Barbara Dennis Receives Outstanding Citizen Award At The Maumee Hometown Heroes Awards Banquet

BY NANCY GAGNET — MIRROR REPORTER
Barbara Dennis and her children gather each month for family dinner.
Last week they gathered for a special dinner at The Pinnacle in Maumee, where Dennis was honored as Maumee’s Outstanding Citizen of the Year at the 33rd annual Hometown Heroes Awards Banquet.
The event took place on March 13 and drew 260 people.
Several groups sponsored the event including the city of Maumee, Maumee Chamber of Commerce, Maumee Uptown Business Association, Arrowhead Park Association, Rotary Club of Maumee, Maumee Kiwanis Club, Maumee Lions Club and Quality of Life.
In addition to honoring winners of the Golden Apple Awards, Hometown Hero Awards, Bridge Awards and Community Improvement Awards, the event bestowed the evening’s most prestigious award upon Barbara Dennis for her long record of volunteerism and public service.
“Why did it take us so long?” asked past award recipient and presenter Lynn Olman, who previously served with Dennis on Maumee City Council.
Describing her as someone who carries herself with “quiet dignity and humility,” Olman said Dennis is a person of high integrity.
“You served for all the right reasons. You wanted to make a difference, and a difference you’ve made,” he said.
Dennis was a member of Maumee City Council from 1982 to 1997.
She was the first woman elected to council and holds the distinction of being the first woman to serve as president, having been elected to that position twice by her peers.
Mayor Tim Wagener, who said he’s known Dennis his whole life, said that when she entered council chambers, partisanship was left at the door.
“The community came first. It wasn’t the politics, and Barbara exemplified that,” he said.
Previous award winner and presenter Howard Tiefke, who also served on council with Dennis, echoed the same sentiment.
“We all spoke to each other and we all spoke well of each other,” he said.
Dennis is only the eighth woman to be named Outstanding Citizen in the award’s 33-year history.
City administrator John Jezak, who nominated her, said Dennis has an extraordinary commitment to serve others.
“To be frank, Barbara’s participation in Maumee’s daily life, whether public, private or nonprofit, comes from a strong sense of civic responsibility that is not often found in today’s society,” he said.
“When you get to know her and get to know her well you realize how well rounded she is,” he said.
Some of the civic groups Dennis has served with include the League of Women Voters, Maumee volunteer firefighters dependents board, Maumee River Valley Zonta Club, Maumee Quality of Life, Maumee Chamber of Commerce, Lucas County Improvement Corporation and the Substance Abuse Intervention League.
She currently serves on the Maumee Civil Service Commission and is president of the Maumee Valley Historical Society, of which she has been a longtime member.
She is also active in the United States Agency for International Development via the Great Lakes Consortium, which allows her to host visitors from other countries such as Hungary, Tanzania and Afghanistan to show them how government and democracy work in places like Maumee.
“Her advocacy of women’s issues seems equally complemented by the enthusiasm she shows for promoting democracy and the American way of life,” Jezak said.
At the awards banquet, Mayor Wagoner presented a proclamation declaring March 13, 2008 as Barbara Dennis Day in the city of Maumee.
In addition, state Rep. Barbara Sears and state Sen. Mark Wagoner presented Dennis with a commendation as one of Ohio’s finest citizens.
Of her many accomplishments within the community, what many find truly remarkable is that for almost 30 years she has been a single mother to four children, after suddenly losing her husband Dave in 1979.
Their children – Julie, David, Scott and Michael – share a close bond with their mother.
“After my dad died she was it. She’s a strong individual and that’s why we’re so strong too. She’s a great role model – she’s just my hero,” said her daughter, Julie Cartwright.
Both she and her brothers David and Scott live in this area, while Michael lives in Kentucky.
In addition to raising her children, Dennis went back to school and graduated in 1983 with a bachelor’s degree in business management from The University of Toledo.
She also worked at Ohio Bell and United Airlines.
“We’re just extremely proud,” her son David said.
“She’s very strong and she instilled that in all of us,” agreed Scott.
Barbara spoke briefly when she stepped to the podium to accept her award.
“I want to thank my children for being independent. I rely on you,” she said.
She also quoted Eleanor Roosevelt, a woman she said she greatly admires: “When you cease to contribute, you begin to die, and I’m not ready yet,” she said.
When asked later what she does in her spare time, she joked, “When I have nothing to do that’s exactly what I do – nothing. It doesn’t happen often.”
Speical Section To Honor
Maumee Hometown Heroes
Editor’s Note: A commemorative section of the March 27 edition will feature complete profiles and photos of the remaining Hometown Heroes. Advertisers who would like to be a part of this souvenir section may contact Mike McCarthy at The Mirror at (419) 893-8135 by Monday, March 24 at 5:00 p.m.

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Gianno’s At The Inn To Close, Historic Building For Sale

BY MIKE McCARTHY — MIRROR EDITOR
Hurt by sagging sales and staggering operational costs, Gianno’s at The Inn is officially closing for business and its owners have placed the building at 301 River Rd. up for sale.
The restaurant will remain open for dinner over the next two Friday and Saturday nights and will serve Easter Sunday brunch from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. The last day of business for the restaurant will be Saturday, March 29.
Existing special events will take place at the facility throughout April and May, and new events may be booked for that time period.
Tom Verner, one of the three owners of the restaurant, said that he and his partners are actively seeking a buyer for the building, which will be sold to the highest bidder, with or without the restaurant equipment. They are accepting sealed bids and have the property listed with Signature Associates.
The disappointment is evident in the expressions and voices of Verner and Mike Sader, who along with Jeremy Skiles ran the restaurant for approximately 20 months following the purchase of Gianno’s Italian Bistro from former owner Greg Rufty and his partners.
“We want to thank the city and our customers for their support,” said Verner. “We just didn’t have enough business to make it work.”
Sader commended the city of Maumee and the Maumee Chamber of Commerce for their cooperation during his association with the restaurant.
“They have been great to work with,” he said.
The partners hinted that things might have been different if it weren’t for the huge burden of carrying the restaurant expenses and maintaining ownership of the property at the same time.
The men declined to speculate whether they would entertain the thought of keeping the restaurant going if they could find an investor for the building to help control their rent, utility and maintenance costs.
“Right now the restaurant is closed,” Verner stated firmly. “We have no plans to get back in. Our objective is to sell the building.”
The closing of the restaurant also means the end of Cohen & Cooke, the popular multi-course dining experience that was founded five years ago in Bowling Green, and later was moved to the Maumee location.
Sader said that a multi-course wine/dinner event will take place at The Inn on Tuesday, April 15 and will feature noted vintner Susan McCrea of Washington state. Reservations are being taken at $100 per person.
In the meantime, customers who would like to say farewell to the restaurant will have the next two Fridays and Saturdays to do so.
In addition to the full dinner menu in the dining area, the tavern will offer customers draft beers for $2.00 a glass and ribeye steaks for $12.00 each.
Reservations for the last two weekends of the restaurant, the Easter Sunday brunch or any of the special events may be made by calling (419) 893-8337.