a continual basis.

“Local businesses are seeking high-quality training but aren’t always able to find the specific type of programs or topics they need,” said Carolyn Rodenhauser, Business Resource Manager for the BRC program. “Our mission is to develop the call center as well as the educational programs that will be led by area business leaders and instructors.”

The BRC will be working with the five partnering counties (Sandusky, Seneca, Ottawa, Erie and Huron) to inform their local business communities about the BRC call center and its schedule of programs. The BRC’s goal is to make area businesses more aware of the training and mentoring resources available to them.

For more information about the BRC or to learn about upcoming learning opportunities, visit the Business Resource Center online at terra.edu/brc. Contact the call center directly at 419.559.BIZ1(2491).

About the Business Resource Center

The Business Resource Center (BRC) was created to support business development in Sandusky County as well as the neighboring Ottawa, Seneca, Erie and Huron Counties. The BRC program is made possible by a USDA Rural Development Grant awarded to the Terra Community College Workforce and Community Center. Visit the Business Resource Center online at terra.edu/brc

Terra State Community College is a two-year accredited, state-supported, residential college located in Fremont, Ohio. Terra State has a long history of service to the community and providing students with an education that is both accessible and affordable. Terra State offers 25 applied degrees and 38 certificates to students.

The Historic Preservation Commission has chosen to celebrate National Historic Preservation Month by establishing a self-guided walking tour of Bowling Green's historic homes and buildings. Residents are encouraged to sign up their property online at https://buff.ly/41niMW8 by providing basic details about their home or building. Residents who sign up will receive a yard sign indicating "History Lives Here," which will help bring awareness to local preservation and recognize properties included in the self-guided walking tour throughout May.

Sign up your property online at https://buff.ly/41niMW8 or by calling the Planning Department at https://buff.ly/41niMW8 (419) 354-6218 or emailing planning@bgohio.org by Friday, April 7th, 2023.

The HPC was established in 2019 to help preserve, promote, and educate the community about local history and historic buildings in Bowling Green. To learn more about the HPC, visit www.bgohio.org/436/Historic-Preservation-Commission

The City of Bowling Green Tree Commission has announced the 6th annual tree photo contest. The Commissioners want to raise awareness of Bowling Green’s Urban Forest that is found both on public and private property.

In 2023, citizens are asked to submit photos highlighting trees in all four seasons of the year: winter, spring, summer, and fall.

The contest runs through October 31, 2023. In November, the public will vote for the top photo in each category. The top photo will receive a $25 gift certificate from a local nursery or garden center and a print of their photo from Main Street Photo.

Eligibility:

• Any amateur photographer residing in Bowling Green
• Photos must be taken within the Bowling Green City Limits
• Photo must be of a tree and not other landscape plants (i.e. shrubs, annuals, perennials, etc.)

Photos may be entered online at www.bgohio.org/TreePhotoContestEntryForm.

BOWLING GREEN— Auditor of State Keith Faber has announced that Bowling Green has received the Auditor of State Award for a clean audit report.

The Auditor’s office presents the Auditor of State Award to local governments and school districts upon the completion of a financial audit. Entities that receive the award meet the following criteria of a “clean” audit report:

• The entity must file financial reports with the Auditor of State’s office by the statutory due date, without extension, via the Hinkle System and in accordance with GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles);
• The audit report does not contain any findings for recovery, material citations, material weakness, significant deficiencies, Uniform Guidance (Single Audit) findings or questioned costs;
• The entity’s management letter contains no comment related to:
  • Ethics referrals
  • Questioned costs less than the threshold per the Uniform Guidance
  • Lack of timely annual financial report submission
  • Bank reconciliation issues
  • Failure to obtain a timely Single Audit in accordance with Uniform Guidance
  • Findings for recovery less than $500
  • Public meetings or public records issues
• The entity has no other financial or other concerns

Full copies of these reports are available online.

Glass City Federal Credit Union is pleased to offer five scholarship awards, one in the amount of $2,500 and four in the amount of $1,000 to area students who meet the following criteria:

• The student will be attending a 2- or 4-year accredited post-secondary institution during the 2023-24 school year.
• The student is a member of Glass City Federal; or a parent, stepparent, or legal guardian is a member of Glass City.
• The student completes and submits the required application and essay by the deadline of March 31, 2023.

Interested scholarship applicants are encouraged to obtain a scholarship application at any Glass City Federal branch or online at glasscityfcu.com.

Glass City Federal Credit Union has been providing financial services to the northwest Ohio community since 1947. With five area branch locations, Glass City offices are in Maumee, Toledo, and Bowling Green. Glass City Federal provides a variety of deposit and loan products tailored to the needs of its over 26,000 members. To qualify for Glass City Federal membership, one must live, work, attend school, or worship in the northwest Ohio counties of Lucas, Wood, Fulton, or Ottawa. For more information, please visit the Glass City website at glasscityfcu.com.

Farmers and Merchants State Bank is offering specials on business CDs. Click here for more information.

1850s Fire Trumpet Returns Home to The Bowling Green Fire Division

BOWLING GREEN--- One of the age-old tools for first responders is their ability to communicate reliably in emergencies. Before the conveniences of technology, fire engineers and officers would use “speaking trumpets” to amplify their voices over the noise and commotion of a fire scene to direct the company in effectively fighting the blaze. On Tuesday, January 3^rd, 2023, retired Bowling Green Firefighter, Stuart Warner presented the City of Bowling Green with an 1850s Fire Trumpet that had previously belonged to the Bowling Green Fire Division. Warner had been a volunteer Firefighter student for Bowling Green in 1968 when the department was planning to utilize old memorabilia as a weathervane. As a favor to a colleague, he saved this historic fire trumpet, but had forgotten about it while serving in the army. A few years ago, while going through his collection, Warner found the trumpet and decided, “this belongs back in Bowling Green.”

Warner has been a long-time collector and restorer of antique fire apparatuses, toys, and memorabilia. His restorations, including a 1919 Cedar Point fire engine, are on display at the Port Clinton Aviation Museum. Chief Moorman greatly appreciated this donation. “This is a piece of Bowling Green history we don’t normally see,” the Chief stated. “It is nice to welcome it back home.”

The Bowling Green Fire Division, which was established in 1834, is quite proud of its history as historic pictures and memorabilia decorate the walls of the Court Street Fire Station. While the fire trumpet has not been a practical tool for fire stations for many years, many still pay homage to its important past. Today the Bowling Green Fire Division uses collar pins with increasing numbers of trumpets to indicate rank. Lieutenants wear pins with one trumpet, Captains wear pins with two, battalion chiefs receive three, the deputy chief wears a pin with four crossed trumpets, and the Fire Chief wears a pin with five.

While Chief Moorman sees great value in this piece of history, the Bowling Green Fire Division will continue to rely on MARC’s radios to communicate during emergencies. The Bowling Green Fire Division plans to display the Fire Trumpet and other historical items in a display case once a new fire station is constructed.

City of Bowling Green Encourages Non-Profit Organizations to Apply for Grant Funding

BOWLING GREEN - Bowling Green City Council has allocated $500,000 of federal ARPA funds to be used by non-profit organizations impacted by the COVID pandemic.  Non-profit organizations, whose clientele are Bowling Green residents most negatively impacted by COVID (e.g. lower income, those with food insecurity, unemployed), are encouraged to apply for grant funding of up to $50,000.  Eligible organizations must have been in operation from the official start of the COVID pandemic lock-down in Ohio (March 15, 2020) through the end of the calendar year 2021.

A completed application and supporting documents must be submitted together to be considered for funding.  The program application period will close on March 31, 2023.  Interested non-profit applicants should contact Martha Woelke, Community Development Administrator for the City of Bowling Green, at 419-354-6220 or mwoelke@bgohio.org to get more information and an application package.

Ohio Insurance Agents (OIA) Community Service Award honors an independent insurance agent or agency that has provided extraordinary service within their local community. OIA defines this by the overall contribution to their community service project and/or initiative, and the positive impact that their efforts have made toward their community service project and the demonstration of commitment to their communities by going above and beyond in volunteering time and enthusiasm to causes close to their heart.

This year OIA awarded UIS Insurance & Investments and the work they do through their UIS Cares program. UIS Insurance & Investments provides extraordinary service to not one but all thirteen communities where they have offices established. In 2021, UIS donated over $57,000 back into the communities through various sponsorships and donations.

These sponsorships help numerous non-profit organizations and businesses. In the Tiffin location alone, UIS helped over 30 different organizations. As part of UIS Cares, each employee receives 15 hours to use when volunteering. This is so an employee doesn’t have to use their own time off to volunteer during the workday.

Andy Stephey, VP of Sales & Marketing, says, “Our employees love to use these hours to take kids/grandkids on field trips, ring the bell for The Salvation Army, help at the county fairs, and so many other activities. The agency finds it important not only to help financially but to also volunteer time in their community.  At UIS we are committed to our communities and do so by supporting a large number of causes and organizations through “UIS Cares”. UIS Cares strives to keep our employees passionate about their civic duties by giving them the freedom to share their time and talent with the towns we serve. Our goal is to make a positive impact on the communities where we live, work, and play.”

Along with the recognition UIS was awarded a check for $2,500 to distribute to non-profits of their choosing. The agency will be donating this money to Children’s Mentoring Connection in Findlay, Giving Birthdays in Sandusky and Seneca County, and Heart of Ohio Homeless Shelter in Marion.

Purchasing an affordable home may be out of reach for some Bowling Green residents at lower income levels. A CDBG-funded program, however, can help with this issue.

The City’s Direct Homeownership Assistance Program makes affordable homeownership possible for households often overcome by housing cost burden.

The program is designed to assist creditworthy persons with lower incomes by reducing their mortgage principal amount, paying reasonable closing costs, and/or required up-front private mortgage insurance premiums. In most cases the mortgage principal reduction will satisfy the lender’s down payment requirement.

Applicants must qualify through a traditional lender. Assistance is provided in the form of a supplemental subordinate loan for part of the purchase price with zero (0%) interest. The Loan is forgiven after two (2) years.

Applicant(s) must complete the application process, and adhere to all program policies to be eligible. For more information contact Matthew Jay Snow at the City of Bowling Green’s Community Development Division, (419) 354-6221 or msnow@bgohio.org.

Downtown Bowling Green SID has a page on their website dedicated to commercial space that is available for rent/sale. If you have commercial space located in the Special Improvement District that you would like showcased, you can contact them at info@downtownbgohio.org.

Communications companies, including Frontier, Spectrum, Buckeye, etc., continue to work throughout the City to install conduits, wires, and other necessary service upgrades.  All are considered a “utility” and can legally operate anywhere within the public right-of-way or where there is a utility easement.

The location of the utility easement on a property will determine the area the company is permitted to perform work – this may include back and side yards.  Existing utilities in the construction area will be marked prior to the installation of the new conduits.  The installation of these services is typically done by trenchless directional boring methods to minimize damage to yards.  Residents will not be forced to change service providers because of this work.

The City is not responsible for the scheduling and/or completion of this work.  Questions and/or concerns should be directed to the contractor/company working in the area.