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Lawsuit claims son injured in grid hazing
RESS February 10, 2014
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Cheer squad See Sports
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By J. Patrick Eaken Press Staff Writer news@presspublications.com
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The study is just one more pinhole in the mythical balloon of the detached father. John Szozda See inside
Honoring the fallen
Funerals were held for two firemen, Stephen Machcinski and James Dickman, who lost their lives fighting a north Toledo fire. Pictured, David Henninger, a volunteer firefighter with Lake Township, and others, salute as the funeral procession for firefighter James Dickman heads down Navarre Ave., Oregon. (Press photo by Harold Hamilton/hehphotos.com)
Mayor Collins
A promise to bring back respect ‘to ‘05’ By J. Patrick Eaken Press Staff Writer news@presspublications.com Seventy-one percent of the East Toledo electorate voted for Mayor D. Michael Collins when he defeated incumbent Michael Bell last November. Mayor Collins says that helped get him elected, and promises “the ’05 is going to regain the respect that it has lost.” To East Toledo residents, “the ‘05” is a commonly used term for their community’s zip code, 43605. “Thank you for your confidence in me and that confidence in me is not going to be misplaced,” Collins told about 50 East Toledo residents Monday night. Collins spoke at the Birmingham Development Corporation’s monthly meeting at Birmingham Branch Library. He was asked by BDC President Father Frank Eckart to talk about housing stock code enforcement, safety issues, and a need for more youth recreational facilities. Collins, who took office January 3, went further and talked about Toledo’s antiquated infrastructure and sewer problems, potholes in the city’s streets, snow removal, a return to neighborhood policing, and his desire for the city to employ new technology. For example, on his first day at his of-
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...what do you think is going to happen when that next knucklehead comes down there and decides he is going to throw tires into that alley?
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A federal Civil Rights Action was filed against Woodmore Local Schools and football coaches Britton Devier and Todd Bringman stemming from an alleged hazing incident in which a player suffered a traumatic brain injury. The case involves a 16-year-old student represented by the Charles E. Boyk law firm of Toledo and is assigned to Judge Jeffrey J. Helmick in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio Western Division. Plaintiffs Daniel Sprinski and Amy Sprinski, the 16-year-old’s parents, are asking for $75,000 or more in compensatory damages for personal injuries, pain and suffering, disability, medical and hospital expenses, sanctions, exemplary damages, and other damages, along with reasonable attorney’s fees and costs, pre-judgment costs, and other relief the court deems just. The school district responded with a statement reading, “The Woodmore School District maintains a high standard of safety consistent with schools in the State of Ohio and the safety of our students and studentathletes is a top priority. This concern was immediately investigated and addressed and all required reports were made. “Not only did the district conduct a thorough investigation, but the Ohio Attorney General’s office conducted an investigation along with the Bureau of Criminal Investigation and presented testimony from 49 witnesses to a grand jury, resulting in no indictment and no charges against Woodmore Schools or its employees. “While we cannot discuss specifics at this time due to student privacy laws, the district strongly disputes the false allegations in the lawsuit and looks forward to providing its response to the court.” Board member Steve Huss said two attorneys have been retained, including one representing the insurance company. A statement from the Boyk law office alleges, “On September 10, 2013, Head Coach Devier and Assistant Coach Bringman organized and implemented an attack against players as part of an effort to punish and
fice on the 22nd floor of One Government Center, he looked around for his computer but found none. He was then told that no previous mayor had ever used a computer in the office, which he changed immediately. Add to that, he plans to employ new technology on reporting crime, housing nuisances, domestic violence issues, and other neighborhood disturbances, by taking advantage of social media networks. He also talked about changing the culture of families and neighborhoods in Toledo. “Call City Hall is gone — we’re putting it all under one umbrella,” Collins said. “We are not going to do things the way we used to do them because obviously that doesn’t work. We’re never going to fix it unless we fix the fundamentals, like responsible parenting.”
Collins added that he plans to hire 40 police officers, with an estimated attrition of 28 retirees per year, and says the net gain will gradually get the city’s manpower back up to the 700 officers that is needed. “Right now, we are a police department which is reactive rather than proactive,” Collins said. He promised the city will become more aggressive on burglaries, property crimes, and crimes against persons. The mayor, a former city police officer, recalled days when an officer was assigned a beat, and often walked that beat. He said he wants to bring back neighborhood policing, including pairing up officers in patrol cars and assigning policemen to a specific neighborhood. “Indeed, we’ve scratched the surface, but it’s going to happen,” Collins said. Former city and state lawmaker Peter Ujvagi, a Birmingham native and resident, said he would like to see an officer, when paired with another in one patrol vehicle, get out of the car and walk the streets for three or four blocks at a time. He said the officer’s presence, although brief, will benefit the neighborhood. Tidy Towns Collins said along with the police officer, a code inspector and nuisance inspector will be “exclusively assigned to this (Continued on page 2)
JWH Oregon Senior Center is looking for our area’s best chili cooks for
Chili Cook-Off 2014
Friday, February 28, 5-8pm
3 Winners People’s Choice Judge’s Choice Best Chili Name
St. Michael’s Center 4001 Navarre Ave. Oregon PRIZES!
Call for entries. Deadline: Noon, Wed. February 25 (limit 15) Call for details & Tickets 419-698-7078