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Elmore gallery Artist Doreen Kirk, left, and Joanne Price, look over some of the 100 plus paintings on display at The Gathering Room, downtown Elmore. Price sponsored the recent open house of the gallery which includes artists from Elmore, Martin, Millbury, Oregon, and Toledo. At bottom, paintings include Blue Room by Elaine Tolliver, Spring by Doreen Kirk, and Poppies by Veronica Pearce. The gallery is open through February 28, Tues.-Fri. until 3 p.m., Sat. 8 a.m.-3 p.m., Sun. 8:00 am-2 p.m. (Press photos by Ken Grosjean)
Economic development
Sometimes it can be like baseball By John Szozda Press General Manager zoz@presspublications.com
Building for the future
This is the 30th year for Progress, The Press’s annual look at economic development. Looking back, you can’t say that things never change, nor can you say those were the good old days. Things do change, albeit slower than most of us prefer. This look back should hearten our resolve to solve our fresh water problem just like we solved our access problem. Consider that community leaders, in our first Progress edition in 1986, warned us a lack of access to industrial land was the biggest deterrent to development. Back then, the Craig drawbridge on I-280 was the greatest impediment to crosstown traffic. The bridge delayed traffic and deterred development. It opened 1,125
2015 times in 1985. Any company doing just-intime delivery to the auto industry would think twice about locating in East Toledo, or in Oregon’s industrial area. Grade crossings over rail tracks compounded this lack of access. Local officials, working with state government, solved this problem. The Millard Avenue overpass opened in 1998 and was followed by widening projects for Front Street in East Toledo and Route 2 heading east. The Veterans’ Glass City Skyway over the Maumee River was completed in 2007. A turnpike interchange was added at
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Elmore and last year the $11 million grade separation project at the rail crossings at Wales and Drouillard roads was completed. These road projects have increased access to our industrial areas and developer Ed Harmon soon capitalized. His Spartan Logistics firm today manages eight warehouse projects in the City of Oregon built since Millard opened in 1999. Tenants represent approximately 10 firms employing more than 600 employees in 716,000 square-feet of space. Companies include Fresenius Medical Care, Autoneum and Caraustar Industrial Products. Spartan also manages warehouse space in Northwood within a couple miles of the I-75 and Ohio Turnpike junction. This access has been cited as the main reason for industrial development at Access Pointe, home to auto suppliers Norplas and
Appeals court upholds firing of ex-Chief By Kelly J. Kaczala Press News Editor kkaczala@presspublications.com A ruling by a Lucas County Court of Common Pleas judge in 2013 to reinstate the former fire chief in Jerusalem Township after trustees fired him was reversed this month by Ohio’s Sixth District Court of Appeals. The appellate court, consisting of Judges Mark L. Pietrykowski, Arlene Singer, and James D. Jenson, unanimously voted on Feb. 6 to uphold the trustees’ dismissal of former Fire Chief Harold Stanton. Stanton filed a lawsuit against the township after trustees fired him on March 19, 2013 for allegedly permitting an individual who was not a member of the fire department to actively participate on emergency calls. Trustees initially suspended Stanton, who had been part-time fire chief since 2008, then later decided to dismiss him following a hearing. Trustees had stated in a letter to Stanton that they had repeatedly instructed him to not permit individuals to assist in the fire department during emergency situations unless they had been lawfully appointed Jerusalem Township firefighters. “This action is potentially dangerous to the individual, significantly increases the township’s potential liability and violates Ohio law,” trustees stated in the letter. “You have failed to follow the instructions of the township trustees. Your conduct and failure to follow instructions constitutes misfeasance, malfeasance, nonfeasance, and misconduct in the performance of your official duties as chief of the Jerusalem Township Fire Department.” Common pleas Stanton insisted he never had invited the individual, Jim Gray, to fire scenes and that he would just show up. He also said he had informed Gray in the past that trustees did not want him responding to calls. Stanton believed his dismissal was politically motivated because Gray is the brother of former Trustee Joe Gray, with whom Kiss was often at odds when both served on the board of trustees. On August 19, 2013 Lucas County Continued on page 9
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Christie Swan See page 10
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