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The Versatile and dominating See page 22
Planet Aid
RESS April 28, 2014
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• PrimeTimes • Courts • Police See Second Section
Serving i Th The E Eastern astern t Maumee M Bay Communities Since 1972
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Attorney threatens lawsuit By Kelly J. Kaczala Press News Editor kkaczala@presspublications.com
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If your current path is not enjoyable, make changes. Bryan Golden See page 10
Springtime playtime (Left) Nine-year-old Madison Wagner, of Toledo, pushes 1-year-old A’marion Gaiter, of Toledo, on one of the spinning flowers at the new and improved Pearson Park playground. (Right) Fiveyear-old Alexander Harder of Toledo experiments wth music-making on the chimes. (Press photo by Stephanie Szozda)
The Jobst Building
Charter school growing, moving By Larry Limpf News Editor news@presspublications.com The administration of the L. Hollingsworth School for the Talented & Gifted plans to start the 2014-15 school year in a new location. The charter school recently completed the purchase of a building at 653 Miami Street and several other parcels from the now defunct River East Economic Revitalization Corp. for $307,744, according to the Lucas County auditor records. Terrence Franklin, Hollingsworth’s head of school, said Tuesday that renovation work on the vacant building – which had housed offices and facilities of JOBST - is proceeding on schedule. “Our first day of the school year is August 27 and construction will be done by that time,” he said. The school has been in its current location at the former Sacred Heart School on Sixth Street for five years and has seen its enrollment grow from just under 100 students in grades K-6 to a projected 330 students for the coming school year up to the ninth grade. “We were desperately looking to stay on the East Side,” Franklin said. “We
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A lawyer for Planet Aid, a non-profit group that collects clothing and shoes in recycling drop boxes across the country, has asked the City of Northwood to reconsider the removal of the boxes or it could face litigation. The city last year mailed letters to the owners of the collection boxes, as well as to the owners of properties where the boxes are located, to inform them they are in violation of the zoning code. The bins, described by Northwood as “accessory structures,” are not permitted by the Central Business District Zoning Code. “…you must remove any and all collection boxes currently located on your property…Failure to comply may result in further action, including, but not limited to, the removal of the boxes by the city,” stated the letter. The city has removed several boxes, which have cropped up mostly along commercial corridors over the years. The public has complained to city officials, calling them unsightly. Planet Aid’s lawyer, Daniel P. Dalton, of the Dalton & Tomich law firm in Detroit, sent a letter to City Administrator Bob Anderson on April 9 urging the city to reconsider the removal of the boxes. “As you are aware, my client has donation bins throughout the city and has had them in place for many years,” states Dalton in the letter. “My client entered into contracts with property managers to place a bin on the property and has since placed the clearly marked and properly maintained collection bin on the property.” He further states that his client was informed that the bins are a violation of the approved site plans for that business, and therefore must be removed. When asked if his client could submit a site plan for the placement of bins, the city indicated it would process the application but the request would be denied because Northwood “wants to ban all bins within its borders,”
I think we have created an environment where they feel empowered...
have students from all over but we have a fair share from right here that come the East Side proper. We wanted to stay committed to the area but at the same time we were looking for ways to not only develop our program but also help and improve the community. We couldn’t think of a better way to help our needs as well as the needs of the community at same time. We are also very proud that our new building project will create new job opportunities.”’ If the projection for next year’s enrollment holds, it would be an increase of about 100 students from this year. “When we started we didn’t have any desire to go higher than sixth grade. Then we added seventh grade and then eighth,” Franklin said. “Then the question was, what about high school? So we decided to open a ninth grade this upcoming year. And
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every year after we’ll add one high school grade level.” He attributes the growth to the school’s strong ties to students’ families and the local community. “I think we have created an environment where they feel empowered, they feel welcome. They feel that their children are growing and are receiving a great education. In everything we try to do we try to be inclusive and that everything is oriented towards family and community – those are our main pillars,” Franklin said. To that end, the school officials have already met with staff of the nearby Locke branch of the Toledo Lucas County Public Library to discuss the development of joint programs and Franklin said the building is being renovated to include space for meeting rooms that can be utilized by community and neighborhood groups. He estimates the building, once complete, will have a capacity for about 500 students in grades K-12. The “talented and gifted” part of the school name is a bit misleading, Franklin said. It is open to students of all levels of ability. The sponsor of the school is the Buckeye Community Hope Foundation.
There is a Levy issue on the May 6 ballot. It is a school levy of 4.9 mill plus a ¼% income tax. Vote on May 6 or wake up on May 7 with a significant increase in your real estate tax and income tax. Either way, be involved - VOTE! Paid for by Paul Billick 779 Elkridge Rd. Northwood, OH 43619