MAYOR'S MESSAGE Craig A. Stough City of Sylvania bond rating raised

In preparation for the sale of $6,950,000 of notes financing recent road and infrastructure improvements, the City of Sylvania worked through the process of having its credit rating reviewed, and as a result had its bond rating improved.  Along with Sylvania Township, the City has the highest bond rating in Lucas County, lowering the City's interest rate and saving taxpayer dollars.

We are fortunate in Sylvania to have maintained a stronger economic position than many of our neighbors.  Tax receipts have remained nearly level, allowing Sylvania to avoid the problems of falling revenues, raising taxes and/or reducing services.  In addition, the City's moderate overall debt burden, good reserve levels and financial management practices, considered good under Standard and Poors Financial Management Assessment, all contributed to the positive review.

The credit rating agency, Standard and Poors, recognized these factors and awarded Sylvania a bond rating of AA+, only one step below the highest rating available anywhere.  Our location in northwest Ohio and relative small size were listed as the only reasons why the highest rating was not assigned.  This is the second credit rating improvement for the City of Sylvania in the past 14 years.

The 12 month notes were rated SP1+ and were sold with a net interest cost of .501%.  The notes were sold 6/29/10 and settled on 7/13/10.  The successful bidder was TD Securities.

The notes financed $3,250,000 of 2009 improvements to Acres, Elliott, Roan, Indian Trail, Arrowhead Drive and the Olde Post Road Bridge.  The notes also financed $3,700,000 of 2010 improvements to Graystone, Gregory, Gillingham, Orvieto, Angleview Ct. and the City's portion of the ODOT repaving of Alexis Road.

Using the notes allowed the City to take advantage of current lower construction costs without spending down reserves, increasing taxes or assessing property owners.  The improvements will be paid for over their useful life.  Neighborhood street improvements in Sylvania have been made for the past 12 years without property owner assessments.  Improving the streets helps our neighborhoods remain attractive and desirable, keeping property values higher.

The cost of financing will reevaluated next year.  If short term rates remain favorably low, short term notes may be issued again in 2011, with long-term bonds issued in 2012.

Sisters for the cure

Dr. Amy Murnen was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008, a day after her 41st birthday. Her sister Sarah was there to support her during her recovery.

Last year, she participated in the 5 km Race for the Cure in Toledo along with her sisters Sarah and Sandy, and her cousin Kathy, also a breast cancer survivor. 

This year, with encouragement from her office staff, she decided to participate in the 3 Day for the Cure in Cleveland, OH. 

“We made it!” said Amy. 

“Sarah and I were able to walk the entire 60 miles and actually enjoy ourselves at the same time. The volunteer crew members were awesome and made each pit stop memorable. We walked mostly through neighborhoods and really enjoyed all of the people out cheering us on. You certainly needed it at some points.

“Our tent looked great with strings of pink ribbons draped over it with all of your names on them. Thank you so much for helping Sarah and I raise almost $12,000 for the Susan G. Komen Foundation.”

Dr. Amy Murnen is a physician in Mount Vernon, OH. Dr. Sarah Murnen is a professor at Kenyon College in Gambier, OH. They are the daughters of Tim and Pat Murnen of Sylvania.

A tribute to my dad

Promontory Point River Deck in Harroun Community Park

The majestic 26 acre forest right in the middle of town is a retreat like non-other for all of us in the City of Sylvania.  Have you visited your Harroun Community Park lately?

THE TRAIL SYSTEM.  The wondering one and one half mile trail system is a short stroll through a gentler time, with lots of wild flowers in season, natural meadows, paralleling the Ten Mile Creek, including the confluence of the North branch and Ottawa River.

NOTICEABLE FEATURES.  Don’t miss the Promontory Point River Deck, 100 seat amphitheater, sky high gazebo, thirty five foot tall wind chimes in the meadow, interpretive center shelter, boardwalk, and maze.  Recently added feature is the Lathrop House now being restored by the Metro Parks system.

WILDLIFE ABOUNDS.  The park also is home to many wild animal friends like the deer family, raccoons, ground hogs, squirrels, rabbits, and many birds.  The flora collection includes 25 varieties of trees, and the same number of different wild flowers.

SELF GUIDED TOURS.  Folders are usually on the info boards as you enter the park from South Main Street and from the Harroun Road side.  The folders are also available at the Parks and Forestry office at 8425 Sylvania Metamora Road in Sylvania, 419-885-8992.

HARROUN COMMUNITY PARK is open from dawn to dusk and is an excellent place to walk your dog.  Dogs are allowed on a leash only, and owners must clean up dog droppings.  Two doggy bag stations are in the park.

MAYOR'S MESSAGE Craig A. Stough Sylvania Welcomes 30th Anniversary Triathlon

The Sylvania Triathlon/Duathlon is celebrating its 30th anniversary on Sunday, August 8, 2010 at Olander Park and Tam-O-Shanter. The City of Sylvania welcomes the field of nearly 750 participants, many them world class athletes, to our community.

The Sylvania Triathlon emulates the distances of the Olympic Triathlon: 1.5K swim, 40K bike and 10K run. In addition, the Sylvania Triathlon offers athletes a Duathlon: 5K run, 40K bike and 10K run, as well as a Sprint Distance Triathlon, especially designed for the more novice/beginner: .25 mile swim, 13 mile bike and 3.1 mile run. The competition includes different divisions for men and women according to age and weight, and for paratriathletes. Relay categories are available for a variety of three person teams.

The day before on Saturday, August 7, the 21st annual Sylvania SuperKids Triathlon/Duathlon will be held. It is one of the oldest children’s triathlons in the country and offers triathlons and duathlons of shorter distances according to age. It is open to all kids seven to 14 years of age, and also offers a fun run open to three to six year olds.

Like the recently completed Jamie Farr LPGA championship, the Sylvania Triathlon brings athletes from around the country to Sylvania. The athletes bring hundreds of family members and volunteers with them into Sylvania. In addition, hundreds of Sylvania residents will be participating, both as racing participants and as volunteers.

I have memories of the first Sylvania Triathlon held in 1981 at Olander Park. The swimmers raced north in Olander Lake, changed clothing in makeshift enclosures, and then raced on their bicycles south out of Olander Park. Now the racers swim a clockwise loop around Olander Lake and begin biking at Tam-O-Shanter. The sound of those hundreds of swimmers churning the water of Olander Lake early in the morning was as unique then as it is now.

Welcome to all the competitors and visitors to Sylvania! I extend the congratulations and thanks of the Sylvania community to event organizers Jim Donaldson, a champion triathlete himself, and his wife, Joyce. Their firm, Elite Endeavors, continues to manage this prestigious event along with the host club, Team Toledo Triathlon Club. Best wishes for another great event this year!

Military brief

Army Reserve Pfc. Samantha A. Rivera has graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C.

During the nine weeks of training, the soldier studied the Army mission, history, tradition and core values, physical fitness, and received instruction and practice in basic combat skills, military weapons, chemical warfare and bayonet training, drill and ceremony, marching, rifle marksmanship, armed and unarmed combat, map reading, field tactics, military courtesy, military justice system, basic first aid, foot marches, and field training exercises.

Rivera is a 1996 graduate of Cathedral Christian Academy, Sylvania, OH.

James W. Pope named President and CEO of Franciscan Services Corporation

Sister Diana Lynn Eckel, OSF, Congregational Minister of the Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania, and John J. Hall, MD, Chairperson of the Franciscan Services Corporation (FSC) Board of Trustees, have announced the appointment of James W. Pope, FACHE, as the new President and CEO of Franciscan Services Corporation. On August 23, 2010, Mr. Pope will succeed John W. O’Connell, FACHE, who held the position for 26 years and is retiring. Franciscan Services Corporation is the health and human services ministry of the Sisters. 

A native Ohioan, Mr. Pope has more than 32 years experience in the healthcare field. Before joining FSC, he held the position of regional president for the Southwest Region of Summa Health System, one of the largest integrated delivery systems in Ohio. In 2007, he was instrumental in leading the merger of Summa Barberton Hospital with Wadsworth-Rittman Hospital, and became president of the consolidated facilities in 2008. Summa Health System, which operates 1,800 beds and has over 10,000 employees, includes six hospitals, four community health centers, and insurance company, an employee physician group and a foundation. Mr. Pope’s extensive experience at the CEO level also encompassed leadership positions held at healthcare facilities throughout the Midwest including St. Vincent Frankfort Hospital in Indiana, Provena United Samaritans Medical Center in Illinois, Norton Spring View Hospital and Manor in Kentucky, and Orange County Hospital in Indiana.

 Mr. Pope holds a Master of Science Degree in Hospital & Health Administration from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a Bachelor or Science Degree in Management/Health Care from Park College, Wright Patterson AFB, also in Ohio. He is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) and was recognized as their 1997 “Young Healthcare Executive of the Year” for the southern Indiana region. Mr. Pope also serves on the Ohio Hospital Association’s Committee on Advocacy and Policy as well as on several local and regional community organizations. 

As President of Franciscan Services Corporation, Mr. Pope will be responsible for the operation and growth of the Sisters’ health and human services ministry. The FSC System, with member organizations in Ohio, Texas and Kentucky, currently includes five hospitals, seven long-term care facilities, four assisted living facilities, independent senior housing, a counseling center, and a long-term shelter for victims of domestic violence. When informed of his appointment, Mr. Pope stated: "I am truly honored to have been chosen to lead Franciscan Services Corporation. My wife Mary and I look forward to becoming more deeply involved with such a values based organization."

Marie Brydges engagement

Carl and Jenny Christensen, Ottawa Lake, MI, are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter Sarah Jean Marie to Brandon Arthur Brydges, son of Don and Mary Brydges of Sylvania.

Sarah graduated from Whiteford High School in 2006, and received an Associates of Applied Science in Dental Hygiene from Owens Community College in May of 2008, and a Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene from the University of Michigan in December 2009. She is presently employed at Great Lakes Dental in Tecumseh, MI.

Brandon is a 2003 graduate of Sylvania Northview and graduated summa cum laude from the University of Toledo in May 2008 with a Bachelor of Science degree in biomedical engineering. He is employed as a quality engineer with Zimmer, Inc., in Warshaw, Indiana.

A September 2010 wedding is planned. 

2010 Pizza Palooza winners announced

After the pepperoni and cheese stopped flying, the 2010 Pizza Palooza Winners were crowned. Over 5,000 attended the first event held at Centennial Terrace on July 23 and 24.

The Winners are:

People Choice Awards

1.      Amie’s Pizza

2.      Jet’s Pizza

3.      Vito’s Pizza

Judges Choice Awards – Cheese/Pepperoni Category

1.      Andrew Z Pizzeria

2.      Vito’s Pizza

3.      Jet’s Pizza

Judges Choice Awards – Specialty Pizza

1.      Vito’s Pizza

2.      Jet’s Pizza

3.      Marco’s Pizza

Corporate Challenge Awards

1.      Flower Hospital

2.      Andrew Z Pizzeria

3.      Regency Hospital

4.      KeyBank

Media Challenge Awards

1.      101.5 The River

2.      Sylvania Herald

Sylvania woman receives prestigious Fulbright Grant

Today’s challenging economic climate and international economic dependency caught the attention of Courtney Cobb, a 2010 graduate of Denison University, Granville, OH, and 2006 St. Ursula Academy graduate.

  “I started off at Denison as a biology student with a Pre-Med concentration," said Cobb.  “After spending a summer volunteering and observing in a central-city hospital trauma center, I realized that it was not my love of medicine that led me toward that concentration, but the challenge of assessing circumstances or symptoms and finding the relationship between them.  It was this interest to observe and explain trends and activities that led me to economics.”

She studied in Ireland for a semester in her junior year and during that time, also had an internship with the Bank of Ireland in the Market Risk Department. 

“I spent the semester gaining critical thinking skills while exploring the interdependency of economic indicators, such as unemployment, interest rates, and firm profits, and how a fluctuation in one causes a web of consequences. I was also interested in why so many multi-national companies had chosen Ireland as a location and what had caused the dramatic economic transition they had experienced,” explained Cobb.  

“It was a unique experience to be involved with those managing currency, commodities, and interest rate risk for several multi-national companies.  Not only were we dealing with U.S. dollars, Euros, and British pounds but also with Indian rupees, South African rands, and Thai bahts.” 

Upon returning to Denison, Cobb applied for a prestigious Fulbright study and research grant and was awarded the grant in the spring of 2010.  She leaves for Ireland in mid August for one year to pursue a master’s degree and research in economics.

“There is no better country than Ireland to study the factors leading to the economic change and the general effects of economic policy,” said Cobb.  

Ireland went from a small open economy to the fastest growing European economy during the years of the Celtic Tiger and is now suffering in the wake of an international downturn. 

Her Fulbright grant will provide support for her pursuit of a twelve month taught Masters in Economic Science in European and Public Affairs at University College Dublin (UCD).  The program is designed to acquaint students with European affairs, public policy, and the European Union with a multidisciplinary approach involving Economics, Business, Politics, and Law. 

The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to “increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.” With this goal as a starting point, the Fulbright Program has provided almost 300,000 participants—chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential — with the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.

Cobb’s research will focus on the effect of Ireland’s corporate tax policies in pre and post Celtic Tiger Ireland.  

“The main issues of my research will include how Ireland created a business friendly atmosphere for multi-nationals through corporate tax rates and double taxation treaties, how they affected the recent downturn, and what similar countries can learn from the experience.” 

Upon her completion of the master’s program, Cobb will head to Cleveland to work as a business analyst in the strategic and operations division of Deloitte.

She is the daughter of Megan Manahan and stepdaughter of Russell Hurford who reside In Sylvania.

Ocker Wolf engagement

Louis and Susan Ocker, of Sylvania, are pleased to announce the engagement and future wedding of their daughter, Molly Elizabeth, to Philip Joseph Wolf, also from Sylvania. 

PJ is the son of Philip and Christine Wolf. The couple first met and started dating in high school. The future bride and groom are both graduates of Sylvania Northview High School, Class of 2005 and Bowling Green State University, Class of 2009. They each received their Bachelors of Science from the College of Business Administration, with a specialty in Accounting. 

Molly has been employed for the past four years as a Benefit Plan Auditor for Davenport, Hanf and Company, LLC of Perrysburg, OH. PJ has completed his Masters of Accountancy at Bowling Green State University and is studying for his CPA exams. He will start his career with Gilmore, Jasion, and Mahler, Ltd. beginning this August. Molly and PJ will marry on August 28, 2010. The couple will reside in Sylvania Township.

Maumee Valley teacher returns from Earthwatch trip

Maumee Valley Lower School and Middle School Spanish teacher Maureen Rooney was awarded an all-expenses paid fellowship by the Ingalls Foundation to participate in an Earthwatch Institute 8-day expedition in Costa Rica. Ms. Rooney took part in the Costa Rican Coffee From Community to Cup project where she worked side-by-side with local farmers and researchers at Coope Tarrazú, a farming cooperative located in the small town of San Marcos de Tarrazú in central Costa Rica.

The Costa Rican Coffee From Community to Cup project was designed to help increase sustainable coffee farming practices in the Tarrazú region of Costa Rica, with the ability to be replicated in other farms and coffee regions. 

Because recent studies conducted in agroecosystems suggest that conserving nearby forest fragments can boost populations of native pollinators, especially bees, and also substantially improve yield, this goal is also a part of the study. The program is participatory and includes major stakeholders (farmers, buyers and the general public) in its design, field research and dissemination elements. Regional stakeholders include Tarrazú coffee farmers, Coope Tarrazú, the University of Costa Rica, Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad (INBio), and the Starbucks Agronomy Unit, among others. 

As a member of the expedition, Ms. Rooney worked with researchers to collect data insects and soil conditions, shade tree coverage, erosion, and many other aspects of coffee plant production. The team used GIS technology to map the biodiversity in the region and helped determine the factors that affect farms’ sustainability. “

"The experience opened my eyes to the amount of work these farmers and their workers put forth to harvest coffee. Hours of work go into gathering 100 pounds of coffee with a return of only a few dollars,”" Ms. Rooney said.

"The field work we did was amazing and completely science driven. It felt wonderful to be a part of something that was trying to help bring balance to the environment and the people within those communities.”"

While on the expedition, Ms. Rooney also had the opportunity to visit and conduct research on many different coffee farms, interact extensively with local farmers, visit a local coffee processing plant owned by the cooperative, participate in an official coffee tasting, learn about issues affecting fair trade and organic coffees, and sometimes revel in the very best of homemade Costa Rican cuisine. 

"“The Coope Tarrazú cooperative was a truly amazing organization working with the farmers not only with processing their coffee but with managing their money and working to obtain a fair trade for their hard work,"” said Ms. Rooney. 

"“It was an experience I would do again in a heartbeat ­­-- a truly amazing experience.”"

Earthwatch Institute is an international non-profit organization that brings science to life for people concerned about the Earth's future. Founded in 1971, Earthwatch supports scientific field research by offering volunteers the opportunity to join research teams around the world. This unique model is creating a systematic change in how the public views science and its role in environmental sustainability. 

Today, Earthwatch recruits close to 4,000 volunteers every year to collect field data in the areas of rainforest ecology, wildlife conservation, marine science, archaeology, and more. Through this process, we educate, inspire, and involve a diversity of people, who actively contribute to conserving our planet. 

Skate park, refuse and recycling discussed at City Council meeting

By Mike McHone

Herald Writer

     A proposed skate park isn’t sitting well with certain residents. At the recent City Council meeting held on July 19, some people came out to voice their concerns about the downsides of having a skating area located in Veterans Memorial Park off of Maplewood Avenue.

    “The location is poor due to the proximity of nearby residents,” one resident said, addressing his concerns to the council. “We feel that it would more than likely invite problems.”

    Council member Katie Cappellini, who serves on the Parks and Forestry committee as a chairperson, said that a final place for the skate park hasn’t been determined as of yet. “We haven’t ruled out Centennial Quarry… We wanted to keep it near downtown,” she said.

     The sounds of skateboards and rollerblades racing up and down inclines seemed to be the main concern for Sylvania resident Christine Diver, who lives near Veterans Memorial Park. She asked Mrs. Cappellini how loud she thought the children would be at this proposed skate park. Mrs. Cappellini replied that the noise shouldn’t be any louder than your typical baseball game in the summertime.

     “Baseball games are few and far between,” Mrs. Diver said. “They’re not all day long.”

     Along with the possible noise, supervision, or lack thereof, was another topic that concerned Mrs. Diver and the citizens that make their homes near the park. Vandalism, they say, is a big possibility, and in an area that is relatively secluded, it’s almost inviting to the atypical vandal.

     “We’re asking you to look for some other residential avenue,” Mrs. Diver said.

     Another issue discussed that night was that of the refuse and recycling contract. The choice came down to Stevens Disposal and Allied Waste, the company that has served Sylvania over the past decade. Although Allied’s bid was $13,000 higher than Stevens, council member Mike Brown felt that the city should stick with them.

 “The citizens of Sylvania have entrusted us to make the best decision, he said. “I believe Allied is the best, based on the quality and training of their employees, and the quality of their fleet.”

     Council member Doug Haynam, however, urged caution, citing that the original intent was to put a bid out there and go with the company that would meet that bid. Allied, he said, didn’t do that. “Allied didn’t play by the rules here. I don’t feel any legal obligation to go with a non-compliant bid.”

     “What is the cost of quality?” Mr. Brown asked the council. “Do we want to spend an extra $13,000 a year for something that we’re sure of, or do we want to take a chance and try to save $20,000 a year on something that at least I’m not sure of yet?”

     Stevens Disposal is a relatively new operation, Mr. Brown said. “They’ve been around for five years,” he said, and have worked in smaller communities. “But nothing near the size of Sylvania. Our citizens have been accustomed to receiving good services,” he said, “and that’s why I ask everyone in council, what is the cost of quality?”

     Council member Mary Westphal said that she’s never had a bad experience with Allied Waste, and she did agree with Mr. Brown on the issue that the citizens of Sylvania deserve the highest quality in the area of waste management. “However,” she said, “I have yet to hear from anyone who can tell me what the problem with Stevens is. I would welcome that feedback from council, but I’ve yet to fully understand what the quality issues are.”

     Mrs. Westphal said that she had visited Stevens Disposal earlier that day and said that she “Certainly found them capable and they were able to address all of my questions.” She added that any transition of any sort that the city could go through would obviously pose a challenge on many levels, but she felt confident in Stevens abilities.

     Council member Todd Milner addressed Mrs. Westphal on the issue of the quality of Stevens disposal services. “One of the biggest complaints that I’ve heard came from our own zoning office,” he said. The complaints, he said, came from commercial owners, not residential, and it mainly dealt with the fact that refuse pick-up was being held too early in the morning, citing that, as a rule, refuse removal is not supposed to occur in Sylvania prior to 7 a.m.

     “I’ve been on this council for six years and I’ve not received one complaint about our waste services,” Council member Mark Luetke said about Allied Waste, adding that the prerogative of the council is to obviously seek out the best deals for services in the community, but to also maintain quality. Mr. Luetke went on to urge the members of council to vote on the issue that night.

     “This has been a really difficult decision to make,” Mr. Brown said. “On one hand I think of the financial part of it, on the other I think about the service part. You know, how do you balance those two? And, you know, for $13,000 a year, which is about two percent of the total contract for the year, do we want to take the risk when we already have a qualified supplier that has served this community well over the last ten years? There’s got to be some loyalty here, too. I have nothing against Stevens. I just feel that we need to look at, not only cost, but quality.”

     Ultimately the council approved the contract with the vote of 5 to 1 with Mrs. Westpahl voting against.  

BeInstrumental

You can help BeInstrumental, a local non-profit founded by Sylvania residents, win $50k. They are currently sitting at number 6, and are in position to win the money, however, they need our daily support.   

Vote today and every day through the end of July. As it stands, if the Pepsi Refresh Project were to end today, BeInstrumental would finish at number 6 and win the $50k. 

However, the competition is becoming very tough, and the group needs continued support from our community.  Here is the link to vote:  http://www.refresheverything.com/beinstrumental ... or you can go to the website at http://www.beinstrumental.org.

Just like winning Ohio’s Best Hometown 2010, this is just another reason for the community to rise to the top. Alert all of your associates, friends and neighbors; let’s rally around BeInstrumental and bring the prize home.

Sylvania Franciscans honor 15 Jubilarians

The Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania are pleased to announce that 15 Sisters—four from the Toledo area—recently celebrated anniversaries of religious life.  One Sister celebrated 75 years, six celebrated 60 years, seven celebrated 50 years, and one celebrated 25 years as Sylvania Franciscans.  The Jubilarians were honored at a Liturgy service June 26, 2010, in Our Lady Queen of Peace Chapel on the Motherhouse grounds in Sylvania.

Sister M. Felicitas Magon, who entered the community from St. Cunnegunda parish in Detroit, professed her vows in 1935 and celebrated her 75th anniversary as a Sylvania Franciscan.

Celebrating their 60th anniversary were Sister M. Benita Kordiak, of Columbia Height, MN, Sister M. Gwendolin Koniar, of Minneapolis, Sister Joan LaVerne Rutz, of Minneapolis, Sister M. Olivia Jazwiecki, who entered from St. Hedwig in Toledo, Sister M. Ramona Wolcenski, of Minneapolis, and Sister M. Rebecca La Point, who entered from St. Clement in Toledo.

Celebrating 50 years of vowed religious life were Sister Ann Marie Chmielewski, of Minneapolis, Sister Cecile Glodek, of Minneapolis, Sister Gretchen Kunz, who entered from St. James in Toledo, Sister M. Irenaeus Samsel, who entered from St. Anthony in Temperance, MI, Sister M. Kateri Theriault, of St. Paul, MN, Sister Kathleen Skog, of Minneapolis, and Sister M. Samuel Lubeck, of Detroit.

Celebrating 25 years as a Sylvania Franciscan was Sister Penny Dunn, of Minneapolis, MN.  

Anderson Hall wedding

Nicole Elisa Anderson and Andre Michael Hall were united in marriage May 23, 2010, at Lutheran Church of our Savior in Toledo. Nicole's grandfather Robert Strane sang at the wedding and her grandmother Doris Strane made all the flowers, making their day even more special.

The bride is the daughter of Thomas and Carrie Henneman of Sylvania. The groom is the son of Randy and Gina Hall of Toledo.

Jamie Hamilton was the maid of honor. Taylor Nelson, Andrea Strane and Autumn Hall were the bridesmaids, and Sienna Hall was the flower girl.

Rodney Vitek was the best man. Jake Collins, Doug Strane and Brent Besase were the groomsmen. Brennan Fast was the ring bearer.

The reception was held at Memories Banquet Hall in Temperance, MI. The couple moved to Arlington, TX, two days after their wedding.

Nicole and Andre would like to thank everyone who attended their wedding and helped make their day so special.

Stough Feister engagement

Mr. and Mrs. Craig Stough of Sylvania are pleased to announce the upcoming marriage of their daughter, Katharine Jean, to Thomas R. Feister.  Katharine is a 1999 graduate of Sylvania Southview High School.  She received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Women's Studies from The Ohio State University in 2003.  She then received a Master of Arts from Ashland University in 2006.  Katharine is currently working and studying for her doctorate at Ohio State.

Thomas is the son of Ron and Ann Feister of Westerville, Ohio.  He is a 1999 graduate of Westerville South High School.  In 2004, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Material Science in Engineering from The Ohio State University.  Thomas works for SFTC in Columbus, OH.

An October wedding is planned.  Once married, the couple will reside in Columbus.

Hosbach Lauer engagement

Lewis and Lolita Hosbach of Sylvania proudly announce the engagement of their daughter Celeste Louise Hosbach to Philip Corey Lauer, son of Kathryn Lauer of Toledo and Bruce and Leslie Lauer of Dublin, OH.

Celeste is a 2000 graduate of Northview High School and a 2005 graduate of Bowling Green State University.  Celeste is employed with the American Cancer Society as a Regional Health Promotions Director.

Corey is a 1999 graduate of Northview High School, 2004 graduate of Bowling Green State University and 2010 graduate of Capital University Law School.  Corey is employed with the Law Firm of Scott Schiff and Associates.

They reside in the Short North District of Columbus, OH.

Corey proposed to Celeste on their 10-year anniversary, February 14, 2009, during a three-day weekend trip to Boston and the New Hampshire Seacoast. He took a picture of the engagement ring and had Celeste look through the pictures taken earlier that day. When she stopped on the picture of Corey holding a beautiful solitaire diamond ring he asked for her hand in marriage.

The couple will be married by Corey’s Uncle, Fred LeMay, on Saturday, August 28, 2010 at four-thirty in the afternoon at an outdoor ceremony at Maumee Bay State Park in Oregon, OH.

After the nuptials and celebrating, the new Mr. and Mrs. Lauer will be Honeymooning for ten days in Maui and Honolulu, Hawaii, courtesy of Corey's Father, Bruce and Step-Mother, Leslie.

MAYOR'S MESSAGE Craig A. Stough - A busy summer in Sylvania

       Sylvania is a great place to be in the summertime, and 2010 is no exception with lots of activities and programs for residents and visitors to enjoy.

Recently completed was the 26th Annual Jamie Farr LPGA Classic.  The crowds were large at Highland Meadows Golf Club, attracting visitors from around the region to Sylvania.  As a part of the week's festivities, "Taking It To The Streets" was held downtown on Thursday, July 1, by the Sylvania Area Chamber of Commerce.  Our thanks to Councilman Mike Brown for organizing a classic auto show with 200 cars, bringing one of the largest crowds ever to downtown Sylvania.  

Also congratulations to Sylvania resident Becky Minger, who was recently selected as Miss Ohio  2010.  We honored her downtown in the large crowd on July 1 with a Proclamation naming July 1, 2010, as "Becky Minger Day" in The City of Sylvania.

A ribbon cutting was held July 15 for the new Rite-Aid store in downtown Sylvania.  My thanks to the owners for designing to the City's architectural guidelines and building one of the most attractive new pharmacies in northwest Ohio.

The Sylvania Riverball Race was held Saturday, July 17, in Harroun Park to benefit the Sylvania Conservation Corps, with many terrific prizes donated by Sylvania businesses and residents.  The 20 junior high school students of the Sylvania Conservation Corps were honored at a family picnic for their many improvement projects around the community this summer.

Centennial Terrace's 2010 Summer Concert Series continues with outstanding programs and performers all summer.  The Independence Day fireworks were the best ever.  Coming up on July 23 and July 24 is the inaugural Pizza Palooza which promises to be a great time for all.

Olander Park is also offering a variety of outside music programs every other Wednesday evening this summer.  Olander Park is a wonderful venue anytime during the summer, but especially during their open air music programs on the deck overlooking Olander Lake.

The CABA World Series Baseball Tournament is being held at Pacesetter Park the week of July 23, bringing thousands of young ball players and their families to Sylvania.

The circus is coming to town on Friday, August 6, with two shows presented under the big top by The Kelly Miller Circus at the corner of Brint Road and Centennial.  The Sylvania Sunrise Lions Club is sponsoring the circus, with all proceeds going to benefit those in need around the Sylvania community.

The 30th annual Sylvania Triathlon/Duathlon is scheduled for August 8 at Olander Park.  The event has brought thousands of world class athletes to Sylvania over the years.  Also scheduled the day before is the 21st annual Sylvania Superkids Triathlon/Duathlon, one of the oldest kids triathlons in the country.

Sylvania sure is a great place to be in summer.  And remember, we are celebrating all year as one of Ohio Magazine's Best Hometowns for 2010.

Sylvania native Brint raising money for Nicaraguan library program

Sylvania native Jessica Brint is working on a library program at Casa Xalteva, (hal-TAY-ba), which is located in Granada, Nicaragua.

Brint was born and raised in Sylvania. She went to Highland, McCord, and Northview, where she graduated in 2006. She then attended,

and graduated from OSU in December of 2009, where she received her bachelor's degree in Spanish Linguistics. Currently she is interning at Casa Xalteva in exchange for room and board.

She is working on creating a functioning lending library that will

enable the children of Granada to break the cycles of inter-generational poverty and illiteracy, expand their horizons, get an education, and return to improve their communities. She has collected enough money to hire a local carpenter to construct eight, 4-level, shelving units to house books of all spanish language reading levels. They have repaired the roof, windows, and floors. 

"Now my main goal is to collect as many books as I can to stock the shelves and practice reading with the kids who need it the most. My goal for the actual composition of our library will be to have books that cover a wide spectrum of topics: art, literature, education, solar systems, professional careers, technology, languages, history, sports, the world and it's countries, and many more. Basically, I want these kids to be able to say they have an interest in some subject and be able to go read about it; I want them to have the opportunity and skills to learn on their own," said Brint.

"The school systems in Nicaragua mainly function as classes of memorization (the teacher writes on the board, students copy, memorize, and recite for the test). I would like to give the  kids the opportunity to learn for themselves using books to gain knowledge, and keep it forever," she added.

In order to do this, her small non-profit serving 30 Nicaraguan children is asking for donations. Brint tried applying for grants but due to economic hardships, size of our school, and lack of large corporations in Granada, she feels that she has hit a wall.

"So I am turning to the community that I grew up in, asking for people to help these kids get a book in their hands, change the literacy rates of Nicaragua, become responsible world citizens and empowered, educated

individuals who will make a difference in their communities," Brint said.

To donate, go to the PayPal link at: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=DLTPF2BA47JW2

For more information, check www.casaxalteva.org or their facebook page Casa Xalteva Education and Cultural Center-- for recent activities and

photos.

Casa Xalteva was founded in 1995 by Dr. Kenneth Carpenter and Dr.

Gregory Calvert in Granada, Nicaragua, with the purpose of taking kids

off of the streets and putting them back into the school system. Casa

Xalteva Language and Education Center is not religiously affiliated

with any particular religion, but rather promotes peace and equality

for all people and respect for the natural world through a commitment

based education.

Inaugural northwest Ohio Pizza Palooza debuts

The Sylvania Area Chamber of Commerce and the Sylvania Area Joint Recreation District are pleased to announce the inaugural northwest Ohio Pizza Palooza is going to take place at Centennial Terrace, 5773 Centennial Rd., Sylvania, on July 23 and 24, from 4:00 to midnight. 

Over 8,000 guests are expected to vote for their favorite pizza vendors and enjoy fabulous musical entertainment and children’s activities. Additionally, a media and corporate challenge pizza bake-off will be held at noon on July 23rd. Local Chefs and Business Leaders will be judging for bragging rights for the Corporate and Media Trophies. Media and Corporate judging finals are open to the public. Funds raised from the summer event benefit the Sylvania Area Chamber of Commerce and the Sylvania Area Joint Recreation District.

Newly renovated, Centennial Terrace offers the premier venue for an event of this caliber. Pizza vendors will be vying for the best Pizza Restaurant in northwest Ohio. The Pizza Restaurants that are a part of the Pizza Palooza are Amie’s Pizza, Andrew Z’s Sportz Pizzeria, Bennett’s Pizza,  Jet’s Pizza, Jo-Jo’s Pizzaria, Marco’s Pizza, Papa John’s Pizza, The Original Gino’s Pizza and Vito’s Pizza. Judges for the Pizza Palooza contestants include: Mark Raymond from Fontanini Sausage, who travels the US judging pizza contests, Bob Helmer, President of Lourdes College, Bob Jorgensen, President of Kistler Ford, Labib Hajjar, Owner of Byblos Restaurant, City of Sylvania Mayor Craig Stough, Sylvania Township Trustee John Jennewine and a food expert from The Toledo Blade. 

The entertainment schedule will include Mas Fina, Johnny Rocker and the Hitman and The Danger Brothers as the acts on Friday, July 23. On July 24, The Harley Packer Band, Madison Avenue Band and Warner Brothers rockers The Undeserving will take the stage in their northwest Ohio debut. Their first single, Something to Hope For, was featured on the promotion campaign for American Idol. Additionally, other local bands will be featured and a children’s area will be on site from 4:00 to 8:00 each day. Tickets will be priced at $5.00 for adults, $3.00 for children 6-12, and children under 5 are free. Advance tickets are available at Metamora State Bank and KeyBank metro locations. A special promotion allows you to purchase five tickets and get the sixth free.

Title Sponsor for Pizza Palooza is Kistler Ford. Pizza Supreme Sponsors are Lourdes College, Metamora State Bank, Paramount Health Care, City of Sylvania and Miller Lite. Pizza Deluxe Sponsors are Flower Hospital, Gordon’s Food, KeyBank and The Anderson’s Market. Pizza sponsors are Regency Hospital, The VZN Group, Kingston – Sylvania and The Wingate Hotel. Media Sponsors are The Sylvania Herald, The Toledo Blade, Clear Channel Communications, Lamar Outdoor Advertising, 13 ABC, City Paper, and Sylvania Advantage.

Obituary

Scofield, Anna Josephine

Ann Scofield, age 92, of Toledo passed away on Tuesday, June 22, 2010 at the Sunset House. She was born in Ottawa, OH, on September 24, 1917 to Clinton and Edna (Weible) Fawcett. She graduated from Ottawa-Glandorf High School.  She attended Ohio Northern University, where she studied law and was crowned Homecoming Queen. While attending college, she worked at her father’s law firm.  She later worked as a secretary for Owens Illinois and retired after 15 years.  Ann married Gail W. Scofield on September 16, 1939, and they were wed for 54 years.  She was a member of Morgan Horse Association, Olivet Lutheran Church and St. Luke’s Lutheran Church.  Ann was a talented artist and loved to work with yarn.  Her passion was horses and every aspect of her and her family’s life involved horses and horse shows.  Her greatest joy though, was being a wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother and will be greatly missed by those who loved her.

Ann was preceded in death by her husband, Gail; her parents and all six brothers and sisters.  She is survived by her children, Susan Webb, Donald Scofield, Diana (Dr. Armando) Vicente and Jayne (Tod) Cook; grandchildren, Stacey Dieck, Kyle Scofield, Dr. David Vicente, Brian Vicente, Esq., Justin Krueger; step-children, Michael Cook and Nicole Cook; great-grandchildren, Andrew, Kennedy, Jack and Julia Vicente, Brittany Scofield, Rylee Krueger.

Friends visited the family on Monday from 1-2:30 p.m. at the Walker Funeral Home, 5155 Sylvania Ave. (west of Corey Rd), where services were held at 2:30 p.m. Monday.  Interment followed at Ottawa Hills Memorial Park.  Those planning an expression of sympathy are asked to consider Sunset House, 4020 Indian Rd., Toledo, OH 43606 or Hospice of Northwest Ohio, 30000 River Rd., Perrysburg, OH 43551.

Obituary

Anne Retter Matthews

Anne Retter Matthews, a member of the Greatest Generation,  veteran of World War II, a retired registered nurse, a spirited intellectual, great wit and gifted seamstress, died peacefully on June 21, 2010, at the age of 88 in hospice care in Columbus, OH, with her family at her side.

She was born September 14, 1921, to Otto and Emily Retter, immigrants from Germany and Austria, in Buffalo, NY, the youngest of six children.  She was preceded in death by her parents and brothers and sisters, including Herman, Alfred, Otto, Herta and Ilse.

After graduating from high school in 1939, Anne attended nursing school at Buffalo General Hospital where she became a registered nurse. In 1942, she joined the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. At Bowman Air Field in Kentucky she met the love of her life, Earl Rodney Matthews, Jr., whose task was to teach Army nurses how to swim. 

They married on September 25, 1944, at the Little Church Around the Corner in New York City. As an Army Air Corps nurse, she served at a base on Long Island where she cared for casualties from the European theatre and once met Eleanor Roosevelt.

After the war, the Matthews lived in Columbus, OH, before moving to Toledo in 1948. In 1954, they moved to Sylvania, where they raised their six children and lived the rest of their lives.

She worked as an RN at Toledo Hospital and later was assistant director of nursing at Lake Park Hospital in Sylvania. Following the death of her beloved husband in 1984, Anne continued living independently at her home of 45 years in Sylvania until March 2010 when she was diagnosed with cancer.

She was a member of the Sylvania United Church of Christ for 56 years, a member of the Ladies Literary Society, and the Book Club. She had a keen wit, loved classical music, and was an avid reader of histories, biographies and mysteries. Anne was a gifted quilter, seamstress and gardener and for many years contributed her work to the Sylvania UCC church bazaar.

She is survived by her six children: Susan Matthews of Columbus; Gail Wilson (David) of Toledo; Melissa Millecam (Aart) of San Marcos, TX; Debbie Brakefield of Bedford, TX.; Earl Rodney Matthews, III, (Cathy) of Raleigh, NC, and Barbara Bendele (Bruce) of Stafford, VA, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Also surviving are 15 grandchildren: Tori Nicholson (Rob) of Manteca, CA, Matthew Adrian (Stephanie) of Kennesaw, GA, Sara Adrian of Columbus; David Adrian (Kristia) of Columbus; Kris Millecam of Hirakata, Japan; Joshua Millecam of San Marcos, TX; Jesse Brakefield and Ben Brakefield of Irving, TX; Rachel Matthews of Baltimore, MD, Maggie Matthews of Raleigh, NC; Anna, Elle, Leah, Rodney and Michael Bendele of Stafford, VA.

Anne has six great-grandchildren, including Joshua and Trinity Nicholson, Ben, Lauren and Elizabeth Adrian, and Joseph Adrian.

Visitation for family and friends was held Thursday, June 24, at Reeb Funeral Home, 5712 Main St., Sylvania, OH, from 6-8 p.m. 

A celebration of Anne’s life was held Friday, June 25, at the Sylvania United Church of Christ, 7240 Erie St., Sylvania.  Visitation was at 10 a.m. at the church and the service at 11 a.m. followed by a luncheon. Anne will be interred at Toledo Memorial Cemetery in Sylvania next to her husband.

The family wishes to express its deep appreciation to HomeReach Hospice and Kobacker House of Columbus and the caregivers who assisted in the last weeks of her life. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Anne Matthews’ name may be made to Hospice, the American Cancer Society or the United Church of Christ of Sylvania, OH.

Walkers needed May 22 to SAVE the Earth

SAVE, an organization dedicated to environmental education, is holding its 7th Annual Walk-A-Thon, Saturday, May 22, on the campus of the Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania and Lourdes College.

Help promote environmental education and get a little exercise on this 5K walk to support the Science Alliance for Valuing the Environment (SAVE).  Hear Mona Rutger, founder of “Back to the Wild,” a wildlife rehabilitation and education center near Sandusky, talk about her 20-year effort to help injured animals and teach the importance of the delicate balance between man and nature.

A special added attraction for the young and young at heart will be the appearance of Muddonna, the mascot of the Toledo Mud Hens baseball team, who will be the official starter for this year’s walk.

The cost to participate is $10 for individuals, $20 for families.  Light snacks will be provided for participants.  

Following is the schedule for the Walk-A-Thon:

8:30 a.m. Registration begins in the Lourdes College Franciscan Theater and Conference Center.   

9 a.m. Mona Rutger will make her “Back to the Wild” presentation.

10:15 a.m. Walk-A-Thon begins  

The Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania support the efforts of SAVE as part of their mission to “respect the gift of all creation.”  Both SAVE and “Back to the Wild” are celebrating their 20th anniversary of supporting the environment and rehabilitating wildlife at this year’s Walk-A-Thon.

For more information or to register contact Sister Rosine Sobczak, phone: 419-824-3691, e-mail: rsobczak@lourdes.edu, or go to the SAVE website: www.savenwoh.org. 

Proceeds from the SAVE Walk-A-Thon will be used to promote environmental education, underwrite scholarships for underserved children to attend Summer Science Camp at the campus Life Lab and provide speakers for the SAVE lecture series. 

MAYOR'S MESSAGE Craig A. Stough Memorial Day, 2010

The end of May brings a national holiday long celebrated in Sylvania to honor our armed forces veterans who have bravely served and protected America.   For well over 50 years, Sylvania has had a Memorial Day Parade and Ceremonies on the last Monday of May.  

Many Americans have served their country in the armed forces.  Many have died in battle, and many more are now growing old and nearing the end of their lives.  Some have served more recently in the Middle East or elsewhere around the world.  All these patriots deserve our thanks and acclaim.

The parade and services are sponsored by our local Veterans organizations and assisted by the City of Sylvania and Sylvania Recreation.   The Northview High School and Southview High School bands are always a part of the parade and ceremonies.  

The day begins at 9:00 a.m. with a memorial ceremony at Toledo Memorial Park near the 85 foot high Veterans Memorial Monument.  Over 10,000 veterans are laid to rest in the cemetery, and the American Flag posted on the grave of each one creates a sea of flags. 

The parade leaves from Lourdes College at 10:00 a.m., heads north on Main Street through the downtown, and continues on to Veterans Memorial Field.  A Memorial Day Service follows at the north end of Veterans Memorial Field.  

There are five bronze monuments at Veterans Memorial Field honoring those who served in five wars, and lists the names all Sylvanians who died in those wars.  There is also a tank and a Howitzer cannon on display.   In addition to those tributes, a bronze statue cast in 1982 stands in front of the City of Sylvania Administration Building on Monroe Street, where it is visible to thousands of people every day.

The World War II Roll of Honor previously on display in the Burnham Building Auditorium Lobby has been relocated to City Hall.  It is now on display in the first floor lobby.  The Roll of Honor is being restored and will be rededicated later this year.

Memorial Day is a patriotic day for all of us.  If not veterans ourselves, nearly all of us have a  friend or relative who served in the armed forces or is serving today, putting their lives at risk to protect freedom.  Further, many of us have a relative or know of a community member who was injured or killed in defense of our country.  Memorial Day is the day to honor these heroes, and to celebrate our freedom. 

I invite all of you to join me in Sylvania on Memorial Day.  Sylvania is a wonderful place for families to gather, honor our veterans and celebrate America on Memorial Day.

Front yard beautiful awards

For the seventh year in a row each of 19 mail carriers will select five of the best looking front yards on their route.

These will be submitted to the Cities Parks and Forestry Division and are judged by a select group of qualified experts, resulting in nineteen City Beauty Awards and nineteen City Runners Up, all of whom received a suitable certificate for framing of their achievement.

The enthusiastic response by our residents makes it more difficult to determine the winners each year.  Overall our entire community benefits form our homeowners pride in keeping their front yards in tip-top shape, many gleaming with colorful flowers and meticulously manicure lawns.  All our neighborhoods look good!

Now the 2010 contest is under way.  Again the postal workers will select five front yards they deem worthy of judging in early August.  Winners will be notified by mail in August.

This program inspires a world of improvement in the appearance and care of front yards in our beautiful City of Sylvania, a nice place to live and grow.  Thanks to all our residents and our mail carriers.

17th 24-Hour Relay Challenge sponsored by S.C.A.T.

Low gray skies pushed by chilly winds didn't keep the excitement down for the teams participating in the 17th annual Relay Challenge of the Sylvania Community Action Team on the oval track at Timberstone Junior High School.
   The annual event is meant to bring together youngsters and adults in the Sylvania area for an event which promotes a healthy, substance-free lifestyle and making good decisions.
   In addition to the 10-member teams there was an army of adult volunteers on hand, acting as coaches, lap counters, food preparers and other tasks necessary to make the event a success.
  Stevin Groth, a coach for his son's team, Sherlock's Homies, said he was enjoying the event and its positive reflection on the Sylvania Community.
   His son, Jacob, is a student at McCord Junior High School and the team chose the team name to match the movie theme of this year's relay. The teams' name is based on the movie "Sherlock Holmes."
   He also noted that his daughter, Mollie, is in the sixth-grade at the school so he anticipates a few more years volunteering at the event.
   Teams generally are composed of seventh- through 12th-graders. They often come from Sylvania schools, but Deb Chany, director of SCAT, said the teams can come from scout troops, churches  or any group in the Sylvania area.
   Ms. Chany noted that in earlier years, teams would pitch their own tents and shiver on cold nights.
   Now there were large white tents for sleeping quarters with heaters. It can still be cold overnight, but the comfort level is higher these days, she said.
   Although it is more comfortable, the event is still at the mercy of the weather, although the youngsters didn't seem to mind as teams took their early laps.
   Kaylie Martinez, of Alice In Wonderland from Northview High School, said she was enjoying the event, although she had to raise her voice to compete with the noise made by tent-flaps being whipped by the wind.
   She said that it's not only the relay which is fun, but preparing for it with team members.
  Her thoughts were echoed by Trey Calhoun, a student at Timberstone, who said he had a good time preparing for the relay.
  He said he'd joined the Purple People Eaters when asked by a classmate and said it was fun.
  "I like to get involved and help people," he said, adding that he supported the promotion of youngsters making good decisions.

   The total number of miles run by all the teams was 1,333 miles.  The three top teams for miles were: Sherlock’s Homies from McCord with 118 miles, The Longest Yard from McCord with 115 miles, and Madagascar Maniacs from SV with 94 miles.  Congratulations to all the participants and coaches!
  
 

Overtime, new hires discussed at Board Meeting

By Mike McHone

Herald Writer

     Fire Department overtime was yet again a topic of discussion at the most recent Sylvania Township Board meeting. But instead of bleak reports of overspending, this time the news seemed to have gotten a little better. 

     Sylvania Township Fire Chief Fred Welsh spoke about projected overtime expenditures, saying that in 2010, the Department budgeted $250,000 for the year, and between the months of January and April, the Department had spent approximately $83,000. The remaining overtime funds for the remainder of the year is approximately $167,000, according to Chief Welsh. But instead of spending the entire $167,000, the Chief estimated that some savings might come into play.

     “We have a projected overtime expense of $144,548,” Chief Welsh said. “And that’s about 86.9 percent of the allocated funds.” That amount of money is, he said, what the fire department “believes” it will spend or what they “trended” that they will spend throughout the rest of the year.

     The Sylvania Township Fire Department spent $380,000 in just overtime for the year of 2009 alone. “In ’07 there was no initial overtime budget,” Chief Welsh said. “We did transfer money throughout that year to cover overtime and we spent in 2007 $301,916.27 to cover overtime costs… In 2008, our initial budget for overtime was $330,210, and we actually spent $336,159,” he said.

     The reason for the big improvement in terms of finances and the projected 26 percent in savings, Welsh said, is due in part to the hiring of new part-time employees. Chief Welsh spoke of these employees in a brief status update he gave to the board. 

     Five existing part-time employees recently completed recruit school training which trained them in various tasks that would prepare them to work at the Fire Department. All five employees completed their recruit school studies successfully, according to Chief Welsh. “They finished recruit school on a Saturday and we started to schedule [them] on Sunday,” the Chief told the board. 

     By scheduling the part-time employees on the first Sunday of this month, the Township Fire Department was able to avoid paying out nearly 24 hours of what would have been overtime pay to its full-time employees.

     Aside from this, a special announcement was made at the beginning of the board meeting that afternoon. Trustee Carol Contrada informed those in attendance that at the last Sylvania Township Board Executive Session meeting (which was held on April 28), the board approved the hiring of a new police officer for the township. According to Mrs. Contrada, the new hire will take the place of a current township police officer who is set to retire sometime in the near future. 

     “We look forward to welcoming our new police officer when his training is complete,” Mrs. Contrada said.

Chamber to host free energy procurement assessments

Northwest Ohio electricity and gas rates are considered by many to be some of the highest in the country. These rates wreck havoc with the business bottom line and every year uncertainty about the rates hamper stability in planning for the future.

A law enacted in 1999 restructured the way customers shop for utilities. This deregulation allows for companies to negotiate energy rates, perform assessments and implement conservation measures. The Sylvania Area Chamber of Commerce will be hosting free energy procurement assessments for businesses in the city of Sylvania and Sylvania Township, in cooperation with TDC Energy and GEM Energy Management on May 25, 2010, from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. at the Chamber’s office, 5632 N. Main St. in Sylvania. It is not necessary to be a Chamber member to participate in the energy procurement assessment.

TDC Energy and GEM Energy Management will be performing detailed utility assessments, analyzing current energy costs and negotiating on your business behalf. They will identify optimal rate structures from energy suppliers throughout the United States and recommend the leading solution to you. It is a simple and cost effective way for a business to review and research for the best rates, terms and conditions and at no cost to you the business owner. GEM Energy Management has performed detailed analysis for all types of facilities.

On May 25 a business needs to bring in their most recent utility statements (electric and gas) to the Sylvania Area Chamber. Representatives will be on hand to explain the process and help you review the current rates, negotiate favorable rates for your company and discuss the options with you. This service is free but reservations are encouraged by calling the Sylvania Area Chamber of Commerce at 419-882-2135 or via email at admin@sylvaniachamber.org.

It is now the opportune time to discover how to save money by eliminating needless utility costs. Plan now to spend fifteen minutes on a free energy procurement assessment.

MAYOR'S MESSAGE Craig A. Stough - Personnel changes

The City of Sylvania has for years benefited from hardworking and loyal employees willing to work a variety of tasks as needed to make municipal government efficient and responsive.  Many have worked for the City twenty-five years or more and are now reaching retirement age.

The City workers involved include all segments of the City:  police, streets, utilities, tax and finance.  Some key employees have already retired and have been replaced as needed; several more will retire in the next few years.

The Police Division is facing the most retirements, with nearly a third of the force retiring.  The State of Ohio's DROP Program, requiring safety workers with eight years of participation in the program to retire, is responsible for much of the current turnover.

Police Chief Gerald Sobb retired April 26th after thirty-eight years with the City, the last 26 years as Chief of Police/Safety Director.  Chief Sobb helped build the department from a small city department to the larger organization needed for today's larger city population, and was a visionary leader through the years.

William Rhodus, a long-term City police officer, sergeant and captain, has been appointed the new Chief of Police.  He will provide a fresh outlook and vision for the Police Division.  City Economic Development Director/Administrative Services Coordinator William Sanford has been appointed Acting Safety Director, separating the two positions both previously held by Chief Sobb.

Six police officers have also retired or announced their retirements.  Together with a few other departing officers, eight new police officers have been hired or will be hired in the next year.  Because of the current economic downturn, we have been able to attract a number of well trained young police officers to the City.

Retirements are occurring in other areas of the City as well.  As the baby boomer generation reaches retirement age, the City will be evaluating operations and restructuring for greater efficiency, hiring as necessary to replace them.  The many long-term employees have served the City well and will be missed for their hard work, loyalty and institutional knowledge.  The new employees are being selected to add new skills, ideas and vitality to the City workforce.

Mosquito spraying big topic at Council Meeting

By Mike McHone

Herald Writer

     Everyone knows mosquitoes are a nuisance, and most of us would be quite happy to not deal with them at all during the spring and summer. However, according to Sylvania Mayor Craig R. Stough, a Sylvania resident at a City Council meeting held last month voiced concern over mosquito spraying.

     Lee Mitchell, biologist of the Toledo Area Sanitary District (TASD), gave a brief presentation about the TASD at the most recent City Council meeting on Monday, May 3. The meeting was held at council chambers.

     According to Mr. Mitchell, one of the most common questions the TASD receives is where exactly does the money for their operations come from. “Well,” Mr. Mitchell said, “it’s your money. We assess property taxes. This year it’s .25 mils. So for a $100,000 home, that’s less than nine dollars a year for mosquito spraying.”

     So, aside from mosquito spraying, what else does the TASD do?

     “That’s the only thing we do,” Mr. Mitchell said, plainly. “I know that sounds outrageous. It’s not like the Health Department, or the police or fire departments where they have different responsibilities. All we do is mosquito control. So we have to be very responsible to the tax payers of Lucas County as to how we spend that money, because we can’t make many alibis because we’ve only got one responsibility.”

     In reference to the actual chemicals used in spraying for mosquitoes, Mr. Mitchell said that most of the chemicals they use are really no different than the chemicals or pesticides that can be found on the shelves of your local greenhouse, hardware store, or Meijer or Wal-Mart. On a Frequently Asked Questions page on the TASD’s website (tasd-mosquitoes.org) it also states that the TASD uses “two kinds of insecticides, sumithrin and chlorpyrifos” against adult mosquitoes. “Mosquito larvae and pupae are controlled with either BTI, temephos, or Golden Bear oil.” BTI, according to the description, is a kind of non-reproducing bacteria that is highly effective against mosquitoes.

     Mr. Mitchell went on to mention the TASD’s advisory board which includes veterinarians, master gardeners, conservationists, and biologists. Mr. Mitchell said that the advisory board is voluntary and none of the members receive payment for their time or efforts.     

     According to the TASD website, “Under authority of the Sanitary District Act of Ohio, the Toledo Area Sanitary District (TASD) was started Sept. 27, 1945, by the Common Pleas Court of Lucas County following petition to the Court for the establishment of the District for the abatement and control of mosquitoes. It became operational in 1946 and actual control operations began in 1947.”

     Council member Mike Brown asked Mr. Mitchell how many homes in the area have requested the TASD to stop spraying. Mr. Mitchell said in the entire area of Sylvania and Sylvania Township, from the Michigan state line down to Central Avenue, an area which includes 19 spray maps, there were only eight homes that requested no spraying. “What that means is we don’t spray in front of their home,” Mr. Mitchell said, adding that they give that home a two or three home barrier on each side; three houses away from approaching the home, the spraying stops, three houses away from leaving the home, the spraying starts up again.

     But of course something as simple as this isn’t without its share of controversy. In particular, according to Mr. Mitchell, a resident who lives at the end of a dead end street requested that TASD stop spraying in front of her home, meanwhile the other 14 residents that live on that particular street signed a petition wanting the spraying to continue considering their tax dollars have already paid for it.

     Council member Mark Luetke asked Mr. Mitchell point blank about spraying, “Is it safe? Do you control it accordingly?” 

     “Mosquito control is safe and effective,” Mr. Mitchell said. “There’s not anything we can use that has not been approved by the Environmental Protection Agency. We’ve been in business 64 years. We’ve never had a lawsuit. We’ve never been sued for personal injury. We’ve never been sued by an environmental group for killing bees, birds, anything like that. We’ve never had an employee that has sued us.”

Sylvania Historical Society

Michael Drew Shaw will present his award winning creation: “Toledo, A Sentimental Journey” at the Sylvania Area Historical Society’s next meeting on Wednesday, May 19, at 7 pm at the Sylvania Heritage Center, 5717 N. Main St.   Lots of fascinating facts and entertaining trivia about Sylvania ’s neighbor to the east!  Refreshments will be served, and the meeting is free and open to the public. For more info or questions:  www.sylvaniahistory.org or 419-318-9632.

TARTA taxes, hospital banners highlight Council meeting

By Mike McHone

Herald Writer

Some changes could be coming in the near future for the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority (TARTA). At the most recent Sylvania City Council meeting, council President Keith Haddad recapped a committee of the whole meeting that took place about 90 minutes prior to the council meeting. 

     “There was a request by TARTA for a resolution to change from the current property tax to the sales tax method of support for their operations,” Mr. Haddad said.  “There was quite a lengthy discussion, lots of questions and answers, and the committee decided to make a motion to recommend to council to make a resolution supporting the change, and decide whether or not we want to support it or amend it at the next meeting.”

     After he gave the recap to the council and to Mayor Craig R. Stough, council member Doug Haynam added to Mr. Haddad’s statements.

     “I would like the record to reflect,” Mr. Haynam said, “that part of what we asked TARTA to do is to consider rolling back their real estate taxes to 2011, a year in which they would otherwise collect both real estate taxes and sales taxes in order to even out some of the tax impact on current member communities, particularly in Lucas County.” A representative of TARTA agreed to get back with the City Council about this request after further discussion. 

     The council ultimately approved the measure to put the TARTA consideration on the agenda for the next council meeting without any dissension. After the measure was approved, Mayor Stough told the council, “We will have a piece of legislation ready for you at the next meeting for your consideration. So you have until the second [council] meeting in June to meet TARTA’s schedule.” The next Sylvania city council meeting is slated to take place on May 3 at 7:30 at council chambers.

     Also discussed at the council meeting that night was the placement of new banners for Flower Hospital throughout Sylvania. The banners will be placed at the US 23 Northbound exit, sections of Monroe Street near US 23, over the overpass, near Kroger, and Harroun Road near and past the hospital itself. Mayor Stough told the council that this year marks an anniversary year for Flower Hospital and also told the council that he assumed the hospital would remove the banners at the end of the year. 

     This year marks the 100th anniversary of Flower Hospital. According to the website, promedica.org, “[Lucas County resident] Ellen Flower, the beloved wife of Stevens Warren Flower, passed away. In her memory, Flower willed $20,000 to build a hospital in the downtown Toledo community where he lived. In 1910, the first building of Flower Hospital was opened on Collingwood Boulevard and Cherry Street in Toledo. In 1975, Flower Hospital moved to its current location on Harroun Road in Sylvania.” The hospital, in the past century, has grown from a small 28 bed operation, to a 292 bed facility that employs well over 1,500 people, and is considered the regional leader in radiation oncology services. Flower Hospital, the mayor said, is the largest employer in the community.   

     “I know later this year, they’re going to have a special celebration assembly on October, 10,” Mayor Stough said, “and I’m sure that will be the high point of their year-long celebration.” Mayor Stough went on to recommend the council approve the motion for the banners.

     “Their banners always look good in the community,” he said. He also added, “These are not banners that we’re paying for, they’ve asked to put them up, and I believe it’s a very positive message for visitors and for residents.”

     The council approved the measure.  

Firefighter overtime discussed at Board Meeting

By Mike McHone, Herald Writer

     Overtime was a big discussion at the April 20, Sylvania Township Board meeting, particularly overtime pay for firefighters. Sylvania Township Fire Chief Fred Welsh gave a report to the township board members detailing just how much was spent over the past number of years, and projected costs versus actual costs.

     “In ’07 there was no initial overtime budget,” Chief Welsh said. “We did transfer money throughout that year to cover overtime and we spent in 2007 $301,916.27 to cover overtime costs.” 

     Chief Welsh also stressed to the board that assistant fire chief Jeff Kowalski and Jim Beck helped him compile the report, looking through the payout history for the fire department, and compartmentalizing the details.

     “In 2008, our initial budget for overtime was $330,210, and we actually spent $336,159,” he said.  He went on to say that in 2009, the fire department budgeted $131,000 based on the belief that the 1.25 tax levy was going to provide additional monies that could’ve been spent toward new hires prospects for the township fire department if it happened to be passed. “It did not occur as we believed it would have,” Chief Welsh said. “We wound up spending $380,207 in overtime in 2009.”

     However, as far as 2010 is concerned, Chief Welsh said he does not believe that this year’s overtime expenditures will be as hefty as those in recent past. In fact, if the numbers are correct, the overtime payouts will be considerably lower, to the tune of approximately $80,000 for the fiscal year. 

     “We have hired two recruit classes in 2009 and we are up to 55 personnel,” the Chief said. “Based on that hiring alone we were able to reduce our firefighter overtime budget in 2010 to $250,000.”

     “Just by doing quick math there was $70,000 spent on overtime in the first quarter,” Board Trustee Carol Contrada said looking through the report that Chiefs Welsh, Kowalski, and Jim Beck gave to the board. She added that if this were to be trended the budget will go over by $30,000 resulting in $280,000 in expenditures.

     “We don’t believe that will be the end result at all,” Chief Welsh said, pointing out that overtime payout in just January was over $17,000. This, he said, was due to the fact of holiday overtime pay, payouts that are higher than regular overtime.

     Aside from overtime, Chief Welsh gave a brief summary of other happenings in the fire department for March 2010. 

     “We had a moderate increase in call volume,” he said. “We had a couple of months when the call volume has gone down, but unfortunately as of March of 2010, we had 354 total calls versus 322 total calls at this time last year.” Fire calls, he said, we up nine runs and EMS was up 20 runs. He also pointed out that over 400 hours of training for the township firefighters was completed in the month of March.

     The Zoning Board for Sylvania Township also gave a brief report that evening. According to the zoning board, for the month of March there were 35 permits issued and $4.65 million in evaluations throughout Sylvania. To date for this year, there have been 68 permits issued and 11 million dollars total for evaluations. In comparison with March of 2009, there were 44 permits issued and 4 million dollars in evaluations. There were also 13 new housing starts throughout Sylvania Township. 

MAYOR'S MESSAGE - Redevelopment progress

MAYOR'S MESSAGE

Craig A. Stough  

"Redevelopment progress"

Progress continues to be made on redeveloping property in downtown Sylvania south of Monroe St. Designated by City Council as the SOMO district, it is being planned to provide new jobs and amenities for our residents, with office buildings, restaurants, shopping opportunities and housing under consideration.  

The SOMO district is the area east of Main St. and includes the Wingate Inn.  The City previously purchased, cleared and resold the sites for the hotel and the new office buildings south of Ten Mile Creek, and is continuing that redevelopment process proceeding east.

The former Sylvania Professional Building and the older apartment buildings to the east have now been purchased.  The apartments were demolished last year as a fire department training exercise, and the old office building is planned for demolition later this spring.  The City is currently cooperating with Habitat for Humanity to remove the useable building components from the building for reuse and recycling prior to demolition, rather than sending those materials to the landfill.

The plans being developed for the SOMO district are very exciting.  Multi-story office buildings, restaurants, retail stores and condominiums are being considered for this attractive area which has frontage along Ten Mile Creek and views into Harroun Park.  

Visibility of Ten Mile Creek from Monroe St. could be opened up and maintained by a public mews, or green space, extending north and south through the district.  Further, the entire area is located along the planned River Trail which will provide pedestrian and bicycle access east and west, and into Harroun Park.

Interested businesses have begun making inquiries to the Mayor's office and our economic development director.  The SOMO district promises to be a terrific improvement for downtown Sylvania, providing new amenities for our residents and attracting new jobs into Sylvania.

Obituary

Rose, Elwood Larnel "Woody", born September 5, 1920, passed away on March 21, 2010 at his home in Dayton, Ohio, surrounded by his children. He was born in Piqua, Ohio, where he spent his childhood years and was the first of two children. His parents, Harmon S. Rose and Florence K. (Lotz) Rose, instilled in Woody a sense of wonder, a passion for life and learning, a fondness for nature, and an early love of the church and of music.  Woody attended Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio from 1938 through 1942, and graduated Magna Cum Laude. After Ohio Wesleyan he attended Garrett Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois, and was ordained as a Methodist minister in 1945. While at Garrett he met his future devoted wife Beulah ("Kim") Kimble, who was a graduate student at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University (adjacent to Garrett).

Woody and Kim were married on August 31, 1945 in Fowler, Colorado. Woody’s first pastorate assignment, and their first home, was at the Columbia Heights Methodist Church in Columbia Heights, Ohio. During their time in Columbia Heights their first daughter, Rebecca Mae, was born. The family moved to Jamestown, Ohio in 1951 where Woody served the Jamestown Methodist Church through 1955. From 1955 through 1961 they lived in Dayton, where Woody was the pastor of the Ohmer Park Methodist Church, and during which time three more children were added to the family: Kimmy Jo, Gregory Elwood, and Beverly Ann. The family lived in Defiance, Ohio where Woody served St Paul’s Methodist Church, from 1961 through 1966. Woody’s next pastorate was at the First United Methodist Church in Sylvania, Ohio, where he served from 1966 until 1979. In 1979 Woody and Kim moved to Dayton, where Woody served as the Dayton North District Superintendent of the Methodist Church’s West Ohio Conference. He retired in 1985, and for a few years thereafter served intermittently at the Concord United Methodist Church in Englewood, Ohio.  Throughout his life Woody was an inspiration for those who knew and loved him. He was intellectually curious, playful, thoughtful and kind, encouraging, loving and supportive. His priorities were family and faith, loved ones, friends, and those in need. With Kim and his children he enjoyed annual trips to Colorado to visit family and to go camping in the mountains. He and Kim were also able to travel to many international destinations, particularly enjoying those trips taken with family. His travels on earth, as a part of his journey of life, have culminated in his arrival at his final destination in eternity with God and with those loved ones who have gone before.  Woody is survived by daughter Becky (Rose) Sherrill and Clay Sherrill and grandchildren Meredith and Benjamin, by son Greg Rose, and by daughter Bev Rose and David Hemmig. He is preceded in death by Kim, his wonderful wife of 61 years, by his parents, by his brother Vernard, and by daughter Kimmy Jo (and by several loved family pets).  A graveside memorial service will be held in Fowler, Colorado. Memorial contributions may be made to the United Methodist Committee On Relief.  Woody will be missed beyond expression and will continue to be a source of inspiration and love, and an everlasting presence in the lives of those blessed to have known him.  "Dear friends, now are we the children of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be." – 1 John 3:2.  Local arrangements handled by the Kindred Funeral Home in Englewood, Ohio, where online condolences may be sent to www.KindredFuneralHome.com.

Augustyniak-Bennett engagement

James & Dawn Augustyniak of Sylvania, OH and Charles Bennett of Lambertville, MI would like to announce the engagement of their daughter Nichole Bennett to Justin Ferdon, son of Stephen & Pamela Ferdon of Sylvania, OH. Nichole is a 2008 graduate of Sylvania Northview and currently a sophomore at the University of Toledo. Nichole will be graduating in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry. Justin is a graduate of Sylvania Northview and is currently employed with Sylvan Studios and is a karate instructor at Premier Martial Arts in Toledo. Justin proposed to Nichole on Christmas Eve at Wildwood Metropark and a winter wedding is planned for January of 2013.

Jim Belushi to perform at Jamie Farr kickoff

Get ready for a great night of Blues and Rock and Roll!  This year, Jim Belushi and The Sacred Hearts will headline The Hylant Group Gala Dinner and Show, Tuesday June 29th at the SeaGate Convention Centre.  Comedian Henry Cho will open the evening’s entertainment; Cho has appeared on the “Tonight Show,” “Material Girls” and “Bob Hope’s Young Comedians Special.”

The tournament has been known to bring in top entertainment for the event and Jim Belushi and the Sacred Hearts will not disappoint. Jim is known not only for his comedy and music but also his hit television show “According to Jim.” He has performed with Second City and Saturday Night Live.  This year’s entertainment will be presented by Hollywood Casino-Toledo and Fathead.

Tickets for The Hylant Group Gala Dinner and Show can be purchased by calling the Tournament Office at 419-531-3277.  Tickets are $235 per person or $2,350 for a table of ten.  

Former Southview teacher wins book award

Former Sylvania Southview Teacher Casey Reason has released his second book. The book, entitled Leading a Learning Organization: The Science of Working With Others, was released in January of 2010 through Solution Tree Press in Bloomington, IN. 

This title was recently selected by Phi Delta Kappa International as their book of the month for March 2010. This honor was bestowed on Dr. Reason’'s book due to its broad appeal to both teachers and administrators. For more than 100 years, Phi Delta Kappa International has been the premier professional association for educators. 

Dr. Reason’s book was endorsed by arguably the top leadership author in the world, Dr. Ken Blanchard. Dr. Blanchard is the author of the One Minute Manager and Leading at a Higher Level and has authored or coauthored over 50 books in the areas of leadership and change. Dr. Blanchard is a friend and mentor to Casey and provided the following endorsement for his book. “

"Is there anything more important than the effective education of our children? Casey Reason’'s very timely book on leadership focuses on principals and teacher leaders, —those closest to the kids. Reason makes a difficult and complicated subject, the science of working together, accessible to all. His practical strategies and solutions can uncover the greatness in everyone involved in schools. Educators should read and study this book and then make the necessary changes to improve our schools for the better," said Blanchard.

Casey Reason Companies is a leadership consulting company specializing in helping organizations improve performance and overcome resistance to change. Leading a Learning Organization: The Science of Working With Others may be purchased at www.solution-tree.com or www.amazon.com. Casey Reason was an English teacher at Sylvania Southview High School from 1989 –to 1994.

Chocolate Affair is sure to be a sweet treat

Tickets are now on sale for the Chocolate Affair, an annual event benefiting Sylvania Area Family Services.  The event will be held Sunday, March 28, from 2 to 4:30 p.m. at the Father Wurzel Family Center on the East Campus of St. Joseph Parish, 5411 S. Main Street. Tickets are $20 in advance and may be purchased from SAFS by calling 419-882-8415.  Tickets will be sold the day of the event for $25 at the door.

Jeff Smith, Channel 13 popular morning anchor, is the event's master of ceremonies encouraging people to bid actively on the scores of silent auction items while they sample the array of chocolate desserts and confections donated by local restaurateurs, bakeries, candy makers and more.  John Cleveland will provide the entertainment.

This year’s event, with presenting sponsor Franciscan Care Center of Sylvania, will include the signature “mystery bags” along with a raffle for one-of-a-kind table decorations.  

“The community has again responded generously with donated items,“ said Karen Smith, SAFS board vice chairman and chair of the Chocolate Affair.  “Guests will be bidding on such items as a cruise for 4 on the SandPiper, a birthday party at Sylvania Playland, yard décor from Lily’s at Levis and an array of items and gift certificates from local Sylvania merchants including TREO restaurant and bar, Reve, Bumble, Canterbury Homes, Hudson Gallery, Southbriar restaurant, Kevin Charles and Fenwick Gallery.”

Sylvania Area Family Services is a non-profit organization located at 5440 Marshall Road in Sylvania.   The agency provides assistance to low income and at-risk families in the Sylvania area offering emergency food and personal care items, refers recipients to the proper financial resources, and coordinates donations and distributes holiday food baskets to needy families at Thanksgiving and Christmas.   

Visit the website www.sylvaniaareafamilyservices.org for additional information. 

Sylvania Township Board Holds Meeting

By Mike McHone

Herald Writer

The Sylvania Township Board of Trustees held its regular meeting on Tuesday, March 16. At the beginning of the meeting, statements and concerns were presented by two Sylvania residents in attendance that night.

Sylvania Township resident Jack Lunkas asked about construction costs for the new fire station to be built in Sylvania. Mr. Lunkas pointed out that in the February township meeting minutes, it was stated that construction costs for the fire station had risen two percent per quarter. Mr. Lunkas also stated that, in the township’s search for a parcel of land on which to build the new fire station, he was in favor of the Brent Rd. area, considering it was near a hospital and in an area with easy entrance and exit points for fire trucks.

Board member Carol Contrada said that even though it was reported in the past meeting minutes that production costs rose, the numbers weren’t an actuality. 

“Two percent was just a projection,” she said. “Actual production costs are holding steady.”

Mrs. Contrada continued by saying that, “The first two parcels of land that we [the township] purchased for fire stations two and three, we got at a very, very low cost: lower than we thought we would have to spend, which gives us a little more flexibility in purchasing the very last piece of property."

Another area of concern was addressed by Sylvania resident John Marshall. Mr. Marshall wanted to talk about his experience with traffic violations which he says have been running “rampant” in and around Sylvania.

Mr. Marshall, who served in the United States Air Force and was a safety specialist during his tenure, was injured in a head-on collision a number of years ago and has, since then, taken notice of the high traffic violations. He told the board that he “really started observing violations over two years ago.”

“There are violations daily that are just rampant,” he said, “from school bus drivers, to the Fed Ex truck, to the UPS truck, to police officers, to you name it.” Mr. Marshall added that his father was a former police officer who was wounded in the line of duty and that he has the “utmost respect” for police.

Mr. Marshall said that most days, right out front of his home, he witnesses school busses “constantly run the stop sign at Marshall and Durbin. They will do a right hand turn like there’s nobody there. The stop sign’s right there, [but they do] nothing.”

Ultimately Mr. Marshall wants better policing and more enforcement against traffic violators. The violations he says, “are increasing on a daily basis in my neighborhood.” Sometimes he said, the violations are hourly, sometimes by the minute.

“I would like someone to take action,” he said, “to inform the public that these laws do exist, to inform the bus garage, to inform everyone.”

Sylvania Township Police Chief Robert Metzger said that if there is anyone in the area that sees a number of violations on a particular road, they can call the township police, and the department will send out a “speed trailer” – a trailer designed to let a driver know how fast they are actually going on that stretch of road. 

"It’s not really an enforcement action as much as it is a public awareness action,” Chief Metzger said. “Now that the weather’s turning nice, we also have targeted areas [for traffic enforcement]. One of the things we like to know when people call us is particular times. For instance, a lot of people call us and report violations when kids are going to school, or when people are going to lunch. If they can get it down to a specific time… we’ll put it on a list and the list will go out to patrol. We’ll be more than happy to do that. Also, if it’s a specific violation, if you can get the license plate number, we can follow-up with the driver. We do this all the time, particularly with school bus drivers who will contact us when someone runs past a stopped school bus.”

Sylvania Township Fire Chief Fred Welsh gave a brief report on the Township Fire Department, stating that in the month of February a select number of medical technical students from Northview High School observed and worked alongside the fire department’s Life Squad and some of the firefighter paramedics. 

“We also conducted a nice rescue demonstration for the park officials at Olander and Wildwood Park,” Chief Welsh said. 

"The demonstrations at the park we conducted specifically in case a visitor to either park in the winter time happened to fall through ice, park officials would know what to do in that emergency."  

Mayor's Message - Street improvements planned for 2010

City of Sylvania street improvement projects for 2010 are being planned now for construction later this spring and summer.  Improvements to both neighborhood streets and main thoroughfares are planned, and will be paid for with capital improvement funds.  None of the projects will result in special assessments to property owners.

The City will continue its annual program of milling and repaving neighborhood asphalt streets.  The program improves the appearance of our neighborhoods, keeping them desirable and maintaining property values.  The milling contract will be bid in April.  Asphalt repaving will be done by City Streets Division crews this summer.  The estimated cost of $240,000 will be paid out of current capital funds.

The neighborhood streets included this summer are Littlefield Court, Deercross Court, Eagle Creek Court, Eagle Trace, Shady Oak, Birch Hollow Court, Maple, Chestnut, Mill Street and Spring Street.  In addition to these neighborhood streets, Harroun Road will also be bid for milling and repaving.  

Several aging neighborhood streets are planned for replacement this year:  Angleview, Angleview Court, Graystone, Gregory, Gillingham, Gillingham Court, San Reno and Orvieto.  New waterlines will be installed.   Municipal bonds will be sold to finance the $3,500,000 estimated cost.

In addition to these City projects, ODOT plans to repave Alexis Road from Monroe to Whiteford.  The City must pay 50% of the paving costs and 100% of curb and ADA curb ramp improvements, estimated at $454,480.

Lucas County is also working on several area projects:  widening McCord Road from Sylvania Avenue to Central (already under construction), improving the Sylvania/Holland-Sylvania intersection, building a roundabout at Brint and Mitchaw, and installing a new storm sewer on Sylvania-Metamora from Mitchaw to Apple Meadow.  

All together, these projects will lead to many orange barrels in the Sylvania Area.  We will work with ODOT, Lucas County and our contractors to complete the projects efficiently.  Thank you for your patience this street construction season.

Engagement

      Joe and Debbie Wallace of Sylvania are pleased to announce the engagement of their son, Andrew Wallace, to Erin Yuen, daughter of Les and Kerry Yuen of Bloomingdale, Illinois.

Andrew, a 2004 gradate of St. Francis de Sales High School, earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the Ohio State University in 2008. He is employed as an investment analyst with J.P. Morgan in Chicago.

Erin earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from the University of Illinois in 2008. She teaches 5th-grade for the Chicago Public School System.

A July, 2010 wedding is planned.

Letter to the Editor

Dear Sylvania Herald Editor:

On March 8, 2010 (the official first day of Track and Field), I received a text message:  “Are you running today?”   Reply: “No I am on Spring break with my family.”  Text Message: “I need to find someone to run with after school…”  

The text was from a very dedicated cross country and distance track coach of 10 years who recently was told his contract has not been renewed.  He looks for adults to run with rather than the team of young men he has been running with on a daily basis; the young men he has put in countless hours developing and working with above and beyond a coaches pay.  Coach John Wodarski has no lack of adult friends to find for a run, after all he is a respected coach and runner in the Sylvania Community.  He is also an educator in Toledo Public Schools, a former collegiate runner and a current member of The Dave’s Running Store Racing Team.  It’s a loss to Sylvania City Schools that he will no longer be running with the fine group of young men at Sylvania Southview High School.

When will our administrators stand up for our students?  Letting a decision like the non-renewal of Coach Wodarski’s contract stand on empty reasons casts a deep doubt in the abilities of the administrators in making decisions with the best interest of the students in mind.  The very worst of this decision will affect the young men at Southview High School.  They will not experience  the benefits (too countless to include in a letter to the editor) of Cross Country and Track that they would have had with a coach that puts his heart, soul and time into his teams. 

Coach Wodarski will be missed.  I wish I knew why he was let go.  

Jodie Smith

Sylvania, Ohio

Borchers recognized as one of 50 Most Influential Women in West Michigan

Carrie Borchers, Sylvania Northview High School graduate and Sylvania native, has received honors as one of the 50 Most Influential Women in West Michigan from the Grand Rapids Business Journal.

Held biannually, this year’s award ceremony took place on March 2 at the JW Marriott, downtown Grand Rapids. This elite group of 50 female leaders were celebrated and acknowledged for their achievements in business. To determine who will receive this prestigious award, business expertise, community service, and services on behalf of women is taken into account.

“I feel both honored and humbled to be included on this list of influential and esteemed women leaders,” Borchers said. “I feel every day I continue to learn best practices in business and add to my list of accomplishments; I certainly don’t feel I have it all figured out, but it is quite an honor to be recognized for my success in the office as well as my efforts in local charities.”

Borchers is currently the Sales Account Manager at IT Resource, an information technology provider located in Coopersville, MI. In addition to being a key member of the IT Resource sales team, Carrie also spends a generous amount of time volunteering on the Board of Directors for the Holland Home of Grand Rapids, the Coopersville Chamber of Commerce, and the Coopersville Rotary Club. She is also a member of the Marketing and Public Relations Committee for the Great Lakes Division of the American Cancer Society Cattle Baron’s Ball.

IT Resource is a provider of Information Technology services throughout the state of Michigan. They provide cost effective IT solutions for customers including consulting, virtualization, unified communications, messaging solutions, and disaster recovery.

Historical Society meeting

The Sylvania Area Historical Society’s next meeting is Wednesday, March 17 at 7 p.mm at the Sylvania Heritage Center, 5717 N. Main St . “Ohio in Brass” will be presented, a whimsical pictorial tour of Ohio, with the state’s numerous historical markers acting as your guide.  The meeting is free and open to the public. For more info or questions:  www.sylvaniahistory.org or 419-318-9632.

S.C.A.T. drop-off day

S.C.A.T. is working with the Sylvania City and Sylvania Township Police to implement a “Drug Drop-Off Day” on March 13 from 9 a.m.-7 p.m.  Anyone can bring in unused, unwanted or expired prescription or over the counter medications for proper disposal. No questions asked.  

Most teens say prescription drugs are easy to get from medicine cabinets and are available everywhere and easier to find than illegal drugs. Parents and caregivers are the first line of defense as prescription drugs are found in the home. 

The "Drop-Off Day" is Saturday, March 13, from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. at Sylvania City Police Station-6635 Maplewood and at Sylvania Township Police Station-4420 King Rd. Call S.C.A.T. at 419-824-8588 for more information.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

A labor agreement has been reached between Sylvania Township and Sylvania Firefighters Local 2243, your Professional Full Time Firefighters.  Negotiations began in November of 2008 for a contract that expired in December that same year.  One year of tedious negotiations later, the Firefighters unanimously rejected a fact finder’s report that removed a minimum daily staffing clause from the contract.  In these tough economic times, the monetary incentives were attractive, but the negatives with reducing safety in the contract outweighed the positives.  

The crux of the issue was an attempt to remove a previously negotiated daily staffing level of 14 firefighters.  The fact finder eliminated the minimum daily staffing level completely, so there was no requirement to have any number of firefighters on duty.  Daily staffing exists to provide for an adequate number of firefighters on duty to properly and safely serve the Sylvania Community. 

Even with 14 firefighters on duty, the Sylvania Township Fire Dept is understaffed. National guideline NFPA 1710 calls for 15 firefighters to adequately and safely combat a fire in a 2000 sq. ft. residential structure, and 22 firefighters in a commercial structure of the same size. Additional firefighters are required if the square footage exceeds 2000.  In either case we are fundamentally understaffed assuming all 14 personnel are available to respond.  Because we respond to over 4,000 incidents annually, it’s unlikely all units are available at any given time, further compounding the inadequate staffing.

Whispers of firefighter greed have been heard through the media and from citizens in the community. However the allegations are both unwarranted and unfounded.  Your career firefighters compromised on many economic factors, but not on safety. The issue of minimum staffing is simple; a certain number of personnel are needed to do a job quickly and safely.  That is the business we are in; when you call 911 we take care of the problem.  Arriving at your emergency we need to be able to do mitigate your emergency and not give you a false sense of security. In order to effectively and safely complete that task it requires personnel. The initial contract rejection is a testament to the sincerity, and dedication to safety issues no matter how lucrative the incentive.  Just as your family counts on the fire department to respond adequately in your time of need, OUR families expect us to return home in the same shape we left in.  In addition to firefighters, we are also husbands, fathers, uncles, and sons. Safe staffing levels benefit everyone by protecting the community while keeping us safe in the process of performing our duties.

I am thankful to say that the Township and firefighters were able to reach an accord on staffing while reducing overtime costs.  Although still understaffed, this new agreement provides some level of safety for Sylvania as opposed to none.

After some consideration while writing this, maybe the firefighters are a little greedy when it comes to safety. Yours and Ours.

Sincerely,

Chris Nye

President

Sylvania Firefighters IAFF Local 2243

Banners will beautify downtown with local art

Local artwork will be utilized in the form of banners along Sylvania’s streets as part of a new program designed to promote art, corporate supporters and even to distract visitors from construction as they travel through the downtown.

“We knew we needed something to help spruce up the downtown quickly,” said Sylvania Councilman Katie Cappellini. “The Gateway project and the River Trails project are huge construction projects and we needed some immediate beautification initiatives.”

Sylvania City Council began working with the Sylvania Community Arts Commission to develop a “banner program” where local artists would design art for banners to adorn the more than 150 streetlights throughout the downtown.

A committee, headed by the arts commission, will consist of art teachers, particularly from Sylvania schools. The funding will come from corporate sponsors, who will have their logos prominently displayed with the artwork.

“Everyone on the committee agreed it was a great idea,” Cappellini said. “This effort is modeled after a program in Kansas City and they have a big opening where they hang the banners and everyone comes to see the artwork. With a program like this, the community can get familiar with local artists and the corporate sponsors will get a lot of play too.”

Kate Conway, vice president of the Sylvania Community Arts Commission, suggested the banner program after she saw a similar program flourish in her former hometown of Kansas City.

“There is a large outdoor shopping area and part of the way they brand and identify that area is through the use of banners. These banners are not advertising but pieces of art,” Conway said. “The point is to identify an area and promote it as a form of branding. I thought that would be a perfect idea for the City of Sylvania with all of their lampposts.”

Burnham items to be auctioned online

Beginning on Tuesday, March 16, and running through March 23, Sylvania Schools will hold an online auction of a limited number of items removed from the Burnham Building before its demolition. The items include: ticket doors, outdoor light fixtures, slate chalkboards, theater seats and a movie projector.

  Items will be posted along with photos at: http://www.govdeals.com/eas/advSearchResults.cfm?myseller=2218  on March 16. Bidders will need to log on to view and bid on items. The link will also be available from the Sylvania Schools website at www.sylvaniaschools.org.

  The Burnham Commemorative Committee is still taking orders for bricks and memorial DVDs. The cost is $15 each or both for $25. Order forms are available online at www.sylvaniaschools.org or by calling 419-824-8553.

  A date and time for distribution of the bricks and DVDs will be announced in late March/early April to provide the committee time to clean, copy and organize the distribution process. No bricks and/or DVDs will be sold at the distribution site. However, if there are unfilled requests or quantities remain after the pick up date, they may be available for sale through the Historical Society and Sylvania Historical Museum.

KROYER Dorothy I. "Dottie"

Dorothy "Dottie" I. Kroyer, age 74, of Toledo, passed away Saturday, Feb. 6, 2010, in The Toledo Hospital surrounded by her loving family. She was born Jan. 9, 1936, in Bowling Green, OH to Joseph and Lydia (Akenberger) Smith. At age 12 she moved to the Holland Sylvania area and met Paul, her husband to be. She attended Burnham School and graduated from Woodward High School in 1954. She was office manager for Kroyer Heating and Air Conditioning, and previously was a manager at Strater Cleaners and a sales clerk at Hudsons. A longtime member of Epiphany Lutheran Church, Dottie was in charge of the Sunday School from 1969 to 1975. She then became a member of Advent Lutheran Church for many years. Dottie was active in the PTA at Central Elementary and was a Den Mother for Cub Scouts and a Brownie and Girl Scout Leader. Dottie was a precinct chairman for the Republican Party for over 35 years. She was active and supportive of her 3 children in horse shows with 4H and Tri-State and felt those were the best years ever. Dottie was a people person and enjoyed snowmobiling at the family residence in West Branch, MI. She and her husband, Paul, traveled the world together visiting China, Russia, Africa, Europe and many other places. Surviving is her husband, Paul; son, Michael and his wife Melinda Kroyer; daughters, Debbie Kroyer and Kathy and her husband Frank Forche; grandchildren, Anna and her husband Chris Cahoon, Nathaniel Kroyer Noonan, Mikaela Kroyer, and Sydney Forche, and great-grandchildren, Pheobe and Lily Cahoon. 

MAYOR'S MESSAGE Income tax credit

The City of Toledo made news recently with another proposal to end its current practice of granting 100% credit to its residents for local income taxes paid to another municipality.  The change would add over $8,000,000 to Toledo's income this year, and would be paid by about 19,000 Toledo residents working in neighboring cities, some of them here in Sylvania.  The City of Sylvania has no current plans to reduce the 100% income tax credit for our residents, or to raise the current 1-1/2% tax rate.  

In addition to Sylvania, Oregon and Maumee also grant 100% credit for local income taxes paid to another city.  Perrysburg, Bowling Green and Ottawa Hills give 50% credit.  Perrysburg and Maumee have a 1-1/2% tax rate.  Oregon has 2-1/4% tax rate, as does Toledo.

Local income taxes are paid where you work, and only about a third of Sylvania taxpayers pay their local income taxes to Sylvania.  Sylvania residents working outside of the City of Sylvania receive 100% credit on their Sylvania taxes for local income tax payments to other cities.  All households are responsible for paying a trash collection fee if they pay annual Sylvania income taxes less than the trash fee.

During the 1970's, Toledo ended "tax reciprocity" with the suburbs, where half of local income taxes paid where you work were returned to your home city.  More residents of the suburbs worked in Toledo than Toledoans worked in the suburbs, and that change resulted in millions more income tax dollars for Toledo.  The City of Sylvania lost more than $1,000,000 of income tax that year due to the loss of tax reciprocity, and the amount has grown over the years.

In the late 1990's, Toledo attempted to reinstate tax reciprocity selectively with Maumee, because more Toledoans were then working in Maumee than the other way around.  That attempt at selective tax reciprocity failed in the Ohio Legislature.  Now Toledo is discussing the need to eliminate the income tax credit granted to its own residents, increasing taxes on those Toledo residents by over $8,000,000.

Sylvania City Council approved Sylvania's 2010 Operating Budget last December without changing the income tax rate or credit.  There is no current need or plan to end the 100% income tax credit for our residents, or to raise our 1-1/2% income tax rate.

Lourdes Department of Biology awarded $45,000 grant for Great Lakes project

Lourdes College is pleased to announce that the Department of Biology & Health Sciences was recently awarded a $45,000 grant by the Great Lakes Innovative Stewardship through Education Network (GLISTEN).  

Through the grant, Lourdes will lead the “Green Water/Gray Economy Project” which establishes the Western Lake Erie cluster for GLISTEN. Other participants in this project include Defiance College, Owens Community College, Eastern Michigan University, the Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments and the Western Lake Erie Waterkeeper Association.

Lourdes will implement area-wide service-learning initiatives that address algal overgrowth in the Western Basin due to increasing concentrations of phosphates in each of the basin watersheds. Additionally, Lourdes Biology & Health Science students will be given new opportunities to participate in field experiences that enhance their area of study. 

“The Great Lakes bioregion contains 20% of the world’s fresh water and 95% of North America’s fresh water,” adds Sr. Marya Czech, SND, Assistant Professor of Biology at Lourdes and Cluster Coordinator for Lake Erie West. “Through education and public outreach, our cluster will encourage stewardship of Lake Erie through biology, ecology and microbiology courses.” 

GLISTEN is a three-year project harnessing the expertise and innovation of college faculty and undergraduate students in 8 states and 2 Canadian provinces in order to promote stewardship of the Great Lakes. For more information visit http://www.ncsce.net/Initiatives/GLISTEN.cfm. 

Burnham memories

By Marge Fitkin

Burnham Class of 1940

By now we have heard, read, and seen pictures of Sylvania Burnham High School, that great Citadel of learning that stood at the corner of Monroe St. and School Drive. It was a landmark from 1927 until Feb. 2010.

An era has come to an end for all of us who had the privilege of graduating from this stately school. But wait, let's not forget the great faculty members who made it one of the most outstanding high schools in the state of Ohio. That's why so many people chose to live in Sylvania. The churches and schools form the foundation of any community. Burnham's history helps to define the Sylvania community.

Each teacher at Burnham had a flock of students placed under his or her care for nine and half months. Many of my teachers didn't just talk, explain, and even demonstrate -- they inspired. They were there to teach and I was there to learn. 

The teachers were always around and they assisted in any way needed. They were gentle and kind and they cared about us.

Some of my memorable teachers were my Latin and French teacher Miss Helen Paterson, my English teacher Miss Helen Schroeder, my public speaking teacher Miss Margaret Fairchild, Mrs. Lucas (a math wizard), Mr. William Wood, my chemistry teacher (I hated the subject and it is a wonder I didn't blow up the building), and of course our history teacher I. William Miller (all of us girls were in love with him). He did no wrong. He married the second-grade teacher of Maplewood school. There were many other outstanding teachers that we were blessed to know.

All of us lived in an era when our parents loved their children and taught us the difference between right and wrong, respect and values. A second dose of these lessons was provided in the classrooms. In later years when I became a classroom teacher at Maplewood, I found myself teaching those same values taught by my parents, elementary, high school and college instructors. Teaching was my one and only love for all forty years of my career. 

One of my greatest joys today is having former students visit me, sending pictures of their families, receiving phone calls, letters and cards. Bless all of them and the greatest teacher who leads us all. 

We salute Sylvania Burnham High School and faculty. 

Sylvania Community Orchestra Presents “A Day at the Opera” Concert

The Sylvania Community Orchestra, sponsored by the Sylvania Community Arts Commission (SCAC) will present its second concert of the season on Sunday, March 7.  

The orchestra, under the direction of Kathleen Hafner, will perform the overture to “The Barber of Seville,” excerpts from “Die Meistersinger,” overture to “Fidelio,” “Porgi amor” from “The Marriage of Figaro,” polka from “The Bartered Bride,” “Duetto buffo di due gate,” “Phantom of the Opera,” and “the William Tell Overture.” Guest vocalists are Karen Biscay and D.E. Buenger.

The concert is free, open to the public and handicap accessible. The program will begin at 4:00 p.m. at the Sylvania Senior Center, 7140 Sylvania Ave. in Sylvania.   For additional information please call (419) 517-0118 or e-mail at sylvaniaarts@bex.net.  

Letter to the Editor

Dear Tyler, 

Everyone has an opinion and I do respect that. Your Palin 2012 opinion was very clever. It is interesting to note that you have, as a small business person, fallen into the elitist trap like many progressives out there.

It drives "folks" like you crazy when a conservative, and also a woman, knows their own mind and doesn't rely on opinion polls or teleprompters to inform their policies. 

It has become fashionable to denigrate Sarah Palin as some unsophisticated backwoods hick.

Unfortunately, you insult many of your readers by your condescending attitude. Sarah Palin gets "it." She would put people over special interests. Her policies whether you agree or disagree, are guided by a moral compass, refreshing isn't it?

Sincerely,
K. A. Koester

Letter to the Editor

 Dear Editor,

Your sarcastic remarks remind me of what Abraham Lincoln once said, "It is better to be thought a fool then to open your mouth and remove all doubt"

The foolish people of today seem to have forgotten the "original intent" of our founders or haven't done their homework to understand it.  Sarah Palin is a candidate who represents the "original intent" of the Declaration of Independence and The Constitution in many ways, but especially that of freedom OF religion, not freedom FROM religion, and she has the intestinal fortitude to state and stand for the TRUTH and principles on which this country was founded. Perhaps the many uninformed voters that elected our current president who will probably go down as the WORST PRESIDENT this country has ever had in its history will read your words and realize they should begin to research the candidates a little better before jumping on a band wagon headed for the destruction of our great country.  Those voters could begin to educate themselves by reading Sarah Palin's book "Going Rogue" and learn something about what has brought her to who she is and where she stands today and why we need a President to lead this country in the direction our founders intended.

Proudly submitted by Susan Wamsher

Southview garage sale

The Southview Parent Club needs your stuff.  The spring 2010 garage sale will be held Saturday, March 20,from  8 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Southview High School, 7225 Sylvania Ave.  

The fall and spring garage sales are the major fundraisers for the Southview Parent Club.  Proceeds from the spring sale will fund the After Prom event that follows the Senior Prom. The After Prom event provides a fun, safe, substance- and alcohol-free environment for our students to continue celebrating. 

The garage sale proceeds will also go to the Class of 2011’s senior activities.  Gently used donations will be accepted March 5, 6, 7,12,13,14 and 19 from 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. at the P.O.D. that will be located at the rear of Southview.  The P.O.D. unit is once again being generously donated by Portable Storage of Toledo. All unsold items will be given to a local charity and tax receipts will be available.  Any questions regarding this event please email mailto:clscherercpa@verizon.netclscherercpa@verizon.net or call 419-824-8580.

MAYOR'S MESSAGE Snow Removal

By Craig A. Stough  

Sylvania recorded its eighth largest snowfall on record Feb. 9 and 10, with about 12" of snow reported.  Sylvania crews worked nearly 72 hours to finish clearing all that snow from city streets, parking lots, bridges and sidewalks.

Street Division crews manned our six large trucks with plows and salt spreaders.  The storm was well predicted, so as we have done the past few years, streets were pretreated with brine ahead of the storm.  Plowing and salting began during the storm.  Our salt supply remains good and hopefully sufficient for the remaining winter months.  This is the first storm of the season requiring front end loaders to remove snow from cul-de-sacs.

Parks and Forestry crews are responsible for clearing parking lots at many city parks and municipal buildings including water and sewage pumping facilities.  They are also responsible for sidewalks at city buildings and at the bridges around town.  The Monroe Street Bridge over US 23 is particularly challenging because of its length, the snow plowed off the road is piled onto the sidewalk, and the need to transport the snow off the ends of the bridge instead of over the rail.

We all had to shovel our driveways and sidewalks, probably several times due to the heavy snowfall.  The city plow trucks had to come back later to widen out roads in order to provide a save width for driving and to provide access to mailboxes.  For many of us, that meant reshoveling already cleared driveways at the street.

As a reminder, city ordinances require residents to clear sidewalks within 24 hours of the snowfall ending.  If you need assistance, volunteer agencies can help, including the Area Office on Aging.  Further, cars parked in the street hamper snow plowing and should be moved.  Sylvania doesn't regularly declare snow emergencies to ban parking on the streets, as some cities do, but cars parked in the street for more than eighteen hours can be ticketed.

Thank you for everyone's hard work and cooperation during this recent storm!  Our crews did a terrific job, as we all did, keeping Sylvania operating during and after this heavy snowfall.

Lenora Grimes

Lenora Grimes, age 80 of Sylvania, passed away Friday, Feb. 12, 2010 at Lake Park Center where she was surrounded by her loving family. She was born March 4, 1929 to Elijah and Hattie (Stephens) Bethel in Moro, Arkansas.  Lenora was a loving wife, mother and grandmother. 

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Johnnie Grimes, son-in-law, McKinley Ford Sr. She is survived by her daughter, Lois Ford of Sylvania; son, Johnnie (Pearl) Grimes of New Jersey; grandsons, Bryan (Robin) Grimes, Eric (Shanna) Grimes, Bernard (Icee) Ford and Myron Ford; great-grandkids, Ericka Gilmore, Bryttany Grimes, La Paris Grimes, Nevaeh Ford and Eshan Grimes; granddaughter-in-law, Anissa Grimes and special friends Belle Bell and many numerous other extended family members and dear friends.  

The family will receive guests Saturday,  Feb. 20, 2010 from 11:30-12:30 p.m. at Kingdom Hall Jehovah’s Witnesses, 1809 N. McCord Rd. Funeral Services will follow at 12:30 p.m. in the Kingdom Hall Jehovah’s Witnesses. Officiating will be Brother Rudy Mc Neal. Interment will follow in Restlawn Memorial Park. 

The family would like to thank Promedica Hospice and Heartland Hospice for their loving care and support. 

Memorial contributions may be made to the Sylvania Senior Center. 

To leave a special message for the family please visit, www.NewcomerToledo.com. 

Sylvania native named Jones Day Partner

The global law firm Jones Day has named Brian J. Murray, son of local residents Joe and Linda Murray, a partner in its Chicago office. Mr. Murray has extensive appellate experience and also handles complex commercial, class action, and multijurisdictional litigation at the trial court level. 

He graduated from the University of Notre Dame (J.D. summa cum laude 2000; Notre Dame London Law Centre, London, England, 1998-1999; Notre Dame Scholar; Article Editor, Notre Dame Law Review; Col. William J. Hoynes Prize Winner; B.S. in Chemical Engineering summa cum laude 1997; Tau Beta Pi) and clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. 

While growing up in Sylvania, he went to St. Francis Education Center, Maplewood Elementary, Arbor Hills Junior High, and St. John's Jesuit.

Jones Day is a global law firm with 32 locations in centers of business and finance throughout the world. With more than 2,500 lawyers, including more than 400 in Europe, and 200 in Asia, it ranks among the world's largest law firms. Jones Day acts as principal outside counsel to, or provides significant legal representation for, more than half of the Fortune Global 500 companies. 

Engagement

John and Sylvia Capuano of Sylvania are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Angela Marie Capuano, to Jason Corey Mosakowski. Jason is the son of Tim and Dottie Mosakowski of Toledo. Angela is a 1999 graduate of Northview High School, and a 2003 graduate of Miami University, where she earned her B.A. in Psychology. She earned a master's degree in Clinical Psychology from Bowling Green State University. In May 2010, she will be awarded a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from BGSU. She is currently employed at Children's Safe Harbor at the Toledo Children's Hospital, where she works with children with special needs. Jason is a 1996 graduate of St. Francis de Sales High School and a 2004 graduate of BGSU, where he earned a B.S. in Biology. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in the Infection, Immunity, and Transplantation program at the University of Toledo Health Science Campus. The couple is planning a 2010 Labor Day weekend wedding at Nazareth Hall in Grand Rapids, Ohio.

Letter to the Editor

To the Editor

I am a senior at Northview High School. It was brought to my attention this week that the contract of our Principal, Mr. Stewart Jesse, might not be renewed. Although we have been kept in the dark as to the why, my fellow students and I signed a petition with the hope that his contract will be renewed. 

I wanted to take a moment to express how important Mr. Jesse is to Northview and how much he has impacted my life. Both of my parents are active duty military members. When I was a sophomore, my father was sent on his second tour to Iraq and was deployed for a year. Northview does not have a high population of students who have parents in the military so there was not anyone I could talk to who could understand my anxiety. Because he has a military background, Mr. Jesse could relate to my situation. He ALWAYS took the time to talk to me and reassure me. Because he cared so much, the Army and the Air Force honored him with awards for his support of not only our family but the families of all military students in Sylvania. 

Mr. Jesse is not just a puppet who hides in his office all day. His presence is felt throughout the school. He is in the classrooms, the hallways and the cafeteria. He attends sporting events. He knows each student by name! Mr. Jesse treats each and every one of us with dignity and respect regardless of our economic status or class ranking. He has an open door policy that enables all of all us the opportunity to go and talk to him. Most importantly, he LISTENS! No problem is too small or insignificant. Mr. Jesse takes discipline seriously and holds everyone accountable for their actions. Nevertheless, he also believes that students can redeem themselves after mistakes. He believes in mentoring. He believes and makes certain that all students have the opportunity to attend school in a safe environment. 

Although I am graduating, I wanted my siblings to have the same experience I did at Northview High School. Without Mr. Jesse at the helm, I am not confident that they will. We need to all take a stand and express to Mr. Rieger and the Sylvania School Board how important Mr. Jesse is to Northview High School and how it would be a travesty if we lost him! 

Kelsey Edwards 

Sylvania, Ohio

Sylvania Franciscans in Port-au-Prince helping the injured

Sylvania Franciscans Sister Fidelis Rubbo and Sister Josephine Dybza have gone to Port-au-Prince to help in the aftermath of the January 12 earthquake that struck the capital of this island country. 

The two Sisters are working at the St. Damien Children’s Hospital near the U.S. Embassy.  The hospital suffered minor damage, but has been able to keep functioning as a full service pediatric facility.  They are working as translators between patients and their parents and the American doctors treating them.  Sister Fidelis said they are consoling young children and their parents before and after surgeries that often requires amputation.  She said they are filling in on the post-operation unit helping doctors and nurses care for the young patients by bringing medicine and helping clean wounds.

“The days are long, but very satisfying,” said Sister Fidelis.  “The Haitians are still in shock.  It’s tough to see these people suffer so much.  They are grateful for any care we can provide.  It is a gift and a privilege to be an encouraging presence in these devastating times.”

The Sisters are staying with Vanessa Carpenter, founder of Angel Missions Haiti, a nonprofit organization located near St. Damien Hospital that coordinates medical care for children who need to go to other countries for operations.  Sister Fidelis said food is still in short supply and what can be found has more than doubled in price.  She said gasoline is $12 or $13 a gallon and a 10 ounce can of rice is $5.  

She said no part of Haiti has escaped the devastation of this earthquake.  “Because Port-au-Price is the hub of most activity in this country, people living 100 miles away have had family and friends who were killed or injured,” said Sister Fidelis.  “Many people we know in Pestel have loved ones who died in this tragedy.  Our next challenge will be to find food and medicine for the thousands of people who are leaving Port-au-Prince to go back to their home areas to live.  It will be months before people will be able to return to the capital and many may not want to after what they have just gone through.” 

For those interested in donating, The Sisters of St. Francis, Sylvania, are recommending people send donations to the Catholic Relief Services.  They can mail checks marked “Haiti Relief” to Catholic Relief Services, P.O. Box 17090, Baltimore, MD 21203-7090.

MAYOR'S MESSAGE Downtown Update

Sylvania City Council continues to work on improvements in and around the downtown area, and here is an update.

In a continuation of work started almost two decades ago, the City has purchased properties south of Monroe Street and east of Main Street to clear and ready for redevelopment.  The current City Council has named this area the "SOMO" district for "South of Monroe".

Prior to earlier City purchases, the former Howard Gas & Oil property at the southeast corner of Main and Monroe included a bulk oil storage facility along Ten Mile Creek, and the Carroll Motors building on the south side of the creek had been long abandoned.  Purchased, cleared and resold by the City, those properties are now the Wingate Hotel, the Root Office Building, a Medical Clinic on the west side of Main Street and River Center Park.  

Within the last year the City has purchased the old Nelms Building, the old apartments east of that building, and the stores in front of them along Monroe Street.  Together with a few other parcels being discussed, that property can serve to expand our downtown with sites for new office buildings, a hospitality district near the hotel including a riverfront restaurant, and renewed retail space along Monroe Street.

Further, the construction plans for the Sylvania River Trail project are being finalized and will provide a walking and bicycle path along Ten Mile Creek from Silica Road east to Monroe Street on the other side of US 23, and runs right through the SOMO district.  Three grant applications totaling $575,000 have recently been submitted to the State of Ohio to help fund the project, and $200,000 was awarded last year by the State of Ohio with the help of our Ohio Representative Barbara Sears.

City Council has awarded a contract for the installation of coordinated wayfinding signage in and around the downtown, to be installed later this spring.  In addition, City Council has established a Downtown Decorations Committee to recommend new holiday decorations in the downtown area.  One idea being proposed by committee members is to replace the traditional holiday wreaths with seasonal banners on the light poles - contact City Council with your thoughts and input.  Change is coming to our downtown area, and as always, we need your ideas and vision for a better Sylvania.

TWO ALTERNATE POSITIONS NEEDED TO BE FILLED IN SYLVANIA TOWNSHIP

The Sylvania Township Board of Trustees at their most recent meeting, discussed the need to fill a current vacancy which exists on the Sylvania Township Zoning Commission and the Board of Zoning Appeals.   Currently both bodies are operating without an alternate to take the place, and vote, in the event of an absence of a regular member. 

The Zoning Commission is responsible for considering and reviewing applications for zone changes and amendments to the Sylvania Township Zoning Resolution as well as being responsible for the coordination of long-range planning initiatives. The commission serves as an advisory body, forwarding their recommendations to the Trustees for the final approval or denial.  All Zoning Commission meetings are open to the public, meeting on the second Wednesday of every month at 6:00 P.M. at the Sylvania Township Hall.

The Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) is responsible for considering the appeal of the Zoning Manager's decisions, applications of relief from the standards established in the Sylvania Township Zoning Resolution and the consideration of modifications to legal nonconforming structures.  The BZA serves as a quasi-judicial body, having the final decision-making authority regarding any variances from the Sylvania Township Zoning Resolution.  Meetings are held on the first Monday of every month at 6:00 P.M. at the Sylvania Township Hall. 

Interested residents are encouraged to fill out an application at the Sylvania Township Administration Building or on-line at www.sylvaniatownship.com under the Services/Info, Township Board Appointments menu.  Applicants must reside in Sylvania Township and be at least eighteen years of age. Closing date for these positions will be February 28th or thereafter when filled.  For additional information regarding this position, residents are encouraged to call the Planning and Zoning Department at 419-882-0031.  

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor:

The members of the Sylvan Board of Education should hang their heads in shame. On May 13, 2009, their own environmental experts identified no less than seven (7) graded EPA wetlands on the property including several high grade category 3 wetlands. Notwithstanding that fact, on June 12, the board voted to put an option in on the property for $800,000.00 knowing full well that the school might not be able to be built there. On October 2, 2009, the school was notified by the Ohio EPA that a high grade category 3 wetland extended across the front of the property. Rather than searching for a buildable site immediately, the school arranged a meeting with State Senator Mark Wagoner and members of the Ohio EPA on December 21 to try and have him exert influence on them to "bend" the EPA rules for the school. The EPA refused to change their report and now the school is appealing the EPA decision to the Army Corp of Engineers causing a further delay in the building of a new school. It is sad that the children of Central Elementary have to suffer and wait a year to get into the new school because of the school's obsession with this property and the fact that no one in the school is willing to admit they made a mistake.

Thomas Yoder

Letter to the Editor

Dear Residents of the Sylvania School District:

It was an honor and privilege, to serve you, as a Sylvania Board of Education member for the past twelve years!

During the past twelve years, the district made great strides. Some of those include:

·      Excellent with Distinction - State Rating improved from continuous improvement, to effective, to excellent, to excellent with distinction the past two years

·      Gained Community Support – passed two operating levies, and two bond issues, all on the first attempt  

·      Three new elementary schools will replace aging existing buildings and major renovations will be made to others

·      Facilities – upgraded maintenance and cleanliness 

·      Operations – centralized support services, transportation and purchasing 

·      Technology – expanded acceptance of its use for teaching and learning, and data based decision making

·      Curriculum – began audit and continuous review of changing needs for higher education and employment opportunities

·      Communications - key communications with major stakeholders improved, methods of communication expanded to include print, voice, and electronic means

·      Finances – improved internal controls, auditing and forecasting 

·      Student services - integration of all students in the classroom

·      Athletics – improved understanding and acceptance of its important role in education

·      Staff Development –improved methods and standards for educating our educators 

I attribute these improvements to the hard work of our students, teachers, staff, the involvement of our parents, and support of our community. I am thankful to have been a part of our district’s progress over the past twelve years and wish Sylvania Schools continued success.

Pam Haynam

Letter to the Editor

Dear Mr. Howard: 

Last Wednesday January 13, 2010 you published an article in the Sylvania Herald in the Community Section about Rush Limbaugh’s experience in a hospital.  You quoted Mr. Limbaugh as saying there is “nothing wrong with the United States Health Care system.” Mr. Limbaugh on his radio show did say that he paid cash for the hospital services and got a substantial discount.  You then followed your comments by saying that Mr. Limbaugh is stupid.  This is a very inappropriate remark for you to make.  Being stupid did not get him where he is today.

Sure his celebrity status and fantastic wealth gets him good service.  Anyone serving or catering to the “Rich and Famous” treat them better so they can get a piece of the action.  They use their names in name dropping, much the same as you used Mr. Limbaugh’s name in your article.  

You continue in your article to mention a sixty year old friend with diabetes and apparently a good sum of money.  I really wish you would give more details of what he did for a living to accumulate his wealth.  He is retired before age sixty five and has no health insurance.  It sounds like he made some very fundamental errors in preparing for his advanced years. 

Further you mention that the man’s doctor is a conservative Republican and actually told the man, “people like you are why we need a government plan.”  It sounds incredible that a Doctor would say something like that.  Maybe Becker on TV does.  Doctors don’t really want a government run system like that being proffered.  But the Doctor is not a villain just because he is a conservative republican.  Maybe the Doctor is right in thinking that moderately wealthy people wanting free insurance is the problem.  Go figure!

Your next statements were about the “public option” and the seemingly emotional reactions to it.  Did you consider that people are more intelligent than to simply react “emotionally” to something that in their opinion is not right.  The public option will force you to buy something you may not want.  The poor will not be able to afford the forced insurance so we “tax payers” will have to subsidize them.  This is a lose/lose situation for us and the poor, but a win/win for the government. 

Our government is not supposed to be a “for profit organization.”  But it is sure fattening a lot of politician’s wallets.  Get rid of the fantastic corruption we have and do simple fixes on Medicare.  Keep the private healthcare system active and competitive.  We that have worked all of our lives think the system is not perfect, but it is OK for most of us, like a hundred million retirees in the nation.

Sylvania Branch librarian retires after 34 years

By Christine A. Holliday

Herald Writer

Do you have fond memories of visiting the public library as a youngster? Do you recall the librarians who directed you to the new Nancy Drew books or the sports magazines or the Science Fair collections?

Patrons of all ages at the Sylvania branch of the Toledo Lucas County Public Library will surely have memories of librarian Mary Leugers, who has worked as the children’s librarian there for 34 years. She retired Dec. 31 after 37 years with the TLCPL, and admitted that she has worked with “probably two generations” of readers. Many of those readers and their parents have sent her messages of “Farewell” and “Happy Retirement,” thanking her for her enthusiasm for all things book-related. 

The message from Marjorie Siegel, who knows Mrs. Leugers only through the library, is typical. 

“Thank you for the outstanding career you have devoted to helping people learn about and love books,” she wrote, “You were one of the first people to encourage our son Danny, when he first began to explore the library at a very young age. Today, as a college professor, he still spends most of his waking hours with books! It was many, many years ago, and Danny was probably one of your first of thousands and thousands of youngsters. But, just as you were important in his life, in his love of literature, so, I am sure, you were important in the lives of so many others.”

Mary studied elementary education at Bowling Green State University, and earned her Master of Library Science degree at Wayne State University. She worked with TLCPL for three years as an adult librarian, then came to the Sylvania branch, where she has seen many changes to the library “business.”

She recalled, “When I started, we spent a lot of time putting cards into the card catalog, and then taking them out. With computerized catalogs, we have time now for more fun things. We can do research so much faster, and there are so many sources available online. We still help people with tax information, employment searches, grant information. We find patrons who need help with school work, with pleasure reading. We have patrons who can’t read and need our help in finding materials. We have CDs and DVDs, books on tape. It is quite a wonderful system.”

While the “business” end of the library has changed over the years, Mrs. Leugers said she hasn’t seen much change in the youngest patrons. 

“Preschoolers are the same. I love hearing them laugh as I read a story aloud, and I am so glad to see them come back to read more. I remember one boy who came in to ask for a book he had heard me talk about in school. He had memorized the story, and wanted more books. That’s quite a reward for a librarian.”

It’s not just the youngest patrons who have benefited from Leugers’ familiarity with books. She noted that the Young Adult section at the Sylvania branch is well used, and smiled as she told of the young patron who wanted to read some of the popular books about vampires. 

“I told him what the book was about, and wondered aloud if that was really the book he wanted to read. I think I said it was very popular with girls his age. He said, ‘I know. I have to read it so that I know what the girls are talking about.’”

Even adults have counted on Mrs. Leugers for advice about which books to read. During the interview for this story, an adult patron stopped by to congratulate her on her retirement, and indicated that he would miss her recommendations. 

Jack Smith, retired principal of Timberstone Junior High School, said, “As a retired educator, I spent a lot of time at home, in school, or at the library. Mary Leugers liked the same kind of books that I did, so she always had great recommendations for me, and she took my recommendations. I felt as if she were my personal librarian. I will miss her smiling face and her knowledge of books.”

Leugers said she will miss the patrons, but added that she will see them when she returns to work at the library as a volunteer. She won’t be too far from books, saying that she always gives books at Christmas gifts, and likes to relax with a book herself. She hopes to do plenty of cross stitching, scrapbooking, and lots of traveling, with special plans for doing sections of the Appalachian Trail. 

Even with all the technology to compete against books, Mary Leugers is confident about the future of libraries. 

“I think there will always be libraries. I think people feel there is something special about having a book in your hand when you curl up in a chair. I know I do!”

Military Brief

Tiffany N. Staebler has joined the United States Army under the Delayed Entry Program. The program gives young men and women the opportunity to delay entering active duty for up to one year. The enlistment gives the new soldier the option to learn a new skill, travel and become eligible to receive as much as $50,000 toward a college education. After completion of basic military training, soldiers receive advanced individual training in their career job specialty prior to being assigned to their first permanent duty station. The recruit qualifies for a $9000.00 enlistment bonus.
Staebler, a 2007 graduate of Northview High School, will report to Fort Leonard Wood, Waynesville, Mo., for basic training this month.
She is the daughter of Sandra Staebler of Janet Ave., Sylvania.

Military Brief

Jason Wahl from Sylvania, son of Gary and Janine Wahl, was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps.  He is a graduate of Sylvania Northview, Class of 2005, and graduated from Miami University Dec. 18, 2009 with a BA in Mechanical Engineering. 

He will report to Quantico for The Basic School, a 6 month training course then start Flight School.

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor, 

(RE: Article by J. Patrick Eaken: Northview Cross Country Finishes Best Season in School History)

Sylvania Franciscans Celebrate 93 years

The Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania, Ohio celebrated the 93^rd anniversary of the founding of their Congregation on Dec. 8, 2009.
Responding to a request in 1916 from then Toledo Bishop Joseph Schrembs to serve as teachers for the Polish immigrants in the diocese, the Rochester Franciscans sent 23 teachers to staff three area schools. The Sisters purchased 89 acres a year later in Sylvania, where they established their Motherhouse. A year after that a flu epidemic caused the sisters to branch out into health care. Today the Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania serve in 12 states and the island country of Haiti ministering in education, social work, health and human services, religious, parish and spiritual direction.
In honor of the occasion, the Sisters gathered in their dining room to celebrate and then attended mass in Our Lady Queen of Peace Chapel to give thanks for the past and reflect on the future. Sister Mary Jon Wagner, Assistant Congregational Minister, spoke to the gathering and invoked a favorite prayer of Mother Adelaide Sandusky, foundress of the Congregation:
“Dear lord, grant that all may become holy religious, serve you with a spirit of zeal and self-sacrifice, persevere and keep well, and have a spirit of peace and harmony in our community.”

Obituary: Spaulding, Beverly Helen

POLICE REPORTS 12/23

Police Reports:

Petty Theft: On Dec. 10, the victim is a member of the choir. She left her purse unattended in the choir room while a concert was ongoing. When she later returned- $45 in cash was missing from her wallet. According to the victim, the room was left unlocked and unattended.

Petty theft: On Dec. 11, the suspect exerted control over a $100 bill without the consent of the owner.

Theft- deception: On Dec. 8, an elderly victim was scammed over the phone by an unknown suspect. Victim sent a Western Union money transfer to Ontario, Canada for $2102.00 to get her grandson released from jail.

Theft: On Dec. 12, suspects 1 &2 by using deception did knowingly take control of a $2,000 watch with purpose to deprive the owner of said property.

Criminal mischief: On Dec. 9, victim reported the left rear tire on her vehicle was flattened.

Domestic Violence-Knowingly Harm: On Dec. 7, victim came to the station to report that she was physically assaulted by her father on 12/7/09.

Drive Under Influence/Physical Control: On Dec. 11, Sharalea Wolfram, 29 was stopped for several traffic violations and found to be OVI and had a .218 BAC.

Drive Under Influence/Physical Control: On Dec. 13, Emily Kajfasz was stopped for a traffic violation and found to be OVI while having a .103.

Minor Possess, Consume Beer etc: On Dec. 11, the suspect was found to be underage and under the influence of alcohol.

2009 Year in Review

By Katie Cappellini
Sylvania City Council

You may read the headlines from time to time and note general council actions, but as you travel through your daily activities in Sylvania it may be hard to point to any recent major improvements.  If you’re wondering what city council has been doing lately, I can tell you that 2009 has been a year largely dedicated to extensive planning efforts.   Behind the scenes much work has been done in council committee meetings as plans are being developed for the future River Trail, downtown redevelopment and a new Gateway landscaping project.

If you’ve walked along 10 mile creek recently it doesn’t look as though much has changed, but visit our service directors office and notice the stack of planning documents and you’ll see that the landscape will be changing significantly with a cycling/pedestrian trail through downtown and along the river from Silica and Monroe to the parking lot behind Burger King.  The trail is the beginning of economic development improvements for Sylvania, as re-establishing pedestrian traffic is the first step in encouraging commercial activity and further strengthening our tax base.  The river trail will be a substantial economic asset to our community, will be largely funded by grant dollars and will make our downtown river front property the premier place to live and work in Lucas County.

You might remember that one of your first water bills in 2009 included a survey for a long term land use plan.  You’ll be happy to know that your responses were extremely helpful in completing the plan and offered much advice for the future of Sylvania, especially our downtown district.   Most wanted a revitalized downtown as a destination to walk, shop and dine.

The new banners on Monroe Street not only mark the beginning of our revitalization efforts but they are also the beginning of a program to promote local art sponsored by our very own Sylvania Community Arts Commission. Watch for new and exciting banner designs as the seasons change.

2009 wasn’t filled with the ground breaking ceremonies that will mark some of the upcoming gateway improvements, but I can say that we are well on our way to mapping out a guide for out future, one that promotes smart use of existing land, encourages pedestrian friendly streetscapes and identifies development needs.

Dr Buzz

Systemic Disease and the Eye

    It has been said figuratively that the eye is the window to the soul. The eye is however, the “window” to many systemic diseases. Approximately one third of all known diseases, syndromes, or medical maladies are potentially first diagnosable through a comprehensive eye exam by a medical eye doctor, an ophthalmologist.

    A comprehensive eye exam involves much more that checking ones vision for glasses or contact lenses. Besides looking for a multitude of potential ocular conditions such as glaucoma, lazy eye, macular degeneration, or cataracts, a medical eye doctor is also looking for medical conditions or syndromes elsewhere in the body.

    Many systemic diseases have the potential to be diagnosed early on, sometimes months or years before the signs or symptoms become apparent elsewhere to the patient. Since so many systemic diseases are potentially diagnosable, it would take a full length book to fully address this subject. I will address some of the more common systemic diseases that I have seen in my practice over the last 31 years.

    The eye is actually part of the brain. Many brain and or neurological conditions are first diagnosed during a routine eye exam prior to systemic symptoms. Brain tumors can cause swelling in the optic nerve and loss of the field of vision sometimes before headaches or other neurological symptoms are noticed by the patient.                 

    Increased pressure on the brain can be caused by brain tumors, hydrocephalus, meningitis, trauma with bleeding on the brain, pseudotumor cerebri as well as many lesser known conditions. All of these conditions can cause swelling of the optic nerve, also know as papilledema, which can be diagnosed by a medical eye doctor looking at the back of the eye. When this is found during the eye exam, it is imperative for the patient to undergo a complete medical and neurologic evaluation for the definitive diagnosis.

    Migraine headaches often have a visual component that can involve flashing lights that shimmer as well as a temporary loss of vision even without a headache. Often, when this occurs, it is quite disconcerting to the patient. Many times patients have come in to see me with these symptoms convinced that they have a brain tumor or that they have had a stroke. Fortunately, these symptoms are temporary and rarely ever have permanent damage to the eyes. I usually recommend an evaluation by the patient’s primary care physician (PCP) to diagnose or treat the migraines.

    Sometimes aneurysms or vascular anomalies in the brain that are asymptomatic may be found first during an eye exam. These vascular problems are usually found on a test called a visual field that makes a “map” of the visual pathways in the brain. If the vascular anomaly or aneurysm presses on the visual pathway, a defect may be noticed on the visual field. When discovered by the ophthalmologist, the patient is referred to a neurosurgeon for a comprehensive workup and possible surgical intervention.

    One vascular problem that often remains silent until a stroke occurs is carotid artery disease. The carotid artery is the main artery, located in the neck, which carries blood from the heart to the brain. Since the brain receives its blood supply from the carotid artery, even tiny pieces of plaque or clumps of platelets, known as micro emboli, may break away and lodge in one of the retinal arteries. Sometimes no symptoms occur and these micro emboli are noticed on a routine evaluation. More often however, these micro emboli cause a sudden loss of vision lasting a few seconds to many minutes or much longer. This condition is known as amaurosis fugax. It is more commonly known as a transient ischemic attach or a TIA. Often the vision returns fully but in some cases a profound permanent loss of vision may result. I treat these cases as true medical emergencies and refer these patients immediately to have the carotid and cardiovascular system worked up. When carotid artery disease is diagnosed, a peripheral vascular surgeon can usually effectively remove the plaque from the carotid artery thus potentially avoiding a major stoke from occurring. Rarely emboli or plaque may originate in the heart from a valve or cardiac cancer.

    Many blood disease such as leukemia, polycythemia rubra vera, multiple myeloma, hyperviscosity syndromes, and lesser known conditions exhibit ocular findings before the disease manifests elsewhere. Often, retinal hemorrhages, amaurosis fugax (temporary loss of vision), crooked retinal blood vessels, or loss of vision may be a presenting sign or symptom of these blood diseases.

    Once the blood disease is diagnosed, periodic eye evaluations of the retina and optic nerve are valuable to monitor the status of the disease, especially when the disease is in remission.

I have diagnosed many cases of cancer from very distant sites in the body before the cancer was known to the patient or the PCP. Often when cancer is first diagnosed during the eye exam, it is metastatic disease at that point. Since the eye has a very rich blood supply, metastatic tumor can easily travel to the retina through the carotid artery and lodge in the eye.    Sometimes brain cancers can spread directly into the orbital cavity through openings in the skull which can cause many ocular symptoms including a droopy eye lid, a wandering eye, a noticeable bulge of the eye globe, or pain in or around the eye.

    Usually, metastatic cancer to the eye is found well after the primary cancer has been diagnosed. It is quite rare that the first sign of the cancer is found on a routine eye exam. The most common metastatic cancer that I have found in the eye is lung and breast cancers. On rare occasions I have found prostate, kidney, melanoma, and lymphoma cancers presenting first in the eye.

    Metabolic diseases, such as diabetes and thyroid disease, often are associated with ocular manifestations. One of the earliest symptoms of hyperglycemia, high blood sugar, is fluctuating vision. Besides increased thirst and frequent urination, transient nearsightedness, can be the first symptom of diabetes. In known diabetics, when the blood sugar is out of control, both transient far and near sightedness is a sign that the blood sugar is out of control.

    All diabetics should be seen at least annually by a medical eye doctor to monitor the status of the retina which is often affected by diabetes. Once significant diabetic retinopathy is detected, the patient is usually referred to a retinal specialist for possible laser as well as other advanced therapies.

    Thyroid disease may be first noticed on and eye exam or by the patient through ocular symptoms. The most common ocular symptoms include double vision, bulging eyes know as proptosis, swelling of the eye lids as well as eye lid retraction. It is very important for all patients with thyroid disease to be monitored periodically by and ophthalmologist since thyroid disease can occasionally affect vision and even cause blindness.

    There are many other metabolic diseases that can affect the eye in a multitude of ways. The pituitary gland, a small gland in the brain that is often involved with metabolic disease, can cause significant ocular problems. A pituitary tumor is often silent early on however it can cause a significant loss of the side vision in both eyes before other systemic symptoms occur. Often a field of vision test done in the office can detect tumors in the pituitary region of the brain.

(Part 2 of this column will appear next week, 12/30).

The Sylvania Area Chamber of Commerce’s Year in Review

As the Sylvania Area Chamber of Commerce looks forward to 2010 it is good to reflect on how the Chamber progressed in 2009. The year was one that highlighted collaboration between the city, township and the SACIC. The harmonious partnership with the mayor, trustees and city council resulted in several exciting projects that were beneficial to the area.

The consortium worked on a project to honor Sylvania as Ohio Magazine’s Best Hometown. Through the summer months a packet was put together that represented all that is outstanding in the area and sent to Ohio Magazine. The award winner was announced in November and Sylvania received its honor as Ohio’s Best Hometown for 2010 at Downtown Delights. Those accolades encourage a sense of pride and continue to bolster Sylvania’s reputation as a desired destination for business and residential options.

The Chamber, SACIC, city and township have a “doing business in Sylvania” packet that is available for development and redevelopment. The packet helps local business navigate local and government issues seamlessly. It is the prelude to the much anticipated 2010 Community Directory and map that will be available in February.

The directory is used by the city, township, Flower hospital, schools, real estate professionals, banks and for tourism and business projects. The directory is truly a collaboration of the community and gives a clear picture of what the area offers.

The chamber now hosts an economic development sub-committee that looks at issues that affect local business. The ED committee is the voice of local business and is working with the city, township and school system to identify business opportunities, consider redevelopment and beautification projects and anticipate future challenges. Additionally, the committee is seeking ways to encourage area tourism and continue the SHOP Sylvania program encouraging local shopping.

The Sylvania Area Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Sylvania Community Arts Commission, introduced “Sittin Pretty in Sylvania” in May, 2009. Forty-two decorated wood benches, produced from Sylvania area craftsmen at Rentner Lumber and designed by local artisans, were on display for three weeks and then placed throughout the Sylvania area.

Featured artists included Sylvania School art teachers and their art classes, local architects, the Ability Center of Greater Toledo, Lourdes College students and local artists.

Once again the Showcase Sylvania Expo held in March was a huge success and continues to have record attendance and business participation. The expo allows businesses to engage in business networking at the preview party, held the evening before, and opens the doors to the public on the next day. Over 4,000 people and 160 vendors participate in what has become the premier business expo in the region. In 2010 the expo will be held on March 27 at Tam-O-Shanter.

The Chamber continues to collaborate with many organizations in this area and works with the City of Sylvania, Sylvania Township, Sylvania Recreation, SACIC and Sylvania Schools to identify and further develop economic development, entrepreneurial programs and events.

Events such as Sylvania Sprouts, Downtown Delights, Sylvania Chamber Arts & Crafts Festival and Taking it to the Streets during the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Golf Classic instill a sense of community pride. A new event, The Pizza Challenge, produced in cooperation with the Sylvania Area Joint Recreation Board, will take place in 2010

The Chamber is the one-stop central location for residential, business and government concerns and we work with local government and organizations on “getting things done.” Additionally, websites www.sylvaniachamber.org, www.discoversylvania.com and www.sylvaniabusinessvotes.com are all available for local business to use as resources for information and assistance.

In 2010 we again expect to see some business challenges. However, the Sylvania Area Chamber will continue to be the business voice and partner with the city, township and SACIC, Sylvania Community Arts Commission and other organizations to use resourcefulness and ingenuity. This will give Sylvania the successful advantage it needs to foster business prospects, residential growth and keep the community spirit strong.

MAYOR'S MESSAGE

By: Craig A. Stough

"Snow and Ice Removal"

Leaf collection has been completed for 2009, and City of Sylvania Streets Division crews have re-equipped City trucks for snow and ice removal.  Let me share some facts with you about the high priority job of keeping our streets clear of ice and snow through the winter months.

The City of Sylvania has six trucks equipped with plows and salt spreaders.  One of these trucks is equipped with a liquid brine spreader to pretreat roads prior to predicted storms.

Last winter City of Sylvania workers spent 2,079 hours and spread 2,550 tons of road salt and 92,000 gallons of brine to remove snow and ice from the roads.  Last winter was a tough winter, but not as tough as the 2007 – 2008 winter season when 2,934 hours, 3,910 tons of salt and 70,000 gallons of brine were used.    

The City of Sylvania bids road salt each year in conjunction with Sylvania Township and Sylvania Schools to receive better pricing for the larger combined purchase.  Because of salt shortages in recent years, we bid earlier this year, in March, and were able to contract for an adequate supply of road salt at $64.97 per ton from North American Salt Company.

Snow and ice removal costs, like leaf collection costs, are paid for out of the City's General Fund.  City of Sylvania property owners are not assessed separately on their property tax bills for these services as they are in some nearby communities.

The City categorizes streets into four levels of importance:  main arteries (Monroe, Main, Alexis, Harroun), secondary streets (Brint, McCord, Summit, Erie, etc.), feeder streets (main neighborhood streets) and residential streets.  Main arteries and secondary streets get attention first.  

Sylvania police officers keep an eye on road conditions 24 hours a day, and when conditions warrant, main and secondary streets are salted.  Feeder and residential street intersections, hills and curves are salted.  When it snows three or more inches, the trucks begin plowing with their 10' wide blades.

Snow and ice removal often keeps the trucks on the road 24 hours a day until the roads are clear.  The heavier the storm, the longer the clearing process.  The trucks will make one pass following predetermined routes on all 78 miles of city streets before coming back for a second pass to widen residential streets out to full width.  Let's hope we don't have too many bad storms this winter.  But when we do, our City crews and equipment are ready.

Anytime Fitness announces its grand opening in the Harvest Place Shopping Center

Anytime Fitness, the world largest and fastest growing 24-hour co-ed fitness franchise, is pleased to announce it is open for business at 7602 West Sylvania Avenue in the Harvest Place Shopping Center in Sylvania. Grand opening celebration events will take place from January 4-9, 2010 with an official ribbon cutting on January 9.

With 24/7 access, Anytime Fitness offers convenient and affordable exercise. At Anytime Fitness, members can work out any time of the day or night, every day of the year. They use a security-access key to enter the club, even when it is not staffed. Once inside, members have full use of state-of-the-art strength training and cardiovascular equipment. Anytime Fitness also offers tanning and membership reciprocity among its clubs, which allows members to use any of the 1200+ clubs that are currently open in the United States, Canada, and Australia.

The equipment options at Anytime Fitness include circuit and cross-training machines, free weights, state of the art Expresso stationary bicycles, ellipticals, and treadmills. If desired, members can add a tanning option to their membership. Private showers and dressing areas are also available at the club.

To celebrate its grand opening, Anytime Fitness is waiving the enrollment fee and offering free tanning with selected memberships. Special membership prices are also available for individuals, couples, and families.

Owners and managers, Amy Fortner, John Fortner and Mike Gaither are very enthusiastic about opening their new club in Sylvania, and said “The convenience and affordability of Anytime Fitness can’t be beat. Choosing this club makes it easy for members to stay committed to their fitness goals. We are excited to be in Sylvania, and it’s our goal to become an active member of the community.”

Club tours will be available during the grand opening celebration. A complete schedule of events and membership information is available at the club, by calling 419-725-5575, or by visiting www.anytimefitness.com.

Mrs. Clause and Ellie the Elf to appear at Sylvania Library

On Monday, Dec. 21, at 7 p.m. the community is invited to the Sylvania Library for a family program.

Mrs. Claus tells her story about the year she saved Christmas. Joining her is her faithful sidekick Ellie the Elf. Come hear stories from the North Pole, sing songs, plays games and see a movie. Registration is required. Call 419-882-2080.

Chapman earns Pediatric Nurse Practicioner license

Emily Chapman, a 2001 graduate of Sylvania Northview High School, has earned a Pediatric Nurse Practicioner license in Acute/Chronic Care.

    She completed her Master’s in Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania in August. Emily has been employed as a critical care nurse at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) since graduating from Grand Valley State University in 2005. She is the daughter of Eric and Elaine Chapman.  

Lourdes Master of Organizational Leadership students changing world one bike at a time

Service project provides coffee bikes for Rwanda farmers

    The east-African country of Rwanda has nearly 500,000 small-holder farmers whose primary source of income is the coffee plant. Depending on the market, Rwanda generates between $15 million and $35 million in annual foreign exchange for the coffee produced by the country’s farmers.

    One of the major obstacles for Rwandan coffee farmers is transport of their crop. Because of economic and environmental issues, farmers cannot utilize animal or motorized transport. Instead, farmers must either walk or use bicycles to carry their crops once they are harvested. The use of coffee bikes decreases transport time by 50%. Additionally the use of bicycles for transportation is more compassionate than the use of animals and more environmentally friendly than the use of motorized vehicles.

    As part of a presentation on business strategies and social responsibility, Lourdes Master of Organizational Leadership student Dean Mueller challenged his fellow cohort members to raise money for the farmers of Rwanda. The cohort met his challenge and has been raising funds throughout the fall semster. To date, the group has raised enough money to purchase two coffee bikes through Project Rwanda.             Project Rwanda, founded in 2005 by cycling buff Tom Ritchey, provides bicycles to the coffee farmers of Rwanda. To date, Project Rwanda has provided over 2,000 coffee bikes to the farmers of Rwanda. In 2009, the organization’s goal is to raise enough funds to provide 2009 farmers with coffee bikes. To learn more about Project Rwanda, visit http://projectrwanda.org/cargo-bike.

Engagement

    David and Nancy Pollock of Toledo are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Lauren, to Jeffrey Budziak. Lauren is a speech-language pathologist in Hilliard, Ohio, and a graduate of Sylvania Northview High School, The University of Dayton and The Ohio State University. Jeff is the son of Lee and Barbara Budziak of Brecksville, Ohio. He is a graduate of Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School, The University of Dayton and The Ohio State University. He is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in political science. The wedding is planned for March 20, 2010 at Epworth United Methodist Church in Toledo.

Quick Fit Announces Free Basic Fitness/Gym Membership Along With Donation to Charity with Every Enrollee

   During these tough economic times, Quick Fit is offering a way for people to get healthy and fit for free while donating to charity at the same time.

    Quick Fit, a co-ed fitness center located at 7601 West Sylvania Avenue at Sylvania and King intersection in the Timberstone Kroger Complex, is offering a basic fitness/gym membership to anyone interested for no charge.  This opportunity is available to both children and adults, since they currently have members ranging in ages from 9 to 86 years of age.  In order to participate and receive the free fitness/gym membership all a person has to do is use the membership on a regular, consistent basis and tell friends and family about it as well.

    With child and adult obesity rates on the rise the need for daily activity is even more important these days than ever before.  Some estimates are close to 70% of the adult population that is either overweight or obese, with 50% of children being in the same situation.  Quick Fit provides a way for people to get the recommended daily amount of exercise of 30 minutes recommended by the Surgeon General to help with this problem that we are currently facing as a population.

    In addition, more and more people are in need of even basic necessities these days due to the current state of the economy and are having to turn to charity for access to these everyday items.  Therefore, in addition to offering a free membership option Quick Fit has decided to donate to charity for every person who enrolls as a member under this type of membership.  They feel with the donations they make as a result of the new enrollees will help to provide people with more of the basics that no individual or family should have to worry about.

Letter to the Editor

Mr. Howard,

     I write to you neither to slam you nor President Obama. Rather, I write to you in an attempt to explain the foundation of the conservative viewpoint, the ideology, and if all goes well...to convert you. President George Washington warned us of the dangers caused by allegiance to political parties in his farewell address. I am neither a Republican nor a Democrat. I despise both because as a teacher and professional historian I learned the lessons of history. I am a 31 year old "conservative" and by that I mean a "strict constructionist". Most importantly I consider myself a patriot. I know the truth about the cornerstone of our Republic and the origins of our form of government.

     To understand our government, one must be well versed in Enlightenment literature. You must read Rousseau and Montesquieu among many others. Failure to do so is the height of ignorance when discussing our American government. The principles set forth in the literature of this period expressed democracy and individualism. In a free society you cannot have one without the other. Social welfare programs such as the Health Care Bill currently being debated in Congress attempts to force individuals to meet certain requirements against their will, violating the 10th Amendment. There is no doubt changes must be made to our system of Health Care but Congress must be sure not to throw the baby out with the bath-water.

     Like most conservatives, I do not believe any civilian (politician or not) has the right or power to interpret the U.S. Constitution except for the nine Supreme Court Justices. To endow anyone with this power would open up a political "pandora's box". The unfortunate thing is that the "box" was opened long before Obama took office. It was first opened when Jefferson purchased the Louisiana Purchase, again when F.D.R. imposed his "New Deal" and again when President George W. Bush signed the first "Bailout Bill" shortly before leaving office. Since then, President Obama hit the ground running like an Olympic torch-bearer and has tried to lead the Democratic Senate into changing the entire system of American government and they are attempting to create a New World Order (the administration's words, not mine). This is unconstitutional.

     I admit, I watched the Inauguration too. I also felt a sense of pride for my country but that is where you and I differ again. I have always had a sense of immense pride for my country. Maybe it is because I am the son of a Vietnam Veteran. Perhaps it is because I played on a summer baseball team during the first Desert Storm and our team name was the "Patriots" in honor of our military force. Or maybe it's because I am well educated. I hold a B.S. from Penn State (one of the most liberal universities in the country) and a M.A. in Military History. The difference between liberals and conservatives is that conservatives tend to know their history. For liberals, history started yesterday. Liberals look to their political figures (like Obama) for inspiration instead of finding it within. I do not wish for our President to fail. To do so would mean failure for the U.S. and all who live here. I hope and pray everyday that our President, our Military Forces, and our country do well and prosper. To wish for anything else would be anti-American.

     I urge you to pick-up some books from the Enlightenment Era. Read Rousseau, Montesquieu, and Locke. Learn it and analyze it. I guarantee you will see things differently. If you don't you're not paying attention. Most importantly, know your history.

Best Regards,

Scott Perrotte

Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor,

    Thank goodness there is someone in this conservative-religious-right community who has said something positive ( and KIND!!) about President Obama!

    I very much liked your article and, especially, the last paragraph.

Judi Pittaway,

Sylvania

-------------------------------------------------------

Tyler,

    Hi. I thought your article was usefully introspective. It is rare for journalists (or most people) to recognize their biases.

    Attached is one example of the Bush Hilter theme (search google images). I don't recall much Reagan Hitler press.

    If you want to continue to learn about politics, read american history. The Barbary Pirates, Thomas Jefferson and the formation of the Navy is a great story that goes back 200 years to a situation we are in today.

Regards,

Jeremiah Pyle

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tyler,

    I'm just writing a quick note to say, I enjoyed your last article "Why I will always love Obama." The negativity of politics blinds people to the facts. President Obama has been fighting an up hill battle since January 20. How can the republicans, all the republicans not find some level ground to agree on? That is very scary to me. Many are overlooking the good in his programs because of politics and not thinking of the good of the American middle class that many of these programs would affect. And that angers me. This has become us against them and that is not the American way.

    Again I enjoyed your article and look forward to many more.

Dennis Carr

Sylvania

Engagement

Marcus and Heidi Lohrmann are delighted to announce the engagement of their daughter, Rebecca, to Cyril Gauchet, son of Jean-Marc and Francine Gauchet of Charleville-Mezieres, France.

    Rebecca is a 2005 graduate of Sylvania Northview. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Valparaiso University in May of 2009 and is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Social Work at The University of Michigan. Cyril graduated with a dual Bachelor’s degree from the European School of Business in Reutlingen, Germany and Reims Management School in France. He recently received his Master’s degree in international business management from Dublin City University in Ireland.

    Cyril proposed to Rebecca this past August while they were spending time with family and friends in France. They will unite in marriage on August 14, 2010 at Olivet Lutheran Church in Sylvania.

MAYOR'S MESSAGE

Craig A. Stough
Shop Ohio's Best Hometown This Holiday Season
Sylvania was honored as one of Ohio's Best Hometowns by Ohio Magazine during a downtown ceremony on November 12th .  As I walked with the magazine editor, he complimented our beautiful downtown for what a wonderful place it is, and commented how modern shopping centers try to recreate that special downtown atmosphere.  Sylvania has many fine stores in our beautiful downtown, and all around town.  They are working harder than ever for your business during these difficult economic times.  I encourage you to join me in shopping in Sylvania this holiday season.
The Chamber of Commerce's "Shop Sylvania" program has it right.  Sylvania stores offer the products and convenience you are looking for.  They are beautifully decorated, less congested and close by.  They are in safe, well lit areas.  The snow is plowed and parking is close to the door.  Many are locally owned and operated, and offer the kind of personal service you only get from an owner operated business.
Shopping in Sylvania stores also supports our community. They employ our friends, our neighbors and our children.  Unlike out-of-town stores, they also help support our local school programs and community fundraisers like tag days, career days, sports teams, prom nights, yearbook ads and more.  
Downtown Sylvania shopping is better than ever with new stores and restaurants.  Other Sylvania shopping areas - Southbriar Shopping Center on South Main Street, Wickford Plaza at Brint and McCord, Saxon Square, Timberstone Plaza, the Kroger Plaza and the Andersons Market on Sylvania Avenue – also have a lot to offer.  Monroe Street offers more excellent shopping including Starlite Plaza, Promenade Shops, Country Squire, and the Sylvania Marketplace.  
Shopping in Sylvania keeps dollars in our community.  Our local shops are working hard for your business and need your business now more than ever.  I'll be shopping in Sylvania this holiday season, and I hope you will also.

Park news

SAJRD Awarded ODNR Grant

On Nov. 17, 2009, The Sylvania Area Joint Recreation District was awarded a grant through the Nature Works program of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to assist in the construction of a new pedestrian/bicycle path at Sylvania Pacesetter Park. The grant is in the amount of $72,155.

The new path will connect with existing pedestrian/bicycle paths in the area with planned completion in April 2010. Construction on the 8 ft. wide asphalt-paved path has recently begun. The length of the path will be approximately 1.25 miles and will basically follow the perimeter of Pacesetter Park. Buckeye Asphalt Paving Co. of Toledo was awarded the construction bid.

Total cost of the project is $123,130. The pedestrian/bicycle path is part of planned $8.9 million capital improvement projects across the district funded by the passage of a 20-year, .45 mill bond levy in March 2008.

SAJRD Wins Ohio Parks & Recreation Association Award

The Sylvania Area Joint Recreation District will be presented with a “Superior” Award by the Ohio Parks & Recreation Association for the renovation of Centennial Terrace. SAJRD won the category for 2009 Facility Development projects costing between $1-5 million. Total cost of the Centennial Terrace renovation was $2.1 million. George France, SAJRD Chair, will be presented with the award at the Ohio Parks & Recreation Association’s annual conference in Akron on January 24, 2010. The Centennial Terrace renovation was part of planned $8.9 million capital improvement projects across the district funded by the passage of a 20-year, .45 mill bond levy in March 2008.

Church Briefs

King of Glory Lutheran Church, 6517 Brint Rd., Sylvania, offers approximately $60 worth of food to anyone in need for $30 through  Angel Food Ministry. Dec. 2, 5:30-7:30 p.m., and Dec. 5, 10:00 a.m. to Noon.  For more information call the church at 419.882.6488.

Rejoice, Jubilee and Glory Handbell choirs will combine in a concert at Olivet Lutheran Church, 5840 Monroe Street, Sylvania, Ohio on Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009 at 7:00 p.m.  Pre concert music will start at 6:45.  We have exciting sacred and secular music.  Free will offering.  We will be celebrating 25 years of ringing in January.  

Rejoice Handbell Choir of Olivet Lutheran Church, Sylvania, Ohio will ring in the Holiday Season with an English Handbell Concert of sacred and secular music on Friday, Dec. 11, 7:30 p.m. at the great Gallery of the Toledo Museum of Art, 2445 Monroe St., Toledo.  No admission charged.  Rejoice will celebrate their 25th year of ringing in January, 2010.  Please join us for an awesome concert.

Lutheran Village at Wolf Creek to Hold Casino Night

Lutheran Village at Wolf Creek Retirement Community will be sponsoring a casino night fundraiser on Saturday, Dec. 5 at 7:00 p.m. at the Maumee Elks Club.

Cost for admission is $30.00 and includes funny money, appetizers, silent auction, and great prizes.  All proceeds will benefit the residents at Lutheran Village at Wolf Creek.

To purchase tickets, please call Linda at 419-861-5600 or tickets will be available at the door.  This event is open to the public.  Lutheran Village at Wolf Creek is a joint venture of St. Luke’s Hospital and Lutheran homes Society.

5 cities, 5 shelters, 2,500 pairs of socks; 1 little girl who started it all

    Hannah’s Socks celebrates five years, expands to help shelters in Dayton, Cleveland and Akron

At the age of four Hannah Turner inspired an organization that, in five years’ time, has helped thousands of people in the Toledo and Cincinnati areas. Recently, Hannah’s organization, Hannah’s Socks, expanded to three new cities in Ohio: Dayton, Cleveland and Akron.

“It is amazing how far we’ve come in just five years. We’re so excited to continue to grow and help more people who need it,” said Doris Turner, Hannah’s mom and president of Hannah’s Socks. “It’s powerful and humbling to think about how many lives we’ve impacted because of Hannah’s compassionate gesture toward a man in need.”

Five short years after that simple act of kindness, Hannah's Socks has grown into a nonprofit organization serving more than 30 shelters in Toledo and Cincinnati and, most recently, expanded to help shelters in Dayton, Cleveland and Akron.

Hannah’s Socks representatives were in all five cities dropping off 500 pairs of socks to a shelter in each city on Nov. 14, including Cherry Street Mission Ministries where it all started. The donations, totaling 2,500 pairs of socks, will help those in need in Dayton, Cincinnati, Toledo, Akron and Cleveland.

“We have been receiving socks from Hannah’s Socks for the past five years now,” said Charles Allen, Men’s Ministry Director, Cherry Street Mission Ministries. “It seems the need for this basic item keeps increasing with each passing year. Having Hannah’s Socks as a partner has made it easier to provide socks for our guests.”

In addition to the more than 30 shelters in Toledo and Cincinnati, Hannah’s Socks will also be providing Catholic Social Services in Dayton, Springtime of Hope in Akron and Walk of Faith Community Center in Cleveland with a quarterly donation of socks.

All Eyes on Eyewear-the Perfect Compliment to this Fall’s Fashion Apparel Collections

    Fashion forges ahead of the recession for Fall/Winter 2009 with standout styles, ranging from hot pink and colorful prints to rich velvet and big-shoulder jackets, all ready for eyewear as an accessory.  Fashionistas are incorporating chic eyewear as an important accessory, along with shoes, handbags and jewelry. At our upcoming trunk show on Thursday, December 10th you will be able to view some of the hottest designers in eyewear and other accessories, including Guess, Nine West, Kate Spade, Dior, Calvin Klein, Ed Hardy, Hugo Boss and Prodesign. Optician Kathy Cortese says, “At Pinnacle Eye Group we have a great variety of styles for the look that best fits you.”  From bold, colorful and sexy, to simple and streamline, eyewear is taking its lead from fashion’s best trends this season. A few of the key looks include:   

*Glam Rock: Stones, leather, and metal detailing go over the top.

*Into the Wild: Eyewear heads to the jungle for inspiration; earthy tones balance the act.

*Retro Focus: The Eighties also come on strong in eyewear with fresh takes on the classic Wayfarer look and shields.

*In the Thick of it: Men’s eyewear gets chunkier than ever.

*Details, Details: Special coloration and embellishments are key for the season.

Eyewear is the ultimate accessory for men and women of all ages and lifestyles. For many, eyewear is an extension of their personalities. “Sometimes people make the mistake of thinking the style of older generations is outdated and out-of-touch. Style has no age limit or expiration date,” added optician Amy Parker. Notice how styles that are popular when our older generations were young weave their influence in and out of today’s modern styles and find themselves reborn with new colors and materials. These styles looked great then and will look even better in their reincarnation. Each individual is unique and deserves a pair of glasses that makes him or her feel special. Stop by our office at 3723 King Road on Thursday, December 10th from 2-7 p.m. to view this season’s styles in fashion eyewear.

New Verizon store opens in Mayberry

By Maggie Rowe

Herald Writer

American Cellular, opening in Mayberry Square on Nov. 16, 2009, is a locally, family-owned and operated company. They are considered to be one of the oldest and largest authorized retailers. The first American Cellular store opened 23 years ago on Lewis near Laskey. There are currently eight stores with locations in Toledo, Fremont, Oregon, Defiance and now Sylvania. The company continues to grow. American Cellular currently has 20 employees and has plans to hire new employees for their Sylvania location.

    As an experienced Verizon retailer, they offer the personal attention that customers want. Owner Mike Snare wanted customers to know that this will be a one-stop Verizon Wireless store. Everything can be done here such as warranty work, paying your bill, or buying your favorite accessories; including everything from Bluetooth to stereo headsets to speakers and leather cases.

They have all the newest wireless devices from brands such as the Motorola Droid, HTC Eris, Blackberry Tour, and the Storm II. You can also buy your Gateway Netbook and wifi wireless network cards. They also offer personalized training.

    American Cellular, located on the east side of Mayberry Square facing Nautica Coffee, truly is your one-stop shop for all your Verizon needs. They are open Monday-Saturday 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. and 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. on Sunday. The store is bright and clean. For more information visit www.americancellular.com or call 419-882-8980.

Mayor's Message 11/12/09

Emergency Operations Plan Update Underway

The Lucas County Emergency Management Agency initiated an update of the Lucas County Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) with a kick-off session and initial workshop held Monday, November 9, 2009 at their Operations Center on Monroe Street in Toledo.

The purpose of the EOP is to plan for coordinated responses to large area emergencies such as flooding, tornadoes and other disasters that would require a joint effort among Lucas County agencies and local jurisdictions to properly meet the need.  The EOP also serves as a guide for the local jurisdictions to review and update their internal plans for responding to potential incidents and disasters.  

The kick-off meeting was well attended by public safety professionals representing many area police and fire departments including Sylvania City Police and the Sylvania Township Fire Department.  Also in attendance were representatives of the Health Department, the Coroners Office, TARTA, Toledo Edison and United Way.

Elected officials in attendance were Marylin Yoder of Springfield Township representing the Lucas County Township Association, Oregon Mayor Marge Brown and myself.

The EOP update is required to meet current federal and state guidelines.  The planning process is being designed to encourage participation and buy-in among all Lucas County jurisdictions, and provide  updated training and knowledge for current leadership.

The current EOP was last updated in 2006.  The Lucas County Emergency Management Agency was recently awarded federal funding to revise and update this All Hazards EOP, and is hoping to receive funding to update the Hazard Mitigation Plan as well.  Lucas County has contracted with Tetra Tech Incorporated of Toledo as its consultant to assist with the plan updates.

The EOP update is a good example of cooperation among Lucas County jurisdictions.  The City of Sylvania will be reviewing and updating its own Emergency Operations Plan as a part of the countywide update.

Engagement

Charles and Sandra Towns of Sylvania are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Elizabeth, to Patrick McCarty. He is the son of Michael and Ellen McCarty of Toledo.

Elizabeth is a 2007 graduate of Northview High School and a 2008 graduate of the English Nanny & Governess School in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. She is employed as a nanny for a Toledo-area family.

Patrick is a 2001 graduate of Central Catholic High School and is a student at the University of Toledo, from which he will graduate in May with a degree in Religious Studies.

Elizabeth is the granddaughter of Haynes and Marge Lee of Toledo and Martha Towns, also of Toledo.

Patrick is the grandson of Mary Helen Wright of Toledo and Margaret McCarty, also of Toledo.

An August, 2010, wedding is planned.

Emergency Operations Plan Update Underway

MAYOR'S MESSAGE

Craig A. Stough      11/12/2009

Emergency Operations Plan Update Underway

The Lucas County Emergency Management Agency initiated an update of the Lucas County Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) with a kick-off session and initial workshop held Monday, November 9, 2009 at their Operations Center on Monroe Street in Toledo.

The purpose of the EOP is to plan for coordinated responses to large area emergencies such as flooding, tornadoes and other disasters that would require a joint effort among Lucas County agencies and local jurisdictions to properly meet the need.  The EOP also serves as a guide for the local jurisdictions to review and update their internal plans for responding to potential incidents and disasters.  

The kick-off meeting was well attended by public safety professionals representing many area police and fire departments including Sylvania City Police and the Sylvania Township Fire Department.  Also in attendance were representatives of the Health Department, the Coroners Office, TARTA, Toledo Edison and United Way.

Elected officials in attendance were Marylin Yoder of Springfield Township representing the Lucas County Township Association, Oregon Mayor Marge Brown and myself.

The EOP update is required to meet current federal and state guidelines.  The planning process is being designed to encourage participation and buy-in among all Lucas County jurisdictions, and provide  updated training and knowledge for current leadership.

The current EOP was last updated in 2006.  The Lucas County Emergency Management Agency was recently awarded federal funding to revise and update this All Hazards EOP, and is hoping to receive funding to update the Hazard Mitigation Plan as well.  Lucas County has contracted with Tetra Tech Incorporated of Toledo as its consultant to assist with the plan updates.

The EOP update is a good example of cooperation among Lucas County jurisdictions.  The City of Sylvania will be reviewing and updating its own Emergency Operations Plan as a part of the countywide update.

Engagement

Matt and Kathy (Scarlett) Edinger are pleased to announce the engagement of their son, Steve, to Ashlee Smith, daughter of Steve and Marlene Smith of Fort Wayne, IN. Steve is the grandson of Jack and Marilyn Scarlett of Toledo, and Patricia Edinger of Sylvania.

    Steve is a 2006 graduate of Sylvania Northview High School. He will graduate from Huntington University in Huntington, Indiana in May 2010 with a Bachelor’s degree in History and plans to attend law school. Ashlee is a 2007 graduate of Leo High School in Fort Wayne, IN and will graduate from Huntington University in May 2011 with a Bachelor’s degree in Special Education.

    Steve proposed to Ashlee this past August on a family vacation at Lake Nipissing, in northern Ontario. Steve and Ashlee are planning to be married on June 12, 2010 at Pine Hills Church in Fort Wayne, IN.

Border Battle “Best Ever Chili Dinner” to be held at Sylvania Senior Center

Pre-game festivities for the best football game of the season for NW Ohio will be held at the Sylvania Senior Center Thursday, Nov. 19 from 5 until 7 p.m.  This chili dinner is open to the public and celebrates the competition surrounding the OSU vs. UM football game slated for Saturday, Nov. 21.  The dinner will include chili, cornbread, salad and dessert.  Party-goers are encouraged to wear their colors and can participate in a balloon pop, a Chinese auction featuring prizes in Michigan or Ohio colors, and a quilt raffle.  Tickets for the dinner are $6.00 and may be purchased now at the center office and also at the door on the day of the event.
 
 

Sylvania Community Orchestra

Sylvania Community Orchestra
Presents First Concert of the Season

The Sylvania Community Orchestra, sponsored by the Sylvania Community Arts Commission (SCAC) will present its first concert of the season on Sunday, Nov. 22nd. 

The program will feature the orchestra, under the direction of Kathleen Hafner, performing with guest ensemble Sylvania Northview High School Chamber Orchestra. 

The Sylvania Community Orchestra and Northview Orchestra will be performing in a “side-by-side” concert featuring Chaconne in E minor (Buxtehude) and Egmont Op. 84 (Beethoven).  

The Sylvania Community Orchestra will also perform Fugue in G minor (Bach), Air for G String (Bach), Octet for Winds in Eb, Op. 103 (Beethoven) and Rumanian Folk Dances (Bartok).   The Northview Chamber Orchestra will perform Brandenburg Concerto #3 (Bach).

The concert is free, open to the public and handicapped accessible. The program will begin at 4:00 p.m. at Sylvania Southview High School Performing Arts Center, 7225 Sylvania Ave, Sylvania, Ohio.   For additional information please call (419) 517-0118 or e-mail at sylvaniaarts@bex.net.

Letter to the Editor

Mr. Howard,  

Welcome to the real world….  You view criticism of the President as "Hate." I do not believe you once wrote an article about the "Bush Haters" (would have been a waste of time too) and you are probably too young to remember how President Reagan was going to starve all the children and cut off heat to all of the elderly and I know you never saw the political commercial that showed how Barry Goldwater was going to cause the nuclear holocaust if he were elected President.   

People expected President Obama to lead America from the center, balanced budgets and all that kind of stuff.  He is not and so he is going to take the heat. This is America, not China, Cuba or Venezuela.  Bush and Clinton were both condemned, criticized and even "hated" for 8 years each and it was not nice, (I criticized them too). Politics is not nice. Criticism is always going to be out there.

Open debate makes us stronger. People are engaged and yes, there are wacky things out there on the internet...Check the left out sometime too. I am a small business person and in my world, big Government (socialism) is not a good thing. Higher taxes and more regulation strangle business, (come over to my office and see all the government forms I already have to deal with),  "oh no, I am whining too.”  

I will speak up and  I will do my best to defeat the President's policies that I disagree with and I will support him when I can, "not too much to support so far."  You seem to believe that if we do not agree with you, we are "Haters,” (a little closed minded are we?)

America has been doing this for over 200 years, this is nothing new, just go back and look at some old MSNBC tapes, New York Times editorial pages, some old tapes of our congressional leaders on C-Span and  some of the debates that our forefathers had. This "hate" you speak about goes both ways and all ways. Quit whining about it and move on yourself, whining about the debate is not going to do much, instead enter the debate and get ready to be taken on, (I have a feeling that you and I disagree on a wide range of topics).  This will all shake out. Americans are an argumentative bunch. We will push, shove, complain and even fight to get our way, but in the end, after all the dus  settles, Americans get the job done. Washington, Columbus, Lucas County, the city and township of Sylvania, school board, judges and whoever we elect  will get the right message and we will move forward; and if they do not get it right... hmmm... then let’s throw the bums out! (I just hate those guys), oops I mean I disagree with their ideas and some of their policies.

Bill Huntzinger

Police Reports 11/18

Police Reports

Found Property: On Nov. 7, a bicycle was found in the bushes on the US 23 North Entrance Ramp near Monroe St.

Found Property: On Nov. 9, a bike was found abandoned on railroad right of way.

Telecommunications Harassment: On Nov.1, victim reported that her ex husband called her cell phone after being told to stop calling her.

Disorderly Conduct: On Nov. 5, Cynthia Cohen, 55 while voluntarily intoxicated created a substantial risk of physical harm to herself.

Petty theft: On Nov. 3, unknown suspect pumped $24.52 gas at pump #7 at a gas station in the 7500 block of W Sylvania Ave and fled without paying.

Theft: On Nov. 7, unknown persons took unknown types and quantities of prescription drugs, clothing, an upper partial dental plate, and various personal grooming items without the owner’s knowledge or permission.

Criminal Damaging- Knowingly: On Nov. 6, unknown persons damaged their BMW by scratching paint on the passenger side door in the 5400 block of Silica.

Criminal Damaging- Knowingly: On Nov. 6, unknown person(s) scratched the passenger side of the victim’s vehicle causing damage.

Domestic Violence- Knowingly Harm: On Nov. 7, the suspect caused physical harm to the victim during a dispute about sleeping arrangements. The Suspect was arrested and booked into LCJ.

Drug Abuse- Controlled Substance Possess, Use/Possess Drug Paraphernalia: On Nov. 8, at a traffic stop Nathan Keefer, 25 was found with a plastic baggy containing leafy green substance which tested positive, a digital scale and a blue colored lighter. He was arrested for the listed offense and then released on scene with a summons.

Drive Under Influence: On Nov. 8, Jason Slowinski, 26 was stopped for traffic violations and subsequent investigation at the scene of the traffic stop resulted in Slowinski being arrested for OVI. Chemical test by breath was refused.

Breaking and Entering: Between Nov. 6 and Nov. 9 unknown persons broke into a trailer and 2 sheds and stole numerous power tools.

Burglary- trespass in occupied structure: On Nov. 9, unknown suspect(s) entered the victim’s residence by using a remote garage door opener. The unknown suspect(s) stole various televisions, computers, and jewelry totaling $18,109.

Sylvania Township Leaf Pickup in Full Swing

The entire Road Department is in full swing with leaf pickup, 10 out of 11 trucks are deployed, including 3 tandem trucks leaving one spare back-up truck for equipment failure.  Leaf pickup started Oct. 26 and the last cycle is scheduled Dec. 7.  The goal is to provide 4 cycles through the Township with an estimated 17-day return period.  Updated information is located on the Township’s web-site;

http://www.sylvaniatownship.com/LeafPickup.aspx

The Township’s leaf pickup program consists of servicing 129 miles of residential roads, 32 miles of County roads (main arterials), and 10 miles of State Highways, totaling 171 miles of roadways.  The community’s landscape consists largely of wooded areas.  (Sylvania is Latin for “Wooded Area”)  These beautiful trees are natures jewel, unfortunately Mother Nature decides when the leaves fall, some years late in the season and other years all at once.  To meet this incredible demand, the crews work 55 hours per week during most of November. Contractors are also deployed consisting of large bucket loaders and a separate fleet of tandem trucks.  The average leaf pickup season produces 1,600 truck loads and over 22,000 cubic yards of leaves.  

Over the years the leaf pickup fleet has seen the following improvements:

1.  Transitioned from gasoline to diesel engines.

2.  Enlarged the size of the leaf cages mounted to the dump trucks.

3.  Increased the Tandem Dump Trucks to 25% of the fleet.

4.  Improved the hydraulics of the leaf loaders with operator friendly controls.

5.  Increased the vacuum area of suction hose from 12” to 16” in diameter.

Finally, here are a few helpful items for residents to assist in the leaf pickup program:

1.  Place your leaves away from obstacles such as mailboxes, fire hydrants, landscaping timbers, and landscaping rocks.  These obstacles become hidden within the leaf piles and caused injury to the machinery and employees.

2.  Separate leaves from grass clippings, brush, and other debris.

3.  Place your leaves along the side of the street close to the edge of the roadway.

4.  Consider our Free Drop Off location at 6505 W. Bancroft Rd., just east of McCord Rd.

5.  Prior to raking or scheduling lawn service, visit our web-site for updated information.

New Leaf Pickup Hot Line 419-517-1620.

Sylvania Township Leaf Pickup in Full Swing

The entire Road Department is in full swing with leaf pickup, 10 out of 11 trucks are deployed, including 3 tandem trucks leaving one spare back-up truck for equipment failure.  Leaf pickup started Oct. 26 and the last cycle is scheduled Dec. 7.  The goal is to provide 4 cycles through the Township with an estimated 17-day return period.  Updated information is located on the Township’s web-site;

http://www.sylvaniatownship.com/LeafPickup.aspx

The Township’s leaf pickup program consists of servicing 129 miles of residential roads, 32 miles of County roads (main arterials), and 10 miles of State Highways, totaling 171 miles of roadways.  The community’s landscape consists largely of wooded areas.  (Sylvania is Latin for “Wooded Area”)  These beautiful trees are natures jewel, unfortunately Mother Nature decides when the leaves fall, some years late in the season and other years all at once.  To meet this incredible demand, the crews work 55 hours per week during most of November. Contractors are also deployed consisting of large bucket loaders and a separate fleet of tandem trucks.  The average leaf pickup season produces 1,600 truck loads and over 22,000 cubic yards of leaves.  

Over the years the leaf pickup fleet has seen the following improvements:

1.  Transitioned from gasoline to diesel engines.

2.  Enlarged the size of the leaf cages mounted to the dump trucks.

3.  Increased the Tandem Dump Trucks to 25% of the fleet.

4.  Improved the hydraulics of the leaf loaders with operator friendly controls.

5.  Increased the vacuum area of suction hose from 12” to 16” in diameter.

Finally, here are a few helpful items for residents to assist in the leaf pickup program:

1.  Place your leaves away from obstacles such as mailboxes, fire hydrants, landscaping timbers, and landscaping rocks.  These obstacles become hidden within the leaf piles and caused injury to the machinery and employees.

2.  Separate leaves from grass clippings, brush, and other debris.

3.  Place your leaves along the side of the street close to the edge of the roadway.

4.  Consider our Free Drop Off location at 6505 W. Bancroft Rd., just east of McCord Rd.

5.  Prior to raking or scheduling lawn service, visit our web-site for updated information.

New Leaf Pickup Hot Line 419-517-1620.

Police Reports 11/11

Police Reports

Found Property: On Oct. 31, a bicycle was found near Lourdes College.

Petty theft: On Oct. 28, unknown person(s) took a GPS and miscellaneous cds from unlocked cars in the 6400 block of Longfellow Dr.

Theft: On Oct. 28, a number of vehicles were entered in the 6500 block of Coppersmith and unknown person(s) took various items.

Theft: On Nov. 2, victim stated that unknown person(s) removed the rear license plate off their vehicle.

Theft- deception, Forgery: On Oct. 28, the suspect forged her name and then cashed checks valuing $7,745.

Burglary- trespass in occupied structure: On Oct. 29, unknown person(s) forced entry into victim’s house in the 6500 block of W Sylvania and took a camera, Xbox, laptop and television.

Drive Under Influence, Open Container, Sale of Alcohol to a Minor:  On Nov. 2, Aaron Mickey, 20 was arrested for OVI and was found to have a .160BAC. David Sawicki, 21 along with Mickey were arrested for open container. Sawicki was also arrested for providing alcohol to Mickey who is under the legal drinking age.

Drive Under Influence: On Oct. 29, Fredrick Grieser, 52 was stopped for a traffic violation. Subsequent investigation revealed the subject to driving under the influence. Grieser was arrested for OVI and found to have a .110BAC.

Taking Identity of Another: On Oct. 15, unknown person(s) used her debit card information without her permission and subsequently removed $1,798 from her checking account.

Unauthorized Use of Motor Vehicle: On Oct. 31, victim reported that the suspect took her vehicle without permission.

Disorderly Conduct: On Oct. 31, suspect was voluntarily intoxicated and caused annoyance to the neighbors by using offensive language.

Criminal Damaging- Knowingly:  On Nov. 1, unknown person(s) threw a pumpkin through the rear window of a vehicle. Vehicle was parked on the roadway in the 4300 block of Vicksburg.

Criminal Damaging- Knowingly: On Nov. 1, some unknown person(s) threw a pumpkin through the rear window of a vehicle. Vehicle was parked on the roadway in the 4500 block of Vicksburg.

Criminal Damaging- Knowingly: On Nov. 1, some unknown person(s) threw a pumpkin through the rear window of a vehicle. Vehicle was parked on the roadway in the 4700 block of Woodlawn.

Criminal Damaging- Knowingly: On Nov. 1, some unknown person(s) smashed the windshield of a victim’s vehicle with a pumpkin. Vehicle was parked on the roadway in the 5900 block of Brown.

Domestic Violence- Threat of Harm: On Nov. 2, the suspect threatened to come over to the victim’s residence and shoot him, his parents, and then herself.

Letter to the Editor

First of all, I’d like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Sylvania Trustees-elect Kevin Haddad and John Jennewine.  I wish both of them the best, and hope that they prioritize the restoration of transparency, accountability, and fiscal responsibility to the Board of Trustees.  I’d also like to thank the 3000+ voters who cast their vote for Trustee for me on November 3rd.  It is my distinct honor that so many fellow citizens were willing to put their faith in me and instill me with such a heavy civic duty, and words cannot adequately describe my gratitude and appreciation.  Finally, I want to thank the many Sylvania citizens who, as I knocked on countless doors over the last several months, took the time to talk to me, invite me into their homes, and share with me their concerns and ideas.  Though I was not victorious in the final vote tally, I’m extremely proud of the grassroots campaign that I ran and for all of those who helped me and shared my vision for the Sylvania Community.  It has been an experience that I wouldn’t trade for the world, and I thank all of you!

Kevin R. Eff

2009 Candidate for Sylvania Trustee

Annual Franciscan Christmas Craft and Bake Sale Planned

The Sisters of St. Francis will conduct the 15th Annual Sister Gretchen’s Bake and Craft Sale Nov. 13-14, 2009 on the Motherhouse grounds in Sylvania.

The bake sale will include homemade Thanksgiving and Christmas pies, cakes, bread, cookies, jams, jellies and candy.  The craft sale will include items from All Good Things, a gallery and store that includes original artwork, prints, cards, jewelry, prayer pillows, soaps and lotions.

The bake and craft sale will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday, Nov. 13 and 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 14 in the Evergreen Room of the Rosary Care Center on the campus of the Sisters of St. Francis and Lourdes College, 6832 Convent Blvd., Sylvania.

Both the bake goods and artwork reflect the gifts and talents of the Sisters, Associates and friends who made them.  They come from the spirit of Franciscan generosity and the desire to share the beauty and riches around us.  Attendees should enter the easternmost drive on Convent Blvd. closest to the railroad tracks and follow the bake and craft signs to Rosary Care.  All proceeds from the two-day sale will go to support the ministries of the Sisters of St. Francis.   

Letter to the Editor

Dear Mr. Howard:

I must take issue with you about your recent opinion article "Haters". You managed to leave out a number of other haters from your list. What about Keith Olbermann, The Daily KOS, The Huffington Post, Air America and list of Hollywood elite that vilified former President Bush for the last eight years? You don't really think that these individuals think that Bush was trying to cause America harm do you? I am sure they are way too smart to believe that. They must just be haters. This so called "hate" thing you described is not a new phenomena that just started with President Obama being elected.  It has been going for years. Maybe you were just not paying attention.

Sincerely

Mark Echler

Sylvania

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor:

The two incumbent trustees on the Sylvania Township Board of Trustees, had six contenders rigorously campaigning against them during this recent election. With each candidate having a group of supporters, you can be assured that there were many residents of the Sylvania community who were not happy with the current trustees, Hanley and Liedel and the way they have controlled the township. The results of the election affirmed that the majority of residents wanted new leadership. Communications with residents and the township’s workforce was a major concern with all of the contenders. They felt that the two incumbents did not foster good communications and would sometime limit comments at open public meetings. In regards to the township workforce, morale is very low throughout all departments, with many employees fearful of decisions that may reduce services to the public. It should be noted that even though these employees are under these stressors daily, they still perform their duties with the up most professionalism, care and concern, (Giving 110% all the time).

Let us hope that in 2010, the newly elected trustees John Jennewine and Kevin Haddad will live up to their campaign platforms and become the voice of the people. Encourage public input and reestablish relationships with community organizations. Lastly, maintaining open and honest communications with Fire, Police and Road Department, will improve morale and will maintain the high quality of services that residents and visitors of the Sylvania Community desire.

Thomas Eisel

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor,

I don't usually respond to anything I have read, but I want you to know that I totally agree with your column on Haters.  You hit the nail on the head & I am really getting agitated with all the anti-Obama stuff going around (along with other members of my family).  It's no wonder other countries have no respect for Americans when we can't even respect our own President.  

Thanks for taking the time to publish a great piece!  I'm sure you will get a lot of backlashing from the 'haters' but thanks for publishing what I considered a column long overdue.

Karen Benner

Sylvania, OH

Military Brief

Army Pfc. Lindsey M. Michalak has graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C.

During the nine weeks of training, the soldier studied the Army mission, history, tradition and core values, physical fitness, and received instruction and practice in basic combat skills, military weapons, chemical warfare and bayonet training, drill and ceremony, marching, rifle marksmanship, armed and unarmed combat, map reading, field tactics, military courtesy, military justice system, basic first aid, foot marches, and field training exercises.

She is the daughter of Deborah Miniaci of Wallwerth Drive, Toledo, Ohio, and sister of Allister Michalak of W. Alexis Road, Sylvania, Ohio.

Michalak is a 2009 graduate of Roy C. Start High School, Toledo.

Veteran Memorial at Burnham

The old Sylvania Burnham High School Building will be demolished this winter to make room for a new Maplewood Elementary. Local resident Kristina Turner is concerned about the World War II 'Wall of Honor' Memorial in the main hall of the building. The Memorial has the names of nearly 700  Burnham Students who served in the Military during WW II, including Kristina's father Svend 'Vic' Andersen.  

     According to Sylvania Schools spokesperson Nancy Crandall, the Memorial will be dismantled and reinstalled in the Sylvania City Administration Building sometime next year.

     Kristina learned there is no Comprehensive Index of the 700 names on the Memorial.  She is currently compiling that Index.

The brass plaques on the 'Wall of Honor' have only the first & last name of the Burnham student. Her Index will have their full name, class at Burnham, year of birth & death, and military branch of the service.

There are a few Burnham men whose names were never put on the Wall (mostly class of 1945, when the War was nearly over). Brass plaques will made be for them and added to the new display.

2010 is the 65th Anniversary of the End of World War II.  So many WW II Vets are gone, but they certainly must not be forgotten. If you have information about any Burnham High School student who served in World War II, please contact Kristina Turner at gkt97@buckeye-access.com, or her cousin Bob Smith at 419-882-6451.

Police Reports 11/4

Police Reports

Criminal Mischief:  On Oct. 21, unknown suspect(s) rifled through the victims vehicle and then sprayed a fire extinguisher all over the interior.

Criminal Damaging-Knowingly: On Oct. 27, the victims’ vehicles were damaged in the 5600 block of W. Alexis Rd.

Criminal Damaging- Knowingly: On Oct. 25, the victim reported that his estranged wife damaged his vehicle which was parked in the parking lot in the 5600 block of W. Alexis Rd. Suspect used an unknown sharp object to scratch the paint on the driver’s door and front corner panel.

Criminal Damaging- Knowingly: On Oct. 21, victim stated that over the past two weeks, someone kicked the north facing door to a residence in the 6000 block of Cushman partially cracking the door.

Petty theft: On Oct. 21, victim came to station to report that an unknown person(s) took the vehicle registration from her unlocked vehicle while it was in the parking lot in the 4800 block of New England Lane.

Petty theft: On Oct. 20, unknown person(s) took all the gum on a 3” shelf unit and left the store without paying for the items.

Theft without consent: Between Oct. 11 and Oct. 17, the victim reported that a men’s watch, a diamond bracelet, a sapphire bracelet, a white band ring, miss silver and $2.00 from her home in the 5800 block of Glasgow.

Robbery- force, threat of force: On Oct. 25, victim reported that two suspects came into the residence in the 5000 block of Chestnut Dr, uninvited and one struck him in the head and then took his money.

Breaking and Entering, Vandalism: On Oct. 23, dispatch was advised of an alarm at a location in the 5700 block of Monroe St.  Unknown person(s) committed felony vandalism by breaking out three glass windows on two doors, while trespassing on the property of another.

Safe Schools Act: On Oct. 23, suspect #1 and suspect #2 were engaged in a physical altercation while attending a Northview football game.

Juvenile- Habitually Disobedient:  On Oct. 23, it was reported that the suspect continuously disobeys household rules, does not go to school, uses vulgar language and continuously damages the residence.

Juvenile- Habitually Disobedient: On Oct. 20, it was reported that her juvenile daughter refuses to comply with parental and household obligations and is constantly disobedient.

Assault- Knowingly Cause Harm: On Oct. 22, victim stated that the suspect assaulted her.

Sylvania Residents Become Advocates for Abused Children

The Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Department of the Lucas County Juvenile Court announces the graduation of 36 CASA/GAL (Court Appointed Special Advocates / Guardians ad Litem).  Juvenile Court Judge Connie Zemmelman swore in the newest class of CASA/GAL volunteers in Courtroom 2 at the Juvenile Justice Center on October 8.  Included in the class were Cheryl Himmel, Diane Wolff, and Julia Webb of Sylvania.

CASA volunteers are ordinary citizens from all walks of life who are trained by the Court to advocate for our community’s abused and neglected children.  The CASA volunteer does an independent investigation by interviewing the child victim, parents, relatives, school officials, doctors and others involved in the child’s life who may have facts about the case or the child’s well being.  The CASA volunteer remains on the case, making recommendations to the court and advocating for the child until a safe, permanent home is found for the child.

This training class boasts a lot of talent and includes two retired Toledo Public School teachers, a nurse, a retired Lucas County Children Services caseworker, a retail sales clerk, a number of homemakers, several attorneys, a correctional officer, and students, parents and grandparents, among others.

Highlights of the training included presentations by Randall Schlievert, M.D., local pediatrician and Medical Director of the child abuse program at UT on child abuse and neglect; Larry Hamme, Ph.D. on cultural competence; Leslie Witherell, MSW, LISW, on sexual offenders; Hancock County Juvenile Prosecutor, Kristen Johnson, J.D., on the art of interviewing children; Tina Hall, MSW, LISW on domestic violence; Eileen Rood, MA, LSW on child development and professionals from Lucas County Children Services on safety assessment, case plans, and the agency’s role in protecting children in our community.  The class also received training about legal report writing, advocacy skills, substance abuse, poverty and confidentiality.  The new CASA volunteers learned about local service agencies, attended a mock hearing, and toured Lucas County Children Services.

MAYOR'S MESSAGE

MAYOR'S MESSAGE

Craig A. Stough

Downtown Sylvania is a busy place this time of the year, with three different organizations hosting three special events downtown.

The first was the annual Fall Festival held Sunday, Oct. 18 on a beautiful fall afternoon.  Thousands of residents and visitors were on hand to watch marching bands, floats and performers in a terrific parade, and to visit many festival booths and vendors.  Representatives from our sister city Woodstock, Ontario were also present and in the parade.  My thanks to the Sylvania Sister Cities Commission and their volunteers for the many hours of organization and work, making this annual festival such a success and a favorite of adults and children alike.

Coming up on the evening of Thursday, Nov. 12 will be Downtown Delights.  Hosted by the Sylvania Area Chamber of Commerce, the annual event starts the holiday shopping season in downtown Sylvania, and includes the lighting of the holiday tree at Main St. and Maplewood at 6:15 p.m.  Also that evening will be the official presentation of the 2010 Best Hometown award by Ohio Magazine.  Sylvania was selected for this award and is featured in this month's Ohio Magazine thanks to the efforts of the Chamber of Commerce making the application and showcasing our community's best credentials.

Saturday, Dec. 5 will be the traditional annual arrival of Santa Claus in downtown Sylvania during Holiday Happenings, hosted by the Sylvania Historic Village.  Santa and Mrs. Claus arrive on Main St. in a horse drawn carriage shortly after 4:30 p.m.  Bicycles donated by the Sylvania Moose Club are given away in a free raffle.  Children and their parents can visit with Santa, are offered a free ride in his carriage, and treated to hot chocolate and cookies.

All three events are wonderful and exciting in our downtown.  I invite everyone to visit downtown Sylvania this holiday season – it’s a great place to be.

Anniversary

Recently celebrating their first year anniversary are Scott W. Rose and Jody L. Jacobs. They were married Oct. 12, 2008 in Falls Church, Virginia. Jody is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Howard Jacobs of W. Redding, Connecticut. She is a graduate of Joel Barlow High School in Redding, University of Rochester in Rochester, NY, and received her Master’s Degree from Strayer University in Washington D.C. She is employed by S.A.I.C, a defense contractor in Virginia.

    Scott is the son of Mrs. Sally Rose and the late William Rose of Sylvania Township. He is a graduate of Northview High School, College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio and received his Master’s Degree from the University of Maryland in Baltimore County. He is employed by the National Institute of Standard Technology in Rockville, Maryland. They reside in Springfield, Virginia.

Letter to Editor

In response to the letter from P. Morris dated October 14, 2009:

I have lived most of my 56 years in Sylvania and found it a great place to live.  I also volunteer at the Sylvania City Police Dept. on their volunteer patrol for almost four years. Sylvania Police have officers in each district and sometimes even a volunteer to help the community with extra eyes to help police.

    Just some information for P. Morris. Do you remember 9/11 when you and everyone else were peeing your own pants and afraid of anything and everything out of place? It was the police and firemen who responded to every single call.

    If you lost count of how many times the police speed down Sylvania Ave at 70 mph to follow you, why didn’t you call in a complaint? You have must have been driving OK since you didn’t get stopped.

    You also say you don’t see patrol cars up and down the streets. According to your own letter, it seems you see Sylvania police all over the city. You lost count on Sylvania Ave and frequently all over the city for traffic stops. My wife and I also vacation in Tennessee quite a bit. GUESS WHAT? From Sylvania City Limits all the way to our cabin in Tennessee we only saw 3 local police or state troopers. GEE, maybe they were protecting the donut shops. Sounds like you got stopped by Sylvania or Sylvania Township Police and are still very angry over it,

    Sylvania City and Sylvania Township both have Citizen Volunteer Programs instead of whining about every little thing step up and make a difference. Volunteer to help! You may find you can’t judge a book by its cover; you may need to open the book.

Thank you,

Ric Melchert

Sylvania

Sylvania Township purchases property for new Fire Station #2

Sylvania Township has entered into an agreement to purchase land for a new Fire Station #2, replacing the current station located along Central Avenue, near McCord. The new station will be located at 2920 North McCord, as split, and 3004 North McCord in Sylvania, Ohio. The current owner, Toledo Hospital, has sold the .969 acre lot for $131,000. Prior to finalizing the purchase, the parcel must be rezoned (c-3 TO s-1) to permit the land to be used as a fire station.  The project, expected to cost approximately $1.4 million, will go out for bid this winter with construction beginning in early spring 2010. The projected completion date is late 2010, and is only one of several fire department upgrades intended for Sylvania Township.

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor:

Simply said, incumbent Trustees Liedel and Hanley have done the citizens of Sylvania Township no favors, nor have they provided good stewardship of taxpayers’ dollars.

They claim a $6 million dollar surplus.  In reality, over $4.4 million of that is from estate/inheritance taxes.  Now who went and made Liedel and Hanley responsible for death and estate taxes in Sylvania Township?

They stifle meaningful debate at public township meetings with their haughty attitudes and

multiple rules and regulations of when the public can speak and for how long; or if they can

even speak at all.  They’ve held more closed door “executive sessions” in four years than anyone can remember other boards holding in several decades.  

Legal fees are through the roof and hefty pay raises for the top administrators are an insult

to hourly employees who see their take home pay effectively reduced by yearly changes in health insurance providers and ever increasing co-pays and insurance premiums.  

They tried to destroy the fire department and were only stopped by overwhelming pressure

from a grassroots citizens’ group and passage of the 1.25 mill fire levy, which the trustees only reluctantly put on the ballot.   They had opposed all previous fire levies, even some of their own.  Now they want to claim credit for all the new fire stations, fire engines, and new hires.  

It was the citizens and voters who did all the work and saved the fire department; not Liedel or Hanley!

On November 3, the voters have an opportunity to elect two trustees who will really work for

the good of the township and all its taxpayers and citizens.  Penny Levine and Kevin Eff have

worked tirelessly for the past 3 years to support the fire department and bring open and transparent government to Sylvania Township.  A vote for Levine and Eff will be a vote you won’t regret.  

Respectfully,

Carol Lindhuber

Sylvania, OH

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor,

    Four years ago, the current trustees running came to the Sylvania Township Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #169 seeking political endorsement. Both candidates were endorsed promising more officer involvement in how the department operated. However, in the last four years they have attempted to systematically dismantle your police department by hiring a police chief with no background check, who was not even a police officer in the state of Ohio. Now, the morale within the department is so deflated that no less than seven of our officers with nearly one hundred fifty years of combined experience have left the township police in frustration. Their current campaign literature touts the implementation of a study conducted in 2006 by the Law Enforcement Consulting Service. The author of that study is appalled at the method of their “implementation” of his study. Today, the current trustees have no communication with the police department unless they are arbitrarily making our department the laughing stock of the country by doling out suspensions for mustaches and other ridiculous matters to our union leaders. There are those who might think the police officers are “whining”, well, we would simply point to six recent arbitration decisions favoring our officers and a direct order served to the police chief stating the administration will “Cease and desist from interfering with, restraining, or coercing employees in the exercise of their rights guaranteed by the ORC by repeatedly refusing union representation”. The membership of F.O.P #169 is sickened over the hundreds of thousands of dollars being wasted by current trustees fighting their own employees while a high profile law firm from Cleveland is the only winner! For these reasons we have proudly endorsed the candidacy of John Jennewine and Penny Levine for Sylvania Township Trustee for the next four years.

The Sylvania Township Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #169

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor:

Lately, Letters to the Editor have presented two sides of a very heated argument, drawing lines in the sand between those in support of incumbent Township Trustees versus those in support of new leadership.  

We have represented ourselves as enemies to the reading public.  In truth, I believe we have a very different belief system regarding the stewardship of money and people. This has placed us at great odds with one another.

My voice was initially raised related to past experience with the current Trustees, experience that did not put people first.  Being a nurse by profession, this stirred my sense of advocacy.  Ultimately, we cannot lose sight of people over money.  We first need to be good stewards of people, no matter the hard economic times we live in.    

I began writing Letters to the Editor because I believe Sylvania Township needs leadership in that stewardship.  They need leaders who care about people over their own personal politics.  They need leaders who do not treat people like equipment.  They need leaders who are upfront about their personal politics, their agendas.  

I believe all of you would want a Trusteeship that will listen to you whether you go before them at a township meeting, whether you call them personally.  It is important to know that you are being heard, your needs within your community are considered, that they commit to your concern on a level that is respectful of you as a person.  I believe people want a Trusteeship that will not treat them like a bone of contention but as people with valued careers and valued families, just as their own.    

Please selectively vote for new leadership on November 3, 2009.  Please vote for candidates who have shown you that they will be good stewards of people.

Joyce Slaman      

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor:

I am writing in response to the “Letter to the Editor” dated October 14, 2009.

Obviously, this person must have gotten a few tickets in their lifetime.

Sylvania is a wonderful city and I have always felt safe living here, as did my parents and grandparents. I have never been on the road without seeing a police vehicle patrolling the city. Our officers are some of the best trained in the country and because of them, families are making Sylvania their top choice to relocate.

P. Morris, if you think our officers aren’t busy just read the police reports, they have a page of calls the police have responded to each week. They include breaking and entering, burglary, criminal damaging, menacing, robbery, theft, assault, cruelty to animals, disorderly conduct, reckless operation, driving under the influence, no operator’s license, domestic violence, hostage situations, breaking up drug houses, and even murder.

And yes, they put their life in danger every day to protect our community. We should thank them not write childish uninformed letters.

L.M

A longtime Sylvania resident

Lucas County Traffic Safety Program Releases Traffic Fatalities

Lucas County Traffic Safety Program Releases

Traffic Fatalities Update with a Halloween Reminder to Not Drive Impaired

    The Lucas County Traffic Safety Program reports that during the fourth quarter of the 2009 Federal Fiscal Year (FFY), July 1 through September 30, there were nine fatal traffic crashes in Lucas County resulting in 10 deaths; two of the 10 deaths were motorcyclists.  This compares with eight fatal crashes and eight deaths during the same time period in FFY 2008.   Lucas County has had a total of 32 fatal crashes and 37 fatalities during Federal Fiscal Year 2009, October 1, 2008 through September 30, 2009.   Nine females and 28 males died in these crashes.

    Halloween is just around the corner and has become a particularly deadly night due to drunk drivers.  In 2008, 58 percent of all highway fatalities across the nation on Halloween night involved a driver or motorcycle rider with a BAC of .08 or higher.  With Halloween falling on a Saturday this year, more parties and drinking could result.  Little ones out trick-or-treating and responsible motorists on the roadways should not be put at risk due to someone’s decision to drive after drinking.

    Gwen Neundorfer, Coordinator for the Lucas County Traffic Safety Program, stated, “Halloween is a much loved fall tradition that is enjoyed by people of all ages, but irresponsible celebrating can quickly spoil the fun.  Please remember that buzzed driving is drunk driving.”

The Traffic Safety Program is funded through a grant from the Ohio Department of Public Safety and is administered by the Lucas County Educational Service Center.   The program’s goals are to expand community partnerships, to create a safer community in which to live, and to reduce traffic crashes, fatalities, injuries, and the costs associated with these crashes.

Letter to the Editor

 Dear Editor:
For the most part I do not speak aloud during any election. I believe everyone is entitled to their own opinions. There is one small issue I cannot overlook however. I recently (October 2009) received literature from Trustee Dee Dee Liedel. In three forms; a pamphlet, a letter and an email blog. She states, and I quote: "Created a Volunteer Citizens Patrol unit, to capitalize on dedication and interest of Citizens Police Academy Graduates, providing additional eyes-on-the-street to keep our officers informed of happenings in our neighborhoods." This is most interesting to me since I was and still am, an active part of this group and was there during its inception. Funny I don't remember see Ms. Liedel during the countless hours of meetings and research that we needed to created the foundation for this program. Ms. Liedel also states in a Nov 2008 blog that Chief Metzger was responsible for the program...that's funny, Chief Metzger hadn't been hired when the program was being created. Dee Dee Liedel was nowhere to be found in the two years it took to develop and implement this program in Sylvania Township. I wonder what else Ms. Liedel may be confused about her role in? To clear any confusion...The founder of the program was Officer Sarah Toth. Ask any of the current 21 members.
Lana Sweeney
 

Letter to Editor

Dear Editor:

Sylvania City Council committed during its Oct. 5 council meeting to extend the current 1.5 mill tax rollback to ensure that the much-needed real estate tax relief continues to aid households in the City of Sylvania. City Council members remain committed to the tax relief extension, even at a time of uncertain city income. Toward that end, at the Oct. 5 meeting, council members encouraged the Finance Committee to move swiftly to begin budget discussions for the next fiscal year. The annual budget process allows for a careful analysis of the current financial state of the city. In committee, discussions flesh out the necessary detail to allow council members to make informed and educated decisions on the best strategy for establishing tax levels while balancing the commitment to maintaining quality services for all city residents. The Finance Committee’s recommendations to council regarding existing and future tax rollbacks are critical to any decisions made on the council floor. Also, in keeping with prudent decision making based on facts, the Sylvania City Council members wisely directed a review of the aggregation agreement with First Energy to the Utilities Committee for analysis and recommendation to council. The Utilities Committee has been charged with researching alternate lighting sources and other options that will maximize the dollars returned from First Energy with the hope of identifying more efficient operations and increased financial benefits for our citizens. At a time of dramatic economic unrest, I am proud of my fellow council members who continue to act with patience and prudence to ensure that the city’s fiscal base is secure while carefully assessing how best to maximize tax relief for our citizens.

Mary J. Westphal

Sylvania City Council Member

Organ Recital and Hymn Festival

An exciting music event is happening at St. Lucas Lutheran Church, 745 Walbridge Avenue, Toledo on Sunday, Nov. 1 (All Saints Day) at 4 p.m. when Dr. Michael Burkhardt will perform an organ recital and hymn festival.  Internationally known for his innovative and inspiring hymn festivals, Michael Burkhardt is in frequent demand as a choral clinician, organ recitalist, and hymn festival leader.  He has served on the music faculties of Christ College Irvine, CA as college organist and head of church music/music education, and Carthage College, Irvine, CA as director of choral activities/artist in residence.  Dr. Burkhardt currently serves Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Livonia, MI as Director of Worship and the Arts.  Coffee, tea and light refreshments to follow performance.  Freewill donation.    St. Lucas Church phone 419-243-8189.

Astronomy viewing in Sylvania

On Friday, Oct. 23 and Saturday, Oct. 24, The Toledo Astronomical Association in cooperation with the Olander Parks System and the Wood County Park System will conduct public viewings.

On Friday, Oct. 23, the viewing will be at Sylvan Prairie on Brint Road West of Centennial in Sylvania from 7 p.m. until 10 p.m. On Saturday, Oct. 24, the viewing will be at Beaver Creek Park on Long-Judson Road in Grand Rapids, Ohio from 7 p.m. until 10 p.m.

The Moon, Jupiter, the Andromeda Galaxy and the brighter deep space objects of the Milky Way will be the principal items of interest. The program is free and the public is invited. Both events are weather permitting. Both events are part of the Galilean nights program of the International Year of Astronomy.

The Toledo Astronomical Association is a group of amateurs interested in all facets of Astronomy. The Association maintains telescopes at Pioneer Scout Reservation and portable telescopes in the Greater Toledo Area. The Association presents star parties and other viewing activities for its members, groups, organizations and the general public as well as a monthly series of speakers addressing astronomical topics.

Mayor's Message

MAYOR'S MESSAGE

Craig A. Stough  

"Leaf Collection Underway for 2009"

Autumn has arrived.  The daylight hours are shorter and temperatures are cooler.  The leaves are turning to beautiful colors.  And yes, those leaves are beginning to fall and create mountains of dead leaves to be raked by homeowners and hauled away by the City of Sylvania.

The City of Sylvania, or "city of trees", lives up to its namesake by having tens of thousands of trees throughout the community.  Approximately 7,700 trees are growing along city streets, with many thousands more in parks and on private lands, including the towering oaks and maples native to the area.

Last year, City crews spent 5,266 hours loading and hauling 13,860 cubic yards of leaves to the City composting field on Yankee Road north of town.  There the leaves are composted in wind rows and recycled into Sylvan-Gro, a rich compost the City sells by the bushel.

The annual leaf collection began on October 13th with three Streets Division collection crews following predetermined routes through the City.  The first cycle took only about a day.  As more leaves are raked to the curb, each cycle takes longer, two weeks or more in mid-November.  In all, six to eight cycles through the City are anticipated.

The City crews load leaves raked to the curb onto city trucks using diesel powered leaf loader vacuum units.  Sticks, grass clippings, flowers, plants, etc. can clog or break the leaf loaders and are not to be part of the leaf collection process.   In an effort to speed up leaf collection, overtime is offered to City workers in the Forestry and Utilities divisions when needed.  As a result, four collection crews could be working on Saturdays when needed most in November and December.

Please do not pile leaves far into the street – keep them near the curb.  Leaves can clog the storm drains and cause flooding.  Every year, I see leaves piled way beyond the curb causing the street to become dangerously narrow.  And cars parked over dry leaves can start fires.

City crews will move as quickly as possible to collect all the leaves.  If we have good weather, the leaves fall on schedule and it doesn't snow too much, the leaf collection will be completed by December 18th .  But the weather doesn't always cooperate.  Thanks for your patience.  City of Sylvania crews are making their rounds and will be there soon.

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor:

While there are innumerable reasons not to re-elect Pam Hanley or Dee Dee Liedel as Sylvania Township Trustees, here are just three that readily come to mind:

Ј Trustee Hanley’s statement, made during a late 2007 meeting where citizens and firefighters begged the trustees to put a fire levy on the ballot to avoid layoffs and thus have less FF/Paramedics to respond to EMS calls.   Hanley famously stated, “You can’t save everybody”.    As if there is no need to at least try?  Three laid-off FF/Paramedics were recalled 18 months later, but to this day, despite recent new hires made possible with the 1.25 levy money, the Sylvania Township Fire Department does not meet staffing levels set by national fire safety standards, despite what the two incumbent trustees say on their campaign literature.  

Ј $20,000 per year raise for Township Administrator in 2008.  Administrator was already one of the highest paid in the state for our population size.  $10,000 per year raise for Zoning Director in 2008 when he’d only been on the job six months.   Sylvania Township is not Wall Street or AIG.   How’s that fiscal responsibility working for you?

Ј Eliminated fire department transport unit that provided residents who needed it, EMS transport to the hospital at no additional cost over what their insurance would pay.  Contrary to trustee claims, the transport unit did not lose money.  It was a valued service to Sylvania residents and prevented long delays waiting for a private ambulance to arrive.  It also put our FF/Paramedics back in service much more quickly.    A win-win all around, but Trustees Liedel and Hanley eliminated it and sold the unit at a substantial loss to taxpayers.

Whomever you vote for on November 3, please consider the preceding facts, and don’t vote for Liedel or Hanley.

Sincerely,

Carol Lindhuber

Sylvania, OH

Uptown Fibers Celebrates its One Year Anniversary

Within only 12 short months of opening, Uptown Fibers has lived up to its promise to become the area’s “ultimate yarn shop plus more.”  Jackie Goff, owner, has stocked the store with a wide variety of yarn, from classic wools to luxury fibers, representing more than 25 brands.  

Located at 5700 Monroe St, in Starlite Plaza, the 2,100 sq. ft. shop lends itself to spacious seating areas and comfortable browsing, as well as having a separate classroom away from the distractions of the sales floor.  Uptown Fibers has a limited selection of fashion sewing fabrics and patterns by independent clothing designers.  A large selection of patterns, books, needles, and notions are available, along with a beautiful selection of unique buttons.  For those who don’t sew or knit, the shop has a very limited selection of hand-made fiber-art clothing, and costume jewelry.  

One of the most important aspects of being a “full service shop” is the availability of experienced staff to help with questions, fix problems and teach.  Uptown Fibers has relationships with finishers (you make it, they put it together), seamstresses and custom tailors who can either create or complete the fiber experience for the customer.  

Goff noted that opening the shop in uncertain economic conditions has caused a few sleepless nights, but she remains confident that, with the support of her customers, Uptown Fibers will pull through this recession and will emerge on the other side as a stable and profitable resource for the knitting community.  

“Every day since we’ve opened, at least one new customer has walked in our door, even after 1 year.”  

Uptown Fibers is open Tuesday through Sunday, with open knitting on Thursday nights from 5:30 until people decide to go home.  Hours and class schedule are available by calling 419-517-8177 or on the web at www.uptownfibers.com.

Military Brief

Jonathon R. Jones has joined the United States Army under the Delayed Entry Program. The program gives young men and women the opportunity to delay entering active duty for up to one year.

The enlistment gives the new soldier the option to learn a new skill, travel and become eligible to receive as much as $50,000 toward a college education. After completion of basic military training, soldiers receive advanced individual training in their career job specialty prior to being assigned to their first permanent duty station.

The recruit qualifies for a $1,000 enlistment bonus. Jones, a 2008 graduate of Central Catholic High School, Toledo, Ohio, has reported to Fort Knox, Ky., for basic training in October 2009. He is the son of Nicole Jones of Whistling Oaks Court, Sylvania, Ohio.

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor:

Oct. 7th rebuttal;

YOUR TAX DOLLARS- Simple- the Trustees use Cleveland attorneys to represent the Township because they are the most cost effective and experienced in State Employment Relations Board cases PERIOD.

UNIONS - thank you for bring up the subject of unions. There was an inference that the Trustees brought unfounded charges against the officers because the officers involved are heads of unions. But did you know…

Ј  Patrolman’s union president-“mustache” violation…was a direct order from a superior officer that was refused. Law and order needs to be established regardless of how insignificant it appears. Policies and procedures are in place to have arbitrators review the rulings and make decisions based on the union contract. The arbitrator only partially reversed the Trustees ruling.

Ј Command officers’ union president –“unsecured firearms/securing evidence violation”…the decision to suspend this employee was unanimously made. While the officer is claiming harassment due to his union involvement, he is heavily involved in a local family grocery store that is NONUNION? Many attempts have been by store employees to unionize. Why don’t the employees of YOUR family store have the same union protection and opportunities to dispute managerial decisions that YOU enjoy? Who’s the union buster? Union president-put your money where your mouth is…support all unions!

POLICIES a “barely-there knuckle-dent” no matter how you minimize it is still a violation. Rules need to be followed by all officers, even the ones on the drug task force.

BOTTOM LINE-Under Hanley/Liedel the General Fund reserves have increased from $675,000 four years ago to $6.5 MILLION today while maintaining or increasing township services. If you factor in the attorneys fees of $250,000(your number) defending the township policies, we still have a net gain of $5,575,000!

Good stewards of our tax dollars?  You decide-vote Hanley/Liedel.

D. Johnson

Sylvania

12th Annual “Halloween Hike” at Olander Park October 24

Bring your little ghouls and goblins to The Olander Park System’s most popular community event!    
The 12th annual “Halloween Hike” is Saturday, October 24, at Olander Park. The event is for children age 12 & under and they MUST be accompanied by an adult guardian. Gates are open from 6 to 6:30 p.m. Admission is $1 ages 3 to 12, with adults and kids 2 & under free.
Youngsters collect treats at 20 different stations and enjoy 3 storytellers who tell friendly tales about the enchanted evening. The Hike is a family-friendly event and is not intended to scare children.
The admission fees go to Sylvania Area Family Services to ensure all area children enjoy a Happy Halloween. Park at Tam-O-Shanter and enter Olander Park on Vicksburg Avenue or use the various walk-in gates. This is a rain-or-shine program so dress for appropriate weather.
TOPS expresses its appreciation to The Kroger Company for its assistance with the roughly 30,000 treats.

Mayberry Halloween Walk

The Shoppes of Mayberry Square will host the Mayberry Halloween Walk on Sunday, Oct. 25th from 1-3 p.m.

The family-oriented event will feature trick or treating, with treats provided at each participating Mayberry Square business, and a costume contest held at Edward Jones Investments.

A Halloween coloring contest will take place during the afternoon at Nautica Coffee/Mayberry Ice Cream. Other plans include a pet costume contest to be held at Pampered Paws.

The Mayberry Farmer’s Market will also be on hand to offer fresh produce, vegetables, and pumpkins.

Letter to the Editor

J. Cook/B. Wharram- This is simple. Cleveland attorneys are used to represent the Township because they are the most cost effective and experienced in State Employment Relations Board cases. Sometimes they rule in the officer’s favor, other times they rule in the Township favor…guess they forgot to mention that.

C Lindhuber- thank you for bring up the subject of unions. There was an inference that the Trustees brought unfounded charges against the officers because the officers involved are heads of unions.

Ј #1 Patrolman’s union president-“mustache” violation… a direct order from a superior officer was refused. Law and order needs to be established regardless of how insignificant it appears. Policies and procedures are in place to have arbitrators review the rulings and make decisions based on the union contract. The arbitrator only partially reversed the Trustees ruling.

Ј #2 Command officers’ union president -unsecured firearms/securing evidence violation…the decision to suspend this employee was unanimously made by all 3 trustees. But is this officer accusing the Trustees of union busting at the same time he is heavily involved in a local family grocery store that is NONUNION? Why don’t the employees of YOUR family store have the same union protection and opportunities to dispute managerial decisions that YOU enjoy? Union president-put your money where your mouth is…support all unions!

J Slayman-a “barely-there knuckle-dent” no matter how you minimize it is still a violation. Rules need to be followed by everyone.

BOTTOM LINE-Under Hanley/Liedel the General Fund reserves have increased from $675,000 four years ago to $6.5 MILLION today while maintaining or increasing township services. If you factor in the attorneys fees of $146,000 defending the township, we still have a net gain of $5,289,000!

Good stewards of our tax dollars? You decide-vote Hanley/Liedel.

S. Williams

Sylvania

Groundbreaking and Headquarters Dedication Ceremonies Planned for Sylvania Township

Construction of Sylvania Township Fire #3 will begin in mid-October. Harp Contractors, Inc. has been awarded the project. The new fire station, to be located at the corner of Haddon Rd. and Whiteford Rd. in Sylvania Township, will feature green construction technology such as solar panels and geothermal heating and cooling.

The project, set to be completed by the summer of 2010, is funded by the 1.25 mil levy that was previously passed by voters in March of 2008. The Township received a grant from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service to implement a Pervious Concrete Demonstration Project at this location which will address environmental water quality issues in the region and provide a model for other communities to follow. The Township will hold a Groundbreaking Ceremony on Monday, Oct. 19, 2009 at 1:00 p.m. at the site of the new station.

    The construction of Fire Station #3 coincides with the end of the re-construction of Fire Station #4. Located at 8210 Sylvania Avenue, Fire Station #4 has undergone an extensive renovation project and will now house the fire department’s headquarters. Funding has been provided through the permanent improvement fund made possible by the 2008 levy.

To dedicate the new headquarters, a ribbon cutting ceremony will take place at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 19, 2009. An open house for the public will follow. Tours of the newly renovated facility will be available until 3:00 p.m. The Fire Department’s new apparatus will also be on site.

Tea House, other items focus of Council Meeting

By Mike McHone

Herald Writer

The Sylvania City Council held its regular meeting on Monday Oct. 5. Before the start of the meeting, a public hearing was held to discuss extending the hours of the Sweet Shalom Tea Room at 8216 Erie Street. Nearly everyone in attendance that night had come out either in support or in opposition of the extended hours.

     Sweet Shalom is currently open 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Owners of the tea room want to extend the hours to possibly include Sundays as well as longer hours on the already established days. Some neighbors, however, don’t want to see that happen. A Sylvania resident that lives next door to the tea room complained about the parking situation as well as the possibility that the tea room could extend to Sundays. Sunday, the resident said, was the one day that he absolutely did not want “to give up.” “Just let me have the weekend,” he asked city council.

     Some neighbors and residents, on the other hand, showed support to Sweet Shalom. Meryl Boyd, a resident that lives across the street from the tea room, and who has lived on Eire Street for 41 years loves the idea of the tea room and told the council that he thought the business was a great boon to the area. “I think it’s a great thing,” Mr. Boyd said. “They’ve refurbished the building and it’s such a nice thing to look at.”

     Jay Gilcrest also came out in support of the tea room, stating that he takes his wife and family friends to Sweet Shalom once a month. “I would like to see them be open on Sundays,” he said.

     The house where the tea room operates has had a long history in Sylvania. The house was originally built 140 years ago by Civil War veteran Joseph Printup. It was remodeled in the late 1800s in Queen Anne style architecture. In 1999 the house was saved from demolition and was moved from its original location (the corner of Erie and Centennial Streets) to 8216 Erie.

Baldemar and Sara Velasquez, and Roger, Chris, and Ethan Kruse purchased the house approximately 10 years ago and began a decade’s worth of clean-up and restoration that continues to this day. In the summer of 2005, the owners appealed to the city council to allow the tea room to operate out of the home. Some neighbors, like Jim Meinert, didn’t want a business so close to his house. The council, however, approved.

     Although no extended hours were agreed upon that night, council members Doug Haynam and Mark Luetke advised the Sweet Shalom owners and their neighbors sit down and have a dialog about what hours and what days would be best for everybody. The owners will return to the city council sometime in the near future to state what hours and days they wish to open their doors to the public.

     After the public hearing ended, one of the first agenda items addressed was the special commendation in recognition of retired Deputy Chief Tom Eisel, as well as the approval to extend the existing contract with First Energy Solutions for the electric aggregation program.         

Letter to the Editor

Sylvania City Council voted at its October 5 Council Meeting to deny Sylvania taxpayers much needed real estate tax relief. Council defeated 4-3 an amendment I proposed to reduce the General Fund real estate tax rate by .5 mills. The City annually is required to adopt a resolution authorizing the tax levies collected for its General Fund. This annual tax levy determination can be changed by Council year-to-year. Council has rolled back City levied real estate taxes by 1.5 mills over the last three years, and those rollbacks are carried over. Unfortunately, a majority of Council opposed the additional .5 mill real estate tax rollback. The City clearly could afford this tax relief for our taxpayers. During the course of the October 5 meeting, Council extended its aggregation agreement with Toledo Edison in return for a lump sum payment that will yield more revenue for the City than it would have lost by granting the tax relief that was proposed and rejected. The Toledo Edison money will go directly into our General Fund. Moreover, the City’s total revenues have slightly increased in 2009 over what we received last year. I want to thank Council Members Mike Brown and Katie Cappellini for supporting my motion to provide Sylvania taxpayers the tax relief they desperately need in these difficult economic times.

Doug Haynam, Sylvania City Council Member

Letter to the Editor

Whine, whine, the Sylvania cops sound like a bunch of bitchy little girls. They enjoy a retirement package to rival a CEO and it’s not enough. Its common knowledge police departments are quasi-military. Do what you’re told, period. If that’s a problem, sell shoes. I’ve lost count the number of times a Sylvania cop has driven 70 mph down Sylvania Avenue simply because I’m the only car in sight, then tailgate to intimidate.

I frequently witness 3+ police cars on the same traffic stop in broad daylight with one teenage occupant and I ask myself are the cops that afraid?  What do they do when responding to a family fight, pee their pants? Aren’t they trained to handle stops one-on-one? Sheriff Deputies don’t have the luxury of backups on every stop, not even when it’s dark outside.  Deputies have a greater patrol area; apparently they rely on training and instinct.

Sylvania officers aren’t required to live in the jurisdiction they serve, not even the chief of police lives here, never has. Take a drive down any street, how often do you pass a police car on patrol?  Where are they?  Neither the city nor township encompasses that many miles. Given the amount of cops in both agencies on patrol 24-7 units should be more visible. I rarely see a unit in my neighborhood. Keep in mind there are three 8-hour shifts every single day. I can drive from Sylvania to Kentucky in less than 8 hours and I’m sure that’s a greater distance than the city and township encompass. At least one police cruiser should drive down every single street in this community during each 24-hour period.

All is not lost; I can’t recall the last time a donut shop was robbed.  

P. Morris

Sylvania, OH

Letter to the Editor

A recent Toledo Blade headline read “Arbitrators Back Officers in 2 Cases in Sylvania Township”.   Last November the Sylvania Township Trustees found guilty and disciplined two township police officers.  Remember the cause celeb over the supposed failure to trim a mustache?  That was one of the cases.  

The officers filed grievances with the State Employment Relations Board, whose arbitrators just ruled emphatically in their favor.   The officers were awarded back pay and the township must clear the disciplinary action from the officers’ personnel records.  Justice has finally been served, but not in the form the trustees envisioned.

For those planning to vote for Trustee Pam Hanley or Dee Dee Liedel, both running for re-election this November, there are some questions all voters should consider:  1) Why did the trustees bring obviously unfounded charges in the first place?  Could it be because both officers are heads of their respective unions?   2) What did this little exercise in trying to impose their will on the people who work for them cost the taxpayers?   The taxpayers have a right to know what was paid out in attorneys’ fees; travel expenses for attorneys from Cleveland  for two hearings in Sylvania Township and  several in Columbus;  and other costs associated with the trustees’ and township administrator’s time and travel costs.

Trustees Hanley and Liedel ran on a platform of fiscal responsibility.  Their websites and campaign literature tout their wonderful stewardship of the taxpayers’ dollars.    Spending many thousands of dollars pursuing charges that were questionable from the start is hardly good fiscal responsibility.   Trustees Hanley and Liedel have done a great disservice to this community; have wasted taxpayers’ dollars, and brought immeasurable stress on two fine police officers and their families.  Remember this when you vote on November 3.      

Sincerely,

Carol Lindhuber                                                                                                                                                          Sylvania, OH

Letter to the Editor

Election time again!  I am a Sylvania resident who is busy deciding which candidates are best suited this time.  As I study the current list of candidates, my memory serves me well.  The two incumbent s Hanley and Liedel cancelled the transport unit and publicly fought against the fire levies. The last 2 years they tousled with the police department at the township’s expense, publicly insulted their Fiscal Officer about the fire department deficit which he was on target, insulted and shut down communication with the City of Sylvania, and displayed behavior unbecoming of leadership during public meetings.

I have checked the list on other candidates such as Dennis Boyle, who is attempting a second run after serving 4 years ago and sat idle most of his term. Kevin Haddad has shown no involvement or opinion for anything during the 4 year battle, Royal Barber, landed in 2007, a Stainbrook petition offspring who has never been involved or attended a township meeting, John Jennewine, who puts signs up every 4 years , no idea who he is and what he stands for, Kevin Eff who has been an active citizen for fire safety and has questioned the Trustees decisions, and Penny Levine who is an active citizen, attends meetings, campaigned for fire levies and flooding issues, and has asked me for my concerns or questions.

Now is the time to inform your selves about the candidates and choose 2 who will lead our community without controversy. Don’t waste our tax dollars on expensive lawsuits and settlements. The Trustees need to stop their personal agenda, against organized labor, while they continue to reap the benefits of health care, retirement plans, paid holidays, vehicles, longevity pay, and exorbitant raises for administrative positions.

Jill Cook

Sylvania, OH

Letter to the Editor

 Our "fiscally responsible" Trustees have just poured some more of your tax payers money down the "rat hole" - all the way to Cleveland!  The State Employment Relations Board (SERB) has just recently ruled in favor of two Sylvania Township Police Officers by overturning the discipline assessed by the Township Trustees.  One case being for the failure of an officer to properly trim his mustache - remember that one?  I don't know exactly how many of your dollars were spent on this particular case, but it had to be a bundle since the Trustees do not think there are any reliable labor attorneys in the Toledo area and have to go all the way to Cleveland to find attorneys to handle all police labor related questions.  These Cleveland based attorneys have been paid over $146,000 year to date, with probably a big chunk of that going for these two cases.

This is one instance of these Trustee's fiscal (ir)responsibility.  Do you want to see more of your hard earned tax dollars being wasted like this??  If not, you have the ability to change that when you go to the polls on November 3rd.  Think about it before you vote.

Bruce Wharram

Sylvania

Letter to the Editor

S. Williams’ Letter to the Editor October 1, 2009, stated “oftentimes, it’s not what people tell you but what they don’t tell you that reveals the TRUTH.”

Essentially, that is my mission in writing here.      

Hanley/Liedel don’t tell you in their campaign literature, at township meetings, in their blogs, or through the voice of one S. Williams the amount of tax dollars they are aggressively spending advancing a spirit of contention, creating a hostile environment within the Sylvania Township PD – over $260,000 in the police department alone between year 2008 through July 2009, with continued litigation for pending arbitrations and SERB hearings.

I would direct readers to an audio-taped township meeting April 7, 2009 wherein Chief Metzger requests an additional $40,000 in budget appropriation to his legal fees.  He talks circles about a “unique” situation in the STPD, one he has not faced in any other department, surely not Adrian from which he was let go, surely not Huron Township where he was on probation when these Trustees hired him without a professional background check.  He told the Trustees, “There is an answer, but it’s not legal,” which received a laugh-out-loud from one Trustee.  

His actions toward my own husband regarding a barely-there knuckle-dent in a vehicle utilized for surveillance and arrest warrants were ruled by an arbitrator as “capricious, arbitrary, and unreasonable,” no scandal here, S. Williams, just scandalous accusations.          

In Truth, grievances brought forth by your officers are far from “baseless.”  Rather, the causes have been unconscionable: Sexual harassment; HIPAA law violation; discriminatory promotional practices, including gender discrimination; discipline without just cause and employees subjected to intimidation and threat, all of it under the guise of “managerial rights.” Glaringly, legal award has been nearly 100% for police officers, including the officer mentioned in S. Williams’ letter.

Joyce Slaman

Hidden in Plain Sight

The Sylvania Community Action Team (S.C.A.T.) will hold a town hall on Thursday, October 8th from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Sylvania Senior Center.  As part of the series, attendees will be able to “visit” a teenage bedroom display, participate in round table discussions and discover on-line computer hazards facing youth today.

The 2009 Town Hall meeting is a continuation of the message from the Surgeon General’s office “Alcohol remains the most heavily abused substance among our youth.  Underage drinking is everyone’s problem—and everyone’s responsibility”.

• Alcohol is the drug of choice among American adolescents, used by more young people than tobacco or illicit drugs. Underage drinking has consistently remained at high levels and of those who drink, 78% are binge drinking (4-5 drinks at a setting).
• Teen abuse of prescription drugs is next on the list of concern.  These are abused more than any other illicit substance except marijuana.  Teens believe that prescription drugs are “safer” because they are “legal drugs”.
• Marijuana use has increased among our Sylvania youth.  Our 10th grade 2008 data reflected an increase to 9.2% from 6.6% in 2006 with a decrease in perception of parental disapproval.  
• The above bullet points are substantiated with antidotal reports by youth in the public and private schools, from Bill Geha (our substance abuse intervention specialist) and school resource officers.

Questions about the Town Hall or SCAT, please contact Deb Chany at 419-824-8588.

Local artist on display at Inside Angles

Inside Angles Custom Framing Gallery will open a new exhibit on Oct. 9 featuring the work of well-known local artist Neil Frankenhauser.
“My body of work represents my love of nature and follows in the long tradition of “Plein-Air” painting. Rather than attempting to present every detail of what I see, there is a mindful response to light and shade, color and mood. In the case of some of the larger works, photos were specifically taken and used as reference,” Frankenhauser explains in his artist’s statement.
Frankenhauser earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from Bowling Green State University. He went on to earn his Master of Fine Art Degree from The University of Iowa. He has been an active artist since 1960 having exhibited in over 150 juried shows and winning more than 50 awards.
His art is on permanent exhibit at The Toledo Zoo, Luther College, Evansville Museum, The College of Wooster and the Cleveland Art Association to name a few.
 “In my work, there is no attempt at realistic illusion. As in Van Gogh’s work the tactile quality of the pigment is left to engender its own response and to provide an expressive realism rather than a photographic copy, “ Frankenhauser explains.
Inside Angles will exhibit Neil Frankenhauser’s images in its gallery from October 9 until October 30. Any interested art collectors, friends and fellow artists are encouraged to attend a gala reception to open the exhibit on Friday, October 9, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
 

Cat in the Hat Comes to Life in Sylvania

The Northview High School Drama Department will present Seussical, the Musical on stage at the Franciscan Center of Lourdes College on November 6-7 at 7:30 pm and on November 8 at 2:00 pm.

Over 150 Sylvania students, including 19 students in grades 4-8 from area elementary and junior high schools, are involved in the staging of  Seussical, the Musical.

Tickets for Seussical will go on sale at the Franciscan Theatre Box Office beginning October 5th. The box office number is (419) 824-3999.

Cast members will be also be appearing at several venues in the area before they take to the stage in November:

І October 17 - Sylvania Branch Library Story Time, hosted by Northview Theatre, cast members will read stories

October 24 -  Olander Park Halloween Hike, cast members will hand out trick or treat candy.

Sylvania Dog Rescue 4Pawssake, hosts annual Pet Fair and Pet Blessing

Sylvania Dog Rescue 4Pawssake, hosts annual Pet Fair and Pet Blessing

“Our Mission, and we chose to accept it, is to rescue, provide sanctuary, and ultimately re-home abandoned, stray and neglected dogs. We also assist dogs who, because of extenuating circumstances, are unable to remain in their homes with their owners.”

The 3rd annual “Fall for Paws” will be held on Sunday October 4, 2009 from 12:00 to 4:00 pm at the Lucas County Fairgrounds: Arts and Crafts Bldg.  1406 Key St. Maumee, Ohio

It will be a“BARKING” good time for the entire family, and a fundraising event to benefit 4 PAWS SAKE dog Rescue!

There will be food, face painting for the kids, Pet contests for “Best Trick, Best dressed, Best Vocals, Best Kisser, and Grand Prize winner for TOP DOG!”  There will be great prizes to be auctioned, many donated by local companies and vendors, Pet treats, Nail clipping AND MORE!

An exciting Agility Demonstration will take place at 1:00 and 3:00. Imagination Station activities for the kids, vendors providing great information about your pets, Human and Pet Caricatures, Pet Psychic as well as more entertainment for all!

A special Pet Blessing will take place at 2:45 pm, for all pets.  This is the time, world wide, that advocate of animals follow in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi, the Patron Saint of Animals and Ecology.  The pet blessing is a spiritual celebration to honor our loyal companions who love us unconditionally. Please bring your pets or pictures of your pets for this blessing.

There is a $5.00 admission fee for the ENTIRE family: human and furry family too!

Police Reports 9/30

Police Reports

Unauthorized use of motor vehicle: On September 14, the suspect sub-leased a semi trailer from victim #1 to use as an independent contractor. The lease agreement was cancelled by victim #1 and at which time the suspect failed to return the trailer. At this time, the trailer is with the suspect in Florida.

Criminal Damaging- Recklessly: On September 15, unknown person(s) damaged the victim’s motor vehicle by scratching her trunk and rear quarter panel with an unknown object while it was parked at NVHS.

Petty theft: On September 15, the victim left her purse in an unlocked locker in the girl’s locker room. Persons unknown did remove the phone.

Petty theft: On September 16, the victim reported that she went to the gym and placed her purse on the bench in the girl’s locker room. Upon her return, she discovered $35 in cash was missing.

Petty theft: On September 19, a suspect removed $26.01 of gas without making payment at a gas station in 5500 block of W Alexis Rd.

Petty theft: On September 17, the victim heard a noise in the backyard of her residence in the 5000 block of Main St and saw a suspect in the backyard carrying the a turtle tank.

Theft without consent: On September 13, unknown suspect(s) took $1,000 worth of jewelry from a residence in the 5600 block of W. Alexis Rd.

Burglary: On September 19, the victim reported that unknown person(s) entered her residence in the 5400 block of Silvertown and by unknown means removed Oxycontin, and Alprazolam pills.

Menacing by stalking, telecommunications harassment: On September 16, at the victim’s residence in the 5800 block of Alexis Rd her soon to be ex-husband has caused her to have mental distress by continuously harassing her at her residence. Victim reported that the ex-husband has made numerous unwanted telephone calls and text messages to her cell phone. The victim reported that the harassment has continued, even after she told him to stop contacting her.

Telecommunications Harassment: On September 16, victim reported that she has been receiving unwanted phone calls and messages from a suspect. The victim has told the suspect to stop calling but he continues to call.

Domestic Violence-Knowingly Harm, Unauthorized use of motor vehicle: On September 19, verbal threats of violence escalated to physical violence when the suspect (boyfriend of 4 years) grabbed the victim by the arm and pushed her away. Suspect then attempted to take their 19-month-old daughter from the victim’s arms. After the altercation the suspect fled in the victim’s vehicle without permission.

Domestic Violence- Knowingly Harm: On September 21, the suspect assaulted the victim by pushing him into the kitchen counter causing a minor scrape in the victim’s right arm and then flipped over other kitchen furniture.

Drive Under Influence: On September 20, Adam Andrews, 25 was stopped for traffic violations and subsequent investigation revealed the suspect to be OVI. Andrews was arrested and transported to SPD and tested a .232 BAC.

Found property: On September 16 a bicycle was found in the front yard of a residence in the 4500 block of McCord Rd.

Letter to the Editor

Agendas—everybody has one. So what is the motivation of the person who wrote the Letter to the Editor published in the Sylvania Herald, September 16, 2009? The letter consists of a targeted rant against Township Trustees Dee Dee Liedel and Pam Hanley.
She accuses Liedel/Hanley of not CARING about the “public servants” i.e.: police officers and “their very nature of commitment, loyalty, and belief to the cause of community safety”. What a bunch of HOGWASH! Oftentimes, it’s not what people tell you but what they don’t tell you that reveals the TRUTH. ..
The FACTS:
Ј The author is the wife of a retired Sylvania Township Detective who retired after a scandal forced him to leave a special task force after failing to report an accident with a government vehicle.
Ј She has written several letters over the last few years in an effort to defame the Trustees. She has given her support to an officer that was unanimously disciplined by the trustees for failing to properly process evidence and having two unsecured firearms accessible to non-dept persons.
Ј Tens of thousands of dollars have been spent by the Township to defend baseless grievances initiated by the union. FOP attorneys cover the legal costs for the officers; tax payers are forced to respond using your tax dollars.
Ј She is not a Sylvania township resident  
Don’t believe everything you read, know the agenda.  The police department, under Chief Robert Metzger, has made tremendous strides over the past few years. Moral is up, corruption and crime down and the Chief has implemented new policies and procedures to insure the Sylvania Township police department is as efficient, ethical and transparent as possible.
Liedel/Hanley have a proven record of ensuring that justice is served to one and to ALL! Vote to retain Liedell/Hanley.
     
S. Williams
 

Police Reports 9/23

Police Reports

Menacing: On September 11, a parent went to Northview High School to see the School Resource Officer to make a report about his son who is having a harassment problem with a suspect.

Threatening or Harassing Telephone Calls: On September 8, the suspect called the victim at his place of employment and made vulgar and threatening comments on his voicemail.

Disorderly Conduct: On September 11, two suspects were involved in a confrontation in their front yard in the 4900 block of Denbridge. Upon arrival, suspect #2 had fled the scene.

Criminal Mischief:  On September 12, victim reported that unknown person(s) did damage to several pieces of property around the residence located in the 5200 block of Silica.

Taking Identity of Another: On September 11, unknown person(s) used the victims debit card to transfer money from her checking account to a Western Union in Indonesia. Transaction was cancelled by Western Union prior to any funds being released.

Receiving Stolen Property: On September 6, the suspect was stopped for traffic violations and was found to have a stolen registration sticker on the license plate of the vehicle he was driving.

Petty Theft: On September 13, the victim reported that unknown person(s) caused damage to her vehicle while removing her cd player, mp3 player and breaking her plastic dashboard while parked in the 4800 block of Wickford Green.

Theft:  On September 10, unknown suspect(s) removed property from the victim’s unlocked vehicle while it was parked in the 7600 block of W Sylvania Ave.

Theft:  On September 11, the victim awoke and found that his television was missing from his apartment. He believes that his ex roommate (who moved out that morning) took the television. He was advised to contact the Sylvania prosecutors to follow through with possible charges.

Robbery: On September 14, victim reported that an unknown subject attempted to commit a theft offense while attempting to inflict physical harm at the intersection of Silica Dr and Monroe St.

Drive Under Influence:  On September 13, James Nage, 21 was stopped for a traffic violation. Subsequent investigation showed he was under the influence. He tested a .068 BAC and was released.

Drive Under Influence/Open Container: On September 11, Shayne Teal, 32 was stopped for a traffic violation and was found to be OVI. Teal was placed under arrest and was read the BMV 2255 form. Teal was found to have a .103 BAC. Rachel Jones, 27 was found to have a Joose flavored malt beverage in her possession while she was sitting in the front passenger seat. Jones was issued an OR for the respective charge. 

Petty theft/Drug Paraphernalia-Advertised/Sale/Possess Drug Abuse Instruments: On September 9, the victim reported that an unknown person(s) took property from his residence in the 6300 block of Coppersmith. The suspect was found to be in possession of drug paraphernalia.

Weekly Real Estate Transactions:

Donald G and Carol A Beadle to Jack and Juliette Law 7074 Monroe St, $160,000 9/8/09

Five Star Premier Properties LLC to Sylvania City School District Board of Education 4747 N Holland Sylvania Rd $829,000 9/8/09

Bank of New York as Trustee to Joshua and Cori Bollin 5629 Webster Rd $80,000 09/09/09

Federal National Mortgage Association to Cheryl Yeager 3809 Fairwood  $125,000 09/10/09

Charles and Tiffany Townsend to Mark Pireu 7207 Ridgeland $149,900 9/11/09

Sandra Mangus to John Chiapetta and others 6058 Gillingham $115,000 9/11/09

Belinda Cooke to Shawn and Julie Chesser 8901 Sycamore Tr $235,000 9/11/09                                                       
 

MAYOR'S MESSAGE

Craig A. Stough 

"Signvania"

With the end of summer comes the start of the fall election campaign.  Because 2009 is an odd numbered year, it means city council, township trustee and school board elections.  In Sylvania, that means political signs, lots of them, turning  Sylvania into "Signvania" until election day on Tuesday, November 3rd.

Quality of life is one of the reasons people choose to live in Sylvania, and the visual appearance of the community is part of that quality of life.  Political signs do not add to our quality of life.  On the other hand, political signs are an important part of free speech and competitive elections, and they cannot be and should not be legislated away.

The real problem is sign inflation.  Some candidates are choosing to put up larger signs earlier in the campaign to establish name recognition.  Political signs used to be 18" x 24" and put up a few weeks before election day.  Competition resulted in the signs growing to 2' x 3' and in recent elections to 3' x 5' billboard signs being put up months ahead of the election.    

In the interest of fairness to all the candidates and to our residents, all candidates on the ballot in Sylvania have been sent a letter outlining the ordinances in the City of Sylvania for political signs.  We ask that the following guidelines be adhered to for the posting of political signs:

1. Signs posted on private property must have the permission of the property owner.

2. Signs may not be posted on public property or public right-of-way.  In most cases, signs will not be considered on public right-of-way if: on streets with public sidewalks, signs are one foot behind the sidewalk on the building side; on streets without sidewalks, signs are a minimum of 15' from the pavement.

3. Signs cannot be posted more than 70 days before election day, and must be removed not later than 7 days after the election.

Every campaign season, signs get posted in the public right-of-way and city employees take them down.  Candidates can retrieve removed signs at the City Maintenance Building or the Forestry Building.  All candidates are treated equally.  However, we cannot assign employees to full-time "sign patrol", and often the signs are removed as we receive complaints or the offense becomes noticeable and objectionable.  For more information or to register a complaint, call the Sylvania Zoning Office at 419/885-8946.

Like so much of our election process, political signs are time consuming.  Democracy is a messy business, but it is the best system in the world.  I call upon all candidates to be cognizant of the rules and place their signs in proper locations.  I also ask all of our Sylvania citizens to be patient and to enjoy participating in the upcoming local elections here in "Signvania".



 

Anytime Fitness signs lease for new club in Harvest Place Shopping Center

24-hour fitness club to be first in Sylvania
Anytime Fitness is pleased to announce it has signed a lease for space in the Harvest Place Shopping Center at 7602 West Sylvania Avenue in Sylvania. Working with the firm of Tomahawk Development Company, Anytime Fitness will develop a 4,850 sq. ft. exercise facility. With construction due to start immediately by Program Solutions Group, L.L.C., the club will be open for business within the next ninety days.

“Anytime Fitness offers a convenient and affordable exercise option for the area,” said John and Amy Fortner and Mike Gaither, club owners and operators.  ”We believe our 24-hour fitness club will be a great addition to Sylvania.”

At Anytime Fitness, members can workout any time of the day or night, every day of the year. They use a security-access key to enter the club, even when it is not staffed. Once inside, members have full use of state-of-the-art strength training and cardiovascular equipment. Anytime Fitness also offers tanning and membership reciprocity among its clubs, which allows members to use any of the more than 1200 clubs that are currently open in the United States, Canada, and Australia.

To reserve an Anytime Fitness membership or to find out more about the club, please call Amy Fortner at 419-724-5575, or visit www.anytimefitness.com. Special introductory rates are now available for a limited time.

 

Local Auto Dealership Celebrates 50 Years of Success

During this time of economic hardship, many local businesses have been forced to close their doors.  However, this year Grogan’s Towne Chrysler Jeep Dodge has not only expanded its inventory and facility, but this local car dealership is also celebrating its 50th anniversary. 

    Chrysler Motors presented Mark Floyd, partner and Denny Amrhein, partner and general manager of Grogan’s Towne, with their 50 year plaque on Thursday, September 10, 2009.  Amrhein and his employees were also recognized for consistently achieving 5 Star status and excellent customer retention scores.

    “It’s an honor to be recognized for 50 years in business,” Amrhein remarked, “especially in a market that has been impacted so drastically by a tough economy over the past few years.” 

In August of this year, Grogan’s Towne added the Jeep line to its inventory of Chrysler, Dodge and used vehicles.  The facility was renovated and 1600 square feet were added to accommodate the growing supply.  In addition, the dealership has an expansive service, parts and body shop to support the growing auto sales departments. 

Sylvania Tea Shoppe Hosts Japanese Fall Festival Tea

Elaine’s Tea Shoppe in Sylvania, Ohio will host a Japanese Fall Festival Tea on Saturday, October 3, 2009.  From 1:00-3:00pm, Kerry Porter will present a program on the Japanese Kimono.  Ms. Porter will display many beautiful kimonos from her private collection, demonstrating the complex ritual for donning the traditional Japanese garment.  Guests of this event will have the opportunity to try on a kimono or two if they desire, and get a feel for the luxury and quality of this traditional Japanese attire. 
The tea festival will include a variety of foods such as Fruit Sushi (vegan friendly, no fish) and other finger desserts.  Three popular Japanese teas will be served:  Japanese Sencha, Genmaicha, which is also called Popcorn Tea because of the toasted rice which looks like tiny popcorn when it opens, and Kyoto Cherry Rose Festival tea. 
This tea party celebrates not only the beauty of autumn, but traditional Japanese culture which also commemorates the arrival of the fall season.  Ms. Porter will be sharing her knowledge of Japanese culture including the history of Geishas and the kimono.  This is a great chance to come out and explore green teas, and all the mystery of traditional Japanese culture.  Reservations are required for the event which costs $25 per person.  Please call 419-885-1515.
 
 

Giant Puffball

Reader submission

By Susan Rajagopalan

Recently, I noticed what I thought was a whiffle ball in the woods behind our home in Sylvania.  At first I thought my grandson had left the ball outside.  As I went to pick it up, I realized it was an unusual looking mushroom.  I thought it was kind of neat so I just left it alone. 
My husband and I went out of town for three days and when we returned it had grown into a basketball-size mushroom.  We have lived in this home for twelve years and have never seen anything like this in our woods before. 
I checked the internet for mushrooms/fungus of northern Ohio and discovered (from the Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet, http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/3000/3303.html) that this is a “Giant Puffball (Calvatia) Edible. It ranges in diameter from 8 to 24 inches and is found in parks, meadows, pastures, open woods, urban areas, late August to early October.” 
I checked on the Giant Puffball again today (9/15), and although it has not grown in size, I discovered 10 more of these Giant Puffballs growing in the same area.  At this time, they are tennis ball size, but if they all get as large as the first one, that would make another interesting picture!
 
(Have a story you’d like to submit? Send it to thoward@theheraldpapers.com).
 

Briefs

Sylvania Area Chamber of Commerce to host Candidates Forum on October 8 at Franciscan Center at Lourdes College

     This year there will be many election issues and voters in all cities and townships will demand to have the right information to make an informed decision. This year the Sylvania Area Chamber of Commerce, in cooperation with the Parent School Council, will host an Election Forum on Wednesday, October 8, 2009 at the Franciscan Center at Lourdes College beginning at 7:00 p.m.

Candidates for the City of Sylvania, Sylvania Township Trustees and Sylvania School Board will be introduced and have a chance to speak about the issues and their plans for the area. Additionally, questions selected from voters in the community will be asked of all candidates.

Questions can be directed to the chamber by mail to 5632 N. Main Street, Sylvania, Ohio 43560 or via email to pnowak@sylvaniachamber.org. Dr. Robert Helmer, President of Lourdes College and Chairman of the Sylvania Area Chamber of Commerce Board will moderate the candidate’s forum.

Sylvania area voters deserve firsthand knowledge and the Candidate’s Forum can give it to them. The forum is open to all residents in Lucas County, the City of Sylvania and Sylvania Township. Admission is free.

Sylvania Chosen at Ohio Magazine’s Best Hometown for 2010

The votes are counted and the dust has settled and Ohio Magazine announced that Sylvania is one of the honorees for Ohio’s Best Hometowns for 2010. Only one town is chosen from each of the state’s five regions for this special honor and the award recognizes that Sylvania is among the best of the best.

Sylvania will be featured in the November 2009 issue. Essays about the community are a part of the nomination process that also includes sending in pictures and supporting materials that introduce the judges to the area. Sylvania sent the required essays as well as an oversized box of Sylvania storyboards. After receiving the application, site visits were made to the nominee cities and the winners were notified in September.

The application process was made on behalf of the Sylvania Area Chamber of Commerce, City of Sylvania, Sylvania Township and Sylvania Area Community Improvement Corporation. A celebration is being planned to mark this achievement. Plans are to include the award ceremony as part of the Sylvania Fall Festival to be held on October 18, 2009.

Harvest Auction

Get a head start on your holiday gift giving by coming to our always popular "Harvest Auction." The fun begins with bidding wars over the many festive gift baskets filled with beautiful donated items and baked goods for all occasions. Ladies, you won’t want to miss this fund-raiser with Women Connection West at The Sylvania Country Club, 5201 Corey Rd., Sylvania, on Friday, October 9, 10:30 AM-1:30 PM. Cost is $14.00 per person, all inclusive.  A complimentary nursery is available by reservation.

Make new friends while bidding on quality gift baskets, enjoy a great lunch and listen to the exaltations of Liz Aouad from Berkey, Ohio. 

Reservations are necessary for all our programs and childcare. Please call Jeannine at 419-841-9653. Reservations are appreciated by October 5.
 

KATYN

The Polish American Community of Toledo (PACT) will present a showing of KATYN, the award winning documentary film, on Sunday October 4, 2009, at 4pm at the Maumee Indoor Theatre.  This film documents the massacre of over 20,000 Polish military officers during WWII.  Due to its nature, the film is recommended for mature audiences.  

Since October is Polish American Heritage month, please join us for this special event.  Refreshments and Polish appetizers will follow the film.  Admission is only $5/per person in advance, and $10/person at the door the day of the film.  PACT members will be admitted free.  

To purchase tickets or for more information, please call Jack at (419) 356-1811 or John (419) 351-7707.
 

Grbavac-Gernot Wedding

George and Luci Gernot of Bowling Green announce the upcoming wedding of their son, Justin Gernot, to Vesna Grbavac in Chicago on September 19, 2009.  Justin is a healthcare IT sales manager in Chicago and a graduate of Sylvania Southview High School, The Ohio State University and Northwestern University.  Vesna is a

healthcare consulting account executive from Chicago with degrees from Marquette University and Loyola University.

Gembolis-Manuel

Cocoa Beach, Florida at the Doubletree Resort was the setting for the wedding on June 8, 2009 uniting Kendra Darlene Gembolis and Nathan Ryan Manuel.

    They were joined by 75 family members and friends. Nate’s dad, Preacher Bob Manuel performed the beach ceremony. Katie Malone, friend of the bride since kindergarten, served as maid of honor. Bridesmaids were Corinn Shemak, Kylie Johnson, and Claire Gembolis, sisters of the bride.

    Josh Manuel, brother of the groom, served as best man. Groomsmen were Kurt Gembolis and Kevin Gembolis, brothers of the bridge, and Jared Malone, friend of bride and groom. Flower girl Ella Shemak, niece of the bride, and ring bearers were Armani Shemak and Caleb Manuel, nephews of the bride and groom.

    Kendra is the daughter of Don and Debbie Gembolis of Sylvania Township and granddaughter of Eleanor Gembolis and Florian and Ardythe Kowalinkski of Sylvania. Nate is the son of Preacher Bob and Pam Manuel of Weston, Ohio.

    Following the ceremony, 45 guests joined Kendra and Nate on the Royal Caribbean Monarch of the Seas for a four-day cruise.

    Kendra graduated from UT in May 2009 with a degree in business and marketing and is employed with Transnet. Nate is the Art/Music pastor at Cedar Creek Church, Toledo Campus. Nate and Kendra live in Sylvania Township.

Sylvania Methodists Plan Founders’ Day Celebration

First United Methodist Church of Sylvania will celebrate its 175th anniversary at a Founders' Day event to be held on Sunday, September 20, 2009.

The day will begin at 9:45 a.m. when a “living portrait” will be created on the front lawn of the church on Erie Street across from Plummer Pool.  The living portrait will depict the first Methodist meeting held in Sylvania in 1834 and will feature Reverend Dr. Larry Clark on horseback, portraying a Methodist circuit rider.   The living portrait will conclude with the singing of a few old-fashioned Methodist hymns and then activities will move inside the church sanctuary where a special Sunday service will be conducted.  At the conclusion of the service, long-standing church members of 30 years or more will be recognized for their dedication to the church. The service will be followed by a potluck dinner at 12:00 p.m. and the premier of a documentary on the history of the church at 1:00 p.m.  At 2:00 p.m., the church will be hosting “behind-the-scenes” tours featuring church history and artwork.

First United Methodist Church of Sylvania recognizes 1834 as its founding year  That is the year the first Methodist Class was formed in what was then known as Whiteford, Michigan and Rev. Elnathan C. Gavitt, a well-known Methodist circuit rider held a Methodist meeting at a saw mill owned by General David White, a founder of Sylvania.

“This is our opportunity to invite the Sylvania community to join us in celebrating the wonderful history of our church and our city,” said Tedd Long, church historian.  “We will be hosting a potluck dinner after church along with the premiere of our new documentary, First Church – the Story of First United Methodist Church of Sylvania.  It is an amazing story that begins in 1825 in Port Lawrence, and moves to Whiteford, Michigan at General White’s mill, and continues up to the present day here on Erie Street in Sylvania.”

Long worked with local historians to develop the documentary.  The church also held an “Antiques Roadshow” in May to encourage members of the church and the Sylvania community to share artifacts and stories relating to the history of the church.

“We were able to document some terrific stories, photographs, and documents through our Roadshow event,” Long added.  “It went a long way toward making the documentary a success.”

“While the history of our church is very interesting, the account of the faithfulness and dedication of the generations of our members is the real story of our Founders’ Day celebration,” said Reverend Dr. Larry Clark, Pastor at First United Methodist Church of Sylvania.  “We are so lucky to be able to have documents and photographs to help us celebrate our past but this day will also be about celebrating the bright future of our church and the Sylvania community,” added Clark.

DVD copies of the documentary will be available after the premiere for $10.00.  For more information, contact First United Methodist Church of Sylvania at 419-882-2205 or visit the church web site at www.fumcs.org.

S.C.A.T. Sponsors a Community Survey Seeking Adult Attitudes about Teen Alcohol, Tobacco and Drug Use

In the next few weeks, 600 residents of the Sylvania community will be asked to share their views on the issues related to use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs among our youth. It will also ask questions about underage gambling.
     Sylvania Community Action Team (S.C.A.T.) received a capacity building grant from The Center for Non-Profit Resources of the Toledo Community Foundation in April 2009.  This grant opportunity provided funds for S.C.A.T. to work with Minnesota Institute of Public Health (MIPH) to conduct a “Community Readiness Survey”.  The Community Readiness Survey will be mailed to randomly selected homes in the zip codes in the Sylvania community.  Since the MIPH will implement and compile the survey data for S.C.A.T. no one in the Sylvania community will know who has been chosen to complete the survey.  The responses are completely confidential.   A pre-notification letter is sent out initially, followed by the survey packet.  A follow-up reminder card will also be sent out shortly before the survey return deadline to return the completed survey back to MIPH in a self- addressed stamped envelope provided to them.
     The data results will be an excellent tool to help S.C.A.T focus on prevention planning in the community.  The new research data will help set the groundwork to:
Ј Strengthen prevention strategies.
Ј Raise awareness of community norms and attitudes toward alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.
Ј Focus prevention efforts on the areas of greatest need.
     Only by understanding existing attitudes can agencies expect to alter “community norms”.
     If you are a household that is requested to participate in the “Community Readiness Survey”, we sincerely hope you take the time to share your views and return the survey in a timely manner.  We thank you in advance for your interest and cooperation.  Together we will continue to help create a safe and healthy community for our youth to grow and live. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Deb Chany at the S.C.A.T. office 419-824-8588.
 
 

 

Police Reports 9/16

Found Property:  On September 5, a MasterCard was found in the parking lot at Olander Park. An attempt was made to contact the person whose name is on the card.

Petty theft:  On August 31, a suspect attempted to leave the store without purchasing $30.20 worth of groceries. Suspect made it to her vehicle before being stopped. Suspect admitted to taking the groceries without paying for them. Items were returned.

Petty theft: On September 1, unknown person(s) entered her unlocked vehicle and removed her radio in the 5400 block of Grey Dr.

Petty theft: On September 1, unknown person(s) entered his unlocked vehicle and removed a 12 pack Pepsi can from the passenger floorboard in the 5800 block of Acres Rd.

Petty theft: On September 3, unknown person(s) removed a car battery in the 6600 block of Brint Rd.

Theft:  On September 4, the victim reported that large amount of jewelry was missing from her residence in the 7100 block of Erie St.

Theft:  On September 2, unknown persons entered the victim’s unlocked car in the 5700 block of N Main St and took $2,700 worth of Native American prints.

Theft: On September 1, unknown person entered his unlocked vehicle in the 5700 block of Sugar Hill Ct and removed an iPod and $400 in cash.

Theft: On September 1, unknown person(s) entered her unlocked vehicle and removed her wallet and contents from the driver’s door panel in the 5800 block of Acres Rd.

Theft: On September 1, unknown suspect(s) entered the victim’s unlocked vehicles in the 5500 block of Allison Lane and took items.

Theft:   On September 1, unknown person(s) entered his unlocked vehicle overnight that was parked in the parking lot in the 5800 block of Acres Rd and took sunglasses, pills, cds, radar detector, helmet, tool set, gps, and money.

Theft: On September 4, unknown person(s) entered the victim’s unlocked vehicle and removed a gps, black leather bag, and pills in the 5000 block of Allen St.

Burglary: On August 29, victim came home to find unknown person(s) forced entry into her residence in the 6500 block of Cornwall through the rear door. Over $17,000 worth of items was taken.

Burglary: On September 6, unknown person(s) entered the unlocked residence in the 6000 block of Summit St while victim #1 was sleeping and removed property.

Criminal Damaging- Knowingly:  On September 4, unknown person(s) damaged the passenger side rear door in the 5800 block of Acres Rd.

Criminal Damaging- Knowingly: On September 5, unknown suspects(s) shattered the front driver’s side door in the 7200 block of Winsford.

Assault- Knowingly Harm: On September 5, both suspects/victims said a physical altercation ensured while back en route to suspect/victim #1’s residence.
 

Annual Fossil Fest event

The forthcoming ANNUAL Sylvania Fossil Fest event will again be sponsored by the Sylvania Historical Village on Sunday, September 20th, 2009.

Truck loads of FREE fossil laden will be on hand, courtesy of Hanson Aggregates.
Hanson also provides geologists to identify the fossils you discover and can keep to take home.

This annual family affair is one everyone enjoys, but the focus is on the kids.  Not only can they find 350 million year old fossils and learn about what they are called, but a dinosaur egg hunt is also planned for the smaller fry.  There will be fossil oriented demonstrations and “hands on” activities for all ages.  Rock, Gem, and Mineral clubs and dealers will be on hand too, with plenty of mineral specimens. 

The Fossil Fest event hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Sylvania Museum and Heritage Village grounds, 5717 N. Main Street in Sylvania, Ohio.  Plenty of free parking in the Municipal parking lot.  No admission fee.  For more information call 419-882-4865.

 

Sylvania-Lambertville Orthodontics Receives 2009 Best of Sylvania Award

Sylvania-Lambertville Orthodontics has been selected for the 2009 Best of Sylvania Award in the Orthodontists category by the U.S. Commerce Association (USCA).

The USCA "Best of Local Business" Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USCA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2009 USCA Award Program focused on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USCA and data provided by third parties.

police reports 09/09

Police Reports

Telecommunications Harassment- Threaten: On August 28, victim stated that an unknown suspect made several telecommunications with purpose to abuse, threaten or harass the victim.

Criminal Damaging- Knowingly: On August 31, unknown person(s) caused damage to both of the victims vehicles while parked in the driveway in the 5200 block of Silica.

Theft without consent/Criminal Damaging-Knowingly: On August 25, unknown suspect(s) smashed out the victim’s driver side slider window and took her purse from the vehicle in the 7400 block of Erie.

Theft/Criminal Damaging-Knowingly: On August 28, victim reported that unknown person(s) broke out the rear window of her vehicle and removed her purse and contents in the 5200 block of Corey Rd.

Theft/Breaking and Entering:  On August 26, unknown suspects trespassed on the property of Sylvania Tire and Wheel and stole the victim’s vehicle.

Petty theft:  On August 25, the victim stated that two males entered the store in the 5500 block of Monroe St. While one of the males distracted her, the other took two cases of meat & one case of shrimp then left the store without paying.

 Petty theft: On August 26, victim reported that sometime overnight-unknown suspect(s) siphoned an unknown quantity of gasoline from his car in the 5100 block of Spring St.

Petty theft:  On August 26, unknown suspect(s) removed 2 hydraulic gauges, 2 hydraulic hoses, assorted fittings and 1 tachometer from a vehicle that was parked on the street in the 5400 block of Campden.

Petty theft: On August 28, unknown suspect(s) took 5 gallons of gas in a container from a home in the 6200 block of Monroe St.

Drug Abuse- Controlled Substance Possess: On August 30, Jared Thomas, 20, was a front seat passenger in a stopped vehicle for a traffic violation. Subsequent investigation resulted in Thomas being arrested for drug abuse.

 

Sylvania History

In October of 1938 the Sylvania Board of Education of the Sylvania Exempted Village School District opened bids for the construction of concrete footings and foundation walls for a new addition to Burnham High School.  The lowest bid received was from Herman Suhrbier Co., of Toledo, for $9,745.00.  The board passed a resolution recommending that the WPA accept this bid.  It was reported that work would start as soon as the approval of the WPA was secured.  On November 14th 1938 a building permit was issued to the school board.  This addition was on the east side of the existing Burnham High School and almost doubled the size of the school. 

The Sylvania Sentinel dated November 2, 1940 announced that the new addition to Burnham High School would be dedicated with appropriate ceremony on November 15th, 1940 in the new auditorium of the school.  It was reported that the new addition was built and equipped at a total cost of $250,400, and of that amount $112,909 was a PWA grant, and $137,500 was covered by a bond issue voted by the residents of the school district on September 27, 1938.  The building was designed by Britsch & Munger, architects and was reported to be fireproof throughout.  The general contractors were the Comte Construction Company of Toledo.  The school board at that time was:  Guy M. Jarrett, president; Ira Robison, vice president; Elwood Hotchkiss, Roy A. Chandler and Herman Wobser.  Ira Baumgartner was superintendent of the Sylvania School System, and Charles L. Smith was the principal of Burnham High School.  The number of new classrooms was 16, plus shops, offices, auditorium, gymnasium, shower and storage rooms.  They reported a total number of 42 classrooms in the high school at that point.  

 

Sylvania student publishes children’s book

Mary Papidimos, a senior at St. Ursula Academy, is a typical 17-year-old girl looking forward to homecoming, special senior events, and graduation. However, she has one more thing to look forward to this year that would leave even adults jealous. She gets to see the final product of a book that she wrote when she was a mere 11-years-old.

Strong Head Sam The Cowgirl Hero is a children’s book that revolves around a cowgirl named Sam who can do the impossible.  At 16-feet 3-inches tall, this girl can do it all. Anyone that can shoot an object two thousand feet in the air and hit a target fifty-five miles away definitely deserves to be looked up to.

She is a great a role model for young girls everywhere teaching them that girls can do anything.  Loving cowboy stories but never hearing or reading any stories that centered on cowgirls and their own wild adventures inspired Mary.

With a 5 out 5 stars rating on www.amazon.com and a review that boasts a woman’s daughter loving it and planning to buy more for Christmas gifts, Mary Papidimos is surely going to make a name for herself with this book.

Spirits Among Us cemetery tour

Join the Sylvania Area Historical Society for a fascinating stroll through Ravine Cemetery in Sylvania on Saturday, Oct. 3, at 3 p.m. Costumed interpreters will bring local history to life by portraying citizens who are buried there. You’ll feel as if you’ve traveled back in time as you ‘meet’ the interesting spirits among us.  Discover fascinating facts, curious characters, and even some local graveyard lore!  The cemetery is located on Ravine Road, between Harroun Rd. and Main St. in Sylvania. Free event. Heavy rain cancels.
 

Sylvania Township’s Hill named Ohio’s Democrat of the Year

On June 27, Jason A. Hill of Sylvania Township was awarded the 2009 Democrat of the Year award by the Ohio Democratic Party for his work with the Promote the Vote effort. Mr. Hill served as 2008 Northwest Ohio Regional Counsel for the Ohio Democratic Party assisting in the monitoring of the election administration throughout 24 counties in Northwest Ohio. Mr. Hill is a partner at the Toledo law firm of Connelly, Jackson & Collier LLP.

Police Reports 9/2

Found property: On August 19, a bike was found around McCord Jr High.

Juvenile- Habitually Disobedient: On August 21, a mother stated that her son refuses to comply with parental and household obligations and is constantly disobedient.

Minor Possess, Consume Beer etc:  On August 19, officers were dispatched to a disorderly in the 4800 block of New England Lane. Upon arriving, a suspect ran and was apprehended a short time later. The juvenile admitted to being underage and intoxicated. They were subsequently placed under arrest and taken to the Sylvania Police Station and she was released to her father. Diversion information was relayed to the father.

Drug Abuse- Controlled substance possess/Use/possess drug paraphernalia: On August 19, Michael Warner, 48 was stopped for several traffic violations. Further investigation revealed marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

Petty theft: On August 19, victim’s son took his bike to McCord Jr HS and placed it in the outside bike rack, unsecured. When he returned the bike had been taken with his permission.

Petty theft: On August 23, the victim reported that unknown person(s) removed a bike that was leaning up against the west side of his house in the 5100 block of McGregor.

Burglary- trespass in an occupied structure: On August 24, victim reported that unknown person(s) attempted to gain entry into a home in the 4800 block of Marble Cliff.

Theft without consent: On August 23, unknown suspect(s) stole a bicycle from a home in the 4000 block of Boynton.

Theft: On August 19, unknown suspect(s) removed various cards and cash from the victim’s room, which is located in a residential facility in the 4100 block of King Rd.

Theft: On August 19, unknown person(s) took the central air conditioning unit by cutting the supply lines that connected it on the east side of the building.

Criminal Damaging- Knowingly: On August 20, unknown suspect(s) damaged the victim’s front door to her residence in the 4500 block of Weldwood by causing three small indents with an unknown object.

Breaking and Entering: On August 21, unknown suspect(s) attempted to enter a property by use of force. The suspect(s) did not enter the property but did damage two office doors.


 

Sylvania Area Chamber of Commerce Annual Arts and Crafts Festival – A Community Coming Together

The Sylvania Area Chamber of Commerce annual Arts & Crafts Festival will be held on September 13, at Lourdes College, 6832 Convent Blvd. Sylvania. The festival, one of the largest one-day events in the country will be held from 9:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. and features 180 juried arts and craft artisans. The beautiful location at Lourdes College allows greater mobility throughout the show area and the setting enhances the art experience for all.

     The Chamber Arts Festival will also feature regional entertainment, a concession area, an expanded children’s area in cooperation with Sylvania Playland and the Sylvania Fire Department. Admission is $2.00 per person which supports the Sisters of St. Francis. Free parking and a continuous shuttle is available at Sylvania Northview High School parking lot, Harroun Park and other areas surrounding Lourdes College

     The Art Festival began in 1957 and has been the major funding source for the Sylvania Area Chamber of Commerce. The funds raised are used for community and business programs that the chamber offers in the Sylvania area including scholarships for Sylvania area students, grants to local non-profit organizations and economic development and business. 

     The artisans come from all over the country. The festival features various mediums including art, glass, photography, jewelry, sculpture, pottery, needle arts and wood crafts.

     This year’s festival is a partnership between the chamber, the Sisters of St. Francis and Lourdes College. Presenting sponsors include The Toledo Blade, City of Sylvania and Buckeye CableSystem. Additional sponsors are Kingston HealthCare, Paramount Health Care, Lamar Outdoor Advertising, Meijer, ABC 13, 101.5 WRVF and WSPD-1370.

     The juried festival awards best of show winners in the categories of fine arts and crafts and the high quality exhibitions and accessible parking make the arts festival the highlight of the fall season.

MAYOR'S MESSAGE

Craig Stough  

"Patriots Day Ceremony Planned"

The City of Sylvania is planning a Patriots Day Ceremony for Friday, September 11, 2009 at 11:30 a.m. in River Centre Park at Main and Monroe Streets.  Everyone is invited to attend the ceremony.  Veterans, fire fighters, police officers, local dignitaries, Town Crier Michael Leiber, bagpipers, and elements of the Northview High School Band are expected to be in attendance.

As with previous years, the Ceremony will allow us to pause and remember the 9/11 attacks and connect us with similar ceremonies being held around the country.  There are assemblies like this one, some smaller and some much larger, planned in New York City, in Washington D.C., in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, around northwest Ohio and all around the country.

The 21st Century began with this terrible attack on 9/11/2001.  Our lives are changed everyday as a result of the threat of terrorism.  Travel is more difficult and some feel we have sacrificed some of our freedoms in response to terrorism.  

Our emergency responders have new equipment, new training and new missions.  Fire fighters and police officers will be recognized at the ceremony.

We are reminded there are others in this world who hate America for our way of life, for our freedoms, for our diversity and for our equality.  They profess the need to destroy America and our way of life.  Conflicts that began in Afghanistan and Iraq as a result of 9/11 continue to this day.

Many Americans are serving in those conflicts, and they and their families are paying a greater price to preserve our freedom than many of the rest of us.  Many young people from Sylvania have voluntarily joined the armed forces to serve the cause of freedom – people from all over our community – Andy Eckert, Matthew Drake, our neighbor's children, our town crier's daughter, a City councilman's two sons, Camp Miakonda director's son, my business secretary's son, and so many more.  

Join us this 9/11 at the 2009 Patriots Day ceremony, to mourn and honor those who died or have been injured, and to comfort those who lost loved ones on or since 9/11/2001.  And on this Patriots Day, 2009 let us also remember and honor those patriots among us who have served or who are serving today in the cause of freedom.