Message from Mayor Kapszukiewicz |
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On August 24, 1814, sometime after 8 p.m., the British Army marched into Washington, D.C., and breached the U.S. Capitol during the War of 1812. Over the next 206 years, no enemy — foreign or domestic — was able to again overtake and seize that great symbol of American democracy.
Others tried, to be sure. On July 11, 1864, during the Civil War, the Confederate Army got to within six miles north of the Capitol, but Union forces at Fort Stevens turned the rebels back, and the Confederates could get no closer.
On September 11, 2001, the hijacked United Airlines Flight 93 was roughly 20 minutes flying time from crashing into the U.S. Capitol before heroic passengers overpowered al-Qaeda terrorists and downed the plane into a Pennsylvania field.
For over 206 years, the U.S. Capitol, the seat of American government, the cradle of the oldest democracy on earth, had sometimes been threatened — but never overtaken.
Until Wednesday.
January 6, 2021 will go down as one of the darkest days in American history.
By now, we’ve all seen the images. We all know what happened. And we all know who is to blame. There is no sense in re-stating the obvious.
My focus is this: Where do we go from here? What can each of us do, in our own daily lives, to try to achieve that more perfect Union that our Founders wrote about — but that now seems more distant and unachievable than ever?
My hope is that what happened Wednesday was a turning point. A moment in time where people of good faith, of all political perspectives, can agree that “enough is enough.”
Indeed, as members of the Cabinet and high-ranking White House officials continue to resign in disgust, and as long-time allies on Capitol Hill break ranks and speak out, there is a palpable sense that a line has finally been crossed. Let’s hope so.
Maybe what happened Wednesday is the beginning of an even more polarized era of American politics. But maybe what happened can be the breaking point that ushers in a period of healing.
The course our country takes, largely, will be up to us. We can’t cross our fingers and hope that the politicians in Washington will finally get their act together. If we do that, we’ll be waiting a long time. Rather, we need to lead by example in our own lives — turn the other cheek, seek compromise, listen more, fight less. It has to start with us. Each one of us.
America may, in fact, be more divided than any time since the Civil War. So it is fitting to reflect on how our leaders healed us after that awful conflict.
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The Civil War began one month after Abraham Lincoln took office, and it ended five days before he died. His entire presidency was consumed by the conflict, and the division that split our country in two. As the war came to an end, if there were ever someone who could be forgiven for wanting vengeance and retribution, it would be Lincoln.
And yet, here are the immortal words from his Second Inaugural Address, given about a month before his assassination: “With malice toward none, with charity for all ... let us strive ... to bind up the nation’s wounds ... to achieve a just and lasting peace amongst ourselves ...”
There’s a reason the people who attacked the Capitol are angry. Sure, they were misled and lied to about the election for months, but I think we all know their anger existed long before Election Day and its aftermath. Let’s listen to them. There’s a reason Black Lives Matter activists are angry. Let’s listen to them. There’s a reason so many people feel disconnected from the America they learned about in their grade school civics books. Let’s try to understand why.
As divided as we are, as imperfect as our Union may be, we are still the world’s best and oldest example of how a free people can govern themselves. That’s why what we do in the United States matters. That’s why it’s worth the effort and hard work to get it right. Because other countries do look at us for guidance and inspiration.
Ultimately, we have no choice. As Americans, it is our duty and responsibility to show the world that democracy can work. Why? So that, as Lincoln said in the greatest of his speeches, “government of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
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Despite the pandemic, there has been an unprecedented amount of investment throughout Toledo. |
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Just this week, the city sold the former Textileather and MedCorp properties to Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to build a $23 million, 250,000-square-foot vehicle customization facility that will employ more than 300 people to support Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Gladiator production for the Toledo Assembly Complex.
As WTVG 13 ABC reported this week, $2.2 billion in projects are currently underway or recently completed. That work is expected to create nearly 3,500 new jobs.
About 25 percent of those jobs are specific to downtown and the surrounding neighborhoods. Seventeen new businesses have issued announcements or opened in downtown Toledo. That includes eight new restaurants, seven retail/office users, and two new breweries.
Additionally, there are 1,079 new residential units planned for various parts of the city.
"The accolades and awards received in 2020 validate the city's hard work and it is paying off, but, we still have a lot of work to do," said Brandon Sehlhorst, commissioner of economic development. "We are continuing to connect businesses to resources as they recover from the pandemic. Businesses are redeveloping numerous abandoned industrial and commercial properties throughout our community and we are keeping our momentum of job-creation in Toledo."
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Toledo Public Utility Customers can report water meter readings by using the form at this link or calling 419-245-1800, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
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Toledo Regional Water Commission Meeting
There will be a Toledo Regional Water Commission meeting at 9 a.m., Monday, Jan. 11 through Zoom Webinar. The public may view the meeting at this link: https://toledo-oh-gov.zoom.us/j/88063284082, or call toll free, 888-204-5987, conference code 165882.
The city of Toledo supports the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, please contact the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, ADA coordinator, at 419-245-1198.
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2021 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Unity Celebration |
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The City of Toledo's Human Relations Commission and the University of Toledo will be co-hosting the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration beginning at 10 a.m. Monday, Jan. 18.
Join us at this link or on Facebook Live, facebook.com/cityoftoledo for a special virtual celebration featuring keynote speaker and author, Austin Channing Brown in celebration of Blackness and recognize the possibility of racial justice in organizations and communities.
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In addition, there will be community read events hosted by local organizations reading and discussing Austin Channing Brown’s NY Times bestselling book “I’m Still Here.” Please join one or more of the upcoming community reads:
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By The Numbers
(2020 totals)
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78,161 potholes filled
69,843 cubic yards of leaves collected
5.8 million pounds of debris cleared from streets with street sweepers
3.7 million pounds of debris cleared from alleys
348 water main breaks repaired
1,844,097 feet of sanitary sewers cleaned
12,546 feet of storm sewers cleaned
3,878 tons of salt used
1,542 trees trimmed
1,795 illegal signs removed
9,048 building inspections completed
3,903 contractor licenses issued
6,442 fire runs
52,263 EMS runs
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