Bloom of a cardinal-flower
Cardinal-flower for sale at upcoming plant sale at Blue Creek Metropark
BERKEY – The cardinal-flower isn’t a common wildflower, but, where it blooms it’s impossible to miss. Its time is now, from late summer into early fall. The spikes of deep red flowers stand on stalks up to four feet tall, typically in wet woods, along streams and other places where it can keep its feet wet.
It’s an ideal plant for attracting hummingbirds, which enjoy a mutually beneficial relationship with this deep-tubed wildflower. Ruby-throated hummingbirds are attracted to the red flowers and enjoy a fine nectar meal. In doing so the forehead of the hummingbird brushes against the male part of the flower, depositing pollen on the bird’s head. The hummingbird pollinates the plant when it visits other cardinal-flowers.
This attractive member of the bellflower family is an ideal plant to incorporate in rain gardens. Look for it at the upcoming wildflower plant sale at Blue Creek Metropark in Whitehouse, Ohio on Sept. 14-15. It’s an ideal opportunity get acquainted with other wildflowers for your home garden, as well.
Port Authority levy on horizon
Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority seeks renewal of .4-mill property tax
TOLEDO – Voters will be asked on the Nov. 5 ballot to renew a levy for the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority – funding that the agency said it uses in part to support local economic development projects.
“With your support, we can keep momentum going,” said Robin Whitney, chair of the Committee for Jobs, during a kickoff press conference Thursday at Ironville Terminal, located at 2863 Front St.
The Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority was established in 1955. Its core responsibilities involve cargo and passenger transportation via the Port of Toledo, Toledo Shipyard, Eugene F. Kranz Toledo Express Airport, Toledo Express Airport and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza.
But as explained at the levy kickoff and on the Committee for Jobs website, the agency’s impact goes beyond the sites under its jurisdiction, and supports a range of economic development projects.
Over the last few years, we have adopted the model that the Port Authority is ‘more than a port,’
Thomas Winston, Port Authority president and CEO
The real estate levy is for all of Lucas County. It has been on the books for decades, and was last passed in 2018. It is a five-year renewal of .4 mills using historic valuation, starting in 2024, with the first payment due in 2025.
For many taxpayers, Winston explained, the amount works out to about $8 in taxes a year for each $100,000 in property value.
Lucas County commissioner Anita Lopez, one of the presenters at the press conference, said in her previous role as Lucas County auditor that the port authority tax amounts were so minimal that it was “the levy no one complained about.”
But that collection results in about $2.5 million a year for the Port Authority, or about 7 percent of the agency’s overall budget. This is the money that supports capital improvement projects for maritime and aviation transportation services; investment into wetlands restoration and sustainability projects; along with providing local support toward economic development.
In some cases, the local financial support helps leverage state or federal funding.
Specifically, the Port Authority runs the Northwest Ohio Bond Fund, with 100 new business or business expansion projects financially supported since its launch 36 years ago. The bond fund earned a national rating of “A” earlier this year from S&P Global Ratings. Recent examples, according to the Committee for Jobs website, include the Toledo YWCA building renovations.
Administrative costs and salaries in the Port Authority’s budget, along with other operating expenses, come from other sources, such as revenue generated by its services.
Those speaking Thursday on behalf of the port authority work and the levy renewal request included Waterville mayor Tom Pedro and Wendy Gramza, president and CEO of Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Spinning through the ’90s
Perrysburg library’s ‘Listening Booth’ launches new music series
PERRYSBURG – Nobody said “Shush!” when a recording of Metallica’s Enter Sandman was blared inside the Way Public Library.
Not this night, anyway, because a librarian was the one spinning the vinyl and cranking the volume on this and 13 other songs in a program titled The Listening Booth.
The evening session on Tuesday was the first in a series of library programs titled, Explore Sound Waves: A Celebration of Music.
Natalie Dielman, programming coordinator for Way, said she was inspired to organize the music series after visiting a bookstore in Columbus and noting that Rob Harvilla, Ohio music journalist and author, had just given a talk there.
From there, she was able to contact Harvilla and make arrangements for him to speak at the Perrysburg library on Sept. 9.
Dielman also contacted Angela Pratesi, head librarian and associate professor at Bowling Green State University’s Music Library, and Bill Schurk Sound Archives, to help organize four more programs for the series.
The Listening Booth event featured 14 songs selected from Harvilla’s book, 60 Songs That Explain the ‘90s.
“I had a difficult time narrowing them down,” Pratesi told the small group assembled in a basement conference room at Way. “One criterion was that the songs don’t grate on my nerves too much.”
She chose a variety of styles, with selections from each year of the 1990s, spanning country, pop, hip-hop, alt-rock, folk, blues, singer-songwriters, boy or girl groups, “at least one rocking guitar solo,” and a song from a movie soundtrack.
The tunes ranged from soft and reflective to loud, raging angst.
Harvilla’s book is a spinoff of his podcast of the same name, in which he ended up including well over 100 songs from the ’90s, but decided that 60 was a good number for the title.
Perrysburg resident Eric Britton said he decided to attend the Tuesday night listening session because he had enjoyed a previous discussion at the library about the Clash’s classic punk rock album, London Calling.
“I’m alone this week and saw this posted on the library bulletin board and thought it would be fun,” Britton said.
Pratesi had no trouble obtaining copies of the music, all on vinyl, for the library listening session.
BGSU librarian Patty Falk said they have 700,000 recordings on the shelves, including 215,000 33 1/3-rpm vinyl albums and 211,000 7-inch 45’s.
The Music Library & Bill Schurk Sound Archives has more than a million items, including records, reel-to-reel tapes, cassette tapes, CDs, books, periodicals and videos, according to the BGSU official website. The website includes a catalog search button to look up specific materials.
It’s one of the largest collections in North America that is accessible to the public, Pratesi said. Anyone can go in and listen to music. The library staff will handle the vinyl, however, placing it on the turntable for visitors because the albums need to be handled with care. After all, it is an archive and the materials are meant to be preserved for generations.
“The Listening Booth” session at Way lasted about 90 minutes as Pratesi spun songs in the following chronological order:
- “Friends in Low Places” by Garth Brooks (1990)
- “Vogue” by Madonna (1990)
- Pratesi asked the group for a “yes or no answer” on the third song, and got a thumbs up: Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby,” also from 1990. There was an interesting discussion about copyright laws as Vanilla Ice settled a dispute, without going to court, by paying an undisclosed amount of money to Queen and David Bowie for allegedly sampling the bass line from their song “Under Pressure.” Ice later said it was $4 million.
- “Enter Sandman” by Metallica (1991)
- Pratesi introduced the next selection as “the most required song of the ‘90s”: The raging grunge rocker “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana (1991).
- The group was asked to choose one song from a list of three released in 1992: “One” by U2; “Hey Jealousy” by Gin Blossoms, and “Nightswimming” by R.E.M. The vote was for “Hey Jealousy” but the vinyl Pratesi brought to the session was recorded as a 45 rpm and she didn’t have an adapter, giving “One” the spin by default.
- There were only two ‘90s soundtracks worth consideration, Pratesi said, choosing “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston, from “The Bodyguard” (1992). The other possible pick? “Titanic.”
- This time the listeners were asked to choose between two singles from 1993, “It Was a Good Day” by Ice Cube or “Shoop” by Salt-N-Pepa. “Shoop” was the unanimous pick.
- The 1994 selection was another listeners’ choice, either “Sabotage” by the Beastie Boys or “Black Hole Sun” by Soundgarden. The Beasties’ rap classic won the vote.
- “Just a Girl” by No Doubt (1995)
- “Wannabe” by the Spice Girls (1996)
- The song introduced as a “weird one from the anarcho-punk collection” was “Tubthumping” the catchy 1997 tune by British band Chumbawamba (with the irrepressible lyrical hook, “I get knocked down, but I get up again, you are never gonna keep me down.”)
- “To Zion” by Lauryn Hill (1998), featuring guitar god Carlos Santana
- Wrapping up the decade was the Santana’s 1999 classic, “Smooth,” with vocals by Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty.
Pratesi said she wanted to give an “honorable mention” to Sonic Youth, the influential New York group known for its experimental indie rock sound, but didn’t have time to play any of their songs as the listening session was running out of time.
The Listening Booth was not just for listening, it also included some lively conversations and interactions between audience and presenters about the artists, songs, videos and memories of the 1990s.
More music events
Upcoming programs in the Way Public Library’s “Sound Waves” series:
- Wednesday, Aug. 28, 6 p.m.: The Book Mixtape – Sample a mix of books by musicians and about music.
- Thursday, Sept. 5, 6 p.m.: Music Fun Night – An evening of music, games, and fun including karaoke, Guitar Hero, dancing, and creating your own mixtape.
- Saturday, Sept. 7, 1 p.m.: BGSU Music Library Tour. Tour the Music Library and sound archives at Bowling Green State University. Registration is required and participants must provide their own transportation. Call 419-874-3135.
- Monday, Sept. 9, 6 p.m.: Author talk with Rob Harvilla, Columbus-based author and podcaster best known for “60 Songs that Explain the ‘90s.”
The Way Public Library is at 101 E. Indiana Ave. in Perrysburg.
Maumee deals with ordinance
Maumee lays groundwork for sewer ordinance repair reimbursement
MAUMEE – Maumee residents received positive news during the city council meeting on Tuesday. The council voted 5-2 to authorize city administrator Patrick Burtch to set parameters and approve a grant program for residents who had their sewer system fixed or replaced under the sewer ordinance.
The city originally passed a sewer ordinance on June 17, requiring homeowners to schedule an inspection of their property at the time of sale or as requested, and pay for the repairs within 90 days of inspection. Some residents were facing the possibility of spending thousands of dollars repairing their homes. The sudden financial burden drew backlash from residents.
The backlash persuaded the city council to repeal the sewer ordinance on July 31, roughly six weeks after it was passed. Mayor James MacDonald explained the discontent of the citizens and looked at how the sewer ordinance would impact the total expense of every household. He says the city plans to gather citizen input.
The sewer ordinance was originally passed in response to the EPA’s mandate that Maumee eliminate the inflow and infiltration (I&I) into the sewers. MacDonald said the city continues to be in contact with the EPA but shared his difficulty with them.
“The thing about the EPA is they won’t tell you how to fix the problem,” he said. “They’ll just tell you that you have a goal post to meet.”
MacDonald also explained the grant system that the city approved.
“While that original ordinance was in place, some people actually conveyed their property and had work done on their property in order to sell their house,” he said.
“What we want to do is make right with any expenses that they incurred in the city right away not on their private property, to rectify that they had to move while that ordinance was in effect and then it got repealed.”
When asked about a new ordinance, MacDonald said the city is in information-gathering mode right now.
The next step for the city council is to hold the remaining community roundtables to gather information from Maumee residents. The roundtables are at 6 p.m. on Aug. 22, 27 and 29. To attend you must register and be a Maumee resident.
TPS back at school (mostly)
TPS superintendent Dr. Romules Durant visits Escuela Smart Academy
TOLEDO – Holding a gigantic and oversized yellow pencil and with the Toledo Public Schools superintendent kneeling by his side, Dylan Marcelo, 5, scribbled his signature on a contract, becoming the newest student to sign with the Escuela Smart Academy.
The signing is an unofficial and fun way for students to feel welcomed to their bilingual school, which opened its doors on Monday to phased-in preschoolers and kindergarteners and grades 1-6. Dr. Romules Durant was on hand to witness several signings.
Durant also visited a first-grade classroom, where students became excited when their teacher, Jennifer Wagner, asked if they remembered his previous visit when he read Dr. Seuss’ Cat in the Hat … dressed as its namesake.
Escuela Smart Academy was a charter school before TPS pulled it into the school system in 2019. Principal Natasha Allen said coming from a charter to public school provided a lot of opportunities and resources for students, families, staff and teachers.
Allen, who’s been the principal for nearly four years, said half of the 290 students are learning English as a second language, and 75 percent are Latino. Many of the faculty are bilingual, and if they are not they’re still familiar with the culture and know Spanish. There is also a dedicated Spanish teacher.
As the doors opened to the students and they walked in the building for the start of their first day, they were greeted with a community cheering section to celebrate their return to school.
“It’s just a wonderful school and environment and I’m excited to be here with our families and our Latino culture,” proclaimed Allen. “The families are amazing and the engagement at family events is wonderful.
“Our kids like coming to school and smile pretty much every day because it’s a really great place and they feel accepted,” she said.
Back-to-school dates for TPS students are scattered. Grades 1-9 reported Monday; Grade 10 reports on Tuesday; Grades 11-12 on Wednesday; and Wednesday, Aug. 28, is the first full day for all pre-school and kindergarteners.
