Dial-a-Story
The Toledo Lucas County Public Library presents Dial-A-Story! These are free, pre-recorded stories for children, teens and adults. Listeners can enjoy the stories by phone at any time of day or night by calling 419-745-9700, and then choosing an age-group specific story from the Library’s vast collection. The stories are updated every two weeks and are a perfect listen while riding in the car, waiting in line or winding down for bedtime! —AV
Local author’s book addresses bullying
From Bully To Friend deals with an all-too-common problem that kids have to navigate. “Bullying is something that happens every day with kids, and I had to say something about it,” said Toledo first-time author Barbara Jones-Wilson. From Bully to Friend follows two sixth graders, Omar and CJ, a pair who are constantly bullied by one of their classmates, Kevin. But instead of seeking revenge on Kevin, Omar and CJ attempt to understand him. They come to find that Kevin gets bullied by his own parents, which ultimately makes him become a bully himself. This new understanding leads to the formation of a new friendship! You can find the book on Amazon. —AV
Mini Mondays at H.O.O.V.E.S.
For kids who love both crafts and horses, H.O.O.V.E.S. offers an event that fits the bill! Each Mini Monday class has a different craft project for kids to work on with an instructor’s guidance, and afterwards they get to go on a tour of the farm (weather permitting), which has many animals, including miniature horses. Even if the weather doesn’t cooperate, the instructor will make sure that your kiddos get to meet some furry friends! $10 per ticket for up to 20 kids. 5-6pm. Monday, January 10 and Monday, February 21. H.O.O.V.E.S. 4055 Wilkins Rd., Swanton. Tickets can be purchased at on the organization’s Facebook page. Contact Mini Mondays instructor Myah McCroskey at myah@hooves.us for more details. —EH
Maumee Valley Country Day is the B.E.S.T.
Bowling Green State University hosted the ninth annual Falcon B.E.S.T. Robotics Competition on November 6, a one of its kind event in Ohio which challenges high school student-led teams to design a remote-controlled robot. The title of Falcon B.E.S.T. (Boosting Engineering, Science, and Technology) is bestowed on the winning teams, with more than 150 students from Northwest Ohio high schools participating in the competition. “They design and build a robot as a team. This year’s theme was ‘DEMO DAZE,’ which means the teams had to design and build a construction-site, demolition robot,” Falcon B.E.S.T. hub director Resmi KrishnankuttyRema said. Maumee Valley Country Day School was the Falcon B.E.S.T. of 2021. The school also garnered B.E.S.T. Website, B.E.S.T. Video, and a first place-finish for B.E.S.T. T-Shirt! —AV
TSA aims for expansion this spring
The Toledo School for the Arts (TSA) is making a final push to raise an additional $2 million for their “Next Big Thing”— expansions to their current building. Aimed at adding a new annex along Adams St. and expanded stairwell to the building, the new additions will significantly increase the building’s capacity, allowing an additional 140 students to enroll, a 20 percent increase over current numbers. With over 200 students left on a waitlist every year, unable to be enrolled due to limited space, the school hopes to begin construction on the expansion this spring. Find more information on the expansion here. —JM
