Why doesn’t Toledo have a Jeep museum? We have a glass museum because we’re known as the Glass City, but don’t just as many people remember Toledo, Ohio, as Home of the Jeep?
It could contain any or all models of the Jeep ever made. It could include all of the Willys Motors and Overland vehicles. We could even include Chrysler in the mix. It could make Toledo a destination and not just a place to pass through. Toledo’s largest employer might even want to chip in.
It might even include my very first automobile: a blue-gray 1937 Willys Coupe with a 1941 engine. She was a beauty. I bought her in 1950 from my high school buddy, “Popeye” Shanks. The hood was so small it looked like it must house a sewing machine motor and the trunk large enough for camping. The electric starter switch didn’t work so you engaged the starter by pushing a large screwdriver though the floor boards to press on the solenoid. Worked every time (almost). The car was so light you didn’t really have to park it at the curb. You just pulled the nose in, then picked up the rear and bounced it to the curb.
Yes, we need a Jeep museum. Wonder who might be interested in starting the movement? Could it be you?
It was just 53 weeks ago, on another
cold and snowy Sunday, when the city of Toledo was struck with tragedy and the
loss of two of our bravest.
How fitting that today is Groundhog
Day?
Shortly after 2 p.m. Feb. 1, Toledo
Mayor Mike Collins experienced cardiac arrest while driving his vehicle home.
His car hit a pole in South Toledo, where he was found unresponsive and is
currently in the ICU at UTMC.
As Northwest Ohio was getting hammered
with 10-plus inches of snow, residents were preparing for an announced Level 3
snow emergency and trying to figure out new Super Bowl party plans — the shock
from the unexpected news felt like our breath was stolen.
Sucker-punched yet again.
The biggest game of the year didn’t
feel so important. I no longer cared about commercials or “Deflategate.” My
soul started cheering and praying for a different team, a different family.
Like last year, my cell phone exploded
with numerous texts and calls, filled with heartbreaking updates and rumors.
There were two conflicting reports being given. Neither were good, but one
carried hope.
I’ve known Collins since his Toledo
Police Patrolman’s Association days. I have watched his continued commitment to
public service, and I have been inspired by his evolution. I consider Mike a
friend, and yesterday truly sucked. My children witnessed a rare side of their
dad.
There are a couple of things we know
about Mayor Collins: the man is not afraid of a fight and he is believer in the
city of Toledo. He’s an Irish cop, who loved walking his beat, completely
resolute in his convictions. If there is anyone who is going to survive this,
it would be Mike Collins. This man carries a vast vocabulary and the word
“quit” isn’t in his arsenal.
There was a bright spot in all the
darkness, a moment of humanity that reminded us where we live and who we are.
It started during the 5:15 p.m. news
conference, when cardiologist Dr. Christopher Cooper started getting choked up
about an heroic act from a complete stranger that saved Mayor Collins’ life.
Learning the story behind Evelyn
Johnson, and how she and an unnamed person saved Mike’s life acted as temporary
medicine for the pain we were feeling.
Ms. Johnson was on her way to work at
Rally’s when she saw the disabled vehicle. She immediately sprung into action,
checked the car and found an unresponsive driver behind locked doors.
She did not panic. She called 911, went
to the trunk of her car, pulled out a hammer and did something that will
forever change two lives.
Ms. Johnson took a swing.
Johnson and another passerby who
stopped, an unnamed male, used the hammer to break out one of the car’s
windows. The duo proceeded to administer CPR for the next five minutes until
help arrived. It was Toledo firefighters who informed her of the identity of
the driver. She had no idea he was the mayor.
Ms. Johnson immediately left the scene
and made it to work.
How amazingly Toledo is that? The woman
saved a life and didn’t miss her shift, all in the minutes before a Level 3
went into effect. The other man doesn’t leave a name and drives away. No big
deal, just another day.
There is something beautiful about the
people who live in Northwest Ohio; we are not afraid to help those in need, we
do incredibly unselfish acts and still make it to work on time. It must be
something in our tainted water that instinctively makes us get out of a car and
a swing a hammer when it’s needed.
Collins’ entire career has been
dedicated to helping others, from his days in the military, to his foot patrols
walking the beat as a Toledo Police officer, as a professor and now as our
mayor.
With snow-covered grounds and no rock
in sight, karma found him a hammer in a trunk and a person courageous enough to
swing. Karma bought our Irish friend some more time.
When Collins finally needed help, it came via a
tap on the glass.
How poetic that it was a hammer that
saved this man’s life? Some might relate his political prowess to that exact
tool.
As we continue praying for Mike
Collins, and his family – be inspired by the acts of two complete
strangers and find a way to pay it forward. Show your appreciation to this man
with random acts of civic compassion — in other words, do something nice for
your neighbor.
Get well, Mike Collins.
#FightMayorFight
Jeremy
Baumhower can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at
@jeremytheproduc.
“The best gift you can give someone is often something in honor of someone else. It’s a way to tribute who they are as a person. Your best dinners are where you get together, raise a glass and toast someone. That’s what it means to tribute, to care about the work of nonprofits.”
That’s how Sam Melden explained the idea behind Tribute, his newest project.
Melden is currently the executive director at the Center for Servant Leadership and has a background in nonprofit work, including three years with Food for Thought in Toledo.
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Together with his friends Kevin Marsh and Jordan Justice, Melden created Tribute, a Web-based space in which community members can raise money for their favorite organizations.
Melden, Marsh and Justice are all Toledo born and raised and have worked in the nonprofit circuit.
“With every organization I have worked for, Kevin and Jordan have always been involved,” Melden said. “They are tremendous developers and anything they work on is very high-quality. When I was at Food for Thought, they were responsible for us being ahead of the curve.”
Tribute offers the opportunity for Melden to once again work with Marsh and Justice on a project that pairs high technology with high ideals.
Tribute is a nonprofit charity space located on ShareYourDay.org. Its users can raise funds for their favorite charities by centering their initiatives around a special date. Donors and supporters promote their day along with the cause they love and get family members and friends to donate. This, in turn, spreads positive awareness about the nonprofit organizations throughout the supporter’s own community.
“Often, donors and supporters of nonprofits are just donating or asking people to give money. Most of us, after a while, realize that gets old,” Melden said. “This allows people to be more creative with the way they support their organization.”
Tribute allows donors and supporters of nonprofits to create a campaign on ShareYourDay.org. These campaigns are similar to Kickstarter campaigns, but raise money for the donor’s favorite nonprofit, rather than a personal goal or project.
“If you watch anyone’s Facebook on their birthday, you’ll see their wall lit up with ‘Happy Birthday’ messages. Similar to an anniversary. You’ll see people react differently on social media. You might see a photo from their wedding day, or photos from celebrations,” Melden said. “What Tribute does is allow quick access to turn these events into a social experience.”
Sam Melden. Toledo Free Press File Photo by Christie Materni
Anyone can create a Tribute on ShareYourDay.org and anyone can donate money to the creators’ favorite causes.
As for the charities, organizations must be nonprofits to join Tribute. If supporters don’t see their favorite nonprofit listed on Tribute, they can take the necessary steps to help the charity register.
“We’re convinced that we can help hundreds of organizations raise money in a new way,” Melden said. “We want as many organizations as possible to have access to Tribute.”
After experiencing the nonprofit struggles firsthand, Melden and his team seized the opportunity to offer charities a way to reach an entirely fresh group of donors without directly asking for funds. Melden believes this is a huge advantage for organizations.
“Tribute allows nonprofits to have access to a new community of donors,” Melden said. “If I supported this organization for the last three years, they’ve always had access to me. They can send me newsletters and information, but they can’t send letters to my friends because they don’t have access to them. But now, they have access to them because I’m going to that community and asking them for money. And that’s amazing for them.”
Melden said this benefits nonprofits because they are raising money without asking. In addition, he believes this program is essential for helping nonprofits make advancements in technology and marketing strategies. He believes organizations are lacking in this area.
“If we can bring the best developments and best technologies to nonprofits in this area, let’s do it,” he said. “They don’t need to have an amazing website or a staff of 50 people. Any organization, it can be a staff of one with the executive director doing everything, can use Tribute to raise money.”
Tribute will begin its initiative with Toledo-area nonprofit organizations and advance outward to other interested organizations.
Melden and his team plan to launch Tribute in early March. Meanwhile, nonprofits interested in participating in the program will have the opportunity to learn more or register from 9-10 a.m. Feb. 19 when United Way of Greater Toledo holds an information session at its Jackson Street headquarters.
As for future donors, Melden urges everyone interested in Tribute to sign up at ShareYourDay.org.
“They will be the first in line to find out when we launch this program,” he said.
Overall, Melden, Marsh and Justice’s goal is to bring the best technology to Toledo and assist nonprofits by reaching out to an entirely new audience.
“We want to help every single organization. No matter how big or how small, we want to take a step forward,” Melden said.
Glass Citicats will host its annual cat show at the Lucas County Rec Center Feb. 14-15. Admission is $4. Toledo Free Press photo by James A. Molnar
Last year, because snow covered a third of the parking spaces, people wanting to attend the My Stormy Valentine Cat Show had to turn around and leave. This year, plenty of staff will be directing traffic so that doesn’t happen again, organizers say.
Glass Citicats will host its annual cat show at the Lucas County Rec Center Feb. 14-15. Admission is $4. Toledo Free Press photo by James A. Molnar
“We never expected it to find so much success,” said Jamie Christian, president of the Great Lakes Cat Consortium and manager of the show.
The three-day event (a private show Feb. 13 and a show open to the public Feb. 14-15) will bring together close to 250 cats and their owners from all over the world.
The show has been running since 2000 and is sponsored by the Glass CiTICAts Cat Club.
There will be cats from the Toledo area competing in addition to cats from as far as Japan and Mexico, Christian said. Each cat will be seen by 20 judges, each selecting those they think are best in show for awards.
Motzie, a 10-year-old Savannah cat, will make an appearance at the show. Motzie is the second tallest cat in the Guinness World Records, standing 16.75 inches at the shoulder. He will be available for petting, holding and pictures with the public at no cost.
Elaine Zalewski, from Furry Agape Pet Therapy in Grove City, Pennsylvania, will also attend the event and present a seminar on cats as therapy pets.
The event will also show two new breeds of cat: the Aphrodite, a natural cat breed from the island of Cyprus, and the Lykoi, a new breed that resembles a werewolf, Christian said. There will also be more than 30 vendors at the event.
Christian said the show is perfect for families and will feature plenty for any cat lover.
Show Manager Jamie Christian SAID the Feb. 14-15 cat show Will offer something for cat lovers and non-cat lovers alike. Photo courtesy Jamie Christian
“We’re kind of geared to everyone,” Christian said. “If you already love cats, you’re going to find a new cat that you love. If you’re not particularly a cat fan and someone drags you along, I guarantee you’re going to find something that will turn you into a cat lover.”
Throughout the year, the Glass CiTICAts Cat Club puts on shows as educational events throughout the country.
“The only way the next generation is going to learn how to respect cats is by exposure,” Christian said.
The cat show will be open to the public 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 14-15 at the Lucas County Recreation Center, 2901 Key St., Maumee. Admission is $4. There are still some openings for cats to compete.
Brian and Leslie Athmer of Chicago started a T-shirt company that benefits the Alliance for the Great Lakes. Leslie is a Toledo native and Brian grew up in Michigan. Photo Courtesy Sailored
“You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone,” goes the song by Joni Mitchell.
When August’s Lake Erie algae bloom left over 400,000 people in Ohio and Michigan without clean drinking water for several days, Leslie and Brian Athmer felt a similar sentiment.
Brian and Leslie Athmer of Chicago started a T-shirt company that benefits the Alliance for the Great Lakes. Leslie is a Toledo native and Brian grew up in Michigan. Photo Courtesy Sailored
Leslie, originally from Toledo, brainstormed with her husband to find a way to not only spread awareness about conserving the Great Lakes but also raise money toward the cause.
Together, the couple, now living in Chicago, started the company Sailored, which sells Toledo-themed T-shirts and donates 15 percent of profits to the Alliance for the Great Lakes, a regional organization focused on protecting all five Great Lakes.
“We figured why not offer something that people would want to buy anyway, but is also donating to a great cause,” Leslie said.
The original intention was to open a nonprofit of the same name, but the couple wanted flexibility in who they donated to and how much they gave. With identical backgrounds in engineering, they both wanted a creative outlet and designing apparel for all ages fulfilled this as well as their philanthropic goal.
Their motto from the start was “Keep the Great Lakes GREAT!”
Leslie traces her interest in the Great Lakes to when she was a small child. Her parents were avid sailboat enthusiasts. The company name comes from memories of sailing on her parents’ boat, Holy Toledo.
After earning her bachelor’s degree, Leslie continued her studies at DePaul University and got her Masters of Business Administration in sustainability, taking several entrepreneurship classes focused on social responsibility.
Brian said they are developing new designs specific to the Toledo area in hopes of shining a light on the city’s pride. Although he grew up in Michigan and didn’t know much about the city until meeting his wife, he’s optimistic about promoting the Downtown area.
“The Great Lakes and all these different things have all been an important part of our lives,” Brian said. “If you’re passionate about something there’s definitely a lot of tools out there to figure out what you need to do to figure things out. It’s rewarding.”
Once Sailored was established, the pair approached Jennifer Caddick, engagement director at the Alliance for the Great Lakes, asking what they could do to help. Caddick said she was pleasantly surprised to find such eagerness toward assisting the alliance’s mission.
The Alliance for the Great Lakes began in the 1970s as a group focused on preserving Lake Michigan, but by 2005 interest in preserving the Great Lakes had grown exponentially, so they shifted their focus toward all five Great Lakes.
“I think everyone takes for granted the fact that they live so close to the Great Lakes,” Leslie said.
“It is such a great resource, and until you suddenly don’t have water for a few days, that’s when I think you really start to realize the impact it has on your life.”
The store went live last week at www.sailored.com, where clothing as well as handbags highlighting the Great Lakes are available in several colors and sizes, with baby onesies also available.
Thomas Dimit and Theresa Carroll plan to bring The Tasteful Trolley to the streets of Toledo this spring. The trolley, which will serve freshly baked pies and Americana dishes, is set to debut March 1 at the Toledo Farmers’ Market. Photo Courtesy The Tasteful Trolley
On their first date 10 years ago, Thomas Dimit baked Theresa Carroll a decadent chocolate fudge pie.
“I guess it won her heart,” Dimit said.
Thomas Dimit and Theresa Carroll plan to bring The Tasteful Trolley to the streets of Toledo this spring. The trolley, which will serve freshly baked pies and Americana dishes, is set to debut March 1 at the Toledo Farmers’ Market. Photo Courtesy The Tasteful Trolley
“Lots of things won my heart but the chocolate fudge pie certainly helped,” Carroll added.
Come March, the couple will be the minds and stomachs behind The Tasteful Trolley, a 33-foot trolley that will roam the streets of Toledo filled with the aroma of freshly baked pies and Americana dishes.
Dimit discovered his love for baking when he was young; he was the only kid on his block who liked to play with his Betty Crocker bake set as much as his army men. He learned to bake from his great-aunt Dorothy, who The Tasteful Trolley was later named after.
“She taught him to bake when he was about 6 or 7 and it was an activity that they did together when he would visit her in southern Ohio,” Carroll said.
His first culinary adventure was baking Christmas cookies for his mother’s friends. After he mastered that skill, he began taking home economics classes in high school.
The hobby was a good way to meet girls, Dimit said.
For years he baked only for his family and friends, but began to enter and win competitive baking contests in his 20s. The love for baking grew as he got older, even as he pursued a career in education and a law degree from the University of Toledo.
A stroke at the age of 51 left Dimit unable to practice law.
“The law was pretty much not going to be part of my life anymore because of the damage to my brain,” he said. “I started to look around for something to do that I was good at and people would pay me for.”
His passion for baking was rekindled. Using baking as therapy, Dimit came up with the idea for a trolley to sell what he cooked.
The two wrestled with the idea of opening a bake shop but struggled with determining a perfect location. A mobile operation seemed more plausible for them. The trolley was meant to be something unique for Toledo, Carroll said.
The Tasteful Trolley combines Dimit’s baking expertise and Carroll’s passion for event planning. Carroll’s resume includes hospitality, health care and transportation, the latter of which will serve her well with The Tasteful Trolley.
Getting the trolley to Toledo was not a picturesque journey. The two braved thunderstorms and power outages while traveling by train to pick up their trolley, which they purchased in South Carolina. On the drive back, the trolley broke down and then later had a small fire under the dashboard.
Before becoming The Tasteful Trolley, the vehicle was used as both a city shuttle and a limousine. Making it a mobile kitchen took hard work, the couple said. It took additional time to get the vehicle up to code, Carroll said.
“She’ll be ready to hit the streets here very shortly,” Carroll added.
The Tasteful Trolley’s first public stop is scheduled for the Toledo Farmers’ Market on March 1, with a few private events already on the books.
The trolley’s menu will showcase the couple’s love of Americana cuisine. They have traveled extensively and wanted the trolley to feature fun foods like New Orleans-style jambalaya, Philadelphia-style cheesesteak and lobster rolls from Maine.
“Things like that really speak about true American food and so between the two of us we convert those into pie form,” Carroll said.
Pies featured on the menu include: The Loosey Goosey (a “loose meat” pie with seasoned ground beef and diced onions, celery and carrots), The Pizza Pie (with mozzarella, pepperoni and black olives), The Jersey Jim (with a deep-fried, all-beef hot dog with fried potatoes, sautéed green peppers and onions) and The Reuben (which has corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing.)
Other pies on the menu will serve as a cure for a sweet tooth, including: Monkeys Uncle (with lots of banana flavor), Cocoa Nut (with a hazelnut spread and marshmallow crème) and The Keys, Please (an authentic Key lime pie). The chocolate fudge pie from the couple’s first date is also on the menu.
The Tasteful Trolley has a goal of supporting local nonprofit organizations and causes. The couple is encouraging nonprofit organizations to submit a request to be featured among the “Charities of the Week” or “Charities of the Month.” Certain organizations will receive a donated 15 percent of the trolley’s net profit during those times. It is a way to thank Northwest Ohio for being supportive of the concept and business, Carroll said.
The Tasteful Trolley will also offer catering for corporate events, business meeting and sales blitzes, private parties, social events, wedding receptions and more. There are also “Twelve Months of Pie” and “Four Seasons of Pie” memberships for anyone interested.
Noodle Bar & Grill opened in January in Downtown’s Park Inn by Radisson, at the corner of Monroe and North Summit streets. The restaurant added a second entrance on Monroe Street so patrons would not need to enter through the hotel lobby. Toledo Free Press Photo by Sarah Ottney
Most of the restaurants previously located inside Downtown’s Park Inn by Radisson were not on the dining radar of anyone not paying to sleep in the building.
Noodle Bar & Grill, located inside the hotel at the corner of Monroe and North Summit streets, hopes to change that.
The restaurant, which serves a mix of Asian-themed fare and American comfort food, opened its doors in January.
Noodle Bar & Grill opened in January in Downtown’s Park Inn by Radisson, at the corner of Monroe and North Summit streets. The restaurant added a second entrance on Monroe Street so patrons would not need to enter through the hotel lobby. Toledo Free Press Photo by Sarah Ottney
“We’re serving Asian-American cuisine and there really isn’t another restaurant in the Downtown area that offers our menu,” said Jules Eskra, food and beverage manager at the hotel.
“We thought that this would be a good fit for Downtown Toledo.”
In addition to the main entrance connected to the hotel’s front lobby, the restaurant added a second entrance on Monroe Street.
“Before, it was just a restaurant inside of a hotel,” Eskra said. “Recently, we decided we wanted to move away from that concept. That’s why we created an entrance on Monroe Street, so guests don’t feel like they have to go through the hotel.”
The entrance, marked by a red awning, sits across Monroe Street from the center field area of Fifth Third Field.
In addition to Asian favorites such as pan fried noodles, teriyaki chicken, Kung Pao shrimp and Vietnamese pho rice noodle soup, Noodle Bar & Grill features less obvious choices like Southern mac and cheese, penne pasta dishes, supreme nachos, Philly cheesesteaks and burgers, as well as Asian takes on American fare like its Banh Mi Ribeye and a Fusion Dog, a hot dog served with kimchee, cheese, cabbage, onion and cilantro mayonnaise.
Open for breakfast as well, its morning menu options include Chinese breakfast items like congee (rice porridge), Chinese pickled vegetables, stir-fried vegetables and wonton soup. The breakfast menu also includes classic diner fare including steak and eggs, sausage, bacon, hash browns, pancakes, waffles and French toast.
Eskra said the restaurant hopes to offer a breakfast buffet beginning in the spring.
She thinks the Downtown business community as well as visitors to the area will be surprised to learn that Noodle Bar & Grill isn’t just another “hotel restaurant.”
“The people in the area always assume it’s a hotel restaurant: ‘We’re not going to go there, because it’s basically for hotel guests,’” she said. “So we’re trying to change that mindset and let them know we are a restaurant inside of a hotel, but we have great food.”
The restaurant is open every day for breakfast from 6:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., with lunch and dinner options available from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The restaurant also features a full-service bar, open at 5 p.m.
For more information, call (419) 241-3000. Phone calls come in to the hotel front desk, so ask for Noodle Bar & Grill.
German-American artist Werner Pfeiffer shows his artist’s book, “State of the Union." Photo courtesy Toledo Museum of Art.
A new exhibit at the Toledo Museum of Art (TMA) aims to demonstrate the continued relevance of paper in an increasingly digital world.
“Drawn, Cut & Layered: The Art of Werner Pfeiffer” opens to the public Feb. 6 and will stay in the museum’s Canaday Gallery through May 3.
German-American artist Werner Pfeiffer shows his artist’s book, “State of the Union.” Photo courtesy Toledo Museum of Art.
Nearly 200 limited-edition works of art in the exhibition include drawings, dimensional prints, 3-D collages and sculptural and experimental books.
Pfeiffer, 77, has used the paper medium as both a canvas and a structural material for more than 50 years. The German-American artist incorporates his interest in machines and social justice issues into his work, which is heavily influenced by his childhood in a war zone during World War II.
Pfeiffer, who spoke to media Feb. 5 shortly after seeing the exhibit for the first time, said he has always stockpiled paper, as it was in short supply during his youth. Decades later, he still treasures paper in today’s technological world.
“When we started with the digital age, we thought it was going to eliminate paper, but it hasn’t,” he said. “In fact, it has probably increased the use of paper. Particularly the older generation like myself, we don’t trust the digital. Whenever we do something digitally, I always make a paper copy. … The new generation, they don’t do that because they don’t know paper. They put everything in the cloud. I don’t trust the cloud. Something could happen to that cloud — it could blow away or something.”
Among the pieces in the exhibit are “Abracadabra,” a flexagon (a piece that can be flexed and folded to reveal new portions of the piece — a brochure available at the exhibit is in the format) and “Out of the Sky: Remembering 9/11,” 6-foot, foldable versions of the World Trade Center towers.
Pfeiffer was an art professor at Pratt Institute near the World Trade Center on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, and witnessed the second plane fly into the South Tower, as well as the collapse of both buildings.
Censorship is another topic that resonates with Pfeiffer, something else he credits to the political landscape he was exposed to as a child.
“I grew up in a culture and political system where you couldn’t trust anything,” he said. “When I was a kid, I was shot at and attacked. When the war was over, they gave us books and they had [redacted] line after line after line — stuff that we were not supposed to see. I had lived through it!”
A number of free exhibition-related programs will be offered at TMA, including a Q&A session with Pfeiffer from 2-3 p.m. Feb. 7 in the Little Theater. TMA Director Brian Kennedy will co-host the event, which will cover Pfeiffer’s experimental art books, inspiration and career. From 1-4 p.m. Feb. 8, a workshop with Pfeiffer will introduce participants to the art of paper manipulation. Participants will create their own work of art. The cost of the workshop is $50 for museum members and $60 for nonmembers. Registration may be completed at toledomuseum.org/learn/classes.
Admission to both “Drawn, Cut & Layered” and the museum is free. The exhibition, curated by the TMA’s Thomas Loeffler, is made possible through the Ohio Arts Council sustainability grant program. For more information, visit toledomuseum.org.
On Feb. 1, meteorologists were predicting up to 13 inches of snow and Super Bowl oddsmakers were predicting a narrow victory either way. But no one could have predicted that Toledo Mayor D. Michael Collins’ heart was about to stop beating.
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When news broke that Collins had suffered a cardiac arrest while driving home from a news conference regarding the pending Level 3 snow emergency, the city was shocked and saddened. As of Feb. 5, Collins is still hospitalized in critical condition at the University of Toledo Medical Center.
Toledo Free Press adds our thoughts and prayers for him and his family to those pouring in from around the city and state.
Government, however, doesn’t stop for grief. Toledo City Council President Paula Hicks-Hudson was sworn in as acting mayor that same evening at UTMC.
It’s certainly a big job to be thrust into with only a few hours’ notice, that’s for sure. But Hicks-Hudson, a Democrat, should be well-qualified. A lawyer with years of experience in state and local government, she’s served on City Council since 2011 and as its president since 2013. Her previous positions include city legislative director, county assistant prosecutor, director of the Lucas County Board of Elections and state legal counsel.
Fellow Council members describe Hicks-Hudson as respectful, logical, thorough, inquisitive and open to others’ opinions. That’s promising.
She’s indicated she doesn’t intend to make drastic changes in the short term. But she does admit differences from Collins, an Independent, in long-term plans and priorities. Even if Collins starts to recover today, he faces a long road. If he is unable to return to office, Hicks-Hudson will be mayor until a general election in November.
And what about staff? After a year of tweaking duties and positions to find the right mix, everyone seems to be working well together. Will Hicks-Hudson keep all of Collins’ staff? That’s unlikely. Change isn’t necessarily bad, but swapping players in certain positions could impede recent forward momentum.
Among the major projects Collins was working on include ongoing negotiations with Fiat Chrysler over Jeep Wrangler production, ProMedica’s move Downtown and finding a developer for the former Southwyck site. There’s a city budget that needs passing, a county jail that needs building and a water plant that needs ongoing infrastructure improvements.
There are a lot of balls in the air, but lately City Council seemed to be getting in a groove, all finally rowing in the same direction.
We seem to be on the verge of a major resurgence in Downtown development. Most business owners are excited about the possibilities ahead.
I was encouraged by several recent Council votes, particularly the approval of ProMedica’s move Downtown. Collins has been receptive to the idea since the health system approached him more than a year ago. The near-unanimous vote was a great victory for him and is poised to be a legacy project for him.
Now he’s fighting for his life. But the city he fought for must go forward.
The tragedy would be compounded if this unexpected and tragic event disrupted that newfound momentum.
Thomas F. Pounds is president and publisher of Toledo Free Press. He can be reached at [email protected].
About 11 years ago, a friend of ours had gotten this cute white puffball of a dog he named Murphy and we thought it would be cool to get one just like it. So we made a trip to see Murphy’s “brother.” The “breeder” turned out to be an elderly lady with a bunch of dogs penned up in her kitchen. As Max grew, we realized we may have been fooled into believing he was the true brother of a Bichon Yorkie we admired rather than a product of whatever went on in the lady’s kitchen.
Murphy had bright white puffy cotton ball-like fur and Max turned out to have yellowish limp locks that made him look like the poor pathetic cousin from across the tracks.
But Max has been a great companion. When he was a puppy, he always had to be on the move. He was not very cuddly and did not like to be held very long. He was sitting beside me recently on what had not been a good day. I felt like the old guy who answers the question, “Hello, sir, how are you today?” with “Horrible! Just horrible.” It seemed like a day I would have been better off just staying home.
As Max sat next to me, I had a moment of great appreciation for him. Max was just happy to be there, sitting beside me in the safety and comfort of our home. He was happy to just be.
As time has gone on and I have gotten older, I feel like I have mellowed. I used to try to be like Cesar the Dog Whisperer recommended — leader of the pack, the alpha male who used to like being with Max, but felt it was necessary each night to require Max to sleep in his cage to keep him in his place. I am now that guy in the cartoon to whom the dog says (as he is laying on my favorite pillow) “The couch is available.”
Since Max is getting old (77 in dog years) I have decided to let things slide and he now sleeps in our bed each night. I was out of town recently and knew my wife Lisa would be in bed and texted her to tell Max to get off my pillow. She cracked up laughing because before she received my text she was sending me a picture of Max who was totally enjoying my pillow and my absence.
You may be thinking, “Aw, he sounds like a really cute dog.” He is, but Max is no saint. He has done his best to destroy our house. He has never kicked the habit of marking his territory. Every corner of every chair has been hit repeatedly. Anything left on the floor is a target. Once, I had to inform Lisa he nailed the bottom of one of her dresses that hung from a doorknob. Max has mastered the art of stealth. He sneaks off and does it even though he knows it is wrong.
We have tried everything to break this. One year our family Christmas letter talked about “puppy diapers.” It did not work. Max couldn’t have cared less that he peed himself repeatedly inside his “belly band.” I have to admit, during several points of exasperation I thought about finding him a new home. Then I thought, “I couldn’t do that to him.” He is flawed like the rest of us. I wouldn’t get rid of one of our kids, so I couldn’t get rid of Max.
I think Max is going blind, too, because when he is in the bed with Lisa and anyone enters the room he barks and growls like he is going to tear you a new one. Even when he knows it is me, he has to act all tough and continue to growl a while like it is a game.
Max absolutely lives for his rubber chew toy. It is actually the third or fourth version of the same toy and I fear he will be devastated when this one is done for, as I have not been able to find another.
What Max really lives for is being with us. It seems his favorite time of the day is when I get up to go to the bedroom each evening. He gets all excited, grabs his toy and runs into the bedroom and jumps on the bed to take his place among the comfy blankets.
Max is just happy to be there and just happy to be. Me too.
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