Enjoying the long midsummer nights

We had good family friends visit our home this week, and it was a great time of catch up through food, conversation and games. One night ended with what I call "trying to solve the world's problems" conversation on a moonlit patio. Another ended with multifamily games of half-court basketball and Kick the Can. The final night ended in Toledo. Our friends' youngest son is a burgeoning baseball fan, and has really wanted to get to a ballgame. So after a day of work, we packed up the van on a steamy Wednesday night and headed to watch the Mud Hens. An avid Tigers fan, I never turn down a trip to Fifth Third Field, and I enjoyed casually talking baseball with a handful of wide-eyed youngsters and strolling through the ballpark taking in the sights and sounds. It was a wonderful evening, highlighted by the fact our burgeoning fan was given a souvenir helmet from a nice man who had purchased a small boatload of popcorn that came with a Mud Hens helmet. After that generous gesture, the smile was plastered on his face for the entire evening. It took me back to last summer, when there was no Mud Hens, no small-talk interactions with other fans, very few gatherings. I'm tired of talking about the pain of the past 18 months or so, but I sure am enjoying those seemingly endless summer nights I so crave. In this spirit, here are a few things I've enjoyed seeing in our northwest Ohio communities recently: • If ballgames provide the sights of summer, concerts provide the sound. It's been great to see live music integrated back into the local scene. Today, Fostoria Guitar Fest is taking place from 4-11 p.m. on the stage constructed by the UrbanWoody Brewery on the green space at the intersection of Main and Tiffin streets. On July 24, in Tiffin, the East Green Amphitheater will welcome another large crowd as Crystal Bowersox plays at 8 p.m. And Riverside Park in Findlay's Lunchtime Live concert series returns Tuesday when Ryan Parker performs at 11:30 a.m. • A big hand is deserved to organizers of Fostoria's Back to School Shoe program, a partnership between the Kiwanis Club of Fostoria, Pantry Plus of Seneca County, Shoe Sensation and Hope Lutheran Church. The program allows in-need families of school-age students vouchers to redeem shoes in August. Registration will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday and from 2:30-5:30 p.m. Thursday, on the corner of Main and Tiffin streets downtown. • It's been three paragraphs since I've talked about baseball, but I need one more: congrats to New Riegel graduate Michael Kirian, who was drafted by the Washington Nationals this week after a successful career at the University of Louisville. Also a belated congratulations is due to Arcadia graduate Jerry Blevins, who recently retired after a steady 13-year career with the Oakland Athletics, Nationals, New York Mets and Atlanta Braves. • Speaking of sports feats, Carla Siebenaller deserves recognition. It's one thing to celebrate your 72nd birthday by playing 72 holes of golf. But more than that, Carla worked with Tiffin's Seneca Hills Golf Course and obtained pledges to benefit Financial Assistance for Cancer Treatment (FACT) of Seneca County to raise $2,765 on her big day. Happy birthday, Carla, and way to go! To all: Enjoy these special weeks of summer, especially those of us with school-age children. I can feel the whooshing sound of an increased pace just around the bend, but I'm longing for a few more of those great, long summer nights. Speer is the publisher of The Courier, Findlay, The Advertiser-Tribune, Tiffin, and Review Times, Fostoria. He can be reached at jeremyspeer@thecourier.com or jspeer@advertiser-tribune.com