What say, this is the Best of issue, eh? Nice.
You might recall we revealed the Hildy nominations a couple of issues ago. But, in the fast moving world of City Politics, we have since lost interest in deciding winners. Who’s the bigger clown, Opal or Tom Names? Who cares?
Who keeps their head bowed lower, Pete Gerken or George Sarantou? Like the limbo song says, how low can you go? You pick ‘em, folks. We’ve moved on.
Instead, let’s try something completely different. See, sometimes the Best of City Politics is when politicos get the heck out of the way and let the better angels of civic life take over. Without further ado, here’s the . . .
Best of City Without Politics
The Toledo Walleye
A caveat, we could have added the Toledo Mud Hens here, since both teams share important attributes. The spotty on-field success of the Hens forces us to push them to the sidelines.
Back to the Walleye. Although owned through a non-profit, there is a connection to County guvmint. The Hunting- ton Center is County-owned. Profit or loss accrues to the County.
Like all politicians worth their salt, the County Commissioners initially made this connection explicit. They regularly flaunted the connection, making appearances at games and generally meddling in the works. In the meantime, the Walleye struggled through their initial seasons, before becoming a hockey juggernaut over the last decade plus. The team enjoys both regular and postseason success, despite roster and coaching changes.
That success has brought thousands of rabid fans downtown, spurring dramatic investment and economic development. And, fortunately, as the Walleye ascended, County politicians receded to the background
Congratulations, Walleye, and to you, Commissioners Lopez, Sobecki, and Gerken! By distancing yourselves from Walleye management and letting Walleye leadership do their stuff, you are the Best of City Without Politics!
Imagination Station
You may know that the present-day Imagination Station Science Discovery Center was originally the ill-fated Port- side Festival Marketplace.
Portside was the cornerstone of massive revitalization efforts aimed at Summit St. in the nineteen eighties. Those efforts had brief success before Portside’s long, slow slide into th economic abyss. Enter Imagination Station. The City of Toledo owns the building, and the current budget is partially subsidized by a County-approved levy.
That support has allowed the center to flourish. Traveling exhibitions keep the offerings fresh and interesting. The new IMAX XL theater expands those capabilities, bringing everything from 3D mainstream movies like The Polar Express to arts offerings like Mesmerica XL. Add it all up and Imagination Station is a beacon for school groups, families, and others seeking educational opportunities in downtown T Town.
And then the water broke. Literally.
Cold weather ruptured a main water line feeding the Station, causing it to pause operations. The City of Toledo determined it needed an outside contractor to complete the work, to the tune of three hundred fifty thousand dollars.
Repairs underway, City Council dropped the ball. Apparently there weren’t enough members present for the required supermajority to approve the funding on first reading. That delayed the funding even as work was ongoing.
All’s well that ends well. The funding finally in place, and repairs complete, the center has reopened with a new exhibit and fresh, clean water.
For contributing to downtown revitalization, Imagination Station is the Best of City In Spite of Politics.
As to the Council members who couldn’t bother to attend to their civic duty, and got in the way of progress, a double City Politics thumbs down.
You are the Worst of City Politics.
