A few thoughts as summer winds down:
Navy Week: Major kudos should be offered to the success of Navy Week. Five ships and more than 500 service men and women docked in Toledo from Aug. 20-27, offering ship tours, musical performances by military bands and opportunities to interact with servicemembers, who could be seen in their dress whites walking through Downtown, cheering at Mud Hens games and soaking up the city’s appreciation for their sacrifices.
It was a tremendous sight, seeing people waiting in line to visit the USS De Wert and the Royal Canadian Navy’s HMCS Ville de Québec at Maritime Plaza while the USS Hurricane, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mobile Bay and the historic U.S. Brig Niagara, a replica of the War of 1812 flagship, docked at International Park near the SS Col. James M. Schoonmaker.
Toledo reportedly drew bigger crowds for the event than even Chicago and Milwaukee. It would be a wonderful benefit to the region to host Navy Week again in 2013.
Glass City: Libbey Inc. signed a 15-year lease to keep its global headquarters at Edison Plaza in Downtown Toledo. The State of Ohio will give Libbey a $1 million grant for capital improvements and a $200,000 grant for workforce training.
Libbey has also extended its lease with Toledo for its Libbey Glass Factory Outlet store at the Erie Street Market and its lease for the Libbey Glass Showroom at 335 N. St. Clair St.
This is a strong commitment from the State of Ohio to Libbey, and from Libbey to the City of Toledo. Libbey is one of those companies closely linked to Toledo, so it is exciting to see that its relationship with the Glass City will continue.
Steel grandstands: Toledo City Councilman and critical thinker Steve Steel may have thought he was putting a box around Mayor Mike Bell when he arrogantly demanded the mayor sign an ethics pledge (in the wake of proposed staff wage raises) promising to not accept campaign donations from employees. He must have been surprised by the mayor’s response, which fired back the idea of not only banning donations from employees, but calling for all elected city officials to also decline donations from unions.
Steel had the legs cut out from under his grandstanding gesture by the Bell administration’s response, and it was not surprising to see his red-faced reaction at the Aug. 28 Council meeting, nor was it surprising that Council chose to not act, but passed the issue to an unscheduled committee.
Why Steel chose to throw his stone at the glass house he also lives in is amusing and puzzling, but it earned a quick slap back from Bell and his team. Toledo City Council has no right to dictate to people who they choose to support with their cash; with so many bigger issues facing the city, Steel’s proposal was the true red herring of the week.
Leading Edge: If you’re looking for insightful commentary from local newsmakers, tune in to Jerry Anderson’s WTOL-11 television show “Leading Edge,” Sundays at 11 a.m.
Thomas F. Pounds is president and publisher of Toledo Free Press and Toledo Free Press Star. Contact him at tpounds@toledofreepress.com.
