Message from Mayor Kapszukiewicz
As parents, we can no longer live in denial of the opioid crisis that has affected our entire nation. The addiction crisis does not discriminate, and we must ensure our kids know the dangers of abusing prescription drugs. This includes having difficult, but important conversations and disposing leftover prescription drugs in our medicine cabinets.

We hosted civic and corporate leaders here in Toledo Wednesday to discuss the work of the Ohio Opioid Education Alliance, which is led by the Nationwide Foundation.

The Ohio Opioid Education Alliance is an education and awareness campaign committed to providing information and resources to help prevent the next generation from abusing prescription opioids. The Ohio Mayors Alliance is an alliance partner along with Nationwide Foundation and many others. Toledo was the first community outside of central Ohio to host a meeting with the Ohio Opioid Education Alliance. I want to thank Findlay Mayor Lydia Mihalik for also hosting a meeting in her city on the crisis. For more information visit dontliveindenial.org .
Also this week, I was excited to get a look at the all-new Jeep Gladiator pickup truck, which FCA US revealed at the LA Auto Show. The Jeep Gladiator will be manufactured right here in Toledo as a result of a $1 billion investment that consolidated production of the next generation Jeep Wrangler to the north side of the Toledo Assembly Complex and retooled the south side to produce the new truck. In total, the facility supports 5,659 workers. Toledo manufacturing is evolving into a phenomenal mix of automotive and new technologies. We love our Jeep and I want to thank FCA US for its continued commitment to Toledo.
Toledo Police VLOG: The Academy - Driving
Toledo Police this week released the latest installment of its VLOG, which takes viewers on a behind-the-scenes look into Toledo Police Academy driving instruction. Members of the part-time Toledo Police "Social Media Team" create the VLOGs to increase community engagement through social media.
Leaf Collection
The city is using street sweeping maps, rather than performing collection in order of zip codes like previous years. The website is updated daily. All the information is at this link .
Finance
Mayor Kapszukiewicz this week introduced Tom Skrobola as the city’s new finance director.
"Tom has been a leader in municipal government finance for more than two decades,” Mayor Kapszukiewicz said. “His experience and expertise makes him an excellent person for this important position. As director of management services and chief financial officer for the city of Kalamazoo, his team confronted many challenging issues with success.”

Mr. Skrobola has been property tax manager for the city of Detroit since August. He is responsible for managing the property tax process for the city of Detroit, involving more than $200 million of annual revenue. His accomplishments include redesigning the property tax refund process to be more efficient and designing the innovative Property Tax Savings Plan.

Mr. Skrobola was director of management services and chief financial officer for the city of Kalamazoo from June 2007 to May 2018. He oversaw the day-to-day operations and strategic direction of the management services department, which included a staff of 34 people. The department included debt administration, budgeting and accounting, accounts payable, payroll, retirement, treasury, assessing, and purchasing. During his tenure in Kalamazoo, Mr. Skrobola implemented an innovative Priority Based Budgeting model, data system, and high performance management scorecard system to re-focus the city budget presentation on programs that maximize results.

He was previously finance director and treasurer for Rochester, Mich. from June 1998 to June 2007.
Mark Your Calendars
Battle of the Badges: Police vs. Fire Hockey Game
Support the Toledo Police and Fire departments as they hit the ice for the eighth annual Battle of the Badges hockey game at the Huntington Center.

The Police vs. Fire Department hockey game will be played at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 1 .

The Walleye will play host to the Indy Fuel at 7:15 p.m. 

Tickets cost $16 and are good for both games. A portion of each ticket sold will benefit Police and Fire Department charities. Use promo code "TPD" or "TFD" when you order to determine which charity your ticket will benefit.
WHO WILL WIN THE BATTLE OF THE BADGES?
Police
Fire
Wednesdays with Wade
Mayor Kapszukiewicz will host the next “Wednesdays with Wade,” 4:30 to 6 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 5 at the Birmingham Branch Library, 203 Paine Ave.

Residents and business owners are encouraged to ask questions on any topic, meet neighbors, and learn about city projects. The meetings are held at different library branches throughout the city on the first Wednesday of the month. The city of Toledo supports the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, please contact Joan Easler, ADA coordinator, at 419-245-1059.
Holiday Tree Lighting
You do not want to miss this year's holiday tree lighting 3 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 9 at Ottawa Park's Ice Rink, 2015 Parkside Dr.

S'mores, bonfires, open skating, cookies, live magician, ice carving, horse carriage rides, choirs, hot cocoa, face painting, arts & crafts, Toledo Walleye mascot Spike, Santa, and so much more. And did we mention this is a FREE event? The tree lighting will happen at 6 p.m.
Toledo Police Abandoned and Forfeited Vehicle Auction
The Toledo Police Department will hold its fourth abandoned and forfeited motor vehicle auction of the year at 11 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 8 .

The auction will be held at the Toledo Police Impound Lot, 198 Dura Ave. All vehicles will be sold AS IS (without any warranty) and all sales are final (there are no refunds for any reason). Most will have a salvage title. A list of vehicles scheduled for auction can be found here .

Terms of the sale will be cash or check. No third party checks will be accepted. Those paying cash will receive title at the end of the auction. Successful bidders paying by check will receive their titles by certified mail in about four weeks. The full purchase price for the vehicle must be paid upon completion of the auction. All interested buyers must register at the auctioneer’s trailer. The registration process will start at 9 a.m. A picture ID is required. There is no charge to register. Locksmiths will be on site.
By The Numbers
( year-to-date )
60,603 potholes filled
9,920 cubic yards of leaves collected
719 tons of salt used
365 water main breaks repaired
1,510,707 feet of sanitary sewers cleaned
91,990 feet of storm sewers cleaned
7,023,141 pounds of debris removed with street sweepers
2,305,349 pounds of debris removed from alleys
2,499 illegal signs removed
2,069 trees trimmed
5,932 fire runs
48,817 EMS runs
9,377 building inspections completed
3,396 contractor licenses issued
Honors this week
Deb Yenrick, superintendent of the Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities, is retiring after 44 years of service, advocacy, and leadership in the field of developmental disabilities. Deb began her career in 1974 as an Activity Specialist with Lucas County. She later served in management roles in Adult Services and Case Management. She is a true public servant who has devoted her life to ensuring that our residents with developmental disabilities are recognized as viable members of our workforce and enjoy the same quality of life as their neighbors. We thank Deb for her unwavering commitment and outreach to the Toledo community, and for her work to provide all residents equal access to vital resources.
Toledo In The News

New Jeep Gladiator enters the arena It says a ton about Jeep enthusiasts that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles chose Jeep for its first midsized  pickup truck  — the just revealed  Gladiator  — than its designated truck brand, Ram. The Wrangler crowd just wanted a vehicle with a little more utility for hauling drywall or carrying toys to the water or woods, but with all the amenities and off-road capabilities of a Jeep, said Mark Allen, head of Jeep Design at FCA North America in Auburn Hills, Mich.

The Toledo Symphony Orchestra spreads musical holiday cheer across regio n The Toledo Symphony Orchestra is spreading musical cheer across parts of Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan this holiday season. The Toledo Symphony Orchestra has scheduled more than a dozen performances that include, Christmas at the Peristyle, Handel’s Messiah, and the Toledo Ballet’s 78th Annual Nutcracker.

UTMC paired kidney donation goes international Lisa Wilson, Lynn Schultzz, and Harvey Popovitch. All three were virtual strangers before one common bond brought them together to save lives. The UTMC paired kidney donation program. Now their decisions to donate will save nearly a dozen lives in at least three countries.

Toledo's King bridge scheduled to reopen Friday The Martin Luther King, Jr., Bridge  will reopen Friday as scheduled . The bridge was closed Sept. 24 for Toledo Waterways Initiative work to install an 84-inch pipe connecting a combined sewer overflow to a 5.2-million-gallon storage basin under International Park.
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