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How to vote in 2024

By
Paula Wethington
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0
Lucas Zielinksi, with Turning Point USA, hands Amelia Mathkour, a music, business and tech major at Owens Community College, a pamphlet about voting registration. Zielinksi said he was on campus for the day to help students register to vote. (TFP Photo/Lori King)

Lucas County Board of Elections explains voting details, process

Toledo – With Election Day a month away, preparations are in full swing at the Lucas County Board of Elections office.

“We’re up and running and getting everything ready,” said Timothy Monaco, deputy director of the elections office. “It’s a wonderful time. It’s important to exercise your right to vote.”

Logistics that the staff and officers have been handling for weeks on behalf of Lucas County’s 303 voting precincts include preparing ballots, training precinct election officials, and getting early voting dates and times posted on their website.

Monaco said the most commonly asked question from voters during the past couple of weeks has been when absentee ballots will arrive in the mail. 

Here’s the answer: Ohio voters can look for the absentee ballots starting Oct. 8, which is one day after registration ends for the Nov. 5 election.

The Lucas County Board of Elections staff doesn’t give predictions on voter turnout, Monaco said. But, according to state election records, 67 percent of registered Lucas County voters participated in the 2020 presidential election, and 66 percent did so in the 2016 presidential election. This participation includes absentee voting, early in-person voting and traditional Election Day voting.

Those choices are meant to help all eligible voters participate, whether they prefer going in person to a local polling site or to cast a ballot before they travel out of town.

“It’s important to make your plan as to who you are going to vote for,” Monaco said. “Make sure you make a plan and know what is on your ballot.”

While the presidential campaign is the key race of the Nov. 5 election, there are also races in Lucas County for local judges and city officials. For those who want to see the list ahead of time, ballot proofs are available for review on the election board’s website.

“Ballots will be three pages for everyone and four pages for some,” Monaco said.

While some people remember how they wish to vote when going to the polls, others find it helpful to bring paper notes or refer to a list on their phone, Monaco said. “Some folks really come prepared,” he said.

“It’s also important to be respectful at the location,” he added, referring to an Ohio law that prohibits photos of marked ballots. “We do ask that you limit cell phone use at the ballot.”

Many other election details are explained at lucascountyohiovotes.gov.

Election calendar

Key dates for the November 5 election:

  • Military and overseas civilian voting: Started Sept. 20.
  • Voter registration deadline: 9 p.m. Oct. 7.
  • Early in-person voting season: Oct. 8.-Nov. 3.
  • Absentee ballot postmark deadline: Nov. 4.
  • Election Day: Nov. 5.

CAMPUS TALK

OWENS COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS SOUND OFF ABOUT VOTING

Question: How important is voting to you?

Oliver Odendahl
James Johnson
Nivant Dawson
Sydney Stanley
David Case III

Voting is not my main concern, but it is pretty important because it is the future of America and I would like to have a say in what is gonna be my future. I usually try to vote on voting day, if I can’t I’ll do the absentee ballot.

Oliver Odendahl | EMT Major | Tontogany Resident

I am not a registered voter. If I was to lie to you I’d say yes. But honestly, I don’t have enough time … it’s not really a main priority, even though it should be. I do plan on voting at some point, maybe when I’m in my adult phase. Even though I’m not a registered voter I do think voting is important because it basically determines the society and the rules and regulations we live by.

James Johnson | Broadcast Media Technology Major | Toledo Resident

I’d say voting is very important. There’s certain aspects of it that do feel sort of depressing, when you think about it, because a lot of people would say people voting normally wouldn’t matter because of a small majority in the Electoral College – their votes matter 100 times more than your own. That’s what it feels like at least from what I know. It does feel a little degrading knowing that’s going to happen.

Nivant Dawson | Business Major | Toledo Resident

I think voting is important, but I’m not exactly sure why it’s important. I mean, there’s a lot of things that come from it. You’re voting for someone that you’re putting your trust and you’re faith into to guide us all in the right direction, but we just all don’t know what that direction is yet. So, we’re just kind of free-balling it, in a way. So, I don’t know … I’ve never voted before but this will be interesting. I really don’t know what all is involved. I just have a lot to learn about voting – like what I should be looking for in the leader I’m going to be voting for. So, yeah, it’s coming up soon. There’s a lot to learn.

Sydney Stanley | Chemistry Major | Millbury Resident

Voting is very important, especially in this day and age, when everything’s going on.

David Chase III | Literature Major | Toledo Resident
Registration details

Ohio voters must be registered by 9 p.m. Oct. 7 to be eligible to vote in the Nov. 5 election.

Residents can register to vote, look up voter registration, change their address, find an early voting location, look up Election Day polling location or track an absentee ballot at VoteOhio.gov.

Photo ID requirement

Bring your photo ID when voting. The options are:

- Current Ohio driver’s license or State of Ohio ID card.

- Interim ID form issued by Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

- U.S. passport or U.S. passport card.

- U.S. military ID card, Ohio National Guard ID card or U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ID card.

A registered voter who has changed his or her name since the photo ID was issued will need to show proof of legal name change and sign a form. A photo ID card can show a former address if a current address is on file with the voting records. If you forget a photo ID, you can request a provisional ballot. 

How to vote absentee

An absentee ballot in Ohio needs to be requested, signed, dated and submitted for each election. Military personnel and civilian overseas voters can file one application for all elections happening in a given year.

The application asks for the number on your Ohio driver’s license or Ohio ID card, last four digits of your social security number, or a photocopy of other eligible ID such as a U.S. passport or military ID.

Mailed absentee ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 4 and can be hand delivered to the Board of Elections on Nov. 5.

Additional instructions are on the Ohio Secretary of State’s website.

In-person early voting

Ohio’s in-person early voting season begins Oct. 8 and ends Nov. 3. 

The Lucas County Early Vote Center is at 3737 W. Sylvania Ave. Suite 121 Entrance C (at the rear of the Lucas County Board of Elections building) in west Toledo.

Voting times and dates can be found at LucasCountyOhioVotes.gov.

Election Day voting

Polling sites are open in Ohio from 6:30-7:30 p.m. on Nov. 5. You can look up your polling location at VoteOhio.Gov.

What’s on the ballot?

A “ballot proof” is available for review on the Lucas County Board of Elections page. It lists candidates and ballot issues by precinct, so voters know what to expect.

For example: Six president/vice president candidate teams have declared in Ohio, with an additional write-in option available. Other candidate races include U.S. Senator, Lucas County Sheriff and openings on Toledo City Council.

Ohio Issue 1 is a proposed state constitutional amendment that has gained a lot of attention. This issue, if approved, would designate a redistricting commission to draw state legislative and congressional districts.

There are other issues locally, such as a proposed bond issue for the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library and a tax renewal request from the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority.

Are ballot “selfies” allowed?

Ohio does not permit photos to be taken of a marked ballot. It’s actually a fifth-degree felony should that take place, according to Ohio law.

The “I Voted” Sticker

A traditionally popular way to showcase voter participation is through an “I voted” sticker, picked up on Election Day at the polling site.

Ohio’s current “I Voted” sticker design was adopted in 2019 through a student art contest. A red squiggle depicts a map of Ohio, nestled in a blue circle outline, with the phrase “Ohio Voted.”

Voters are invited to download the image to share on social media at the Ohio Secretary of State website. That website also has also a “future voter” coloring page for children available for download.

Is campaigning allowed at election sites?

Ohio does not allow election campaigning, also known as electioneering, within 100 feet of a voting site. This means no campaigning messages on attire such as shirts or hats, Monaco said.

Two small United States flags are placed at each voting site to designate the “neutral” zone where this applies. 

Where is the Board of Elections office?

If you need to visit the Lucas County Board of Elections regarding a voting matter, that office moved about two years ago from its former location at One Government Center to 3737 W. Sylvania Road in West Toledo.

When are election numbers official?

Ballots cast on Election Day will be delivered in person to the Lucas County Board of Elections for the counting procedures.

There will be numbers reported after that count is complete. 

The Ohio Secretary of State does not consider voter counts to be official until two or three weeks later, after provisional ballots are accounted for and to give time for absentee ballots to arrive that met the postmark deadline.

The Humorists

By
Don Lee
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Editorial cartoon by Don Lee for the Toledo Free Press.

Public forum focuses on I-475 project

By
Lori King
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Toledo city council member Theresa Morris asks Jason Watson, transportation roadway team leader for Mannik Smith Group, how much property will be taken from homeowners during the I-475 expansion.

Commissioners, council members hold first hybrid meeting

Story and photos by Lori King

TOLEDO – To hear community feedback on a proposed 4-year, $217,000,000 I-475 improvement project, Lucas County commissioners and Toledo city council members held a special hybrid committee meeting inside council chambers at One Government Center.

It was the first time these two government entities sat side by side during a public forum.

The Nov. 18 joint meeting focused on the proposal by the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) to reconstruct approximately 4.5 miles of West I-475, from Douglas Rd. to U.S. 23. Details of the project, slated to begin in the summer of 2027, include reconstructing the pavement and infrastructure, correcting deficiencies, such as curbs and under drains, and adding lanes.

Lucas County commissioner Pete Gerken tells ODOT officials that the company has a reputation of not following through on promises, and the community remembers those broken promises.
Patrick McColley, ODOT District 2 deputy director, justifies expanding West I-475 during a joint public hearing with Lucas County commissioners and Toledo city council members.

The meeting began with presentations from two speakers: Pat McColley, ODOT District 2 deputy director, who claims the widening project will lesson congestion and improve safety, and Peggy Daly-Masternak, coordinator for the I-475 Neighborhoods Coalition, who vehemently opposes it.

Before introducing McColley, commissioner Pete Gerken stated that the purpose of the public forum was to “hear voices on both sides of this very important project, from ODOT and the citizens who’ve been very organized and very vocal.”

Gerken said one of the things he promised during conversations he had in West Toledo and in his office was to hold a public hearing on the issue, “and we are keeping that promise tonight. I think it’s appropriate public policy.”

Gerken noted this was an opportunity for ODOT and residents to be in the same room at the same time, and that it was “not run by you, not run by them, but by the representative government body.”

First up to give testimony was McColley, backed by a team of staff, engineers and consultants. He started out by saying that when you look at projects like this, one of the things to consider is interstate reconstruction, which hasn’t been done since the 1960s.

He said it’s not just about widening I-475, but also replacing water and sewer lines; reconstructing pavement and under drains; expanding ramp lengths; fixing curves, shoulders and sight distance issues; and even making it safer and less difficult for law enforcement to monitor and enforce traffic in that narrow corridor of highway.

“All of that will be corrected with this project,” McColley said.

He emphasized that no houses would be taken, which was a main concern brought up by several council members, including Mac Driscoll, Theresa Morris and Theresa Gadus; however, there will be limited strip takes for about 30 properties.

Council member Mac Driscoll, an urban planner, questions ODOT’s Patrick McColley about neighborhood concerns.
Toledo city council member Theresa Morris asks Jason Watson, transportation roadway team leader for Mannik Smith Group, how much property will be taken from homeowners during the I-475 expansion.

McColley said that because of public recommendations, ODOT will institute a tree program to make the area better environmentally, connect communities with two bridge caps, and add multiuse paths and sidewalks where none currently exists.

He then showed a PowerPoint before taking questions from commissioners and council members.

Nearly 90 minutes into the meeting, McColley vacated his seat for Daly-Masternak, who arrived with a few dozen supporters of her own.

Peggy Daly-Masternak delivers her dissent against the interstate expansion.

Daly-Masternak started out by saying, “I truly tell you there is a commitment here on the part of the neighborhoods and other citizens to oppose this, and it’s growing.”

She added that Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz opposed it in a letter he wrote to ODOT in 2023. “He said, ‘This project is a solution in desperate need of a problem.’ It’s worse. The expressway is a nonproblem. ODOT’s solution creates far greater problems.”

She went on to list a few of the “significant harms” that would befall the people who live nearby:

  • The use of “precious” tax dollars that could be “well spent” on so many other things.
  • Climate concerns. “The entire project is in the historically rare Oak Openings region. The Nature Conservancy has said the Oak Openings region is one of the 200th last great places in America, and the entire footprint of the project will continue to decimate what’s already been decimated. It makes no sense.”
  • Not looking at alternatives to economic investments, which should be returned back to the City of Toledo and Lucas County.
  • The continuation of structural inequities. “The inequities began when interstates were first built to connect one city to the next … but were never supposed to be beltways, let alone ripped through cities that were red line districts and immigrant working class neighborhoods. Why would we continue those structural inequities by expanding I-475?”

Daly-Masternak told the commissioners and council members that “this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to rethink what all damaging highways do. If this gets built, you will not be able to un-ring that bell.

“I really look at the critical importance of everybody who is sitting here, who has the opportunity, whether you can be the decision maker or not – you can definitely pass resolutions because city after city after city are standing up and opposing highways by their elected officials.”

After her presentation, which also included a PowerPoint, citizens took to the podium to voice their opposition or support for the I-475 expansion.

Toledoan Rick Baum opposes the I-475 expansion project. He is a member of the I-475 Neighborhoods Coalition.

“First, we don’t oppose the reconstruction; if the freeway is ending its useful life at its base, that’s fine,” reasoned Rick Baum. “We oppose the widening of it. We just want to be clear about that.

“We talked about congestion … it’s shown in that data that it’s laughable on its face. The director points to some projections of increased traffic. I don’t know where that’s coming from, given the decrease in population,” Baum said.

Other citizens who opposed the project brought up concerns regarding climate chaos and global warming; tree removal; sound walls that make more noise, not less; putting citizens deeper into car dependency; neighborhood segregation and inequity; and taxpayer money for the maintenance upkeep of a wider highway.

In support of the project was Brian Dicken, vice president of Advocacy and Strategic Initiatives for the Toledo Chamber of Commerce.

Sitting in the front row are ODOT staff, consultants and engineers who attended the Nov. 18 public forum.

“On behalf of the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce, which represents nearly 2,000 businesses across the region and employs nearly 120,000 people, many of which are your constituents, I’m asking that you support this project, not because it’s an economic development project, because it absolutely is … it’s about safety.”

Dicken told the story of when he was heading west on I-475 a couple of weeks ago, and there was an major accident in the east bound lanes.

“As I moved through and saw the congestion and the backup on the eastbound lanes, there were emergency vehicles stuck in traffic. You can only imagine – what if we had broader shoulders and a third lane to make it easier for people to get the help they need in cases like that?” he asked.

“I often hear from my colleagues who live in the Sylvania area, ‘Hey, we’re going to be late because backups on 475.’ This isn’t once every six months; this happens on a regular basis,” he said.

“This is also about reconnecting our neighborhoods that got split 60 years ago. So, with the bridge caps and what we’ve seen with the green spaces, it makes them more walkable, more bike-able, and I think that’s a goal we’ve been talking about for a long time in Toledo.

“So, as we improve our infrastructure and reconnect our neighborhoods, we have an opportunity maybe to do something about these projections that we’ve heard (about),” Dicken said. “Start to increase our population and get back to the community we’ve all been striving for for 20 and 30 years.”

Dicken added that the project will create jobs for our region; provide Toledo significant income tax revenue that can be used toward other projects within the community; and generate sales and hotel tax for the county to help with their projects.

“Again, support this because it’s not just economic development; this is community development, and that’s what we all should be striving for,” he pleaded.

Jason Watson, Transportation Roadway team leader for the Mannik Smith Group, explains how noise walls could be added during Phase II of the I-475 expansion.

In a phone interview with the Toledo Free Press several days after the Nov. 18 joint session, McColley said he thought the public forum went well.

“I think we were able to properly explain and articulate the reasons why we’re looking to do this. It’s good for the city and the county, and for the elected bodies that represent both to understand what we’re trying to do.

“I don’t know that everybody fully understood what we are trying to do, as well as what our processes are,” Dickens said. “I think the public input, though, has been valuable and very important as far as what we want to see out of this.”

This was the fourth public hearing ODOT has attended for this project; the first was back in 2020. And it might not be the last.

To view ODOT details, go to ODOT PROJECTS.
Related: Op-Ed by Peggy Daly-Masternak

The Humorists

By
Steven J Athanas
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Bad homophone cartoon by Steven J Athanas for the Toledo Free Press.

Children and antibiotics

By
Carrie Baker
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(Stock Image/Adobe Stock)

When antibiotics are needed and when they are not

Parents are often very confused on why an antibiotic is not prescribed when their child is clearly ill. Here are the common questions or statements I often hear in my practice:

  1. I took my child to the urgent care/emergency room, and they were diagnosed with a virus but not put on an antibiotic.
  2. My child has a really bad cold. Why will you not prescribe an antibiotic?
  3. The nose is draining green now, so they need an antibiotic.
  4. Can we just give an antibiotic to prevent this turning into a bacterial infection?

So, why are antibiotics prescribed? Antibiotics are given for bacterial illnesses, which include the following: strep throat caused by Group A Streptococcus; walking pneumonia caused mycoplasma pneumoniae; and UTI’s caused by E.coli. These are some of the more common bacterial infections we see in pediatrics, though there are others. 

An antibiotic is not effective for an illness caused by a virus. There are multiple different viruses, some of the most common being mononucleosis, RSV, influenza A and B, and COVID. 

The majority of the illnesses that children have are caused by viruses. If your child is diagnosed with a viral infection and given an antibiotic, it will not prevent a bacterial infection or resolve the viral infection. Antibiotics are not effective against viruses; antibiotics are given if you have a bacterial infection, not to prevent a bacterial infection.

Another important reason not to give an antibiotic when it is not needed is the prevention of antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria change and are no longer responsive to antibiotics. This occurs when antibiotics are inappropriately prescribed, therefore allowing the bacteria to change and become less responsive to the antibiotics. 

When bacteria become resistant to antibiotics, the infections they cause can be difficult or impossible to treat. In some cases, they can even be deadly, according to the National Institute for Health (NIH). 

It’s also worth noting that yellow or green mucus in the nose does not mean antibiotics are needed. During a common cold or viral infection, it is normal for mucus from the nose to get thick and to change from clear to yellow or green. Actually, this most often is from a viral infection, which can last for 10-14 days, according to the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics). 

The symptoms for both a bacterial infection and viral infection can be the same, and in office testing can help us to determine if an antibiotic is needed. For both viral illness and bacterial infections, common symptoms are headaches, cough, runny nose, fevers, sore throats and, at times, body aches, nausea and vomiting. 

A simple search indicates that the vast majority of childhood illnesses are caused by viruses, with estimates suggesting that around 80-90 percent of all children’s illnesses are viral in origin, while only 10-20 percent are bacterial. So, if your child has a viral illness, an antibiotic will not be needed or indicated for good evidence-based medicine.

Treatment for viral illnesses include symptomatic care like increasing fluids, using Tylenol and Motrin, cool mist humidifiers and rest. 

I hope this has been informational and helpful as we are going into the sick season for children. Have a great holiday season, wash your hands, cover your mouth when coughing, and be safe! 

Carolina wrens here to stay

By
Art Weber
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The Carolina wren.

Loud, melodious songs nice respite from our quiet winters

WHITEHOUSE – Winter may be just around the corner, but that doesn’t make much difference to Carolina wrens.

Though they’re not common, this species is here to stay, probably not far from where they nested earlier in the year.

In warmer weather they love to gorge themselves on spiders and insects, but come winter they turn to fruits and berries, as well as visiting backyard feeding stations for peanuts and suet. Look for them, especially if we experience severe winter weather.

Carolinas are large by wren standards, and, in winter months when many birds go silent, they are a notable and welcome exception. If these chunky birds visit your feeders, you could very well have the silent winter landscape interrupted with welcome choruses of their loud and melodious song.

The Humorists

By
Don Lee
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Editorial cartoon by Don Lee for the Toledo Free Press.

Toledo VA Clinic serves

By
Paula Wethington
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Joe Stokes, a physical therapist assistant, watches veteran Dave Russell Sr. do a leg exercise. Stokes has been at the clinic for 14 years. (TFP Photo/Lori King)

Clinic offers medical, specialty services to veterans

TOLEDO – While Toledo-area veterans may know that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has an outpatient clinic in the city, it’s often a surprise as to how many veterans actually access primary medical and specialty services at the Detroit Ave. site.

Alex Herrick, the nurse manager at the VA Toledo Community Based Outpatient Clinic, said the clinic fills a real need within the region. 

A shovel used in the 2011 groundbreaking ceremony hangs on the wall at the Toledo VA Clinic. (TFP Photo/Lori King)
Alex Herrick. (Courtesy Photo/VA Clinic)

The VA Toledo Community Based Outpatient Clinic is part of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Ann Arbor Health Care System, along with other facilities, such as the newly opened VVA outpatient clinic in Findlay.

About 5.5 percent of the population in Lucas County are veterans, according to the U.S. Census bureau, which is close to the state average of 6.5 percent and national average of 6.2 percent. Of that population in Lucas County, about 10 percent are female and 90 percent male.

That said, Herrick explained the client reach extends well past the Toledo metro area, with eight counties in northwest Ohio and two counties in southeast Michigan. Now that the Findlay site is open, some of those veterans are starting to schedule medical appointments closer to their homes.

Despite the client base and facility size, services are intentionally designed to be personal and attentive.

Chris Arbino. (Courtesy Photo/VA Clinic)

“I’ve spoken with veterans who are pleased with how they are treated here. I hear far more positive interactions than negative,” said Chris Arbino, public affairs specialist with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Ann Arbor Health Care System.

Toledo has had a VA clinic for decades, originally on Glendale Ave., Herrick said. The current facility opened in 2012 and has 66,000 square feet of space. 

Even that’s not enough to handle current and expected needs, as a building expansion and staffing increase is planned for fiscal year 2026. 

During federal fiscal year 2024, which ended Sept. 30, Herrick said the Toledo clinic served 16,500 patients, of which 13,500 sought primary care services and the others seeking specialty care, such as oral surgery, mental health and vision appointments that can be done on site.

“We just started a full-time acupuncturist,” Herrick added. “The veterans are loving that. It’s used for a multitude of things – pain, relaxation, for smoking cessation.”

Acupuncturist Michael Fiorani shows the needles he uses for his ‘gentle style’ of needling. (TFP Photo/Lori King)

Michael Fiorani, a fully accredited acupuncturist, has been the acupuncturist at the VA clinic since the acupuncture clinic opened in January. He concurred that acupuncture is beneficial on many levels, “but I would say the biggest benefit is pain management. It really has so many different positive effects: pain management, mental health, PTSD, anxiety and depression.

“From a pain management perspective, it really helps reduce inflammation, improves blood circulation, relaxes the nervous system, and has an impact on the entire body, really. We have quite a few happy veterans,” he added.

One of those happy patients is Lisa Heard, who has been receiving acupuncture therapy for depression, anxiety and addiction since February. She described the treatments as “a unique feeling at first because I didn’t know what to expect, but it’s not painful; it was more of a relaxation for me.

“I did the five point dry needling sessions for depression, anxiety and addiction. It was very relaxing; I would actually fall asleep during the treatments,” she said.

Heard added that after two or three sessions she could feel a difference in her urges. “I’m more relaxed and just more level, so it’s a great experience.”

Another new specialty that is getting attention was authorized through the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022. This bill expanded VA health care and benefits to veterans who were exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange or toxic substances during their service time. Health services related to this specific need were introduced to the Toledo clinic in 2023.

“That was a key piece of legislation that’s going to drive enrollment,” Arbino said about PACT Act.

Herrick said each veteran who seeks primary care there is assigned to one of 14 medical teams who then work with that specific caseload. With focused attention, he said it’s easier to make sure a patient is able to follow up on appointments, testing and recommended care.

“It’s a different system than you normally see in the private sector,” Herrick said about the team-based assignments.

Should a local veteran need specialty care available at the Ann Arbor facility, but not have transportation, a shuttle bus is provided between Toledo and Ann Arbor.

Secure firearm storage devices are offered for free at the entrance of the VA Clinic. The devices are meant to help make the veterans feel safer. (TFP Photo/Lori King)

Whether a particular individual or a spouse is eligible for VA medical services, or what copays may be involved, depends on the terms of the discharge. “It’s really based off your veterans benefit. Most veterans that served and have other than dishonorable discharge are eligible for VA care,” Arbino said. 

“For the most part, you don’t have to have a service-related disability to be here,” Herrick added.

Beyond the medical care provided to veterans, there is a distinct personality at the Toledo VA clinic. Across the VA medical system, Arbino said, about 30 percent of the staff have themselves served in the military. Many of the volunteers, such as some of the greeters at Toledo VA clinic, have served as well.

And there are special events held throughout the year: A Vietnam veterans recognition event takes place every March; and each spring Toledo’s VA2K event invites the community to a classic car show, a mile run and related events.

“We’ve got a lot of camaraderie in this facility,” Herrick said. 

While the VA care is separate from that provided by local civilian medical entities, such as ProMedica and University of Toledo, Herrick said there is cooperation among them, such as the UT Medical Center sending some of its residents to the Toledo VA clinic for training. And since the Toledo VA clinic is outpatient only, the staff does make referrals to the local hospitals when admissions are necessary.

Looking Ahead

Looking ahead: the Department of Veterans Affairs has requested a 9.8 percent increase in its budget for Fiscal Year 2025, with the intent to provide money for health care, benefits and national cemeteries for veterans. The fiscal year began Oct. 1, but Congress passed only a short-term budget deal this fall and will need to address the rest of the year before current spending authorization ends Dec. 20. 

“Regardless of the budget, we still provide direct care,” Herrick said.

Salute to Military History

If you happen to have an appointment or are accompanying a veteran to his or her appointment at the VA Toledo Community Based Outpatient Clinic, be sure to take some time to visit the military history displays that are on site.

The outdoor flagpole area is within a small park setting. Seating benches adorned with military service branch emblems are accompanied by a Blue Star Memorial historical marker through a program hosted by National Garden Clubs Inc. and its local affiliate, the Anthony Wayne Garden Club. The Blue Star tradition in the United States originated during World War I and remains popular today, with a Blue Star flag indicating a family member is serving in the military.

The interior of the Toledo VA Clinic’s main hub. (TFP Photo/Lori King)
The Faces of Heroes wall on the second floor of the Toledo VA Clinic. (TFP Photo/Lori King)

The atrium above the patient lobby features a number of military artifacts and photos. 

“It’s fun to see the history up here,” Herrick said.

The honor wall includes presentations about Lt. Robert Montgomery Craig, who is the namesake of Toledo’s Craig Memorial Bridge, and Civil War veteran Wilson W. Brown of Ohio, whose story inspired the 1956 movie The Great Locomotive Chase.

A flag flown during the 2004 dedication of the National Park Service’s World War II Memorial in Washington D.C. is preserved in a trifold case.

And one of the most popular areas of the atrium is the Faces of Heroes photo gallery. This wall features several collage panels of military service photos that were submitted by local veterans and their families. A binder is on a shelf near that display, with printouts listing the names of those who are pictured.







	            

            


        


        
        

            

                
The Humorists

                

	                                    
By
 Don Lee
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Editorial cartoon by Don Lee for the Toledo Free Press.

	            

            


        


        
        

            

                
Statehouse News: Bathroom Bill

                

	                                    
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 Signal Statewide
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State Sen. Nickie Antonio speaks outside the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections in late October. (Courtesy Photo/Nick Castele,
Signal Cleveland)

	            

		            

Lakewood state senator leads charge against Ohio bathroom bill





This story was originally published by Signal Statewide. Sign up for their free newsletters at SignalOhio.org/StateSignals.





By Andrew Tobias | Signal Statehouse










OHIO – State Sen. Nickie Antonio of Lakewood and other Democrats in the Ohio Senate gave a forceful defense of their party’s stance on transgender rights this week after majority Republicans approved a bathroom bill for state schools and universities.





The bill would require K-12 schools and colleges to designate bathrooms and locker rooms for single-sex use based on students’ sex assigned at birth. The bill passed 23-7, with all Republicans voting “yes” and Democrats voting “no.” It now heads to Gov. Mike DeWine, who soon will decide whether or not to sign it into law.





The vote offered an early example in Ohio of how Democrats may approach LGBTQ issues following the Nov. 5 election. Before the election, Republicans hammered Sen. Sherrod Brown and other vulnerable Democrats on transgender issues.





Since then, some Democrats have suggested backing off of defending transgender rights to try to broaden the party’s appeal, particularly among minority and working-class voters who tend to be more socially conservative. Polling commissioned by Ideastream Public Media, WKYC and Signal Ohio found a majority of Northeast Ohio voters surveyed, including a significant number of Democrats, support the Republican position. LGBTQ advocates have said transgender-related issues are misunderstood by the public unless they have a personal connection. 





But Antonio, who in 2010 became the first openly gay person elected to the state legislature, said Senate Democrats didn’t privately debate the bill’s political merits ahead of the vote. Rather, their discussion focused on how they viewed it as morally wrong.





“We are not going to kick transgender people to the curb and say, well, you’re just dragging us down,” Antonio told Signal Statewide.





During the debate on the floor of the Ohio Senate on Thursday before the vote on the transgender bathroom bill, Republican senators said the election results reinforce that public opinion is on their side.





“Ohioans and Americans … don’t want boys in girls’ sports, they don’t want boys in girls’ locker rooms. They don’t want girls in boys’ bathrooms. It’s for the safety of the kids. And this message was sent loud and clear last week during the national election,” said state Sen. Kristina Roegner, a Hudson Republican.





But Democrats said they view the matter as a civil rights issue.





Antonio said she’s previously resisted private calls to remove the “T” from an LGBTQ nondiscrimination bill that a coalition of gay-rights groups and businesses have tried to pass unsuccessfully for years.





“There has been an effort to segment them off because they are the most marginalized, the most vulnerable, the most misunderstood,” Antonio said of transgender people. “That doesn’t mean we should do it. That means a lot more work has to happen for people to understand rather than malign them.”





Signal Statewide is a nonprofit news organization covering government, education, health, economy and public safety.







Related Content: Colleges and Bathroom Bill



	            

            


        


        
        

            

                
ARPA funds to the rescue

                

	                                    
By
 Steven Bieber
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(Courtesy Graphic/The New School)

	            

		            

American Rescue Plan helped relieve medical debt





TOLEDO – When President Joe Biden signed the American Rescue Plan (ARPA) into law on March 11, 2021, it provided financial aid to Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Economic Development Administration was given $3 billion in funds to distribute to American communities.

Once the money was in the hands of the cities, it was up to them to distribute the funding throughout their communities. Toledo was one of the cities who participated in that equity spending. 





Among the key uses of ARPA’s money was the abolishment of $72 million in medical debt for 43,000 Toledo residents, $230 million for 113,000 Lucas County residents, and the metropolitan region served by Toledo’s hospitals.

Michele Grim, a former Toledo City councilwoman, led the effort to allocate ARPA funds to medical debt before becoming a member of the state House of Representatives in 2023.






Michele Grim (Courtesy Photo/Tori Jester)




 In a Sept. 24 news story, Grim said: “While serving on Toledo City Council as an at-large member, I was immensely proud to lead the charge on abolishing $230 million in medical debt for more 100,000 people in northwest Ohio.





“This project, among many other ARPA funded services, has now been identified as some of the most successful equitable efforts in the nation. I am encouraged to continue these efforts at the state level and deliver real solutions for Ohioans.

“Medical debt is the number one reason people go into bankruptcy, even though people may have health insurance,” Grim added. “Health insurance still does not cover everything. Some people have high premiums, that kind of thing. You don’t plan on getting sick; you don’t plan on breaking a leg.





“We’re the only industrialized country that lets people go into debt for medical bills, and it’s important for people to support medical debt relief because it does help people go back to the doctor and it relieves those costs.”






Sarah Treuhaft. (Courtesy Photo/Felix Uribe)




A new multiyear study conducted by the Institute on Race, Power and Political Economy at The New School in New York City identified Toledo as a leader in investing federal funds from the ARPA. Toledo scored in the top third of 170 U.S. cities and counties evaluated by the institute’s Budget Equity Project, which examined how local governments across the U.S. are investing flexible recovery funds from ARPA to support racial and economic equity in their communities.

Sarah Treuhaft, senior director of policy and partnerships at the Institute, co-authored the report. She explained what The New School was looking for when it conducted the survey and realized the ARPA money was in the hands of mayors and council members to be distributed at their discretion.

“We wanted to follow the money, and realized that cities and counties used the funds to support those who were most impacted by the pandemic and inequities that preceded the pandemic and was exacerbated by it,” she said.

Treuhaft said Toledo performed well, and that the money was used for its intended purpose. By June of 2023, 20 of the city’s 27 approved projects would promote equity. Projects included lead pipe removal, roof repair and the elimination of medical debt.





The Institute's report found that $32,578,700 (47%) of the $69,301,460 funds budgeted as of July 2023 were equity-focused.

	            

            


        


        
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