Glass City Jungle

This in via e-mail from the office of Mayor Mike Bell:
Councilwoman Webb & Department of Public Service Hold Meeting on Point Place Dike
City continues to work to have dike recertified by federal agencies
Councilwoman Lindsay Webb and the City of Toledo Department of Public Service will host a meeting for Point Place residents affected by [...]

Erosion issues are starting at the land that was supposed to be the marina project. We have people in our community who need assistance when it comes to food and even the Department of Agriculture realizes the importance of urban agriculture. WTOL’s Bob Chirdon feels that Councilmen Joe McNamara and Mike Craig’s idea [...]

My “Shredding the Curtain” column, Patterns of precedents in this week’s Toledo Free Press is an attempt to raise awareness as to the precedent related to the City of Toledo paying the employee portion of the pension pick up. Some members of Toledo City Council have been advocating for having their own private legal [...]

More information will be following in the weeks to come, but the groundbreaking ceremony for Hollywood Casino – Toledo has been set for August 12 at 11:00 according to a media advisory sent out by Penn National Gaming.
Are you looking forward to the grand opening? One of those who hope to [...]

The video of what happened to Don RedFox when he was injured by Louie the elephant at the Toledo Zoo back on July 1 was released to the media today – most of our local media has a copy of the video on their websites, FOX Toledo as one example. Earlier today I received [...]

This in via e-mail from the office of Mayor Mike Bell as an FYI for readers of the Jungle:
Bell Joins Presentation Of Donation To Hospice Of Northwest Ohio
Ride For Dignity Provides Needed Funds to Support Hospice Services
Toledo Mayor Michael P. Bell will join representatives of Signature Harley Davidson to present a check to the [...]

All members were present – Appointments were done first:
Downtown Parking Authority
Kenneth P. Wood -requires a residency waiver – reappointment
Michael Brinker – reappointment
George Yakumithis – reappointment
Stephen Herwat replacing John Sherburne
Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority
Brian Bucher –requires a residency waiver reappointment
All members present voted yes to confirm.
Resolution – Recognize Toledo Ticket Co. 100th anniversary – Webb and Sarantou [...]

Short story is neither proposed charter change that would have allowed voters to decide how they felt about rules concerning pensions and employment is going to be before voters. There was a very lengthy discussion on this at the July 19 Toledo City Council Committee of the Whole, a brief summary of the discussion [...]

The Ohio Controlling Board (link) approved funding for 180 projects listed on their agenda for July 19. Six of the funding approval requests list Toledo, one lists Lucas County. Since some of you like more details about these projects than is shared in some of the releases sent out by elected officials, below [...]

The Ohio Controlling board released funding for 6 projects in Toledo, the below release from Ohio House Representative Edna Brown focuses on two of the projects one to the University of Toledo and one to Regional Growth Partnership and Launch Accelerating Technology:
Rep. Brown Announces $350K to Aid Growth & Expansion of Local Organizations
Funds to [...]

The environmental concern aspect of a recent oil spill at Heilman Ditch was referenced by Councilman Rob Ludeman at the July 13 agenda review, Councilman Collins shared some of what he knew at that time, Ludeman requested a referral from the administration as to more information about the contamination. WNWO reported on this story, [...]

The FTP server is back up, it’s new and improved – so before Council meets on Tuesday, July 20 some of the items discussed at Agenda Review:
Amend TMC to repeal Sec. 505.14 (vicious dogs) and enact new Ch. 1706 to address local dog issues
The administration made no recommendation on the changes to the TMC [...]

Reverend Donald Perryman and Lafe Tolliver focus on LeBron James in the Sojourner’s Truth, but the story I was drawn to this week is neither. While Perryman makes some relevant points about education, (link):
Yet the greater but least recognized insight emerging from “The Decision” is the lesson of economic independence. As we strive [...]

Recommended bio-type article by Christopher Kirkpatrick (link) for those of you interested in learning a bit more about Jerome Pecko, the new TPS Superintendent. Some of the challenges his former district faced are similar to ours, though TPS is much larger:
Summit County’s Springfield Local Schools, where he was superintendent from 2003 to 2007, couldn’t [...]

When I sat down last Wednesday to decide what I was going to focus on the “Shredding the Curtain” column I write for the Toledo Free Press each week, I had few different topics I could have focused on. The Maywood Project caught my attention since it’s been something I’d been following when [...]

This in via e-mail from Jodie Tienvieri, Communications Manager Greater Toledo Area Chapter American Red Cross. I’m really excited about being a judge for the second year in a row on Sunday:
Full Slate of Entertainment and Activities Announced for Third Annual Smoke on the Water – Ribs for the Red Cross
The third-annual Columbia [...]

After writing Looking through the windshield in the Toledo Free Press that came out Sunday, the thoughts that inspired that column are still with me. As I wrote at the time, it really didn’t matter which superintendent candidate TPS selected, the question raised in my mind by the comment made by Tom Watkins exists [...]

This in via e-mail:
Friday’s Rally By The River Promises a Good Time for a Good Cause
Ever since it was reintroduced to Toledo’s nightlife scene, the Rally by the River has been getting a lot of attention.
What some people might not know, however, is that the performances at the Rallies benefit some very special local [...]

This in from the State of Ohio and the office of Mayor Mike Bell:
Intermodal Yard Upgrade Gets Underway in Toledo
$12.29-Million Dollar Project Gets Go-Ahead from ORDC
Columbus ( Tuesday, July 13, 2010) – Toledo’s role as a freight distribution point for the Midwest soon will be strengthened. An almost $12.3-million dollar project to expand [...]

Zoo officials are still not sure why Louie attacked Don RedFox, the story has brought the debate over elephants being kept in Zoos into the pages of the daily paper – (link). One of the interesting parts of the debate revolves around “free contact” and “protected contact” — the Toledo Zoo uses both but [...]

I understand the symbolic gesture that is the motivation behind Toledo City Councilman Adam Martinez’s resolution, the text of which was shared here before (link). Since the City’s FTP server is still down, I have not yet listened to the three hours worth of audio to determine what was said at the committee meeting [...]

Referring to certain groups within our community as “pimps” has created attention in the past, (link) but the headline of this blog post is the title of an article in this week’s Sojourner’s Truth by Rev. Donald Perryman — Pimpin’ The Game II: Black Leaders and Leading Blacks. I recommend reading it in full [...]

The following received via e-mail from District 5 Councilman Tom Waniewski – if you want to subscribe to the newsletter to receive the information first hand and view the pictures that are included – click here
I-475 Construction Affects Douglas Rd. Ramps
West Toledo will be affected by construction again putting a strain on traffic entering and [...]

This in via e-mail from Jodie Tienvieri, Communications Manager Greater Toledo Area Chapter of the American Red Cross:
Famous Dave’s Pulled Pork Eating Contest Slated for Smoke on the Water Ribs for the Red Cross
Always hungry?
Asking for thirds while others struggle to finish their entre?
Ever been referred to as a bottomless pit?
The Famous Dave’s Pulled [...]

I’m hearing that Tom Watkins has withdrawn his name for consideration for Superintendent. More details as they come in on this breaking story…
FOX Toledo confirms – (link)

This in via e-mail from the office of Mayor Mike Bell:
Bell Joins Supporters to Encourage Help for Disaster Victims
Mayor Michael P. Bell will join the Lake Township Relief Fund committee at a press conference at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, July 8 at Metcalf Field to encourage help for victims of the June tornadoes. [...]

This in via e-mail from the City of Toledo:
City To Introduce New Bike Trail & Park
Free to ride, free to the city
Mountain bike riders and trail enthusiasts will soon have a local outlet to enjoy off-road biking. Toledo Free Ride is a volunteer organization dedicated to bringing both a quality mountain bike trail [...]

Unfortunately the City Council FTP server has been down for several days, this is how I am able to listen and to transcribe audio from Toledo City Council Committee meetings, Agenda Review and Council meetings as well as view the Friday packets that are sent to members of Council each week and legislation.
There’s [...]

The following guest post was written by Dr. Edmund B. Lingan to share with readers of the Jungle. I welcome him to the blogosphere and hope you support what he is trying to accomplish:
I would like to introduce my new blog, Midwest Theatre Review midwesttheatre.wordpress.com. I am a professor in [...]

13abc reports on a story (link) covered back in February 2010 (link).
David Millhoan, Sr was the commissioner of the S.T.A.R.S. League (South Toledo Area Recreation Society) and the coach for the Colts team, which recruited players from Jones Jr. High and the Jones elementary feeder schools. He was indicted on nine charges, 3 [...]