Message from Mayor Kapszukiewicz
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We welcomed children Saturday from throughout our region to play chess during the first Mayor's Chess Tournament in Toledo. I was delighted to see so many children engaged in the game. I want to thank the sponsors who made it possible, Toledo Public Schools for hosting, and Warren Woodberry for organizing the event.
We followed up later that day with a great event for children at Ottawa Park - Pumpkin-A-Rama. It was great to see so many out in their costumes for horse carriage rides and hot cider. We hope to have more events and opportunities for children in the future.
This week has been busy as we move toward the end of the year and preparations to present the 2019 budget. Toledo City Council approved spending $2.1 million Tuesday from the city's capital improvement fund to purchase two fire trucks and a ladder truck. In 2018, we will not have to transfer any money from the capital improvement fund into the general fund for daily operations. In 2015, the city transferred $9.5 million. The expenditure for the new trucks will help prevent any of our fire stations from closing. Constituent safety is always paramount, so it was important for us to take this step.
Council also approved our annual agreement with the Arts Commission of Greater Toledo to implement the Municipal Art Plan. That also authorized the 1% For the Arts annual allocation. Public art is an important part of a successful city and we want to make sure Toledo is as attractive as possible to newcomers. We know road repair is a top priority and we are working to make sure Toledo has a healthy street resurfacing program next year.
We repaved 61 miles of streets this year with our residential and main roadway "matches and planning" resurfacing program. We also completed another 26.5 miles with our "mill and fill" program.
I hope everyone has a very fun and safe Halloween next week!
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Toledo Fire & Rescue Department Deputy Chief John Kaminski returned to Toledo this week after a 13 day deployment in support of Hurricane Michael relief efforts.
The Butler County Incident Management Team that Chief Kaminski deployed with responded to ground zero near Mexico Beach and Panama City in some of the hardest hit areas. The primary mission was to support the objectives of the Incident Commander with the main focus on ensuring the needs of survivors were being met, and to plan for long term recovery of those in the region.
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The team was responsible for conducting reconnaissance missions of the area to determine locations for temporary shelters, landing zones for evacuations, and supply missions. The team was also responsible for organizing volunteers and locating suitable sites to distribute supplies to those in need. The team worked in shifts to allow for 24 hour coverage of operations, safety, and logistics sectors.
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Toledo Lucas County Port Authority
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The Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority received the Ohio Economic Development Association’s coveted “Best Project” award for the second time in three years.
The Ohio Economic Development Association presented the port authority with the award for
The Cleveland-Cliffs Project
at Ironville Terminal at its 2018 Annual Summit held Oct. 17-18 in Columbus. The Ohio Economic Development Association’s annual excellence awards program recognizes economic and workforce development achievements throughout Ohio. The Best Project category recognizes outstanding and innovative projects in economic and business development that retain or generate jobs and investment.
The port authority, in conjunction with public and private partners, was successful in obtaining a commitment from Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. to construct a new hot briquetted iron production facility at Ironville Terminal in Toledo. This project represents a $700 million investment in northwest Ohio and will position Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. to be the sole supplier of high-quality HBI for the electric arc furnace steel market in the Great Lakes Region.
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2018 Charitable Giving Campaign
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Parks, Recreation, and Forestry held is annual United Way and Community Shares of Northwest Ohio drive kick-off at Ottawa Park on Oct. 16.
The festivities included food, hot apple cider, and a 500-gallon dunk tank for anyone wanting to dunk Public Service Director Paul Rasmusson and Commissioner of Facility and Fleet Rick Akeman. It was a great turnout and encouraged everyone to donate to the great cause.
The 2018 Charitable Giving Campaign to support the United Way of Greater Toledo and Community Shares runs through Oct 26.
“Many of us as city employees have dedicated ourselves to serving the people of Toledo through a career in public service,” Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz said. “Together, we are given an opportunity to recommit ourselves to our community by making a charitable donation to a cause or charity.”
City employees have for years generously donated a portion of their paychecks back into our community through the campaign. This year, the city increased its campaign goal to $125,000 in order to make a greater impact on the Toledo community and work toward making sustainable change for all.
The mayor
called on
all Toledoans to donate to the United Way and Community Shares this month.
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Correct Recycling Awareness Month
It is week four of Correct Recycling Awareness Month.
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For Week Four of Correct Recycling Month,
#Toledo
Mayor Kapszukiewicz met with Riley, the blue, well-coiffed Lucas County recycling mascot.
We are helping to educate young people about correct recycling and urging adults to think about recycle the proper way.
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That includes: no plastic bags at all in your blue containers, no food waste in your blue containers, no yard waste in your blue containers. More info on the correct way to recycle is
here
.
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Enjoy a variety of pre-concert activities, like the popular instrument petting zoo, in the Grand Lobby and then head into the Valentine Theatre for a fabulously fun program of the spooky classics you know and love. Bring your camera, as kids get the opportunity to walk across the stage in our annual costume parade!
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Toledo Police K9 Unit Demonstration
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Please join us at the Glass City Dog Park at Walbridge Park Shelter House at 7 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 1 for an informative talk and demonstration.
Learn how they train the dogs, what their days are like, and more. This event is free but space is limited. Register at
glasscitydogpark.org/events
.
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Toledo International Film Festival
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The Toledo International Film Festival,
Nov. 16-18
at The Ohio Theatre, is a community-driven event that celebrates cultural diversity and international understanding. More than 900 people attended last year. #
TIFF2018 will again be a must-see event!
Every year, TIFF brings a one-of-a-kind international experience to the Ohio Theatre & Event Center, packing the three-day schedule with great films, performances, and food. Join us Nov. 16-18 as we enjoy films spanning the globe from China to Ethiopia to El Salvador. Tickets for each film include food samples and exciting programming—all for about the same price as a regular movie ticket. Presented by the Ohio Theatre & Event Center in partnership with Welcome TLC and a host of local community partners and restaurants. Visit
www.ohiotheatretoledo.org/tiff
to learn more and to buy tickets.
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By The Numbers
(
year-to-date
)
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58,944
potholes filled
336
water main breaks repaired
1,255,220
feet of sanitary sewers cleaned
89,704
feet of storm sewers cleaned
6,728,441
pounds of debris removed with street sweepers
169
vehicles towed
5,350
fire runs
44,917
EMS runs
8,544
building inspections completed
3,020
contractor licenses issued
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The Ohio Senate Democratic Caucus hosted a Salute to Service on Oct. 18 to honor
Ohio Senator Edna Brown
for her dedication to public service and her commitment to community.
A native of Toledo, Senator Brown began her career as a loyal City of Toledo employee for 32-years. She had an 8-year tenure at Toledo City Council, and, in 2002, Senator Brown was appointed to the Statehouse. She was re-elected to the Senate in 2014. She is well known for her advocacy, and especially for giving a voice to the underserved while addressing neighborhood issues.
Toledo thanks Senator Edna Brown for helping to move our community forward, to improve the lives of others, and to inspire generations of people.
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Toledo In The News
UT professor recognized for algal work
University of Toledo Professor Tom Bridgeman received a Chancellor’s Award for his role in leading the state’s Harmful Algal Bloom Research Initiative.
Road construction projects beginning to wrap up
Road construction season is coming to a close as crews get ready to start picking up leaves and plowing snow. Some of the construction projects happening in Toledo seem to have been going on all summer, and even before that. A few projects are getting ready to wrap up in the next month or so, with set end dates.
UT research discovers link between refined dietary fiber, gut bacteria, and liver cancer
Many of the processed foods we find on grocery store shelves have been loaded up with highly refined soluble fibers such as inulin, a popular probiotic that recently received approval from the Food and Drug Administration to be marketed as health-promoting. But a new study from The University of Toledo’s College of Medicine and Life Sciences is raising serious questions about whether the risks of adding refined fiber to processed foods may significantly outweigh the benefits.
Toledo's golf cart pilot program may be expanded
Kevin Clapper hopes Toledo City Council makes a pilot program allowing recreational and commercial use of golf carts in designated areas a permanent perk of living in Toledo. He’s the owner and operator of EZ Shuttles, which offers rides around town in one of three golf carts that sit five passengers each. He said the golf carts add to the growing appeal of living in or visiting downtown Toledo and pair well with other transportation and entertainment options such as pedal pubs, rental bicycles, and the designated outdoor refreshment areas.
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