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Firenation Glassblowing Competition Draws A Crowd

BY KRISTEN SCHWEITZER — MIRROR REPORTER
Firenation Glass Studio and Gallery was the place to party on Friday night.
During the Firenation tumbler party, guests enjoyed food and drinks, live music, door prizes and glassblowing demonstrations by Firenation owner Matt Paskiet and other local glassblowers.
Paskiet held the tumbler party as a way to bring people out to the studio to see something different.
“People wouldn’t normally go out on a Friday night to watch glassblowing,” he said.
The studio area was crammed full with people watching the glassblowing competition.
Some of the guests had never seen glassblowing before the party.
“We’ve been to the gallery before but never any demonstration,” said Ellen Miller. “It’s pretty amazing.”
Barb and George Schetter stopped in after going out to dinner for their anniversary.
“We don’t live too far and have been wanting to go in for a long time. We drove past and saw the sign so we decided to stop,” Barb said. “It’s beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like that before,” she said, after watching one of the artists.
With the help of Paskiet, Scott Darlington, Drew Kowalski and Brien Strancar competed for the audience vote for best glass piece.
The winner received the golden punti. A punti is the stick used to form glass.
“It’s sort of a joke between the glassblowers,” said Ashley Janowiecki, who blows glass at the studio and the Toledo Museum of Art.
The real prize is improvement.
“We’re just working together trying to advance our skill,” Paskiet said.
The glassblowers worked together to create their pieces.
Strancar, a Bowling Green State University alumnus, worked with Paskiet and Kowalski to create a glass fish.
The artists started out with just a small piece of glass on the end of the punti, pulled from a furnace heated to 2,225 degrees. The glass was then blown into shape from the opposite end of the punti.
Tools such as shears and tweezers are used to shape the glass. Blowtorches and reheat chambers are used to keep the glass hot enough to mold.
The tail and individual fins of Strancar’s fish were made from new pieces of glass and then attached to the main portion.
A silent auction was held for each of the pieces created during the party. A raffle was also held at the party. Winners received prizes such as Firenation T-shirts and necklace charms.
In addition to selling his art and glassblowing supplies, Paskiet teaches both beginner and intermediate glassblowing classes at the Firenation studio and the Toledo Museum of Art.
Paskiet also participates in art shows in the area.
“I try to promote glassblowing in the community through these shows,” he said.
Paskiet graduated from Bowling Green State University with a construction management degree. Shortly after graduation, Paskiet took an adult glassblowing class at the Toledo Museum of Art.
“I’ve been doing it ever since,” he said.
Firenation, opened by Paskiet in 2002, had its sixth anniversary on June 29.
Firenation is located at 7166 Front St., in Holland. For more information about glassblowing classes and workshops, call the studio at (419) 866-6288 or visit www.firenation.com.

Dan Moses Appointed To Fill Vacant Council Seat

BY KELLY J. KACZALA — MIRROR REPORTER
Holland Village Council appointed Dan Moses to a vacant seat on council at its September 16 meeting.
Moses, 40, is general manager of a power equipment company. He has also worked in his family’s business building homes in Northwest Ohio. He is a 1987 graduate of Rogers High School.
He fills the seat of Phil Bentschneider, who resigned July 31 and moved to Maryland after being promoted by his employer.
Mayor Mike Yunker said after the council meeting that four people had expressed an interest in the council seat.
Bentschneider has been appointed to council in January to fill a seat left vacant by Brian Summerson. Moses had applied for that vacancy as well, and was asked to fill a seat on the plan commission.
“We’ve had a lot of members from the plan commission serve on council,” Yunker said. “It works well because they know how government works, so it’s always been proven to be a decent stepping stone. Plus, it shows he’s already willing to serve the community in some type of capacity.”
Moses said he applied for council to become more involved in the community.
“If you had asked me 10 years ago, I wouldn’t have thought I would be that person,” he said.
“I was a home builder with Moses Construction, the family business. As building slowed, I made the commitment I wasn’t going to leave this community if I could help it,” he said.
Moses said he became interested in public service after Springfield Township trustee Andy Glenn encouraged him to apply for the seat on council.
Glenn and Moses met when their children played soccer together and both serve on the board of the Springfield Soccer Association.
“He’s somebody who gets involved,” Glenn said. “He’s intelligent. He’s been in the community for a long time. He’s someone you look for when you want to have local effective leaders, which is why I talked to him when I heard there was a village seat open. I think he will serve with an open mind and with common sense.”


JROTC Boosters Host Annual Ceremony

BY ELIZABETH KRUEGER & LINDSEY KITCHEN
JROTC COMMUNICATIONS OFFICERS
On September 18, the Springfield High School Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps Boosters’ organization hosted the 21st annual Officer Candidate School commissioning ceremony and the third annual Primary Leadership Course/Cadet Leaders Course promotion dinner.
JROTC, an important character and leadership program, is celebrating its 24th year at Springfield High School, one of the few schools in northern Ohio to offer such a program.
In his comments to attendees, Springfield High School principal Steve Gwin said, “It is a humbling task to discuss leadership, so I look to the three traits present in all great leaders: great character, courage and one’s ability to instill confidence in those they lead.”
He shared that the presence of JROTC cadets at both school district and community events distinguishes Springfield High School, setting the students apart. He also noted that cadets who choose to pursue additional leadership roles within the JROTC program, through their participation in OCS and the two other leadership courses, have helped establish and keep SHS’s program ranked among top 10 percent out of 1,600 in the nation. Rarely do you not see SHS cadets in voluntary service for area organizations’ events and activities.
At the ceremony, the cadet leaders were presented with a plaque indicating that in 2008, the program achieved “Honor Unit with Distinction” status. This accomplishment has become an SHS tradition, something that the cadets and program leaders work hard to retain. It requires considerable work, dedication, community support and high marks during an on-site inspection.
The following Primary Leadership Course and JROTC Cadet Leadership Course participants earned special recognition: Aaron Horn, PLC distinguished graduate; Alishia Forshey, PLC honor graduate; Adam Fisher, JCLC distinguished graduate; and Eryn Burrow, JCLC honor graduate.
Officer Candidate School graduates earning honors included Brandon Worley, distinguished graduate; Sheldon Goodrum, honor graduate; and Elizabeth Krueger, superior graduate.
The 2008-09 JROTC boosters officers include Don Bixler, president; Stacie Cordell, vice president; Stacy Russell, secretary; and Rob Forshey, treasurer.

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