Home Care In Waterville, OH

WATERVILLE, Ohio (WTVG) -13abc’s I-Team has learned further details in relation to how one firefighter was not awake to respond to an emergency call.

According to the Waterville Fire Station, some individuals suspect that alcohol was involved.

Here’s some of what the I-Team has uncovered regarding the incident: on August 30, 2022, Waterville firefighters received a check safety call on Silverbrook Lane, which sits in the station’s backyard.

Nearly everyone from the crew responded, but firefighter Zachary Bernhard did not, as he was “hard to wake.” He was later sent for blood alcohol content and drug tests.

13abc’s I-Team learned these details from documents uncovered while inquiring about an incident only five hours earlier.

Waterville Fire 2 by Shaun on Scribd

Firefighters Greg Robertson and Zach Welling wrote statements saying they were in a car around 2:30 a.m. headed to the fire station. Welling said firefighter Bernhard was dropped off because he had to be on a shift at 7 a.m.

Welling continued with " I did not know when he had one or what time he last had said drink.”

All three firefighters caused what was described as a noise disturbance to wake several sleeping firefighters.

According to documents, one firefighter tried to wake Bernhard several times as the 7 a.m. shift approached. The firefighter reports that Bernhard opened one eye while being talked to.

Yet, when the EMS call came in at 7:51 a.m. Bernhard was still in bed instead of responding to the call.

Other firefighters responded to Silverbrook Court, where the patient eventually refused transport. Once Waterville Fire Administrators figured out what occurred, Bernhard was sent to the deputy chief’s office.

Chief Douglas Meyer wrote in a report that the deputy chief “smelled alcohol on Mr. Bernhard.”

The deputy chief said in a follow-up report that “I could smell what I believed to be alcohol and Zach has bloodshot and glassy eyes.”

The documents do not have a statement from Bernhard and 13abc’s request for comment has not been returned.

The city of Waterville placed Bernhard on administrative leave. He resigned on September 9, 2022, citing that his decision stemmed from “personal reasons that I have been dealing with for a little while.

City administrator Jon Gochenour said in a statement to 13abc " at no point was a member of the public or city staff put in any danger due to this incident.”

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WATERVILLE, Ohio — Tuesday, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose broke a tie between the Lucas County Board of Elections to say the approved Waterville amphitheater will not be voted on in the November election.

Developer of the amphitheater project Hunter Brucks, president and CEO of HB Concerts, said this six-month delay cost him over $1 million.

He shared that the plans to begin construction will begin as soon as next week.

"We won and it's over," Brucks said. "As far as I'm concerned it's all systems go. We don't stop unless the secretary of state or Attorney General tells me to stop or the lawyers have a hard discussion with us."

However, Waterville residents against the construction aren't feeling that same kind of relief.

"I don't really believe that whenever a city demands the ability to participate in democracy, and are turned down, for it to be any sort of victory worth celebrating," said Waterville mayoral candidate Timothy Plowman.

"I found it very troubling that the developers were celebrating," said Waterville City Council candidate Anthony Garver. "It's really a loss by the people to have their voice heard."

Plowman and Garver are both part of the "Not in My Backyard! NO Amphitheater In Waterville OH" Facebook group.

They shared that this battle is not over and that a May 25 court date at the Lucas County Court of Common Pleas can stop the amphitheater plans in its tracks.

"We still have a very strong administrative appeal that is moving through the court system," Plowman said. "This was a battle that was being waged on two fronts, and we expected difficulties along the way. We are just going to keep doing everything that we can to make sure the citizens of this town are heard and listened to."

The appeal believes the special meeting held by the Waterville City Council that approved the amphitheater was illegitimate since the city charter requires five votes for enactment in a special meeting.

The November vote to pass the amphitheater was 4-2.

Despite that Lawsuit, Brucks is ready to get to work on developing the amphitheater site.

"There is nothing stopping us," Brucks said. "I know that there will be trucks moving in very shortly, and they’re definitely going to do the extension of Pray Boulevard which has to happen so we can build the amphitheater there."

He assured that HB Concerts will work with residents to ease concerns.

"We want to be good neighbors and good citizens. I know some of the valid concerns are mitigation of sound, and we are going to go above and beyond and do everything we can."

Despite Tuesday's decision, Plowman urges people to stand firm against the approval: "Don't give up the fight, this is a community worth fighting for. Although all of us don't want this and our elected representatives have chosen to ignore us, they can't ignore us forever."

Todd Kerschner covers his property in lights to keep up a family tradition and honor his late father's love for the Christmas season.

WATERVILLE, Ohio — When you drive by the house full of lights on Dutch Road in Waterville, you can't help but feel the holiday spirit.

Todd Kerschner decorates his home and surrounding property in more than 40,000 lights, with everything from incandescent strings to plastic nativity scenes.

The home has been in Kerschner's family for a few generations and starting with his dad Delbert, they all would decorate the property with thousands of lights.

"Colder than cold. Didn't matter. 'C'mon you're helping with the lights,'" he said of his dad's desire for a young Kerschner to help cover the home in decorations.

Delbert Kerschner loved the Christmas season, covering his house in as many lights as possible. He would even make community appearances dressed as Santa. His son said he wouldn't ask for any money; he just loved spreading holiday cheer.

"If you've seen dad, dad was Santa Clause," Kerschner said. "Dad's a big guy, he had the beard."

But a few years ago, Delbert's health started to decline, and the big light displays were put in jeopardy. That's when Kerschner decided to keep the tradition going.

"I started asking mom for one string of lights on the front porch, and that didn't go very well. It ended up the whole house was done," Kerschner said. "It made dad's day and that was all that mattered."

Eventually, Delbert Kerschner passed away last year at the age of 85, on Christmas Day.

"How fitting," Kerschner said. "If you know my dad, and seen him, how fitting that he passed on Christmas Day."

Kerschner knows his dad has no trouble looking down and seeing their home lit up.

"Hopefully he's proud of it," Kerschner said.

No matter the cost or the hours, Kerschner wants to keep the Christmas spirit, and his dad's memory, alive.

"It's a lot of work, a lot of time, a lot of money, but at the same time it's worth it," Kerschner said. "It's for him. For Santa."

Kerschner says they will continue to add lights to the property throughout the season, up through Christmas Day.

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Hunter Brucks’ Waterville, Ohio, amphitheater project was recently approved by the city council of Waterville.

Brucks, a Maybee native, announced plans in July to build the Waterville Landing Entertainment District, an outdoor amphitheater, just off U.S. 24 and State Route 64 in Waterville, about 45 miles south of Monroe.

The Waterville City Council recently approved the plan 4-2.

“We won,” Brucks said. “It’s been such a long, drawn out process, brutal at times. The council has protocols, three meetings to pass the ordinance for conditional use and building.”

The two dissenting votes were cast by Mayor Tim Pedro and a council member who lives in the subdivision near the future theater site.

The amphitheater, which will be built on former farmland, is facing resistance from some local residents.

“The ‘not in my back yard’ people. They were hell-bent against it. We got through it, and we won. Here we go,” Brucks said.

The day after the vote, Brucks and his team applied for permits. He expected dirt will be moved by mid- to late March, and construction will take about a year. A grand opening is tentatively set for May 2024.

In January, Brucks surveyed the area and found the Waterville, Ohio, site.

“When I saw the property, I fell in love with it and said, ‘This is it. This is where it should be. Right here,’” he told The News.

Brucks also designed the theater.

“I took the greatest of places I’ve performed at. I knew what not to do. It’s a beautiful, 9,373-capacity, open-air, state-of-the-art amphitheater. I’m very happy and proud of my team,” Brucks said.

Waterville Landing Entertainment District will have 5,200 fixed, stadium-style seats along with box suites. The facility also will have a lifted berm lawn area, dressing rooms, catering rooms, concessions and box offices. Parking will accommodate 2,500 vehicles.

“It’s a musical ballpark,” Brucks said. “I’m pretty proud of that.”

Brucks is president of HBC Management LLC and HB Concerts Inc. He has 40 years’ experience as a performer, concert promotor and producer.

He partnered with Ohio-based Devonshire REIT to build the amphitheater. The project is estimated at more than $20 million.

“This is going to be the biggest and most state-of-the-art venue to ever be built in the Toledo area,” Brucks said.

Developers involved with the project told WTOL construction will begin as soon as next week.

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TOLEDO, Ohio — A controversial issue in Waterville surrounding construction of a proposed outdoor amphitheater will not go to a vote of the citizens.

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose ruled Tuesday that the matter is not subject to referendum because he deemed the city's acts to be administrative and not legislative in nature. Waterville City Council approved the project in November, and a group of citizens gathered nearly 1,000 signatures shortly after in an attempt to force the issue to a vote of the people.

The issue was passed to LaRose after the Lucas County Board of Elections deadlocked 2-2 on the matter.

"In my role as Ohio’s Secretary of State, I have consistently erred on the side of granting citizens ballot access whenever possible," LaRose said in his ruling. "However, when the law is clear on a matter, my sworn duty requires me to uphold and faithfully execute that law. In this case, I believe the law is clear. Accordingly, it is my view that all evidence provided to my Office indicates that Ordinance 10-22 is administrative in nature and not subject to referendum. As such, I am breaking the tie in favor of the position put forward by Chairman Richard Schoen and Board Member Donald R. Miller against approving the Waterville Referendum Petition to put the matter on the ballot in the November 7, 2023 General Election."

READ: LaRose's ruling on Waterville Amphitheater referendum

In that November meeting, council established an "admission tax" with the developer to offset costs the city may incur by operating the facility. LaRose said language used in the ordinance was that of a "merely aspirational goal" rather than a legislative act, pointing specifically to a passage about the developer "cooperating" with the city for the tax agreement rather than "establishing" something more concrete.

Developer Hunter Brucks previously told WTOL 11 he plans to start construction as soon as next week. The amphitheater is on track to open in 2024.

"It's over. That's it. We won. There's nothing stopping us from building the amphitheater if we choose so to do," Brucks told WTOL 11 on Tuesday.

Waterville Assistant Law Director Kati Tharp said the ruling reaffirms what council felt was a legal move all along.

"We were certain from the get-go that this was something that was administrative and not legislative," Tharp said. "We weren't creating new law. We were just enforcing the law that's been put in place."

But people in Waterville are not done fighting. Outspoken amphitheater opponent Wayne Wagner, who collected signatures on the initial petition calling for a referendum, released the following statement to WTOL 11:

"Although we are disappointed by Mr. LaRose's decision, we are not surprised. Our fight against the amphitheater is not over. In the letter from Mr. LaRose, he states that pending the appeal case in Lucas County Common Pleas Court, the board of elections may need to revisit this matter in the future. This decision by Mr. LaRose does not officially kill the referendum," Wagner said.

"In the next 24 hours we will meet with our attorney and go over the pros and cons of filing an appeal with the state supreme court. We will let you know if we decide to move forward with that option. In no way does this void the referendum on the road which we will continue to support the committee collecting those petitions. This fight is far from over, do not lose hope as those of us who have promised to fight this till the end are encouraged by recent rulings in the lucas county common pleas court appeal. We have always believed that council incorrectly passed the ordinance 4-2 at a special meeting. Waterville's law director even told members of council that if we would just focus on that we'd probably win, and Judge Navarre referred to the meetings as special council meetings.

The proposal is a partnership between Third Street Cigar Records and HB Concerts Inc. and HBC Management to develop the entertainment venue near South Pray Boulevard in Waterville.

Based on the planning commission's permit approval, the following conditions must be met:

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