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City mulls law curbing panhandling
RESS October 27, 2014
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Pioneer passes See page 5
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By Kelly J. Kaczala Press News Editor kkaczala@presspublications.com
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I did 30 years in the Jeep plant. It was like walking into the United Nations. Pete Gerken See page 5
Night work
A cargo ship creates an interesting night scene at The Andersons grain elevator along the Maumee River, East Toledo. (Photo courtesy of Maggi Dandar mdandarphotography.com)
Ottawa County
Sitting judge faces staffer he fired By Cynthia L. Jacoby Special to The Press Behind his stately desk on the Ottawa County Courthouse third floor, Common Pleas Court Judge Bruce Winters reflects on his first six-year term. “I’m finally in a position to make a change. There are no guarantees,” Winters said. “We’ve worked hard to make changes to get us to this point.” Those adjustments include lowering the annual budget to $945,000 for the court and probation department, picking up grants to underwrite costs for new programs and intensifying oversight of drug testing and treatment connected to the hundreds filtering through the court system. Winters didn’t enter into criminal justice on a whim. His direction has been firmly centered on advancement in the field since high school. He’s spent the last 18 years following a trail from probation officer, prosecutor and magistrate leading up to this point. Overall, “I have 35 years in the system. I could retire and return to private practice. I could make more money. It just seems like I’m here to make a difference,” the judge assessed. Things are different this time.
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He was going door to door and accusing me of being a liar.
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Northwood is looking at passing an anti-panhandling law. People holding up signs by the road asking for money have been a common occurrence in Northwest Ohio since the recession in 2007, though motorists have seen them around since the 1980s. Their recent appearance at traffic lights and intersections with heavy traffic is becoming a nuisance, according to Northwood City Administrator Bob Anderson. “There’s a whole group of people who are in the area who are soliciting money. It’s getting bad. I don’t like the looks of it,” said Anderson, who believes many are simply scamming the public for a free handout. “We all want to be charitable. But there’s help for those folks. There’s plenty of help available. They don’t need to be on street corners begging for food and money. They make more money panhandling, I think,” he said. “Our local cadre of people appealing for handouts on area freeways and roads is expanding and they seem to be becoming more aggressive with their solicitations. Increased competition may be the cause.” Anderson said they are becoming a distraction to motorists, who should be focusing on the road. Panhandlers appear throughout the city, but more commonly at the Meijer store, at the intersection of Wheeling and Curtice, and at exit ramps, he said. Northwood’s Safety Committee has discussed the issue, he said. “Before introducing a pertinent ordinance, I would like to discuss this issue again with the Safety Committee, the mayor, police chief and city attorney.” The ordinance, he said, cannot interfere with someone’s First Amendment rights. Courts have in the past ruled that individuals who are merely holding up signs asking for money are within their constitutional rights. “It’s a touchy issue that deals with Free Speech,” said Anderson. However, they cannot stand in the road
Winters faces Lorrain Croy of Oak Harbor, a former magistrate he fired in 2012. Croy has 15 years experience prosecuting cases and currently works in the Sandusky County Prosecutor’s Office. She also has the backing of the Ottawa County Democratic Party. With less than two weeks before the Nov. 4 election, she’s upbeat she will be able to unseat Winters and take over the helm of the county’s top courtroom. “I am confident we’re going to succeed,” Croy says of her campaign. “I’ve received overwhelming response while talk-
ing to all my supporters … and I know I make better decisions.” Croy’s backers include law enforcement – including the Ottawa County Chiefs’ Association – as well as former Ottawa County Common Pleas Judge Paul C. Moon, who once stood in Winters’ corner. She’s says her “tough on crime” stance helped gather that support. “My experience and my endorsements are recommendations to the voters,” she said. Croy feels her grassroots experience and down-to-earth style make her better suited to represent those who walk through the courtroom doors. She’s also worked closely in the last year with behavioral therapy programs aimed at lifting people up from dire circumstances. “I understand people of all walks of life who come before the court,” she said. Winters ran for his first term as a Democrat. This election, he is running as an Independent rather than under the cloak of the party he faithfully trumpeted for years. As a result, he has spent the final months of the campaign fending off accusations of the Democratic political machine Continued on page 4