Gradkowski takes over as
St. Francis football coach
UT football great, NFL veteran, and now, Toledo area head coach. Bruce Gradkowski was named the new coach of St. Francis High School’s football team, taking over for Dan Chipka, who departed the position in June. Gradkowski is a member of the University of Toledo Athletics Hall of Fame, setting over 20 records as a player. He also played in the NFL for over a decade, and currently owns Social Gastropub, a restaurant in Perrysburg.
Toledo Airport renamed to honor NASA legend
One of the most iconic flight directors in the history of NASA— who is also a Toledo native— was honored this spring as Toledo Express Airport was renamed after Eugene F. Kranz. A graduate of Central Catholic High School, Kranz took a position at NASA in 1960 and served as a member of the NASA team for over 20 years, acting as flight director for Apollo 11’s lunar landing in 1969 as well as overseeing the safe return of the Apollo 13 astronauts in 1970. Now 87, Kranz attended the dedication ceremony on May 22.
Detroit has Tigers, but Toledo has cubs
A pair of adorable Amur (also known as Siberian) tiger cubs made their exhibit debut at the Toledo Zoo on June 12. Born at the Zoo this past spring to parents Talya and Titan, the two cubs— one male, one female— are the first young tigers to live at the Zoo in nearly a decade. Amur tigers are some of the largest cats in the animal kingdom, but are also an endangered species, with an estimated 500 cats living in Russia and China. After a vote on the Toledo Zoo’s website, the cubs have been named Alexei and Rory.
Solheim Cup ready to tee off
After months of anticipation, unending planning, concerns over COVID restrictions, construction, murals painted on silos and more, the wait is nearly over. The Solheim Cup begins on August 31 at the Inverness Golf Club. A biennial tournament featuring the best women golfers from the United States and Europe, since 1990 the Cup has been a staple of the golfing world. The week-long event will conclude on Labor Day, September 6, with the final matches played and the championship awarded. Currently the USA leads in Cups won, with 10 to Europe’s six.
Toledo Chief of Staff departs
Catherine Crosby left her position as Toledo Chief of Staff on June 11 to take a new job as the Town Manager of Apex, North Carolina. Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz credited Crosby with being an important part of many improvements the City has seen over the past three years, including internal operations and the launch of the Mayor’s Initiative to Reduce Gun Violence. The duties of the Chief of Staff will be divided between Deputy Chiefs Karen Poore and Abby Arnold, among other staff members.
