Local Eatery Red Wells Returns To The City Of Maumee
BY KRISTI LEIGH — MIRROR REPORTER
A historical family tradition of home-style cooking has found a home in the most historic building in uptown Maumee.
Kathie Wells Foreman, granddaughter of Red Wells Roast Beef founder Clark “Red” Wells, purchased the Commercial Building on River Road last month, with plans to open a new Red Wells location this month.
Matt Foreman, Kathie’s son, will run the new restaurant. Matt said it had been a dream of his to be involved in the family business since he worked at the Red Wells former location on Hill Avenue as a high school student.
“Red Wells is part of my history so I’m glad I have the opportunity to carry on the legacy, the tradition,” Matt said. “Besides, I love the food so I’m glad I get to work around it.”
Kathie looked into purchasing the building, perhaps best known as the Old Plantation Inn, when it was for sale a few years ago, but felt there was too much work that needed to be done at the time.
“As a resident of Maumee for over 30 years, I’ve always loved the building; it was just never the right time to acquire it until now,” she said.
Since Kathie first considered the building a few years ago, many improvements have been made to the interior and exterior.
Major plans for the inside of the building now include expanding the bar area and finishing the installation of an elevator, which will eventually lead to renovated office space on the third floor.
Kathie said she hopes to preserve the historic feel of the third floor, while making it appropriate to house her business, Generations Invest-ments, and other associated businesses.
The projected date for moving these businesses from Arrowhead Park, where they have been located for five years, is June 2009.
The second floor of the building will remain a banquet room to hold seminars for the family’s financial business and for others to rent out. It may also be used for community dinner theater events.
“Our primary goal is to get the restaurant Red Wells up and running, but our desire is to involve the community and other community businesses as much as possible – as tenants, help or, of course, customers,” Kathie said.
When the building was originally constructed it was occupied by several businesses, including a crossroads store, a bank and a post office. The Wells family wants to take it back to its roots and house several ventures as well.
Family members have been talking to former restaurant/bar owners who have had a following in the past about running the bar section of the restaurant, but arrangements have not been finalized.
Plans also include the possibility of including a small Maumee-themed gift shop offering jarred Red Wells roast beef hash and the restaurant’s popular gravy.
“That gravy is so good I could drink it right out of a cup,” former Maumee resident P.J. Miller said.
Maumee residents have expressed excitement about the new venture and are happy to see that the building will continue to be in operation.
“No one wants to see such a beautiful historic building sit empty,” said Maumee resident Herbert Moore, adding he missed the former Red Wells location at The Andersons store in Maumee.
“I’m very excited for the return of Red Wells to Maumee,” he said.
Kathie acknowledged that other restaurants have failed at the location, but believes Red Wells can survive as a destination restaurant. She also wants Maumee neighbors to always feel very welcome at the restaurant and bar.
“I think other restaurants that have been at the building have had a fancier feel,” she said. “We want neighbors of the building and residents of Maumee to feel they can come as they are for lunch or dinner.”
Over the years, five Red Wells locations have existed in the Toledo area. The longest-running of them, at Sylvania Avenue and Jackman Road in Toledo, has been run by Red Wells’ son Richard Wells for more than 50 years and has remained successful.
Kathie expressed gratitude toward her father for allowing her to open a Red Wells again in Maumee and helping her prepare to open the doors for business.
Favorites on the Red Wells menu include hot roast beef sandwiches on rye bread, roast beef hash and mashed potatoes, all topped with a generous portion of the restaurant’s “famous” hot gravy, as well as macaroni and cheese, sweet stewed tomatoes and fresh deviled eggs.
The restaurant is planning for a soft opening in July, followed by a grand opening in August.
Red Wells Roast Beef will also be a participant in this summer’s ninth annual Taste of Maumee.
The restaurant and bar are currently accepting applications. Contact Nick at (419) 887-1745 for more information.
New Downtown Toledo Arena Designed
To Lure The Masses And Hockey Fans
BY NANCY GAGNET — MIRROR REPORTER
The area’s new hockey arena is expected to see a steady stream of Walleye fans.
Construction of the $75 million downtown Toledo arena is under way, and hockey fans are gearing up for a rousing season in the new icehouse where the Toledo Walleye hockey team will begin its first season in October 2009.
At the Maumee Chamber of Commerce luncheon on June 10, Joe Napoli, general manager for both the Walleye and the Toledo Mud Hens, laid out plans for the new Lucas County Arena sports facility.
The project is a collaborative effort between the Lathrop Co., the Gateway Consultants Group, the Collaborative, Poggemeyer Design Group, HNTB Architecture and SMG.
Built with spectators in mind, the new arena will draw visitors in with its layout, Napoli said.
“Like Fifth Third Field, which puts you right on top of the action, this is going to be no different,” he said.
The three-story facility, which seats 9,000, will also be used for arena football, concerts and family shows.
In addition to general seating, the facility will house 20 corporate suites.
A main concourse area will allow visitors to see the arena from both the second and third floors.
Large group accommodations are also available, as the facility will offer catering services, a banquet hall with a capacity of 250, and party space for both indoor and outdoor functions.
“All party spaces combined for pre-game functions hold approximately 750 people,” Napoli said.
The arena will also house plaza areas, a deck and a club lounge.
Napoli said the arena blends well with architectural features found on historic buildings in the area.
“Downtown has wonderful architecture and we wanted to incorporate that into the new building,” he said.
A generous use of glass and windows fills three sides of the structure.
In addition, a “green wall” near the front entrance adds a touch of the natural environment.
“The wall will have vines growing up it. It’s an eco-friendly design atrium and we’re really proud of it,” Napoli said.
Although the season has yet to begin, there’s a healthy interest for Toledo’s newest minor league team.
“The (Walleye) merchandise is selling well,” Napoli said. “In fact, we will sell more merchandise without a team than the Storm did in their best season.”
He also said if merchandise sales continue, it’s likely the team could reach No. 1 in merchandise sales in the Eastern Conference Hockey League.
Although no official announcement has been made, Napoli said he would be “shocked” if the Walleye aren’t affiliated with the Detroit Red Wings.
The arena is located between Jefferson, St. Clair, Madison and Huron streets, with the main entrance at the intersection of Huron and Jefferson.
With Fifth Third Field, home of the Mud Hens, drawing 550,000 visitors each year, the new arena is expected to bring 500,000 to 600,000 visitors into the downtown area.
Club seats went on sale at the end of June and season tickets will go on sale this fall.
More information is available online at www.toledowalleye.com or www.lucascountyarena.com.
Native American Group Celebrates The First Day Of Summer
BY KRISTEN SCHWEITTZER — MIRROR REPORTER
The rain managed to hold off until after the American Indian Intertribal Assoc-iation’s annual celebration of the sun and the coming of summer.
On June 21, the group invited guests to attend its summer solstice ceremony at the Fallen Timbers Monument.
The summer solstice is a “time to reflect on growth,” said Kim Kennedy, president and co-founder of the AIIA.
The ceremony began with a welcome from Kennedy. Members of the AIIA then read poems and prayers.
After the prayers, members of the AIIA sprinkled tobacco into a fire in order to carry their prayers up to the creator.
After the prayers and poems, a sacred pipe ceremony took place. Nelson “Sugar Bear” Shognosh from Walpole Island, Ontario, performed the ceremony, which honors their Native American ancestors for bringing them to the land.
“Our ancestors will always be here to help us in our daily life and give us the faith of healing in this time of war and conflict,” Kennedy said.
The ceremony began with Shognosh, with the help of Lloyd Nahdee, loading the pipe with tobacco. Then, Shognosh sang chants and beat a Native American drum. At the conclusion of the ceremony, the pipe was passed around to the members of the AIIA.
The solstice ceremony has been held each summer for more than 15 years, according to Kennedy.
The celebration is a way to keep their Native American culture going, she said. Shognosh has been performing the peace pipe ceremony at the summer solstice for a number of years.
The AIIA holds ceremonies at every full moon and for each changing season.
The 21-year-old organization is dedicated to the preservation of Native American culture.
The group plans to hold its inaugural Native American youth camp in August. During the camp, children will ride horses, make crafts, learn archery and canoeing, and hear stories about Native Americans.
For more information about the AIIA or future events, visit www.toledointertribal.com.
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