D. Michael Collins as a teacher at St. Francis de Sales High School in 1977. Photo Courtesy St. Francis de Sales
Toledo Mayor D. Michael Collins assigned a lot of group work when he taught at the University of Toledo, former student Amy Tracy recalls.
D. Michael Collins as a teacher at St. Francis de Sales High School in 1977. Photo Courtesy St. Francis de Sales
Although group work doesn’t tend to be particularly popular among college students, Tracy, now a director in corrections, said it helped prepare her for her future career in criminal justice.
“Everybody kind of hated it,” she said. “But I give him a lot of credit for preparing me for a job like this because I deal with several different courts, several different agencies. … When you think about it, it’s teamwork.”
Tracy said the things Collins taught have stayed with her long past the classroom. One thing he stressed was that those in the criminal justice system are people too, she said.
“How I treat people as a whole has a lot to do with him,” she said. “[The group projects] alone helped me to prepare to deal with people. He prepared me for crisis situations and how to keep my head clear.”
Robert Fitzgerald, another former UT student, agreed that Collins prepared students for their future careers, not just the final exam.
“He was very engaging and kept your interest,” said Fitzgerald, who works as a security guard at Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station. “He wanted me to further my career in law enforcement and tried to guide me through certain aspects. … He wanted to make sure [students] stayed interested no matter what their major was.”
Collins would often share real-life stories, former student Heather Heiland recalled. “It made me relate more to what he was teaching,” she said.
Collins also used humor in the classroom. “He always had jokes; he always made me laugh,” she said.
Heiland had Collins for a juvenile justice class, which she went on to pursue as a career. She said he was easy to relate to and talk to and was one of her favorite teachers ever. “He took the time to talk to you,” she said.
Collins was a visiting assistant professor at UT from 1999 to 2011. He also worked as an adjunct instructor at Lourdes University from 2010-12.
“I really liked him,” said Dale Lanigan, chair of Lourdes’ Department of Sociology and Justice Studies. “He was always very straightforward, honest and loved to talk public policy. He didn’t just express his views. He always wanted to explain why he thought as he did, bringing up history and data to support his positions.”
Collins also taught at St. Francis de Sales High School from 1976-83 and 1984-86.
Tracy hopes people remember him for his passion for people.
“A big part of my success in the criminal justice system is because of him,” she said. “I will be forever thankful to him for that.”
D. Michael Collins campaigning during the 2013 mayoral race. Photo via Collins’ Twitter
During his time as media relations manager for D. Michael Collins’ 2009 and 2013 mayoral campaigns, Matt Zaleski once made the mistake of calling Collins a “former Marine.”
“One thing that Mike was very proud of was his service as a Marine,” Zaleski said. “He made the point to [tell me], ‘There is no such thing as a former Marine.’”
Last week, while visiting Collins in the hospital, Zaleski took his mentor by the hand and whispered in his ear: “Get well, Marine. You’ve got work to do.”
“It was a very emotional moment for me,” Zaleski said.
Zaleski met Collins in the 1970s, when Collins taught criminal justice at St. Francis de Sales High School, where Zaleski was a student.
Collins also previously taught at the University of Toledo and Lourdes University. As an educator, Collins would bring humor to the classroom.
“He actually did have a sense of humor and it came out in certain environments,” Zaleski said.
Zaleski said Collins taught his St. Francis students how to avoid being victims of crime, something Zaleski has carried with him for 40 years.
Zaleski looked to Collins as an inspiration throughout his adult life. The two met up to play racquetball and golf a few times and Collins even attended Zaleski’s wedding.
“He was a mentor and was looking out for me, I could tell,” Zaleski said. “Now I just hope he looks out for me from above.”
D. Michael Collins campaigning during the 2013 mayoral race. Photo via Collins’ Twitter
As a politician, Zaleski said Collins never stopped.
“He was always going,” Zaleski said. “He once told me, ‘I may not be the smartest guy in the room, but I’m going to be the hardest working in the room.’ That’s the way he was.”
Zaleski said Collins loved going door to door and talking to people.
“Mike was a guy who loved to get out and meet people,” Zaleski said. “He was 69 years old when he was running and he would outwork the 20-year-old volunteers.”
Zaleski said he last spoke to Collins on Jan. 29 and the two talked about whether or not he would run for mayor again. The two were making plans to work together in the future.
Zaleski said he hopes people remember Collins for his leadership.
“He had almost a watchdog mentality,” Zaleski said. “Don’t forget that this man spent 26 years as a police officer … kicking in doors and doing some of the most dangerous jobs.”
Wines recommended by Matt Snyder of Veritas Cork &
Craft are Angels & Cowboys 2012 Proprietary Red Blend,
Venge Vineyards Silencieux Cabernet Sauvignon and
Schweiger Vineyards 2008 Dedication. Photo courtesy Veritas Cork & Craft.
I am
excited about being in an industry that every time the door swings open to the
retail shop at Veritas, I have a customer that usually has a specific wine want
or need. I get to be one of the guys that help people find the most
appropriate wine for whatever the occasion, which is a pretty awesome
responsibility.
We ask a
few purposeful questions that will help guide our clients in the right
direction to find the best bottle of “juice” that best pairs with the
menu, celebration or just every day consumption.
Wine
This
month I’m enjoying the Angels &
Cowboys 2012 Proprietary Red Blend from Sonoma County. This wine is
an interseting blend of Zinfandel, Syrah, Petit Verdot, Sangiovese and
Malbec. Hints of cocoa dust combine with ripe berries and dark cherries
to provide a rich mouthfeel wine with a warm, lingering finish. On sale
from $25 down to $20 a bottle. This wine delivers big bang for the buck!
Also
from California is the Venge Vineyards
2010 Silencieux Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley. Silencieux
(see-lens-see-oh, Silent One) is anything but silent. Some of the best
Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from five different vineyards combine beautifully
well to create a great bottle of wine that will continue to age well for the
next decade, under proper cellaring conditions. Upon initially opening,
scents of blackberries, cassis, licorice and notes of coffee evolve into a
full-bodied wine that possesses great length on the palate. This is a
great bottle of wine to enjoy with friends that share an appreciation for big,
bold and rich California wines. Please do not worry, though — the 2012 vintage,
also retailing for $50 a bottle, will not disappoint.
Last but
certainly not least with only 690 cases produced, is the Schweiger Vineyards 2008 Dedication. Composed of 58 percent
Cabernet Sauvignon, 31 percent Merlot, 6 percent Malbec and 5 percent Cabernet
Franc. The winemaker notes suggest rich blackberry, currant, plum and
loads of jammy cherry with faint seasonings of dark chocolate, truffle oil, coriandor,
and minerals, I simply thought of liquid silkiness with great structure and
finesse. This is another example of a wine that can and will, age for 20+
years under proper cellar conditions. Not my everyday, go-to style of
wine but when you do want to splurge and invest $100 for a bottle of this
magnificent juice, I am quite confidant you too will be inspired to greatness.
Beer
B. Nektar Meadery has a limited release of Apple Pi, an apple mead with spices
added. Enjoy a bottle of mead soon, made from fermented honey. Nice
baked apple flavors, spicy with honey, cinnamon and allspice. Super
delicious with a baked double cream brie.
I would
like to invite each and everyone of you to come down to Veritas Cork &
Craft and enjoy our Liquid Love Wine, Chocolate and Beer Tasting on Saturday,
February 14 from 4-6 p.m. and taste, sample and purchase delicious artisan
chocolates from Flying Rhino Coffee & Chocolates. Come out and meet
Gini Behrendt, owner/operator/chocolate maker extraordinaire and taste some of
the best chocolates in the world! Cost is $15/person. Please call in
advance for reservations at (419) 214-9463.
Matt Snyder is the Beer and Wine Guy at
Veritas Cork & Craft, 505 Jefferson Ave., Toledo.
The hottest wine category right now, is the “Red Blend”.
Unfortunately, “red blend” is not exactly a precise description of a wine. In
fact, that could be said about more than 80% of all red wines out there. When
pressed, many wine professionals even have a tough time drawing a line to say
what is and what isn’t a “red blend”, so let’s dig a bit deeper into the issue.
Wines are often referred to by the varieties or varietals of
the grapes in the bottle. Common names you’ll recognize-Cabernet Sauvignon,
Merlot, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, etc. In the new world, this is how we typically
label our wines. In the old world, however, they label wines from their place
of origin. The imported wines we are most accustomed to are from France and Italy,
with some from Spain and Germany as well. Many, if not most of the red wines
from these countries are blends. It’s easier to mention the exception rather
than the rule. While Pinot Noir, Syrah and the wines from Piedmont are not
blended (usually), almost everything else is or at least allowed to be. Why the blending over there? Each additional
grape brings something else to the wine.
This adds to complexity and the layering of flavors. Some of the most
famous wines are built to be blends-Bordeaux, Chianti, Châteauneuf-du-Pâpe.
Each of these blends is governed by tradition and years of refinement that
define what can go into those blends.
In the U.S., there is no law about what needs to be blended
with what. The laws that govern labelling refer to some parameters. For
example, you can name a wine by a
variety name, like Cabernet Sauvignon as long as it has 75% of that grape in
it-the 25% can whatever the winemakers wants it to be. Often, with Cabernet,
they would blend it with Merlot and Cabernet Franc (among others). So, there
you go, a red blend. Or is it? It’s labeled Cabernet, but it’s a blend of 3
grapes. For sheer categorization sake, let’s say that last wine listed is NOT a
blend, but rather a Cabernet. Not
because of what’s in it technically, but because it’s style is built to be that
of a Cabernet. Don’t forget, blending
often improves lesser grapes. Now think
about your average wine shop or wine list. They organize the wines on their
shelves by categories. Cabernet, Chardonnay, French, etc, but there is a
remainder, wines that don’t easily fit categories. So, a new category was
created, “Red Blends”.
Confused? Yeah, you should be. I’ll break red blends down
into 3 categories to make life a little easier. First, there are the old world
referencing blends-these use the recipe of a blend of any place, but with
grapes grown in the U.S. This would include Bordeaux Blends, Rhône Blends,
Cal-Itals, etc. Next, you have a second category that might be referred to as “playful
crimes against nature”. Taking these disparate varieties of disparate
backgrounds and blend them together to see what you get. They’re great fun,
unique and sometimes eye opening. Third, you have the Field Blend and it’s
descendants. The field blend is a uniquely American thing. 150 years ago, when
California was still brand new, many European, and specifically, Italian
immigrants settled there. Many of these relocated Italians found themselves working
for The Italian-Swiss Colony, a winery that employed immigrants for 10 years.
After 10 years, they were given an opportunity to buy some land at a very
reasonable price, and given root stock to start their own vineyards. Many of
those grapes were Zinfandel and Petite Sirah.
Because this was so early in California wine history, there was no rule,
so these immigrants planted everything in the same vineyard with no demarcating
of the varieties. Think of a field of wildflowers. Now, 100+ years later, many
of those vines are still around. And some of those vines have benefitted
greatly from the age. Since the varieties haven’t been distinguished from each
other, they would all be harvested and vinified to together, thus the “Field
blend”. Stylistically, these wines are ripe and jammy, with blue and black
fruit and relatively low alcohol. They
drink great upon release and are easy to enjoy without food.
That reference point, the old Italian field blends, is what
is largely driving the “Red Blend” explosion of the last decade. Now, many
producers are emulating the field blend with properly defined varieties and
blending them in the cellar, rather than in the field, but the result is the
same. So, if you find yourself loving the “Red Blend” category, it is most
likely the “Field Blend” version. Look for Zinfandel or Petite Sirah based
blends or even those grapes on their own. And try something new. Always try something new.
Adam Mahler is the founder of Ampelography,
a wine sales and marketing company based in Toledo (ampelographywines.com). He
can be reached at adam@ampelography wines.com. You
can tweet wine pairing or wine shopping questions to @ampelography
Aggie Alt is the owner of The Moxie, an art house pub at 1205 Adams St. The Moxie features a
bar, dining space, art gallery and performance space for a variety of performing arts. Toledo Free Press photo by Christie Materni.
Aggie Alt is the owner of The Moxie, an art house pub at 1205 Adams St. The Moxie features a bar, dining space, art gallery and performance space for a variety of performing arts. TOLEDO FREE PRESS PHOTO BY CHRISTIE MATERNI
It’s not easy making art blend into its audience.
Just ask Aggie Alt.
She and her husband, Jamie DeKay, recently opened The Moxie
Art House Pub at 1205 Adams St. The establishment is equal parts art gallery,
performance space, restaurant and bar.
The Moxie, which opened in January, is 25 years in the
making. Alt, a performance artist herself, wanted to open such a business back
then, but fell ill, moved away and operated other businesses, including a
pizzeria and dinner theater. Through the years, she never lost her vision for
The Moxie, a venue for a wide range of artists to display their work, as well
as a comfortable place to enjoy the arts with food and beverage.
“It’s definitely a niche,” she said during an interview in
the middle room of the establishment, located in an 1852 building next to
Wesley’s Bar and Grill. “We’re finding repeatedly what an odd duck we are.
Because we’ve got really good food, but we’re not a restaurant. We have,
obviously the bar, but I don’t necessarily want to be known as a bar. We are
really an arts center that happens to have food and liquor.”
Art from local artists hang up on The Moxie’s walls, all for
sale. In its first couple of weeks in business, the business has hosted live
theater performances, poetry readings, a blues open mic session and a comedy
night.
“I really want to use this as a place where artists can not
only mingle and hone their art, but that they can get exposure, make some money
and find a home,” Alt said. “And then I also want to kind of blur that line
between audience and performer. I want people who love the arts to not be
intimidated by it, to feel that they come in jeans and engage with the artist,
whatever kind of art that is.”
Helping set the mood in The Moxie is its eclectic mix of
furniture and décor: an old couch sits parallel to a vintage arcade-style
bowling game Alt picked up at a garage sale. The game works perfectly and is
available for patrons to use, free of charge. Her favorite piece is an old
jukebox she purchased for $163 at an online auction. Among its album selections
are Bob Seger’s “Live Bullet,” Bruce Springsteen’s “18 Tracks” and Tom Petty
& the Heartbreakers’ “Greatest Hits.
“Other than some kitchen equipment, there’s nothing new in
here,” she said proudly.
Alt, who has a background in nonprofit organizations, would
eventually like to establish a program at The Moxie to teach art to inner-city
children. Students from the nearby Toledo School for the Arts developed the
establishment’s logo, and she hopes to be able to give back to the students by
allowing them to show their work there.
“I think there’s a lot of talent out there who are
15-year-old kids,” she said. “How often do they get to perform somewhere? I
think that’s important.”
Although The Moxie may not be your typical restaurant, that
doesn’t mean its kitchen can’t hold its own in making the location a dining
destination.
Chef Jeff Albright has concocted a small-but-diverse menu
that leans heavily on creativity.
Starters ($4-$6) include “Bacon & Eggs” (deviled eggs
topped with bacon jam); Caprese “kabobs” (fresh mozzarella, grape tomatoes and
basil pesto); and buffalo chicken plate (dip with celery sticks, crackers and
glacier penta crème blue cheese).
The Moxie “Picnic Board” ($10) is a choice of meats (smoked
pancetta, duck salami, serrano ham and Borsellina Salami); cheeses (glacier
penta crème blue, aged gouda, fresh mozzarella, prairie breeze cheddar,
manchego and Parmigiano-Reggiano); and gherkins, olives, cucumbers, artisan
bread or gluten-free crackers, along with mustard or fig jam.
Pizza ($11) varieties include a pesto, pacific rim, white
and chef’s specialty.
“Jeff started out just giving me advice on food and then I
made him stay,” said Alt. “He really took it to another level. The bacon jam
made from scratch is to die for. He has a tomato soup that is vegan and
gluten-free that is the best tomato soup you’ll ever have. … We’re actually getting
people here where this is the destination for food, and that’s crazy.”
As for the kitchen hours?
“If we’re open, the kitchen’s open. I think that’s an
important part,” Alt said, adding the midnight to 1 a.m. time slot is a popular
time for patrons to order pies.
Although it’s been a long time coming, Alt is pleased with
where The Moxie stands in its first month in operation.
“There are so many artists in this area that are so
talented,” she said. “There are some outlets, but I think there are very few
that mix medias, where an artist can work with a theater performance or a
musician can warm up for a poetry [night]. I think that’s so important to have
it be a hangout.”
When describing The Moxie’s appeal, Alt couldn’t come up
with a better description than what an artist recently told her.
“She said, ‘This is the place that kids who used to put
shows on in their backyard and grew up and still want to put shows on, can come
here and still be that kid that puts shows on.’ That’s the concept,” Alt said.
Although the concept has been hers, Alt does not shy away
from giving credit to her neighbors on Adams Street for helping her business
get up and running.
“Adams Street has been so supportive,” she said. “Bar owners
have given me advice, things and loaned me their staff. To me, that’s just
mind-boggling. That’s what is going to make Adams Street work, because it’s
just an amazing group of young, aggressive business owners.”
The Moxie is open from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Tuesday through
Friday; 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday; and closed Sunday and Monday. For more
information, call (419) 982-8810 or visit The Moxie’s Facebook page.
Incredible
as it may seem for such a geek haven, Toledo has never truly hosted a real
comic book convention. That’s all about to change: the city that’s harbored
comic shops for over twenty-five years and nurtured multiple writers and
artists will welcome its very own comic show, Fantasticon, this April 11th
and 12th at the Grand Plaza Hotel downtown.
“We’re
very excited!” enthuses Joe Nieporte, owner and president of FunFest Productions,
based in Sterling Heights, Michigan. “We have a lot of friends in the [Toledo] area,
and the comic book shops in town are amazing. We believe that there is a huge
fan base here that is dying for a show to call their own. So far we have had a
tremendous response from the community. We believe that we have made the right
decision bringing a show to Toledo.
“We
have branded our show in the Detroit market for a few years now, [and] it’s
considered a mid-size show that draws a few thousand people and is growing
rapidly. We are proud of the fact that our show is very affordable to the fans,
as well as artists and vendors. That being said, we want to bring this business
model to other markets in the mid-west that do not have large established comic
cons. Toledo was the first city we thought of. Toledo is the biggest city in
the Midwest that does not have a comic con.”
Fantasticon
Toledo promises celebrity guests on a national scale, dozens of local and
regional creators, and collectible dealers from Chicago, Indiana, and Ohio who
specialize in comics, action figures, and vintage toys and games. “Serious
collectors will have a great opportunity to add something special to their
collections,” notes Nieporte. “There will also be cosplay contests, and artist
panels scheduled throughout each day.
“This
show will be like going back in time twenty years before comic cons became
corporate money grabs. It will be very affordable, fun, and fan friendly.”
Though Nieporte and his staff will
be busy those two days insuring the show goes off without a hitch and all
attendees have a good time, they’ll be looking forward to Fantasticon as fans
themselves. “Watching all the people in costume is always enjoyable,” he says.
“It will be even more gratifying to bring smiles to all the faces from the
Toledo area while they are walking around having fun and enjoying the event we
brought to town.”
Interested parties should check in
regularly at www.fantasticon.net for
updates on special guests and all other news before the show hits town in
April.
Anand Agarwal of OsteoNovus, Right shows the clean room under construction to Molly Reams Thompson, director of UT ’s LaunchPad Incubation, Christopher Mancino, manager, and Jessica Sattler, director of Economic Engagement and Business Development Programs at UT .
Anand Agarwal of OsteoNovus, Right shows the clean room under construction to Molly Reams Thompson, director of UT ’s LaunchPad Incubation, Christopher Mancino, manager, and Jessica Sattler, director of Economic Engagement and Business Development Programs at UT .
OsteoNovus, a startup company that is regenerating bones through a unique technology developed at the University of Toledo, is benefiting from two Technology Validation and Start-up Fund grants from the Ohio Third Frontier commission.
The commission awarded OsteoNovus $100,000 last October following an original grant of $250,000. The firm has raised a total of $1.5 million from Ohio Third Frontier partners such as UT’s Rocket Innovations and other investors, according to Anand Agarwal, co-founder, president and CEO.
OsteoNovus is an early-stage, orthopedic medical device company focused on the development of biologic materials to support and regenerate bone. The company employs innovative technology developed at UT by Agarwal and co-founders Sarit Bhaduri and Vijay Goel.
The company’s primary product, NovoGro, is a regeneration biomaterial that grows robust bones in just six weeks with excellent handling properties, Agarwal said.
The technology encompasses novel synthetic calcium phosphate-based cements suitable for several clinical applications, such as bone voids, and treatment of various fractures and spinal disorders. The firm has developed moldable bone putty for use as an injectable bone substitute, Agarwal said.
OsteoNovus is preparing to move into office and laboratory space as one of the newest tenants of the LaunchPad Incubation Program housed in the Nitschke Technology Commercialization Complex on UT’s campus.
Agarwal is also CEO and cofounder with Goel of Spinal Balance Inc., another LaunchPad tenant. Spinal Balance is an early-stage orthopedic medical device company focused on the development of complex spinal implants for the treatment of degenerative disease and deformity of the spine.
The State of Ohio has funded Spinal Balance with a one-to-one match for a total of $1.2 million in seed funding. The firm hopes to have Food and Drug Administration clearance by July, at which point they would enter the commercial market, Agarwal said.
UT’s LaunchPad now has 21 tenant clients in the incubation program and their facilities are 80 percent occupied. It has experienced 450 percent growth and marked two client graduations since fall 2014, according to Molly Reams Thompson, director of LaunchPad Incubation at UT.
LaunchPad works with early stage technology-based startups in the biomedical, alternative energy, advanced manufacturing and information technology fields. Thompson said they provide mentoring to clients along with access to funding and talent with additional help from other partners.
Another LaunchPad client, Grypshon Industries, has been operating out of co-working space for the past year but is about to sign a lease for incubator space at UT, according to its founder Tom Burden.
Burden launched Grypshon to manufacture and market safe, slipproof friction mats on which aircraft mechanics can stand or place tools. Burden saw the need for such a product while working as an F-16 weapons maintainer for the Ohio Air National Guard’s 180th Fighter Wing operating at Toledo Express Airport.
Burden used both his experience as an aircraft mechanic and his education as a mechanical engineering student at UT to develop the product. He said his current challenge is to find sources for manufacturing and distributing the mats. In addition, Company grows bones at UT with grant funding Toledo-themed T-shirts benefit Great Lakes protection agency Burden has developed a new type of scope for military weapons. With his scope, the green dot turns to red to alert the shooter of low ammunition. He is looking for sources to help him produce and market the scope.
Burden graduated from UT in December with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. He has also re-enlisted for another six years in the Ohio Air National Guard.
Burden won the student category in the Pitch & Pour business pitch competition at UT last year. He also was among the top 40 semifinalists in the International Business Model Competition at Brigham Young University in May.
Opponents of a proposed pipeline’s route through eastern Fulton County are finding strength in numbers — and their local organizer is finding optimism in negotiating from that position of strength.
The company behind the proposed NEXUS natural gas transmission line took interest in the group’s proposal to route the line away from heavily populated areas in the county, said Liz Athaide-Victor, the Swancreek Township woman who first organized local opposition.
The group, which started in December as Neighbors Against NEXUS, is now calling itself the Northwest Ohio Chapter of the Coalition to Reroute NEXUS (CORN), she said. CORN is a grassroots group centered around Medina County, south of Cleveland, that has had some success getting NEXUS to change its proposed route.
Athaide-Victor said she learned of CORN when researching the NEXUS pipeline after she received a letter from Spectra Energy, the Texas company behind the NEXUS project. She said she attended a meeting of another group opposing the pipeline in Medina County, but later heard from Paul Gierosky, the organizer of CORN, and realized she and the Medina County property owner shared the goal of rerouting, not stopping, the pipeline.
“We started talking, and people started calling Paul, and we decided to work together all along the pipeline [route],” she said.
Athaide-Victor thinks the strategy might be working; at a recent meeting she noticed Spectra looking over a proposed re-route she presented in December at a Swancreek Township Board of Trustees meeting.
The renamed group still allies with other groups simply opposed to the pipeline, citing such concerns as safety of the pipeline itself, property rights, groundwater protection, preservation of natural areas and the fact that the pipeline won’t benefit residential and small business customers because it’s designed to carry gas in large volumes to an export hub. Permanent buildings can’t be built over a pipeline, nor can trees be planted. However, farming can take place.
Athaide-Victor said she’s more hopeful lately because of the apparent receptiveness of pipeline officials to her alternate route, as well as news that the pipeline “study corridor” will be routed away from Oak Openings Preserve.
NEXUS spokesman Arthur Diestel has said in previous public statements the route as proposed last year is merely a “study corridor,” which will be narrowed and “tweaked” as safety, land use and environmental factors are taken into account.
Though Athaide-Victor says she’s now “cautiously optimistic” that neighbors and NEXUS can work something out, not everyone in her group is willing to go that far.
Laura Cole, who hopes to start a residential farm for adults with autism on her Swancreek Township property that’s in the study corridor’s path, said she’s hesitant because of the way NEXUS representatives have behaved in the past.
Group members have said NEXUS representatives told them, incorrectly, their neighbors supported the pipeline, or threatened them with eminent domain seizure if right-of-way agreements couldn’t be negotiated. A letter from Terry Lodge, a Toledo lawyer representing five local advocacy groups, accused NEXUS of “bullying” and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which makes the rules governing pipelines, of allowing it.
Leaders in Summit County in Northeast Ohio were the first to approve a countywide resolution against the pipeline going through their county. The Ohio Farmers Union recently approved the first statewide resolution against the pipeline.
In Medina County, several townships approved resolutions against the pipeline nearly identical to resolutions approved locally by Swancreek, Providence and Waterville townships.
The next public forum on the project is set for 5-7:30 p.m. Feb. 11 at Swanton High School, 601 N. Main St. Northwest Ohio CORN members plan informational pickets outside the forum. Another forum will take place 5-7:30 p.m. Feb. 12 at Central Park West, 3141 Central Park West Drive.
For
the past 50 years, the Toledo Botanical Gardens brought life and color into the
community and now it’s getting ready to celebrate its
golden anniversary with a slew of exciting exhibits.
The
gardens that Toledoans know today got its start in 1964, when 20 acres of lush
land was donated to the city by George Crosby. Now, that lot tripled into 60
acres of beautiful gardens located off Elmer Drive. The TBG is also housed in
its downtown campus, which is home to The Robert Anderson Urban Agriculture
Center and acts as the hub for the Toledo GROWs program.
The
garden’s 50th Anniversary brings about plenty
of events, new and old. Although each holds a different theme, all are geared
towards community involvement.
“Engaging
all generations headed our priorities. We
want to give the community reasons to visit the Garden,” Gretchen
DeBacker, 2015 Board President and Chairman of the 50th Anniversary
Committee, said.
“[We
want the community] to experience its natural beauty, to enjoy entertainment
such as Jazz in the Garden, and to discover the joys of gardening through our
annual spring and fall plant sales.”
TBG’s anniversary season kicks off on February 8 with its 72
Degrees and Rising event. Held inside the gardens’ greenhouse
located off its Bancroft entrance, this family-friendly, tropical exhibit
allows community members to escape the bitter cold temps and enjoy a cozy
greenhouse experience. There will be plenty of information on the plants, along
with children’s activities and refreshments for
Botanical Garden members.
“Delightful
hands-on activities and exotic refreshments will accompany this behind the
scenes peak at where banana plants and other tropical species spend their
winter months here at the Garden,” Karen Ranney Wolkins, Executive Director of TBG, said.
Celebrations continue with an event specifically geared
towards millennials on May 30. The Garden After Dark ties together art, music
and performance while focusing on light-related art exhibits.
“We are
working with University of Toledo students to develop content for projection
installations that will be placed throughout the Garden,” Nathan
Mattimoe, TBG board member and Chairman of the After Dark committee, said.
“The
Work Collective is going to set up ‘The Cube’ a large, interactive projection
project that responds to movement.”
In addition, DJ Rob Sample is slated to provide musical entertainment,
while Birds Eye Circus performs. Also, there will be delicious grub provided by
local food trucks.
On the Saturday before Mother’s Day, May 9, ladies can enjoy Tea in the Garden. This
multi-generational event is geared towards daughters, mothers and grandmothers.
Finally, the garden will display “dramatic,
large-scale sunflower plantings” around
the city of Toledo providing an “explosion
of color” and beautiful scenery for community
members throughout the 50th anniversary season.
“It wouldn’t be a garden celebration
without flowers,” Matt Killam, TBG Marketing Director,
said.
Traditional events will still take place at the gardens and feature an anniversary celebration twist. Those events include: 72 Degrees and Rising to kick off garden’s 50th anniversary events *Seed Swap (Feb. 28) *Spring Plant Sale (May 7-10) *Crosby Festival of the Arts (June 26-28) *Jazz in the Garden (Every Thursday beginning July 9 through Sept. 10) *Arts in the Garden (Aug. 9) *Harvest Market Dinner (Sept. 17) *Heralding the Holidays (Dec. 4-6).
The Catholic Diocese of Toledo and City of Toledo said rumors that North Toledo’s St. Hedwig Church will be demolished due to dis repair are not true.
The Catholic Diocese of Toledo and City of Toledo said rumors that North Toledo’s St. Hedwig Church will be demolished due to dis repair are not true.
Good has arisen from growing
rumors that historic St. Hedwig Catholic Church would be demolished, after
initial concern when its roof lost some shingles.
Not only has the
Diocese of Toledo confirmed that St. Hedwig “is not being torn down,” said
Sally Oberski, communications director, but a group of 20 grade school alumni
and nearby residents are starting a grassroots crusade to breathe new life into
this North Toledo neighborhood landmark.
A Facebook account
titled, Save St. Hedwig Catholic Church, seems to have initiated the stir – at
least online – when it posted on Jan. 22:
“We have received reports that Saint Hedwig will be torn down. The
ceiling over the main altar fell down a few months ago and has not been
repaired.”
This spurred a wave
of unsubstantiated worry, with one account offering that the City of Toledo was
demanding church repairs, ones it couldn’t afford. According to city
commissioner of inspection, Chris Zervos, that is also false, as his department
has made no contact whatsoever with St. Hedwig.
Upon learning of the
shingle damage, Fr. Jacob Gordon, pastor, immediately scheduled a meeting to
discuss the church’s condition with new Bishop Daniel Thomas, but that
appointment was cancelled due to unrelated circumstances, and is to be
rescheduled. Oberski said Fr. Gordon is willing to publicly discuss news
concerning St. Hedwig once he knows more definitively what might be the next
step.
In the meantime,
that’s when rumors swirled online, and also within the tight-knit Polish
Village community.
“All this about a
roof falling in, it’s not true,” said Tom Jesionowski, a St. Adalbert/St.
Hedwig parishioner. “There’s also stories going on that the roof is costing
$100,000 to a half million, and that’s not true. I talked to (Fr. Gordon) on
Sunday, and once the weather clears up, he’s going to get three bids on the
roof.”
St. Hedwig merged
with nearby St. Adalbert in 2010, becoming one parish. The St. Hedwig church
structure has largely remained closed for regular mass since 2012, used only for
special occasions such as weddings, funerals and baptisms. Its recent shingle
episode created the need to close its doors temporarily in the name of public
safety.
After watching the
gossip spread, former St. Hedwig School student Racheal Nadrasik also met
briefly with Gordon to get the facts, and now is hoping to start a drive to
help the church make its necessary repairs.
“Everybody’s all up
in arms that the church was shut down, but at the same time, no one’s doing
anything to save it,” said Racheal Nadrasik, Toledo, “So, my friends and I
decided to take it upon ourselves.”
This Friday, Nadrasik
and a group of 20 St. Hedwig school alumni from 1998-2003, plus some
neighborhood friends who never even attended the school, are meeting with
Gordon to tour the church, assess damage and take photos – all with the intention
to introduce an online Kickstarter-type campaign to raise funds for St.
Hedwig’s necessary repairs.
“(St. Hedwig is) just
gorgeous, and so rich in history,” Nadrasik said. “Basically all it needs is a
new roof. None of the rumors are true. We’re hoping if we can get the word out
there, and get our community back together and tell everybody what Toledo is
really about, that we’ll get people to donate time and materials. We’re trying
to have faith, and I know a lot of original Polish residents have passed away
or moved out of the area, but we can still do this. There’s no reason why we
can’t do it.”
Nadrasik attended St.
Hedwig School from preschool through the 8th grade, and she wants to
give back to a place that gave her so much.
“We all need to pay
back our debts, and this is the least I could do,” Nadrasik said.
