Community Roundup: Specialized Docket participants clean up at Joyful Connections

Specialized Docket participants clean up at Joyful Connections

OAK HARBOR — On April 21, 25 persons from the Ottawa County Court of Common Pleas Specialized Dockets Program visited Joyful Connections for a few hours of community service. Participants of Drug Court, Mental Health Court, and Veterans Court joined with providers from Common Pleas Court, Firelands Counseling, and Ottawa County Probation to help clean up Joyful Connections’ outside play area for the warm weather months. They also completed some spring cleaning and assembled several new large toys and equipment to be used by families and children visiting at Joyful Connections.

This was the first time that all three specialized dockets had come to together for what they hope will become a quarterly activity. As one of the day’s participants stated, “It was so nice to see both participants and providers as ‘real people’ outside the courtroom.” All this hard work was followed up with a game of pick up basketball and a meal. According to Tami Matthews, director, “Joyful Connections is extremely grateful for this collaboration and we look forward to more joint ventures in the months and years to come.”

Joyful Connections is a local agency that provides supervised visitations and exchanges. For more information about services provided or to make a donation, call 567-262-3181 or email joyfuldirector@gmail.com.

Arts Council seeking crafters, artists for June festival

PORT CLINTON — The Greater Port Clinton Area Arts Council is seeking artists and crafters for its 29th Annual Arts & Crafts Festival at Waterworks Park on June 11.

Happening just steps away from beautiful Lake Erie near downtown Port Clinton, this festival is one of the biggest and best of the year.

This year’s event takes place 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 11 rain or shine.

This event is open to all artists and crafters, no wholesalers or imported goods will be accepted.

Registration costs $45 until May 15, then will increase to $55.

For a list of rules and to apply, visit GPCAAC.org and click on the “2022 Arts & Crafts Festival” tab at the top of the page.

Enjoy vintage base ball with the Spiegel Grove Squires

FREMONT — See how base ball was played during the Civil War era, when it was first rising to popularity, at the Spiegel Grove Squires.

The Squires, the vintage team at the Hayes Presidential Library & Museums, have four home games and will participate in vintage base ball tournaments and games at other sites in Ohio in Michigan.

Home games are played on the lawn behind the Hayes Home, and admission is free.

The Squires bring to life the sport when it became organized with standard rules of play for clubs. Back then, base ball was spelled with two words.

The Squires are volunteers who have studied and learned the methods of play used in the 1860s, including playing bare-handed. Players are called ballists, and they wear period-style uniforms and adopt the language of 19th-century base ball during their matches, as games were called during the 1860s.

The Squires are sponsored by Whirlpool Corp.

The 2022 schedule is Sundays and Saturdays as listed:

• June 12 — 1 p.m. vs. local celebrities at home.

• June 25, and June 26 — Times TBA at the Michigan Vintage Base Ball Tournament in Frankenmuth, Michigan.

• July 10 — 1 p.m. vs. the Eastwood Iron Horses at home.

• July 16 — Noon vs. Pluggy’s Town BBC in Delaware.

• Aug. 14 — 2 p.m. vs. Ohio Village Muffins at home.

• Aug. 28 — 1 p.m. vs. the Canal Dover Red Legs at home.

• Sept. 4 — Times TBA at the Ohio Cup, presented by the Ohio Village Muffins at Ohio Village in Columbus.

The Hayes Presidential Library and Museums is at Spiegel Grove at the corner of Hayes and Buckland avenues. For more information, call 419-332-2081 or visit rbhayes.org.

16th Annual Stars, Stripes, and Sousa at Port Clinton HS

PORT CLINTON — The Port Clinton High School Band’s 16th annual tribute to “The March King”, John Philip Sousa, will be on Saturday. Due to the popularity of this event, two concerts will be held at the Port Clinton High School Performing Arts Center, at 3 and 7 p.m.

The 7 p.m. concert will also be streamed live on WPCR’s website www.portclintonradio.com in the “Live TV” link. Admission is free, however, a free will donation will be taken at the end of the concert.

This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Community Roundup: Specialized Docket participants clean up at Joyful Connections