Message from Mayor Kapszukiewicz
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I want to thank Gov. Mike DeWine for his State of the State remarks regarding Ohio’s crumbling roads and dangerous bridges, the serious addiction epidemic, and the need to address the toxic algae blooms that have threatened Lake Erie for years.
I strongly urge the state to include accountability, rather than just spending, in our fight to protect Lake Erie. During the last administration, Ohio spent more than $3 billion with very little to show for it. Accountability is the essential ingredient because if we are going to spend more money without accountability, we might as well just burn it in the backyard. The governor clearly understands the threat to our drinking water.
I also want to thank the governor for choosing to invest in infrastructure. His plan to raise the Ohio gas tax by 18 cents will help fix streets and bridges that have been neglected for years because of past funding cuts. The governor called the gas tax proposal a ‘minimalist approach,’ needed to fix the most serious problems as soon as possible. A drive through any of Ohio’s major cities, including Toledo, shows the urgent need to fix our infrastructure problem.
I am also grateful Governor DeWine announced the creation of a new public health fund that will use public and private dollars on treatment and prevention programs. Local communities need help to support treatment and recovery programs for children and adults suffering from mental illness and addiction.
Finally this week, I encourage everyone to watch for more details on
“Take it off, Toledo,”
an initiative we will be launching soon to encourage Toledoans to lose a collective one million pounds. The program is modeled after a similar effort in Oklahoma City. We are going to try and help people make better choices and live longer, healthier lives. This is not at all about vanity or what fashion magazines say we should look like, because Toledoans are beautiful just as they are. We are going to do this together, and I’m going to do this, too, because the stats are troubling when it comes to the health of the citizens of our community. This is about feeling better and living longer.
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Site Selection Magazine for the second consecutive year
ranked Toledo third in the nation
for economic development among mid-size cities, Mayor Kapszukiewicz and Regional Growth Partnership officials announced this week.
The national magazine released its 2018 Governor’s Cup Awards. Toledo outperformed Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati, according to the magazine.
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Economic development projects stretched across Toledo last year and involved a wide range of businesses. Highlights from 2018 include Credit Adjustments, Inc., Topia Production America, and Hometown Foods.
Site Selection's analyses are regarded by corporate real estate analysts as “the industry scoreboard.”
The mayor was joined by economic development leaders from Defiance, Tiffin, Fremont, and Bucyrus during a news conference at the National Museum of the Great Lakes.
“We have had amazing job growth in our city over a number of years,” Mayor Kapszukiewicz said. “Recognition for Toledo’s economic development success should go to the businesses that decided Toledo is a great place to invest and our partners, including the Regional Growth Partnership, Lucas County, JobsOhio. We continue to strive to be number one.”
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The city and the Ohio Department of Transportation District 2 will partner next week to repave portions of the Anthony Wayne Trail.
The work will start March 13, weather permitting. The two right inbound (northbound) lanes from Copland Boulevard to Glendale Avenue will be closed beginning March 12.
City crews will begin milling and paving the center lane from Copland to Sherwood Avenue while ODOT crews mill and pave the center and curb lanes from Sherwood to Glendale. The work is expected to last until early the following week – about March 18-19.
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The Nautical Mile concept is a 5-mile, multi-use recreational path that connects the parks and neighborhoods along both the east and west banks of the Maumee River from the Craig Street Bridge to the Anthony Wayne Bridge and Middlegrounds Metropark.
This video
was released during the State of the City.
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The city of Toledo will host six infrastructure program
meetings – one in each of the six Council Districts. The meetings will be held as followed:
- District 3 - 6 p.m., March 13 at the East Toledo Family Center, 1020 Varland Ave.
- District 4 - 6 p.m., March 14 at the Toledo Police Patrolman’s Association, 1947 Franklin Ave.
- District 1 - 6 p.m., March 18 at Grace Church, 3700 Dorr St.
- District 6 - 6 p.m., March 21 at Friendship Park Community Center, 2930 131st St.
- District 5 - 6 p.m., March 28 at Christ Presbyterian Church, 4225 West Sylvania Ave.
The District 2 meeting was held March 7. Please contact the division of engineering services at 419-936-2275 for more details.
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Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments Public Transportation Meetings
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“On the Move: 2045 Transportation Plan – Update 2020" is the update of the Toledo region’s long-range transportation plan. The plan is the prioritized list of projects, initiatives, and policies that will guide transportation investments in the Toledo metropolitan area (Lucas and Wood counties in Ohio, and southern Monroe County in Michigan). The meetings will be:
- 6 to 8 p.m., March 14 at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza, 300 Martin Luther King Jr Dr.
- 6:30 to 8 p.m., April 1 at the Sanger Branch Library, 3030 Central Ave.
- 6:30 to 8 p.m., April 11 at the Adelante Center, 520 Broadway.
All of the meetings are free and no registration is required. Everyone is invited to fill out a needs survey at
www.tmacog.org/onthemove/
.
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Toledo Lucas County Public Library
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Toledo Police Athletic League
Toledo PAL's 2019 Baseball starts April 30.
We need children ages 9-12. Games are 6 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at Scott Part Field.
Visit
toledopal.com
or call Officer Darrington at 419-450-6074 to register.
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By The Numbers
(year to date)
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13,970
potholes filled
94
water main breaks repaired
285,820
feet of sanitary sewers cleaned
4,495
feet of storm sewers cleaned
1,180
fire runs
9,186
EMS runs
27,890
tons of salt used for 2018-19 season
57,977
cubic yards of leaves collected during 2018-19 program
1,522
building inspections
1,294
contractor licenses
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Mayor Kapszukiewicz presented the Key to the City to the family of the late
Rev. I.J. Johnson,
senior pastor of the church he founded 63 years ago.
Pastor Johnson, who died last year, was previously presented the Key to the City.
The key was displayed in his church at 1419 N. Detroit Ave., but it was lost when the building was destroyed by fire in January, 2014.
"It is an honor to bestow the Key to the City once again to Pastor Johnson and to replace the key that was lost in the fire that destroyed his church," Mayor Kapszukiewicz said. "He was a leader in the faith community and beyond."
In 2008, Toledo City Council honored Pastor Johnson, then known as the dean of central city pastors, by designating Detroit Avenue at Fernwood Avenue as “Rev. I.J. Johnson Way.”
Betty Johnson, Pastor Johnson's wife; Jessie Wilson, his sister in-law; and the Rev. Curley Johnson, his son, accepted the key during a brief ceremony this week.
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Toledo In The News
The 52: Botanical Garden remains Toledo's best-kept secret
It really doesn’t make much sense. How could a place so full of history and beauty remain such a mystery to even residents of its city? The reasons to explore it are many, from its nationally respected plant collections to hosting a well-known festival to serving as the home base to a number of artists and community organizations. But the Toledo Botanical Garden remains a hidden jewel in the Glass City.
$2.3 million grant to aid local LMHA residents
Federal officials announced Friday new funding to benefit Lucas Metropolitan Housing Authority residents. A Housing and Urban Development program, Jobs Plus Initiative, connects public housing residents with employment and services on their way to better-paying jobs. The local grant totals $2.3 million.
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There will be no Toledo Friday News next week
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