ON THE TOWN

A plethora of parties

Arthur and Megan Coyle Stamos at Belmont Country Club.

The Blade/Jeremy Wadsworth
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Anne Marie Hinkle, left, enjoys the Fourth of July party at the Inverness Club with her two daughters Addison Hinkle, 10, center and Isabelle Hinkle, 12.

Independence Day was celebrated all weekend long.

Toledo Country Club kicked off its annual Independence Day Celebration Friday with a cookout buffet, games, a DJ, and fireworks at dusk. The club has many more summer parties planned on the patio and around the pool.

Inverness Club held its Independence Day Celebration on July 4th.

Children's games outdoors kept little ones busy before the tasty buffet served indoors with an ice cream sundae bar for dessert.

Seen were Jano and Bob Nolette and family, Frank and Debbi Bloomquist, Jack and Sue Jolley with members Chuck and Amy Rounds, Brook Simonds and her family, Marianne Ballas and Jim Maciejko and her children Tim and Andrea Robinson and Scarlette, 7, Colette, 5, and Juliette, 3 months, and Jeff and Angela Robinson and Will, 5, and Victoria, nearly 4, all who loved the fireworks as they played on the lawn.

John Robinson Block and Susan Jones Block, their daughter, Caroline, 5, and Caroline's grandma Donna Jones were there too. Mr. Block is the publisher and editor-in-chief of The Blade.

Watching the fireworks from the patio overlooking the 18th green were Rama and Raj Thapar, who have been members since 1986. She became a citizen in 2004 and recalled the ceremony at Put-in-Bay. They both said how wonderful Toledo is and how lucky we all are to have such a great community.

Belmont Country Club's celebration with fireworks was Saturday. Inflatable games, face painting, and a clown kept little ones busy until they were distracted by ice cream novelties. Meanwhile the adults enjoyed the picnic buffet. Down the fairway, Breen and Tara Lyden hosted their annual July 4th party at their home.

Arthur and Megan Coyle Stamos at Belmont Country Club.

Sylvania Country Club's celebration of our freedom was Saturday with games and lots of food before the pyrotechnics. Terry and Denise Benton had a family gathering at their Sylvania home, where most kept cool in the pool before heading to the club for the fireworks display.

Pat Nowak and Steve Roberts hosted parties on Friday and Saturday nights at their Holland home overlooking a lake. They joined a floatilla of pontoons from other homes, including Karen and Carlton Fraker.

Stone Oak Country Club's festival and fireworks for club members and the community was Sunday.

Joel and Lisa Miller hosted their 13th annual 3rd of July party Sunday to coincide with the Maumee/Perrysburg fireworks that could be seen from their backyard. More than 145 family members and friends gathered. Joel's grandfather came from Czechoslovakia to the United States when he was 9 years old, so Joel is a second-generation American and proud of it, said his mother, Marygrace Miller Wilcox, who is equally proud of being a first-generation American.

From left, Adam and Kate Fineske with Lela and Mike Rashid at Sylvania Country Club.

It was a good old fashioned event with tons of great all-American food, a bouncing tent for the kids, cornhole, and billiards that went on until well past midnight.

The Village of Whitehouse hosted its second annual Founders Day Party on Sunday, but it was the first year that fireworks were included. Live music, free ice cream cones, and Mt. Fuji and the Eruptions band were all part of the fun sponsored by the Whitehouse Chamber of Commerce.

Many folks headed to the Red, White Kaboom Annual Independence Day Celebration presented by The Blade aboard the SS Col. James M. Schoonmaker, the former SS Willis B. Boyer, on Sunday night.

Guests walked the gangplank to the party onboard where the KGB band played tunes. A tasty picnic buffet and bar by the Toledo Club sated appetites and quenched thirsts.

Top deck, main deck, and all around the ship, there were people everywhere. Many attendees wore red, white, and blue. Looking especially patriotic was Jim Hartung in a USA cap and patriotic shirt.

The Blade publisher John Robinson Block shares a laugh with Mayor Mike Bell aboard the SS. Col. James M. Schoonmaker.

Seen were Mayor Mike Bell, Msgr. Michael Billian, Mike and Carol Anderson, Dick and Fran Anderson, David and Ann Marie Quinn, Judd and Sheila Johnson, Bob Bell, Joseph and Ann Pilkington, Mike and Susan Goetz, Tony and Trish Barone, Jon Stainbrook, Gary and Tricia Yunker, Larry Schmakel, Sharon Speyer and Dean Monske, John and Chris Stockwell, George and Kathy Jones, Fred Bostleman, and Bill Buckley, who said he was at the christening of the ship.

Among the hot topics of conversation was Saturday's great party for the Marina District and the excitement of seeing downtown grow. The all-American picnic hosted by Rudolph/Libbe was after the groundbreaking with Dashing Pacific. Among the attendees were Phil Rudolph, Jr., and Scott Libbe who are working very closely with Dashing Pacific, plus Kenetta Kay Jones, Tim and Nancy Alter, Jeff and Michaela Schaller, Gary Haas, Brad and Susan Deal, Ron Dulay, Jim Philo and son Travis, Fritz Rudolph, Robin Libbe, Kin Wu, Yuan Xiaohong, Vicky Guo, Jimmy Wu, Simon Guo,and Scott Prephan.

Back aboard the ship, the view was fantastic. The sky lit with color as the sun set. Looking below on the water, one could see many boats dwarfed by the ship, and all were waiting for the fireworks to start. First came the fireworks at nearby Fifth Third Field after the Toledo Mud Hens game.

Then, what everyone was waiting for, Kaboom! The sky exploded with fireworks as oohs and aahs were heard. Fireworks sponsors included Humana, Mercy, Dashing Pacific Group, Taylor Cadillac, KIA and Hyundai, WTOL-TV, WXKR-FM, and United Way.

Whew! I need a nap so I can rest up for the next string of parties this weekend.