Message from Mayor Kapszukiewicz
I was very excited this week to announce plans to build a new youth development park in Danny Thomas Park along Broadway in the Old South End. Toledo's partnership with the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation will feature a 75,000-square-foot synthetic turf field for football, soccer, and baseball. The investment will help revitalize that historic neighborhood.

This is a true public-private partnership that will invest $2 million into an important neighborhood while offering our kids a chance to play. The private sector, the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation, and Major League Baseball all stepped up and made significant contributions, so the taxpayers do not have to pay the full cost. There are 82 Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation facilities nationwide, but none in the state of Ohio. It is significant the city of Toledo competed for and won such a significant investment, which will be the only one of its kind in the state of Ohio. Construction will begin when the weather begins in the spring and we hope kids will be playing ball by the end of the summer.

The news for Danny Thomas Park is another great development to cap off a successful year.

As 2018 comes to a close, I am proud to say the city of Toledo’s financial house is in order. We finished the year with a budget surplus of $3.6 million , with a majority of that surplus coming from our ability to hold the line on spending. We spent $2.4 million less than we budgeted, and there simply are not too many governments in America that can make the same claim.

Our rainy day fund has increased from a little over $1 million to a projected $20.8 million today. We did not have to transfer any money from the capital improvement fund into the general fund for 2018. Also this year: we hired 80 new police officers; resurfaced more miles of residential roads than any year in the past two decades except for one; created a bike share program; secured funding to clean up the long-blighted former Champion Spark Plug site; helped lead a neighborhood coalition to save historic St. Anthony Catholic Church from demolition, and our proposal to create a regional water system was approved by both Toledo City Council and the voters of Toledo.

We also promoted greater transparency in city government with more social media, this newsletter, and the monthly "Wednesdays with Wade" public meetings series.

Also this week, I want to remind everyone to vote every day until Dec. 18 for Mercy Health — Children’s Hospital to win $50,000 at voteformiracles.org . The money is a gift from Credit Unions For Kids, as a project to help support sick and injured kids in the community. After you vote, spread the word with the hashtag #VoteforMiracles.

Since this will be our last newsletter before Christmas and New Year's, I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year's!

I would be remiss if I did not express my thanks and appreciation to our city employees who have served admirably this year. You will not find a more dedicated and caring group of civil servants.

This Christmas season, I hope you will join with me in the spirit of hope and optimism for Toledo. Together, we accomplished a lot in 2018 but we still have much to do. Again, I extend my warmest regards and best wishes to everyone and may the spirit of this wonderful season be with you and your loved ones throughout the holidays.
Danny Thomas Park
The city of Toledo, together with the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation, this week announced plans to design and construct a new youth development park located in the Old South End neighborhood that will feature a 75,000-square-foot multisport synthetic turf field used for football, soccer, and baseball/ softball and provide local youth with a safe outdoor place to play.
“Cal Ripken is one of the most iconic names in the history of baseball, so any program that has his name on it will be excellent,” Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz said. “We are committed to providing more and better recreational opportunities for Toledo, and being able to do that while also helping to revitalize one of our historic neighborhoods, is truly a grand slam.”

The Ripken Foundation facility at Danny Thomas Park will serve as the central location for the YMCA of Greater Toledo and The Believe Center programs. Local youth organizations will serve thousands of at-risk youth who are exposed to high-risk factors, such as above-average crime rates, families living below the poverty line, and a high number of children being raised in single-parent homes. Afterschool programming, such as organized team sports, is a powerful alternative during widely unsupervised time between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. Research suggests 29 percent of all violent crime committed by juvenile offenders occurs during those hours.

“This is about much more than just building parks. It’s about building character,” said Steve Salem, Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation president and CEO. “The need is high for access to safe, positive facilities and programs like those provided by the YMCA of Greater Toledo and The Believe Center. We look forward to working together to help transform the community and change kids’ lives by giving them a safe, clean place to learn and grow.”

The catalyst for this project was a $400,000 State of Ohio capital grant awarded to Historic South Initiative in 2017. The Ripken Foundation Youth Development Park will be located at the upper level of Danny Thomas Park, and the city of Toledo is making plans for the subsequent renovation of the lower level of Danny Thomas Park using the proceeds of the State capital grant.
About the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation

For the past 17 years, the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation has worked tirelessly to implement youth development programs and create parks that directly address the problems facing at-risk youth in distressed communities across the country. Inspired by one of the most iconic baseball families, the Ripkens created the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation to honor the legacy of its family patriarch, longtime coach, and mentor, Cal Ripken, Sr. The Ripken Foundation uses sports-themed activities to bring police officers, youth partners and underserved kids ages 9 – 14 together on a level playing field to learn invaluable life skills.
Toledo, Ohio Documentary: Reclaiming Spaces
Part one of two short documentaries about the revitalization of downtown Toledo.

Produced by Reel Ohio and Nick Corbin Productions, the Toledo Design Center, Downtown Toledo Development Corporation, The Toledo Arts Commission, and the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library.

Directed, edited, and scored by Nick Corbin.
Human Relations Commission
There is still time to submit resumes and letters of interest to serve on a subcommittee of the Human Relations Commission. The deadline is Dec. 21.

We have an amazingly active and energized board that is ready to get to work in 2019. The board is looking for great community members to help.

The subcommittees are:

  • Youth Empowerment and Engagement
  • Stop the Violence
  • Community and Neighborhoods
  • Equality and Social Justice Committee

Please submit your resume along with a letter of intent to mayor@toledo.oh.gov . Please use the subject line: "HRC Subcommittee Letter of Interest.
Mark Your Calendars
The Toledo Symphony Orchestra
Nordic Air - 8 p.m., Jan. 11-12, 2019. Back by popular demand from the pivotal program that brought together Alain Trudel and the TSO, Grammy-winning violinist Augustin Hadelich returns to the Peristyle stage to perform Sibelius’ breathtaking Violin Concerto inspired by the icy landscape of Northern Europe. Augustin Hadelich's appearance is made possible through a generous gift from Bob and Sue Savage. More here .
Ritter Planetarium Holiday Programs
The University of Toledo Ritter Planetarium is showing “The Alien Who Stole Christmas” and “Santa’s Secret Star” in full dome for children throughout the holiday season.
 
“The Alien Who Stole Christmas” is featured 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 14 and Friday, Dec. 21. Santa’s Secret Star” is featured 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 15 and Saturday, Dec. 22. Admission to the programs is $7 for adults and $5 for children, senior citizens and UT community members. All children younger than four are free. Doors will open 30 minutes prior to the show.
By The Numbers
( year-to-date )
60,948 potholes filled
38,155 cubic yards of leaves collected
366 water main breaks repaired
1,574,123 feet of sanitary sewers cleaned
92,939 feet of storm sewers cleaned
2,581 illegal signs removed
2,097 trees trimmed
8,550 vehicles towed
6,139 fire runs
50,769 EMS runs
9,780 building inspections completed
4,023 contractor licenses issued
7,023,141 pounds of debris removed with street sweepers ( Program suspended. Now sweeping for leaf collection only .)
Toledo In The News

Imagination Station to receive $10 million upgrade The Imagination Station will soon get a $10 million upgrade with the addition of a large-format theater. The project, announced Wednesday morning at the science center in downtown Toledo, is being made possible by a partnership with KeyBank as the lead donor. The company’s $2 million gift comes with naming rights, and the space will be named the KeyBank Discovery Theater.

Two Toledo buildings get tax credits toward rejuvenation Two Toledo buildings are among 28 structures being awarded $36 million in historic preservation tax credits from the state to help revitalize the structures and their surroundings. The Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit Program provides a state tax credit of up to 25 percent of expenses to help developers rehabilitate historic properties that are largely vacant and generating little benefit for their local economies.

University of Toledo earns grant for disease research The University of Toledo was awarded almost a half-million dollars to research methods to protect people against oral diseases. U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo) announced Thursday that UT’s Health Science campus, the former Medical College of Ohio, received $434,739 from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. The award is the first part of a five-year grant.

PHOTO GALLERY: Toledo's Ottawa Park lit up for holidays Toledoans celebrated the holiday tree lighting with a series of free festivities Sunday evening at Ottawa Park, including carriage rides, ice skating, s’mores, and a visit from Santa Claus. Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz, speaking before hitting the switch to light the evergreen tree, said this time of year reminds people ‘to have faith in things that we cannot see.’
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