From the Desk of Leah Michael - May 2018 - Charles E. Boyk Law Offices, LLC

One chill pup in New Orleans, Louisiana

My aunt, Dana, and I exploring the streets of New Orleans. Seems I have a successful praline and confectionery business up and running; I’m not sure why I even came back to Ohio!

Summer is just around the bend…

Who’s ready to kick back and relax like this party dog? Summer is almost here and I know many of us are getting stir crazy. Thank goodness that as I type this the weather has shown signs of improvement, a high of 81 today! I much prefer the heat and sunshine to cold and snow, but as a life long Ohioan I try to tell myself that I have to get through a rough winter to enjoy the summers that much more. This year will be no exception as I think Old Man Winter has overstayed his welcome!

If you’d like to keep up with the happenings around town, continue to subscribe to this monthly e-newsletter. Have anyone you’d like to invite to share in the fun? Let Leah know by sending her an email at lmichael@charlesboyk-law.com.

The Big Easy

When you haven’t gone on a real vacation in nearly three years, you do it big.

Read on to hear all about my spectacular trip to New Orleans!

The final resting place of Homer Plessy, St. Louis Cemetery I

Rest assured that my inner law school nerd shone bright while I was away in New Orleans. While touring St. Louis Cemetery I the guide mentioned a name that piqued my curiosity immediately and made me clamber to the front of the crowd. “Here lies Homer Plessy,” he said. In my mind, I thought, “Holy Sh*t!” One of the first cases you read about in law school is Plessy v. Ferguson. Homer Plessy was 1/8 African American and 7/8 Caucasian living in Louisiana, a state which had very stringent segregation laws. In 1892, Mr. Plessy purchased a first class train ticket but was asked to sit in the ‘colored’ carriage. He refused, thus triggering one of the biggest civil rights cases in American history. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1896 that segregation laws were constitutional if the public services dividing persons by race were separate but equal. However, another equally important case, Brown v. Board of Education overturned the Plessy decision in 1954. Unfortunately Mr. Plessy had been dead nearly 30 years before that happened.

New Orleans as seen from Hot Tin

New Orleans is a city rich in history and voodoo lore. I learned so much just from a one hour cemetery tour and reading the many historical plaques throughout the city. I cannot wait to go back as there is just too much to experience in one trip. It’s definitely a destination with something for just about anyone whether you’re a foodie, a music enthusiast, history buff, fine liquor connoisseur or just enjoy warm temperatures you’d find something to fall in love with in New Orleans of that I’m sure.

Check out my list of favorites below:

Creole Soul Food restaurant: Jacques-Imo’s (try the fried green tomatoes and corn muffins!)

Impromptu Music Scene: Frenchmen Street (the brass bands on the street corner are like pop-up parades and perfect to dance along with!)

Best Patio: Maple Leaf Bar

Best City View: Hot Tin (roof top bar located in the historic Pontchartrain Hotel)

Mode of Transportation: Streetcar!

Late Night Eatery: Dat Dog (a hip joint serving up the best hot dogs and sausages on either side of the Mississippi!)

Best Cocktail: French 007 (Hotel Monteleone’s Carousel Bar)

Rachel Rine and I soaking up the beautiful weather on Mudhens’ Opening Day

What is a Mudhen?

Toledoans have long cheered their beloved Mudhens each spring and summer, but have you ever stopped to ask yourself what the heck is a mudhen? I know many out-of-towners are sometimes perplexed by this goofy name that was bestowed upon our beloved minor baseball team. A mudhen is a stocky bird with short wings and long legs found in marshes and wetlands, very fitting for a baseball team hailing from Toledo, Ohio.

Baseball, America’s favorite pastime is something that brings droves of people out each April in Toledo. Opening Day is practically a local holiday with many area businesses closing up early to allow their employees an opportunity to mingle with others and get a chance to watch that first pitch be thrown out which signifies the start of baseball season as well as Toledo’s official start to spring! I look forward to Opening Day each year as it’s never the same experience as the year before. The Hens won their first game which is a great omen for the rest of the season. Let’s hope they keep up the momentum.

My boss, Chuck, is a season ticket holder and very generously shares his seats with friends and clients. If you’d like to attend a game please contact me and I’d be happy to get you great seats for yourself and your three favorite people!

Sten Neuber’s “What in Carnation” glass sculpture

Me and Sten Neuber – not only is she an amazing artist she’s also a trendsetting beauty!

Toledo Art Comes to Life
There’s no better party than one that includes your best friends, an awesome line up of bands, delicious tasting plates from the trendiest restaurants in town and some of the coolest art you’ve ever experienced!

Toledo has always been known as a bustling hub for artists and a very welcoming community that truly appreciates the arts. The Arts Commission’s annual fundraiser, The Mix Beacon, was a major success this year and it was held at the same location as their first fundraiser in 2005, Fort Industry Square. If you’ve never had a chance to wander this architectural masterpiece I highly recommend you do as soon as you’re able. The building is one of a kind!

I volunteered to work a shift along with my besties, Carrie Russell Hartman, Schuyler Beckwith, and yep you guessed it…Steve Spitler! We had a blast seeing many familiar faces as well as devouring delicious dishes from Balance Pan-Asian Grille, Beirut, Holey Toledo Doughnuts, and the list goes on! Music for the evening was provided by some of the best bands around, ranging from big brass band to electronic dance music. My favorite part of the evening was getting to see many of my friends’ own art pieces included in the auction. Tara Belle-Outten did an outstanding job curating a beautiful mix of paintings, sculptures in various mediums and gorgeous jewelry. Shout out to Sten Neuber for her beautiful piece entitled, “What in Carnation”.

FREE BIKE HELMETS!

Now that warm weather has moved into our area, many children will be pulling their bicycles out of the shed and cruising the neighborhoods. Charles E. Boyk Law Offices, LLC has a long history of promoting bike safety and exercise with our annual summertime Bikes for Kids program. This year we are throwing in a bonus bike helmet program!

Last year with the help of our friends at Maumee Valley Movers, our office started a free bike helmet give away. Helmets are provided to all children that attend and experts from Wersell’s Bike Shop ensure that the helmets fit properly before the child leaves. Some of the most horrific accidents involve bicycles. We aim to reduce injuries that occur from those accidents by outfitting local kids with properly fitting bicycle helmets. Not only will Jill & Kathy Wersell be in attendance but we have also invited pediatricians, ER doctors and nurses, and Toledo Firefighters and Police Officers to interact with the kids and stress the importance of always wearing a bicycle helmet.This year’s bicycle helmet give away will take place on Saturday, May 12, 2018 from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM at the Traumatic Brain Injury Resource Center, 7430 Central Avenue, Suite C, Toledo, Ohio. You can reserve a helmet by visiting www.freekidshelmets.com or attend to receive a helmet on a first-come, first-served basis. Due to the importance of wearing a properly-fitted helmet, children must be present to receive a helmet.

Also please visit www.bikesforkids.com to nominate a deserving child to win a bicycle. The Bikes for Kids program runs from May until August and a bike is given away each week to a child that has exhibited kindness toward others, impacted their local community, goes above and beyond for family and friends or other extraordinary accomplishments. There are no set guidelines for nominations rather we look for children that are deserving in many ways. Please nominate a child you feel should be rewarded for their good behavior or outstanding character.

Biscuit conducting his nightly neighborhood watch from the window seat

FROM THE DESK OF BISCUIT

Bonjour!
Can you believe the audacity of some people? My mom went a vacation that lasted a whole month, she says it was only 5 days but I don’t believe her. Not only did she leave me home with a stranger but she didn’t even tell me she was going to New Orleans!?! I mean, come on…I’m French! I would’ve fit in perfectly with the locals and I’m sure I would’ve been a hit. Instead I was left behind to patrol the neighborhood from my window seat and make sure that none of the neighbor dogs tried to do their business on my lawn.

From the Desk of Leah Michael – May 2018

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