Glass City Jungle

This in via e-mail from the Lucas County Dog Warden Advisory Committee
What: The Lucas County Dog Warden Advisory Committee will give the Lucas County commissioners a presentation about their recommendations for improving the dog warden’s office.
Where: One Government Center, Commissioners Chambers, 1st Floor.
When: 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, October 20, 2009.

This chart in via e-mail from Councilman Frank Szollosi, I’ve screen shotted it as an image below, as always click on it for a larger image, right click to open in another tab/window for an even larger view.
“George Sarantou and Rob Ludeman are just as culpable for these numbers as Mayor Carty Finkbeiner” is also [...]

This in via e-mail from the office of Mayor Carty Finkbeiner
Update on Route 66 Bar
Today, the City of Toledo appeared in Court regarding the complaint for injunctive relief and TRO for Route 66 Bar. The Judge set the hearing date for December 7, 2009 and the owner agreed that the bar would remain closed, [...]

This in via e-mail from the Wilkowski for Mayor campaign:
Keith Wilkowski Statement on Finkbeiner Letter Urging Tax Increases
TOLEDO – Today, Democratic Mayoral Candidate Keith Wilkowski issued the following statement in response to Mayor Carty Finkbeiner’s letter urging tax increases:
“In seeking to increase the tax burden on middle class families, Mayor Finkbeiner is demonstrating [...]

This in via e-mail from the Bell for Mayor campaign:
Mike Bell previews his first 90 days if elected as part of second Fire House Chat
The first 90 days in office for Mike Bell would focus on creating jobs, keeping the city safe, and getting the budget under control – the three most important issues [...]

I recommend taking the time to read the pdf of the letter that the Mayor has sent to all of Council and the two mayoral candidates.
Here’s part of it:
To: Michael Bell
Keith Wilkowski
President of City Council Joe McNamara
Members of City Council
Dear Mike:
In recent days I have read that both candidates for Mayor are opposed to [...]

The Columbus Dispatch’s Joe Hallett pens an imaginary conversation that he thinks should take place if Issue 3 passes in Ohio that involves Governor Ted Strickland and Ohio Republican Senate President Bill M. Harris,
It’s worth a read and some reflection..

Recommended article from the Columbus Dispatch on Issue 2, link that references a Findlay Courier article, link that says in part:
Ohio Supreme Court Justice Maureen O’Connor said Thursday that State Issue 2 is an “inappropriate use” of a constitutional amendment.
O’Connor took time to answer questions about State Issue 2 after speaking to the Hancock County [...]

This in via e-mail from Michael Veh of The Source of Northwest Ohio:
Lucas County Announces New Program For Businesses
TOLEDO, OH – The Lucas County Workforce Development Agency (LCWDA) is launching a new program designed to help businesses and workers by providing training funds made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
Project HIRE [...]

Shortly after the primary it was announced that Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur as well as the Lucas County Democratic Party endorsed Keith Wilkowski for Mayor, yesterday a press conference was held at St. Hedwig’s Church where Congresswoman Kaptur spoke publicly for the first time in support of Wilkowski and was joined by several other women elected [...]

Around the same time frame that it was being reported that Kroger was planning on closing the Manhattan location here in Toledo, Kroger had announced it was closing a store in Delaware, Ohio. Some residents there have expressed interest in the store staying open, and incentives are being considered according to NBC4 in Delaware.
It’s [...]

I recommend reading the story at the Columbus Dispatch since there is quite a bit of material including, video and photos in addition to the story. Having covered the trial, in enough detail that a separate blog was created just to cover it, I know our community is still mixed as to there are [...]

Ohio Democratic Party State Central Committeeman District 2 Michael Friedman was in attendance at today’s quarterly meeting of the Ohio Democratic Party State Central Committee. After the meeting concluded, I spoke with him via phone. Friedman reported that he was the committee person who made the motion to endorse Issue 1 that was [...]

The shooting at Route 66 is still getting public attention beyond the fact that two men have been charged. When I watched FOX Toledo’s coverage of local ministers met in the parking lot this part caught my attention:

The church leaders met in the parking lot of that bar Thursday afternoon. They say what happened [...]

I was at work Thursday when the whole “boy in the balloon” caught many people’s attention as the national news and other news stations hurried to show the video of a balloon that they believed a six year old boy was in. As it was described being over 1,000 feet in the air, I [...]

FOX Toledo has coverage on Issue 3 before City Council today. It’s a great summary for what took place at today’s Committee of the Whole meeting. Below are some notes I took from the audio of today’s Committee of the Whole.
Former Supreme Court Justice Andy Douglas is the person who spoke [...]

Back on September 30th, I wrote about what was then expected to be a fairly quick process where the Governor would announce who would be the appointee for the 6th District Court of Appeals seat that was open because of the death of Judge Skow. In that post concern was expressed about the process [...]

This in via e-mail from the Governor’s Office:
Governor’s Statement on House Bill to Protect Education and Balance Budget
Columbus, OH – Governor Ted Strickland today issued the following statement in response to the introduction of legislation in the Ohio House of Representatives to protect Ohio schools from $851 million in cuts by freezing income tax [...]

This in via e-mail from Ohio Jobs & Growth Committee:
CLEAN SWEEP:
FIREFIGHTERS’ UNIONS IN ALL FOUR CASINO HOST CITIES SUPPORT STATE ISSUE 3
– Tax revenue for local communities would improve public safety, unions say –
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Oct. 16 – Local unions representing firefighters in all four of the cities that would host casinos in Ohio [...]

This in via e-mail from the Willkowski for Mayor campaign:
Wilkowski Receives Four New Labor Endorsements
Unions Continue to Stand Behind Keith Wilkowski
TOLEDO – This week, Democratic candidate for Mayor, Keith Wilkowski received the backing of four local labor unions. OAPSE/AFSCME Local 4, Sheet Metal Workers Local 33, National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 100 and [...]

This sent in via e-mail from TruthPAC, there was no link to the polling information, I’ll try to update later with more specifics:
SUPPORT FOR CASINO ISSUE TAKES DRAMATIC DROP
ISSUE 3 NOW WITHIN THE MARGIN OF ERROR
YOUNGSTOWN — A new statewide poll shows support for Issue 3 with a razor-thin margin and shows it is [...]

This in via e-mail from Ohio Jobs & Growth Committee:
Pro-Casino Group Comes Up Winner At Ohio Elections Commission
An Ohio Elections Commission panel today found probable cause that opponents of a casino issue on the Nov. 3 ballot have made false statements about the proposal.
The panel ruled 3-0 in favor of the Ohio Jobs & [...]

WTOL put the press release up at 8:59 a.m. Toledo Free Press reports Stolarczyk resigns from Port Authority; Toth appointed at 9:01 a.m. FOX Toledo follows at 9:20 a.m. WTVG at 9:21 a.m. The Blade also has a article up time stamped as “updated” at 9:28. NBC24 did not yet have a [...]

For those who missed it or want to watch it again, link to FOX Toledo.
I thought some of the answers to the poll question on the live blogging here were interesting. You can also “re-play” that by clicking the link for that below.
Today’s Blade has an article written by Tom [...]

This in via e-mail from the Bell for Mayor campaign:
Bell Calls Wilkowski Claims Misleading, Desperate
Reacting to a press release issued Wednesday night from the Keith Wilkowski campaign, Mayoral Candidate Mike Bell called it “unfortunate” and said that Wilkowski is “desperate enough to mislead the people of Toledo. Clearly some of our comments are [...]

his in via e-mail from the City of Toledo:
The City of Toledo’s 2009 PUMPKINARAMA will be held on Saturday, October 24, 2009 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Liz Person Shelter House in Ottawa Park off Kenwood Blvd.
Activities Include:
- Horse Drawn Carriage Rides
- DJ
- Pumpkins
- Bounce Ride
- Treats
Pumpkinarama is an annual community [...]

This in via e-mail from the Wilkowski for Mayor campaign:
Bell Confuses Rhetoric with Reality During Debate
Continues To Claim It Isn’t The Mayor’s Responsibility To Create Jobs
TOLEDO – Mike Bell’s rhetoric during tonight’s debate contradicted his actual record on taxes and job creation. While Bell claimed that he never said he would raise taxes, he [...]

Here is where the live blogging will be done, those of you who have access to television can watch this live on FOX Toledo and follow along with me here. The event starts at 5:00 p.m. but I’ll probably start covering around 4:30 to make sure everything is working properly before it formally begins. [...]

I saw this last night on FOX Toledo but was working on something else last night so this my first chance to post this. It seems there is some mystery substance leaking from the site of the proposed Toledo casino site that the Ohio EPA is looking into. What’s interesting despite the subtitle [...]

This in via e-mail from the Wilkowski for Mayor campaign:
AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY AND RELIGIOUS LEADERS ENDORSE KEITH WILKOWSKI FOR MAYOR OF TOLEDO
Toledo, OH – Tomorrow, October 15, at 10 a.m., African American community and religious leaders will announce their endorsement of Democratic Mayoral Candidate Keith Wilkowski. Confirmed attendees include: District 4 Councilman and past [...]