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Politics
Road Warrior: South End intersection closing cuts off practical access to I-75 interchange
I was particularly unhappy to hear about the delay to Toledo’s project to rebuild Broadway Street in the South End because I had checked not too long before the announcement on its progress and was told it was right on schedule. The series of water main breaks that have caused completion to be delayed more than six months, however, happened within days of that inquiry. Broadway’s reconstruction started out nearly a year ago with water-main replacement between Danny Thomas Park and South Avenue, but city officials believed such replacement was not needed between South and Western Avenue. The water main had other ideas, with three breaks in early August. Its replacement will chew up valuable construction time, causing the street reconstruction that follows to be delayed until spring.
Powell: Apple Butter weekend comes to Grand Rapids
Here in Grand Rapids, Ohio, we’re getting ready for company; lots of company, some say 40,000 visitors. Next Sunday is Apple Butter Fest when the village on the Maumee River rolls out the welcome mat with a variety of attractions. Visitors can expect plenty of good food, musical entertainment, shopping from vendors, local history experiences, and, of course, apple butter. The Apple Butter Fest is sponsored by the Grand Rapids Historical Society. Funds support various year-round events. According to Steve Kryder, who is co-chairman of the festival with Chuck Thomas, the preparation of the apple butter from apples to jarred spreads requires the dedication of volunteers who gathered at the Old Fire Station to peel bushes of apples into slices.
Enduring beauty: Mural fest enlivens East Toledo streets
The East Side never looked so bright as on Sept. 28 at the first River East Mural and Art Festival, as approximately 60 artists — some as far away as the West Coast — showed up to paint murals. With the East Side art space River East Gallery, located at 601 N. Main St., serving as their headquarters, the artists painted, sprayed, and applied chalk throughout the day on walls all around the surrounding area. As the gallery’s website indicated, the artists were “turning forgotten walls into canvases of artistic expression that not only beautify the city but also foster a renewed sense of community pride and engagement.” According to the event organizer, local artist and River East Gallery co-owner Chris “Chilly” Rodriguez, the inaugural festival was a raging success.
Elevating Orleans Park: Perrysburg council approves $923,733 multiuse trail
An Orleans Park improvement has been approved, with Perrysburg City Council planning for more work in the future. Council voted last week to spend $923,733 for an elevated multiuse trail from Green Lane through the wooded area to the end of the existing path on the north side of the parking lot at Orleans Park. The park stretches along the Maumee River. Weber Contracting of Archbold, Ohio, will do the work for $839,757 plus a 10 percent contingency. Councilman Kerry Wellstein said the work is slated for next summer.
Medical debt relief delivered to Toledo, region as other Ohio cities pick up model
In 2020, Alexandria Delikat-Hinze broke her ankle. Eight months later, she broke her arm as she tripped and fell while hiking. That broke the bank. As a graduate student, Ms. Delikat-Hinze was not working and what little health insurance she had through the open marketplace did not cover all her medical expenses. Her medical debt piled up to $25,000, an insurmountable amount for the now 30-year-old woman. Looking for a job upon graduation was hampered by a poor credit rating. Being able to move forward seemed impossible. Then, in April, she got a letter in the mail: Her entire medical debt had been paid for by Undue Medical Debt through a partnership with Toledo and Lucas County. The governmental entities had allocated $1.6 million to the nonprofit.
FirstEnergy Ohio to enhance service reliability through substation expansion
FirstEnergy Ohio will be expanding and upgrading a high-voltage substation to increase service reliability in northwestern Ohio. The substation expansion, in Sylvania Township, Lucas County, Ohio, will include installing automated equipment and technology that will ... Read More » The post FirstEnergy Ohio to enhance service reliability through substation expansion appeared first on Daily Energy Insider.
Editorial: Flag designs fix nonexisting problem
The Blade’s publishing a week ago Sunday of the explanations of the designs of the finalists for a new city flag (“Civic symbolism: City flag designs think deeply about city history, composition”) revealed an impressive level of thought and imagination by Toledo artists. When the 10 finalists for the city’s flag contest were first released, many of the designs were visually interesting or appealing, but the meanings could only be guessed at. We get that the star represents the sun, and that the number of points has some relevance. When we see blue we know that’s water, though in Toledo green might be the more appropriate hue. Once the designers’ explanations were offered the flag designs became more meaningful.
Perrysburg public hearing on rezoning for rumored Topgolf will likely change
The Perrysburg City Council will likely hold a public hearing on a land rezoning rumored to be for a Topgolf facility later in November. At Tuesday’s meeting, the council discussed moving the public hearing on the rezoning from Nov. 5, which is Election Day, to its second meeting of the month on Nov. 19. Bethel Assembly of God is asking for 24 acres adjacent to Costco off Eckel Junction Road be rezoned from R2 (medium-density residential) to C4 (commercial district). The planning commission, before a packed crowd who spoke against the change, voted 3-2 to reject the request at its Sept. 26 meeting. Flyers dropped at area residences say if the property is rezoned and then sold by the church, it would be a Topgolf entertainment facility.
To the editor: City’s interest in Vistula better off elsewhere
It would be wonderful to see the Vistula neighborhood restored to a mixed-income residential neighborhood. This is not the first attempt at reviving what is unquestionably Toledo’s most rundown census tract. Previous efforts fell flat or were marginally successful. An argument must be made that resources should be concentrated on existing projects before we are distracted by another attempt at reviving Vistula. Toledo has a problem with “development attention span.” The Warehouse District has been a success but is not completed. The Historic South End, once street improvements to the Broadway Corridor are completed, is in the early stages of recovery. The Uptown Area has seen mixed success. The Museum-Monroe Street corridor is already in the planning phases. Let’s not forget the biggest hole in the heart of the city, Westgate, and the Colony area redevelopment. Submit a letter to the editor All of this is taking place in a metro area that is not growing, either in population or jobs. Our political leadership, civil servants, and the community in general, do not have the depth of human and financial resources to make certain that all these projects end in success.
African American Legacy Project celebrates 20 years of preserving history
With the goal of preserving and sharing Toledo’s rich Black history, 20 years ago Robert Smith spearheaded the African American Legacy Project of Northwest Ohio. “I saw that we were losing our history. I wanted to preserve our history,” Mr. Smith, founder and president of the nonprofit organization, said. “It was essential as far as I was concerned, and it's proven to be true because when we came in, not many were talking about our history. Now everybody is talking about it,” he said. “That means we’ve done our jobs.” The vision of the project focuses not only on preserving and promoting Toledo’s Black history but also recognizing and honoring past and present contributions to ensure the legacy endures.
Editorial: Mayoral third term is voter choice
Whether to allow the mayor to run for a third term is an easy call if voters have confidence in their ability to tell whether a mayor has overstayed his or her welcome. We do have that confidence in Toledo voters and in opposition candidates to step up and provide electoral options, and we urge a YES vote on Issue 9. The last time this question came up, it was defeated. The question had been tossed in with a dozen unrelated questions and carried the whiff of having been snuck into the pack to avoid being noticed. Voters rightly didn’t like it and voted it down. Read more Blade editorials
Child care facility celebrates 50 years of business in Toledo
TOLEDO, Ohio — It's cheers to 50 years for Love 'n Learn Educational Child Care center which started under a different name a half-century ago. Dozens of people showed up for a celebration on Saturday to mark the occasion. Despite the name change, former owner Connie Spevak says the...
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