Fostoria transitions into the future

Transcription

B1
REVIEW TIMES
OMMUNITY
UPDAT
C
E
F R I D AY, F E B R U A R Y 2 1, 2 0 14
Police seek to make city
a safer place | B2
Fire Division answering
the call | B3
New businesses alter
economic landscape | B10
Fostoria transitions into the future
Mayor
Keckler
optimistic
about city’s
foundation
for success
By BRIAN BOHNERT
STAFF WRITER
New relationships, heartfelt
goodbyes and the completion of
many long-awaited projects highlighted 2013 for Mayor Eric Keckler and his administration.
Settling in during his first term
of office, Keckler said he is continuing to see results from goals
he set when he first became mayor
in 2012.
“I wanted to make sure Fostoria had a presence in all three
counties,” Keckler said. “We have
three separate state representatives and state senators; I wanted
to make sure we kept in pretty
good contact with them all the
time so all those people know who
we are.”
While some consider living
in a tri-county area a disadvantage, Keckler said he has made
it a priority to take advantage of
access to legislators representing
all three counties, as well as two
Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) districts.
Part of building those strong
relationships, he said, was getting regional lawmakers in on
Fostoria’s interests, including the
recent merger of Fostoria and Tiffin’s municipal courts which was
sponsored by Rep. Rex Damschroder (R-Fremont) and signed into
law by Gov. John Kasich.
“Those are all things I’ve
hoped to get accomplished and I
think we’ve done a good job with
that so far,” he said.
Additionally, Keckler said he
has been equally as committed
to maintaining a strong working
bond with Fostoria Area Chamber
of Commerce, The Fostoria Area
Visitor’s Bureau and Fostoria Economic Development Corporation,
three organizations known for
“making things happen” for the
good of Fostoria.
“For me, that’s what this whole
thing has been about – the partnerships,” he said. “We have a lot
of really great, really dedicated
people in the community who all
want the best for Fostoria. These
partnerships are very important.”
Saving money
Exactly one year ago, Keckler
described the city’s finances as an
“emotional rollercoaster” heading
into 2013. Despite the uncertainty
of what lays ahead for 2014, the
city finished in the black with
more than $300,000 in the general fund.
General fund revenue for 2013
was down 6 percent from 2012’s
$6,890,137.19 with $6,567,579.30.
On the other side of the spectrum, general fund expenses for
2013 were $6,437,161.06, down 4
percent from the previous year’s
$6,683,362.32.
While the city has continued to
have a “tight” budget for the last
few years, Keckler said he hopes
the recent merger of the municipal
courts of Tiffin and Fostoria will
save the city as much money as
expected, a lot of which will come
from previously uncollected fines,
taxes and bills.
“I think that number is in the
area of $1.2 or $1.4 million that
has not been collected in the past,”
Keckler said. “Through a new contract, the attorney general’s office
can actually come in and collect
that money for us.”
Court merger
The merger between the Fostoria and Tiffin municipal courts got
the green light in 2013, receiving
the stamp of approval from state
and local legislatures.
Tiffin Municipal Court Judge
Mark E. Repp, who was appointed
as administrative judge of Fostoria Municipal Court in June 2012,
File photo
PERHAPs THE mOsT highly-anticipated project to reach its conclusion in 2013 was the long-awaited Fostoria Rail Park, or “Iron Triangle Visitors Center and Viewing
Area.” The project, which began construction on April 17, was opened Nov. 15 for a total construction cost of $1,095,131.91. The rail park is a product of a local group of train
enthusiasts who envisioned a platform dedicated to train viewing and of Whitta Construction, which was awarded the project with a bid of $995,949.
was elected as magistrate of both
courts this past November.
During a Jan. 27, 2014 presentation on the court at Fostoria
Rotary Club, Repp said the small
caseload for Fostoria Municipal
Court was losing the city money,
costing Fostoria anywhere from
$80,000-$100,000 over the last
10 years.
Fostoria Municipal Court has
tried roughly 3,000-3,500 cases
per year over the last five to eight
years. Throughout the same time
period, Tiffin Municipal Court
had approximately 6,000 cases
annually. Individually, both courts
fell well below the state municipal
court average of 12,000 cases per
judge per year, Repp said at the
Rotary meeting.
When it comes to the uncollected fines and costs in Fostoria
over the last decade, Repp said
the number topped off at approximately $750,000 with a collection
rate in the 40 percent range.
The schedule for the court
works as follows: on Mondays,
Wednesdays and Fridays, Repp
and his staff preside in Tiffin. On
Tuesdays and Thursdays, Repp
presides over cases in Fostoria.
In addition, all cases filed in the
Fostoria area remain in Fostoria
and all cases filed in the Tiffin area
remain in Tiffin.
Jury trials are conducted on
Wednesdays in Tiffin while Thursdays are reserved as “jury days” in
Fostoria. Cases can also be transferred between Fostoria and Tiffin
with consent of the prosecution,
Repp said.
While saving money was the
main cause for the court merger,
Keckler said Judge Repp’s firm
reputation and heavy gavel toward
criminals are added incentives.
“What we’ve seen so far is that
bad guys have a lot of respect for
Judge Repp; and, I appreciate that.
Because, we’d rather they do business in another community,” he
said.
City projects
Several projects were either
completed or moved forward in
2013 through grants and generous donations from community
members.
Perhaps the most highly-anticipated project to reach its conclusion in 2013 was the long-awaited
Fostoria Rail Park, or “Iron Triangle Visitors Center and Viewing
Area.” The project, which began
construction on April 17, was
opened Nov. 15 for a total construction cost of $1,095,131.91.
The rail park is a product of
a local group of train enthusiasts who envisioned a platform
dedicated to train viewing and of
Whitta Construction, which was
awarded the project with a bid of
$995,949.
With several severe bouts
of heavy snow and bitterly cold
temperatures dampening the rail
park’s inaugural season, Keckler
said he hopes the spring, summer
and fall foot traffic makes up for
it with rail fans coming from near
and far to visit the new tourist
attraction.
“The excitement from the rail
fans and the rail aficionados has
been fantastic,” he said. “A lot of
rail fans like the snowy pictures,
but I’m really looking forward to
seeing the appreciation of the park
in spring, summer and fall ... It’s
a fantastic looking project and it’s
something to be proud of.”
Another asset to the community has come at the hands of a
partnership between the city, the
Geary Family YMCA, the Greater
Fostoria Community Foundation
and Fostoria City Schools for work
to renovate and update Foundation Park, formerly Meadowlark
Park. Projects like installing
scoreboards and updated baseball and softball fields have been
a part of the plan throughout the
last year.
The city also initiated several
sewer-related projects in 2013,
namely the installation of new
clarifiers at the Waste Water
Treatment Plant (WWTP).
Keckler said the project will
both increase capacity and keep
the city in compliance with Ohio
Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) regulations. The city
received approval from Ohio EPA
on Jan .4 and the project received
approval of the 2013 Water Pollution Control Loan Fund on Aug. 2
for the amount of $4,466,650.00.
The bid for construction was
awarded to Peterson Construction on Aug. 5 with an amount
of $3,607,000.00. Construction
began in August with a set completion date of late summer 2014,
according to City Engineer Dan
Thornton’s 2013 Engineering
Project Report.
Going further into 2014, Keckler said the city will continue to
clean out area sewers and to keep
out of the EPA’s “dog house” by
working on the Long Term Control Plan to keep sewer lines clean
and up-to-date.
Future projects
While Keckler said the majority of 2014 will be spent recuperating financially from 2013’s
projects, this year will finally see
the start of the Stearns Road widening project.
The project, which has been
in the planning stages for the
File photo
JUDGE mARK REPP speaks to members of Fostoria Rotary Club on the state of the recently-merged
Tiffin-Fostoria municipal Court. Repp, who was elected to the position in November, splits his work
week between both cities. mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, Repp presides in Tiffin, while he
conducts business in Fostoria on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
better part of a decade, will widen
approximately one-half mile of
Stearns Road in Perry Township
to three lanes while also installing
curbs and storm water drains.
“We should hopefully start
seeing some things happen out
there, which is fantastic because
that road has seen its better days,”
Keckler said. “It’ll be a huge
improvement.”
The city obtained an Issue 1
grant in the amount of $1.1 million from the Ohio Public Works
Commission for which it will provide 80/20 matching funds for the
project.
According to Thornton’s 2013
Engineering Project Report, the
total cost of the Stearns Road project was estimated at $1,861,091
in 2007 with the city’s portion set
to come in at a price tag of about
$550,000 or about 32 percent of
the total cost.
The anticipated sale date for
the project is July 2014, the report
stated.
The city hired Moorman Acquisition Services, LLC for the rightof-way takes in 2013. The total
cost for the right-of-way work was
$142,146.00.
Law Director Tim Hoover said
construction on the project should
begin sometime this spring.
This June, the city, alongside
the Fostoria Area Chamber of
Commerce and Gus Macker 3-on-3
Basketball, will host a 3-on-3 tournament at Fostoria Junior/Senior
High School.
A three-year contract for
Macker tournaments to take place
in Fostoria was signed Dec. 20,
bringing the national tournament
to the area June 14 and 15.
While the event will center
on an outdoor basketball tournament that will include competition
in several male and female age
groups, it is expected to bring in
family and friends of participants.
Vendor booths will be set up,
as well as a play area for younger
children.
Each team will be guaranteed
at least three games, and bracketing will be done by computer, with
players’ ages, heights and playing
experience being factored.
See FOsTORIA, Page B7
B2
COMMUNITY UPDATE 2014
FOSTORIA REVIEW TIMES, FRIdAy, FEBRUARy 21, 2014
Police seek to make city safer
Officers take measures in
2013 to deter crime
By BRIAN BOHNERT
STAFF WRITER
For the officers of Fostoria
Police department, 2013 was
about sending a message to criminals looking to do business in the
community.
“We want people to know that
if they’re going to bring (crime) to
Fostoria, we don’t want it here,”
Safety Service director Allyson
Murray said.
With updated equipment, a
tougher court system and razorsharp dedication to stopping drug
trafficking and property crime in
Fostoria, the department made
great strides in reducing illegal
activity in 2013.
Technological Upgrades
In an effort to increase the
effectiveness of the limited manpower, while also reducing the
risk of on-duty officer injury, the
department recently purchased
nine new Tasers early last year
with help from generous members
of the community.
The Tasers carry approximately 250,000 volts, with each
probe traveling a distance of up
to 25 feet. In addition to holding
two probe cartridges containing barbed darts, each device is
equipped with the ability to provide a contact shock, known as a
“drive stun.” That occurs when
the device is pressed against a
suspect’s body.
Once an officer pulls the trigger, each probe delivers a predetermined, five-second shock that
can be administered to multiple
suspects at once.
Since the police department
purchased the new Tasers, Fostoria Police Capt. Patrick Brooks
said officers have seen a noticeable
decrease in the amount of physical
altercations with suspects.
“The mere mention or brandishing of a Taser brings about
compliance in 99 percent of cases,”
Brooks said. “That has had a good
impact because it keeps officers
from having to get into hand-tohand combat in which a lot result
in injuries both to subjects and
officers.”
In addition to combative
instances shrinking, Brooks also
said the number of break-ins is
down significantly in the last year,
compared to the rash of those committed by three separate groups
during the summer of 2012.
Brooks said officers have not yet
had to deploy Tasers on subjects,
but they will be legally protected
if and when that time comes. Each
device records all deployment data
that can be downloaded to show
when a charge was deployed, how
long the charge lasted and what
kind of deployment was used. The
information also shows the time
interval between deployments.
To further ensure safety, EMS
is dispatched every time a stun
gun is used on a suspect in order
to provide a medical assessment.
FPd recently upgraded the
department’s computer system,
both in-house and on the road
as officers now have computers
inside their squad cars.
“I was fearful the unit was going
to crash and suffer a catastrophic
failure,” Brooks said. “So, we used
the Seize drug Fund we have and
replaced unit and expanded it to
put computers in the cars.”
One of the biggest benefits
to the in-car computer systems,
Murray said, is officers now no
longer have to be at the station to
finish their reports. Instead, they
can type their reports right from
the scene, saving time and increasing the amount of detail in each
report.
A non-technological upgrade
that came at the hands of giving
community members was the
department’s newest K-9 officer,
Marley, who works with Officer
don dennis. Marley, the dog purchased to replace dennis’ former
partner, Ninja, is bite certified as
well as trained in narcotics searching and tracking.
A viable member of the force,
Brooks said Marley has been
called to track fleeing or lost subjects, perform drug sniffs at local
schools and narcotics sniffs on
vehicles during traffic stops.
Personnel
After a lengthy absence, Police
Chief John McGuire announced
his retirement in 2013, making
it official on dec. 23. McGuire,
who had been on paid medical
leave since July 2012, vacated his
position after filing for a medicalrelated retirement.
McGuire, who was hired as
FPd’s police chief in 2006, had
been on an extended leave as the
result of injuries sustained while
on duty. He was scheduled to
return on Oct. 1, 2012 but his leave
was extended.
McGuire was receiving wage
continuation from the city until
the confirmation of his retirement
was made. His annual salary was
more than $71,947.
Fostoria Civil Service Commission, alongside Mayor Eric
Keckler and Fostoria City Council,
ended the year by jump-starting
the search for McGuire’s replacement, drafting a new job description for the vacant position.
The administration began 2014
by commencing the selection process, including forming the chief
selection committee and advertising the job to officers throughout
the region.
In a previous interview with
the Review Times, Brooks, a Fostoria resident for the last 18 years,
said he would be interested in the
position. In McGuire’s absence,
Brooks took command over the
department.
“It has been my wish and goal
since I’ve been here to do anything
in my power to have an impact on
the city to make it a great place to
live and play,” Brooks said. “And,
I hope to be able to continue to
do that.”
In other personnel matters,
Fostoria Police Officer William
Campbell was officially promoted
to sergeant on dec. 4. Campbell,
who has been with the department
since 2007, was one of three officers who took the sergeant’s exam.
Sgt. Campbell fills the vacancy
left by Officer Cory Brian, who
relinquished his position on March
17, choosing to continue his law
enforcement career as a patrol
officer.
Campbell earned the highest
cumulative score in the city’s
sergeant test, which was made
up of a written exam and an oral
review. Both portions of the exam
were administered in October by
daniel T. Clancy and Associates,
Cleveland.
Murray said Campbell began
his tenure as a sergeant in the
beginning of January, working
afternoon shift. When speaking
of the Clyde native’s time with
FPd, she said his work ethic and
dedication to the community will
make him an excellent sergeant.
Building broad
partnerships and
securing change
File photo
FOsTORIA POlIcE OFFIcER Don Dennis debuts his new K9 partner, Marley, at a check presentation ceremony at the Fraternal Order
of Eagles #430 headquarters last year. Marley, a 15-month-old Belgian Malinois, started training with Dennis at a training facility in
Wapakoneta upon his arrival in Ohio. While his last partner, Ninja, was only certified in narcotics, Dennis said Marley will be patrolcertified, able to bite, search and handle narcotics investigations.
“He’s going to do an outstanding job,” she said. “He is a military
veteran; he was an outstanding
officer; and, I know he’s going to
do a great job as sergeant.”
A tougher court system
As a cost-saving measure for
the city, the municipal courts of
Fostoria and Tiffin became one
in 2013. Though the merger did
not become official until Jan. 1,
2014, Mayor Eric Keckler and
Tiffin Mayor Aaron Montz witnessed passing of the legislation
in Columbus.
Judge Mark Repp, who previously served as Tiffin’s judge,
was elected as magistrate of
Tiffin-Fostoria Municipal Court
in November.
during a Jan. 27, 2014 presentation on the court at Fostoria
Rotary Club, Repp said the small
caseload for Fostoria Municipal
Court was losing the city money,
costing Fostoria anywhere from
$80,000-$100,000 over the last
10 years.
Fostoria Municipal Court has
tried roughly 3,000-3,500 cases
per year over the last five to eight
years. Throughout the same time
period, Tiffin Municipal Court
had approximately 6,000 cases
annually. Individually, both courts
fell well below the state municipal
court average of 12,000 cases per
judge per year, Repp said at the
Rotary meeting.
Repp’s presence in the community, as well as his firm reputaSee POlIcE, Page B8
File photo
FOsTORIA POlIcE cAPT. Patrick Brooks demonstrates the features of FPD’s new Tasers at a
Fostoria Block Watch meeting last year at laura’s American cafe. Brooks said the police department
purchased nine Tasers last year, enough to equip every officer on a given shift. Fostoria Police Officer
Evan Ely attended a two-day, Taser-sponsored training session and has served as the instructor for the
other FPD officers.
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B3
Fire Division keeps answering the call
Chief leading effort to
update equipment, keep
firefighters employed
By MORGAN MANNS
STAFF WRITER
Fostoria Fire division focused
on updating outdated equipment
and keeping the station staffed
with well-trained personnel in
an effort to be more productive
and efficient for the community
in 2013.
Fostoria Fire Chief Keith
Loreno received the Outstanding
Service to the Community Award
in April at the Owens Community
College’s Alumni Association’s
10th annual Outstanding Service
Awards. Loreno was nominated
for the award by Fostoria Safety
Service director Allyson Murray
for his dedication and leadership
to his community and the safety
forces field.
during his three years with
FFd, Loreno has organized an
annual “coats for kids” campaign,
a smoke detector giveaway program, a Safety Town program
for preschool students, a mock
crash event to teach the dangers
of drinking and driving to teenage students and more events that
are intended to keep community
members safe.
“It was a pretty humbling experience,” he said of receiving the
award in April. “But if I had it my
way, everyone would get an award
in my division.”
Loreno praised the work of the
division’s staff, stating that they
are “fantastic firefighters, paramedics and EMTs” and that they
“always perform in an outstanding
manner.”
“They go out of their way to
make sure things run smoothly,”
he said. “The command officers
make really good decisions and
they’re all always doing what’s
best for the community. It makes
me proud to be the chief.”
Loreno described their work
as everyone “wearing two hats,”
where at one moment they may be
fighting a fire, the next they may
be treating a patient and immediately after they may be handling
situations such as an automobile
accident or a hazardous substance
report.
“I don’t think the guys realize sometimes how proud I am of
them for what they do,” Loreno
said.
The fire division is currently
staffed by 19 firefighters and paramedics; Chief Loreno, Capt. Jim
Walters, Capt. Scott Basinger,
Capt. Warren digby, Lt. Brian
Herbert, Lt. Jason Root, Lt. Jerry
Goodman, firefighters Michael
Stahl, Randy Rubel, Harry Miller,
david Cook, Cory Gregg, Mark
Cassidy, and firefighter-medics
Kyle Blausey, Jason distel, Greg
Keiser, Robert Payne, Fred Reinhart and Joe Gill.
Gill was hired in September
2013 as a firefighter/paramedic to
replace one of two former Fostoria
firefighters who resigned to accept
positions elsewhere. He was officially sworn into the division in
October.
After completing his courses
in November 2011, he worked for
MedCorp EMS and Hanco EMS,
both in Findlay, and volunteered
at Bloomdale Fire department &
Rescue Squad.
Loreno said Gill will go
through a one year probation
period where he will complete
knowledge tasks, learn standard
operating guidelines, and practice
safety procedures.
“To me, one of the top things
that have happened is we didn’t
have any firefighter injuries; no
one was involved in any kind of
incident where they could have
potentially gotten hurt,” he said.
“That, to me as fire chief is a great
event.”
Loreno said it’s his top priority
and more critical than anything
else that goes on within the division that “everyone goes home,” as
the national slogan goes.
Right up there on his list of
duties is keeping the firefighters
employed at the station, he said.
The division’s 2010 Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response (SAFER) grant
expired Sept. 21, 2013, due to a
six-month extension that allowed
the division to use all of the money
allocated. However, the division
completed the application for the
2013 SAFER grant Aug. 29, 2013
and are “anxiously awaiting word”
from FEMA (Federal Emergency
Management Agency), according
to Loreno.
The SAFER grant is a two-year
grant that pays for the employment of eight additional firefighters/paramedics at the division,
which currently works under
three 24-hour, six-person shifts,
allowing for no more than two to
be absent at a time for vacation,
personal days or sick days.
According to Loreno, 40 percent of the division was laid off
without help from the SAFER
grant, which left only three people
working each shift, the third working overtime.
“you try to do the best that you
can with the money you have available, utilizing outside resources,”
Loreno said. “(The SAFER grant)
got people back to work and put
staffing back in the fire station at
normal pay status and benefits,
which helped the division as a
File photo
FOSTORIA FIREFIGHTER Robert Payne sits on a stretcher as he tests the auto loading system of the new Fostoria Fire Division
ambulance with the help of (from left) Fire Chief Keith Loreno, former Fire Chief Russ Rife, and Fostoria Mayor Eric Keckler. The new
ambulance has multiple special safety features, including the auto loading system, which can lift up to 700 pounds.
whole become more effective and
efficient.”
Loreno explained that a minimum of four firefighters per shift
is the national standard, allowing
for a “two-in two-out” policy in
the event of a fire and more staff
on-hand if multiple emergencies
occur at once.
If renewed, the grant will give
Fostoria Fire division roughly
$1.2 million.
The government shutdown
caused a delay in the awarding
of the SAFER grant this year.
FEMA has until the end of September 2014 to award all of the
grant money.
In addition to the SAFER
grant, Loreno said the division
applied for the Assistance to
Firefighters (AFG) grant, which
is an equipment-specific grant.
Although the division applies for
the grant every year, Loreno said
it has not received the grant since
he’s been the chief.
The division applied for a
$750,000 fire truck, a Quint, to
replace the current rescue that was
purchased in 1988. The truck will
be equipped with a no less than
75-foot ladder, a pump that carries water, rescue tools, and EMS
equipment, according to Loreno.
“It’s not uncommon for us to
be returning from a call when we
need to respond to another one,”
he said. “This will be an all-in-one
first initial response vehicle.”
In 2013, FFd responded to
a total of 2,164 calls. The most
common response was to reports
of falls, which made up 15 percent
of all EMS calls with a total of 224
calls, followed by respiratory problems at 135 calls (9 percent).
The division transported a
patient in 81 percent of all calls,
while 15 percent refused transportation and 4 percent were other
circumstances.
The city received a new ambulance in 2013, which became operational earlier this month. The
ambulance, Medic 91, is equipped
with a variety of safety features,
including its auto loading system,
which can lift up to 700 pounds at
the push of a button.
Other features include all rollup or sliding doors, all LEd lighting, extensive reflective lights and
decals, dual horns and sirens, and
wireless radios.
The box itself provides additional safety through its tubular
steel wall supports, which will prevent the box from distorting in the
event of an traffic crash.
Because of its durability, the
ambulance should have a lifespan
of more than 15 years. The average lifespan of a typical ambulance
is closer to five to seven years.
The older ambulances the
division owns are 14 and 16 years
old, and will serve as reserves to
Medic 91.
The city paid for the ambulance
with a five-year loan through First
Federal Bank in Fostoria with a
one-year deferment. Payments will
begin in december.
In addition to the apparatus,
Loreno said the division is continuously replacing the firefighters’
outdated structural firefighting
gear, air packs and extrication
equipment, as well as providing
in-house training.
In order to maintain a firefighter or EMT certificate, an
individual must complete so many
hours of training. According to
Loreno, he is trying to offer more
training within the division for
the men.
Last year, Reinhart Auto Body
let the division borrow a run-down
school bus, after they had relieved
the bus of its motor for business
use. Loreno said the men used
the bus, at no expense, to practice
with tools and extrication equipment in-house during “down time”
and without paying overtime.
After the fire division completed training hours, Reinhart’s
See FIRE, Page B8
More than 20 years of
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File photo
A FOSTORIA FIREFIGHTER works his waydriving through a series of cones in the parking lot of
Autolite during a test evaluating his maneuverability.
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• Three meals daily
• Weekly wellness visits
• Monthly health clinic
• A full calendar of
scheduled activities
• Aquatics programs
• Regular maintenance
• Professionally
prepared culinary
meals
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The Original Hospice
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• Four levels of care:
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• Grief Counseling
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181 E. Perry St., Tiffin, OH 44883
419-447-4040
• 1-800-834-8100
419-447-4040
Email: [email protected]
[email protected]
www.communityhospicecare.com
File photo
Not-For-Profit, Medicaid/Medicare Certified
Licensed by State of Ohio
Community Hospice Care has
earned the Joint Commission’s
Gold Seal of ApprovalTM
PAMELA SMITH (right), executive director of the Fostoria Area Chamber of Commerce, and former board chairman Pam Shumaker (left),
share information with Chris Widman, executive director of Good Shepherd Home, following the chamber’s annual luncheon meeting last
year.
Out in the community
Chamber of Commerce offers networking, development ideas
By MORGAN MANNS
STAFF WRITER
The Fostoria Area Chamber of
Commerce continues to promote
the community by providing networking opportunities and hosting
fundraising events.
Executive director Pamela
Smith said her focus, although primarily on Fostoria, is expanding
to include areas such as Arcadia,
Bettsville, Bascom, New Riegel
and other surrounding cities.
“(The Chamber of Commerce)
is a very old, very structured,
very strong organization which
creates an opportunity for businesses small and large to join and
have the opportunity to be able to
network directly within the membership with other members,”
Smith said. “We’re constantly
growing the chamber, focusing
on creating new opportunities for
membership and also looking for
ways that will enhance economic
development of the community.”
The chamber currently has
roughly 280 members, generating
38 members in 2013, 61 in 2012
and 42 in 2011.
Smith said that currently, 85
percent of businesses in Fostoria
are chamber members. She said
she hopes to see at least a ten
percent increase in membership
in 2014.
Smith said the chamber is not
the type of non-profit organization
that can receive grants. Rather,
funding comes from new memberships, renewals and money made
from events. The 47 various events
it held in 2013 included business
networking meetings, computer
training, ribbon cuttings and five
major events.
The first of these events was
the annual luncheon in January.
This year, 98 people attended,
compared to last year’s 93. Lt.
Governor Mary Taylor served as
the guest speaker this year and
chairperson Pam Shumaker was
replaced by Ryan Smith.
In addition to the luncheon, the
chamber hosted its 37th annual
Chamber Golf Classic in 2013 with
a tropical theme, dueling Pianos,
its Annual Car Show and the
Holiday Open House, which featured Breakfast with Santa, train
rides, horse and buggy rides, live
reindeer, and crafts at businesses
downtown and at the Plaza before
and after the parade.
Last year’s Annual Car Show
was rescheduled due to inclement
weather. The event took place in
September in conjunction with
the city’s Rail Fest. Smith said it
was so successful that it has been
scheduled with the Rail Fest again
See OuT, Page B8
A
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Senior Housing
& Healthcare
Community
ST. FRANCIS HOME
All private rooms
Skilled Rehabilitation and Therapy
Alzheimer’s/Dementia Care
Wi-Fi Available
Also available:
Independent Living
Villas and Apartments,
Assisted Living and
Child Daycare.
St. Francis Ave., Tiffin • 419-447-2723
Visit our website at www.stfrancistiffin.org
File photo
REPRESENTATIvES OF Fostoria Area visitors Bureau and others preview “The History of Fostoria,
volume I: ‘Fostoria’s Firsts’” at the Fostoria Community Arts Council. The film, created by Capture1
Studios of Fostoria and the Fostoria Area visitors Bureau, gives historical information about the city,
ranging from its unity in 1854 to its successes and criminals. The film was released to the public for
DvD and Blu-ray purchase in September.
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• Sm. Hall-Seating for 40 • Sm/Med Hall-seating for 124
Give us a call today 419-435-6118 for details
www.stacysplacefostoria.com
It is our goal to be both a valuable
business partner and a good neighbor.
Hours: Monday-Friday 7:00 am-4:00 pm
12500 West County Road 18 Fostoria • 419-436-0505
WCA
Waste Corporation
B5
Building a solid foundation for the city
GFCF marks 15 years of
contributing to various
community projects
Greater Fostoria Community $167,894.02 for maintenance,
Foundation reached several mile- operation and renovation at Founstones in 2013 from fundraising to dation Park from GFCF fund,
grant distribution.
Community Involvement Fund,
Established in 1998, GFCF Leroy T. Kelbley Fund, Miller
marked its 15th anniversary of the Family donor Advised Fund, Ashfirst fund to create the Foundation land Farms Fund, Richard & Ann
which now holds a collection of 16 Carter Fund, Miller Memorial
component funds. Those funds are Fund and Robert & Betty Watson
pooled and invested with a portion Fund
of the income being distributed as
• Kaubisch Memorial Public
grants back to the community.
Library — $5,000 to archive
In those
back issues
15 y e a r s ,
of The FosGFCF has
toria Focus
“Two years into
distributed
from the
(Foundation Park),
more than
Community
$1 million to
Involvement
we’re grateful for the
50 non-profit
Fund
support we continue to
charitable
A not he r
organizamilestone
receive
in
improving
this
tions in Fosmarked by
toria and the
community asset. There
GFCF was
surrounding
its second
have been countless
tow nsh ips,
year
of
giving back
major fundhours of planning, hard
more than
ing toward
labor, volunteer time and
$1,4 21,16 0
the mainteto the comnance, operin-kind
donations
that
munity,
at ion a nd
according to
have already gone into
re nov at ion
information
e f for t s of
Foundation Park, with
provided by
Foundation
the FoundaPark, giving
much more work planned.”
tion.
the project
In 2013
a tota l of
- Greater Fostoria Community
a lone, the
$ 382,154
Foundation
Foundation
from across
distributed
s e ver a l
more than
GFCF funds.
$177,500 in grants to community
The Foundation also received
organizations.
donations in memory of Jerry
Those distributions included:
Nelson, Jack Smith, Harold Leon• Kidney Foundation of NW ard, Lucille Frankart, Norma
Ohio — $1,000 in support of the Murray, Steve Geroski, III, and
PROMISE program (Providing Brenda Lonsway.
Resources and Opportunities to
In addition, GFCF also received
Maximize Independence through donations in honor of Ron Burns,
Service Endeavors) from the don Miller, Judy Miller and WilGFCF fund.
liam Reineke, Sr.
• Seneca County CommisThe Foundation also hosted
sion on Aging — $3,650 match- two major fundraisers in 2013:
ing funds for a new handicapped the 12th annual Mardi Gras,
accessible modified minivan for which attracted approximately
use in the city of Fostoria from 400 people and its 4th annual Hog
the Richard & Ann Carter Fund
Roast & Benefit auction. More
• Geary Family yMCA — than 100 people attended the hog
File photo
A new sign sits at the Zeller Road entrance of Foundation Park. there had previously never been a sign at the back entrance, but,
according to geary Family YMCA executive Director eric stinehelfer, “As many people that come out of town for baseball games and
softball games, we figured why not put one in?”
roast with the proceeds the last
two years going directly to the
Foundation Park project.
Looking ahead, the Foundation plans to continue its efforts
to improve the quality of life for
Fostoria and area residents.
“We feel positive momentum
building across many areas in
our community,” a press release
from the Foundation states. “One
area is the collaborative work that
continues on behalf of Foundation
Park. Two years into this extensive project, we’re grateful for the
support we continue to receive in
improving this community asset.
There have been countless hours
of planning, hard labor, volunteer
time and in-kind donations that
have already gone into Foundation Park, with much more work
planned.”
To further that goal, the GFCF
board elected three new trustees
for 2014 during its annual meeting.
New board trustees whose terms
begin this year are Linda Holmes
Bowling, d. Ford Mennel,and Eric
Stinehelfer.
Bowling moved to Fostoria
three years ago to marry Bill
Bowling of Bowling Transportation. She previously lived in New
york City and was the senior vice
president of a large import company where she was in charge of
product development and their
private label program.
Mennel is the president and
treasurer of The Mennel Milling Company. Mennel is a board
member of the Fostoria Economic
development Corporation, the
Good Shepherd Home and the Fostoria Learning Center, where he is
board vice president. Additionally,
he is on the advisory boards of the
University of Findlay, Hospitality
Management Program and Mercyhurst University’s Walker School
of Business. Mennel is a board
member of the North American
Millers Association and holds a
B.A. from Mercyhurst College and
an MBA from Averett University.
Stinehelfer has been the executive director of the Geary Family
yMCA since 2005. He is on the
board of directors of both the
United Way of Fostoria and the
Fostoria Rotary Club. Stinehelfer
has also served on the Kiwanis
board of directors and the Fostoria Area Chamber of Commerce
Ambassador program. He earned
a Bachelor’s degree in Business
Administration from Tiffin University and officiates high school
basketball, softball and baseball.
Other members of the GFCF
Board of Trustees include officers: Bridgett Mundy, president;
Chris Widman, vice president;
Aaron Smith, treasurer and trustees: Mark Baker, dr. AK Basu,
Angela Briggs, Cheryl Buckland, Ron Burns, Barbara Hoening, John Irwin, Karl Kerschner,
Charles Knight, donald Miller,
Judy Miller, Chris Posey, William
Reineke, Sr. and Eugene Schalk.
Michele Cochran is the executive
director and standing board secretary.
“Changing The World, One Child
& One Community At A Time”
Fostoria Kiwanis Club
What we do:
Provide Shoes for children in need • Team up with
ProMedica Fostoria Community Hospital to perform car
seat safety checks • Mentor elementary students • Visit
patients in nursing homes • Purchase food baskets for
low-income families • Help with Meals on Wheels
• Highway clean-up • Put up U.S. flags on holidays
• Provide funding for various local non-profit agencies
The public is always welcome at Kiwanis!! We
meet at noon every Tuesday @ Good Shepherd
Home (basement meeting room). Call
419-435-6641 ext. 240 for more information.
Wesley United Methodist Church
1200 Van Buren St.
419-435-8551
Sunday School....9:15 a.m.
Worship....10:30 a.m.
FOSTORIA ROTARY CLUB
“CELEBRATING 94 YEARS
OF COMMUNITY SERVICE”
• Student Scholarships- Awarded each year to students attending college and are
graduates of Fostoria City and St. Wendelin Schools.
• Risdon Square Landscaping- Each spring, pays for the landscaping to be
completed at Risdon Square for beautification.
• Christmas Parade- The Annual Rotary Christmas Parade brings area groups and
organizations together to share the Christmas spirit with the Community.
• Community Event Sponsorships and Donations- Rotary donates thousands of
dollars to help sponsor local groups, organizations and events.
• Literacy Program- The Rotary Literacy Program donates a book each week to
Fostoria City and St. Wendelin Schools. Every book is signed by the guest speaker
each week.
• Rotary Foundation- The Rotary Club of Fostoria has 28 members who are Paul
Harris Fellows, representing significant contribution to the Rotary Foundation.
• MESA- The Fostoria Rotary Club also participates in the Medical Equipment Sent
Abroad program which supports third world countries.
• Student Honors- Two students from Fostoria City and St. Wendelin are honored
each month during the school year as Rotary Students of the Month.
• Rotary S.T.R.I.V.E. Program- A fun, interactive program between students and
Rotarians in which students benefit from programs on topics from the employment
to information on continued education opportunities and scholarships.
SERVICE ABOVE SELF
If you are interested in becoming a Rotarian: Find us on
Facebook @ Fostoria Rotary Club or call John Irwin @
419-435-0463, or Arlen Lowery @ 419-435-1211
Please support these groups & organizations. They are proud to be an important key to our community
“A Fostoria Tradition”
Fostoria VFW Post #421
112 W. Tiffin St.
419-435-2282
DayBreak of Fostoria
Adult Day Center for persons with
Alzheimer’s Disease & Memory Loss
Caring for a Loved One...Need
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First Day Free... Come check us out
$30 per day
Financial Assistance Available For Those
Who Qualify
M-W-F 8:30 am to 2:30 pm
For more information contact: Terri Faeth
725 Columbus Ave.
419-435-4022
Fostoria
A
Agency
Fostoria Glass
Heritage Gallery
“Dedicated to displaying
glass made by Fostoria glass industry artists”
Closed January & February
March Thurs – Sat. 10-3
April – December: Tues – Sat 10-4
109 N. Main St. Fostoria, OH 44830
www.fostoriaglass.com
American
Red Cross
Down the Street
Across the County
Around the World
Join the Red Cross Team
1-800-RED-CROSS • redcross.org
First Christian Church
Disciples of Christ
255 W. Center St., Fostoria
419-435-2341
fccfostoria.webs.com
Pastor Ken Varney
9:30a.m. Sunday School, 10:30 a.m. Worship
[email protected]
Fraternal Order of Eagles #430
1049 N. Countyline St., Fostoria, OH
free entertainment every Fri eve. for members
419-435-2114
Proud to support LOCAL charities
and organizations in Fostoria through
various fundraisers.
Always Accepting Men’s Aerie & Women’s
Auxiliary Members. Call for Details.
--Every Wednesday --±
TIFFIN MALL BINGO HALLl
Doors Open 4 P.M.
Early Birds 6:00 P.M. Regular Bingo 6:45 P.M.
B6
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Find Your Family
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File photo
Spurred by the Fostoria Rail Preservation Society and supported by the community at large, the Fostoria Rail Park, or “Iron Triangle
Visitors Center and Viewing Area” was brought to completion in 2013. Set to be a 24/7, 365-day “hot spot” for rail fans, the rail park is
just one of the many projects Christopher Iannantuono, Fostoria Economic Development Corporation executive board chairperson, said he
hopes will bring a higher volume of foot traffic to the city.
SNYDER’S
FLOOR COVERING
OUTLET
214 STATE ST.
BETTSVILLE
419-986-5599
Owners:
Bob & Linda Snyder
www.snydersfloorcovering.com
Hours: MWF 9:30-5:30; T-Th 9:30-7; FRI 9:00-6; SAT 9:30-1:30
FEDC sets sights
on jobs, education
Projects include Learning
Center and the Rail Park
By BRIAN BOHNERT
STAFF WRITER
Fostoria Economic development Corporation in 2013 continued its mission of bringing more
jobs and continued education to
the community with Fostoria
Learning Center and various community projects.
Christopher Iannantuono,
FEdC executive board chairperson, said FEdC spent much of the
last two years furthering various
community projects like the constant revitalization of downtown;
the Iron Triangle Visitors Center
and Viewing Area; and, the Fostoria Learning Center.
“The emphasis over the last
two years was on evaluating major
projects,” said Iannantuono who,
prior to this year, served as the
board’s vice chairman. “Some of
those projects were spun off into
separate boards. Some were set
aside because the timing was just
not right.”
Fostoria Learning Center
The Fostoria Learning Center,
a local education center designed
to offer skilled trade and career
training to people in the area, was
a top priority in 2013. A threemonth study completed in January
determined the center was feasible, as long as Fostoria does not
attempt to compete with existing
facilities like two- and four-year
colleges; instead, choosing to fill
the gaps with training pertinent
to area jobs.
The heart of the effort to bring
secondary education to Fostoria
was two-fold: getting the building
on the map and working with local
school districts.
“There are people who struggle
to go 15 to 20 miles for education,”
Iannantuono said. “For the people
who can use the added education
like single parents or things of
that nature, we can put it right in
their lap.”
Collaboration with Fostoria
City Schools Superintendent
Andrew Sprang and St. Wendelin director of Parish and School
Brian Shaver is the bedrock of the
project, he said.
“Sprang and Shaver are the key
to the whole community,” he said.
“As well as Hopewell-Loudon,
Arcadia and Lakota.”
The first courses at the center
will be commercial driver’s license
training and iSTAR database management training, the latter of
which will qualify participants to
perform many jobs in the information technology industry.
“We have an excellent workforce, both work ethic-wise and
skill-wise,” Iannantuono said.
“And, the sooner we can train
them, find jobs for them and bring
those jobs in, the better.”
Additional offerings suggested
by the study included post-high
school remediation courses to
“revisit critical skills”’ family
preparation courses for college
such as financial aid workshops;
and workforce development for
both entry-level positions and
courses to enhance the skill sets
of existing employees.
FEdC’s desire to foster
greater collaboration with the
community does not stop at the
school systems. As the organization continues to work to bring
new businesses to the area, Iannantuono said it has been “very
critical” to bring everyone from
city officials, regional lawmakers,
educators, hospital administrators
and major manufacturers together
under one roof for the good of the
community.
“All of us together are smarter
than any one of us,” he said. “So,
when you get into a room now
with industry, education, the
hospital, the (media), as well as
the city, county and state governments, you’ve got people in there
that, by doing their own jobs but
working together, make us much
stronger.”

The Fostoria Rail Park
FEdC also emphasized revitalizing Fostoria’s downtown area,
turning the city into a destination
for tourists. Spurred by the Fostoria Rail Preservation Society
and supported by the community
at large, the Fostoria Rail Park,
or “Iron Triangle Visitors Center
and Viewing Area” was brought to
completion in 2013.
Set to be a 24/7, 365-day “hot
spot” for rail fans, the rail park is
just one of the many projects Iannantuono said he hopes will bring
a higher volume of foot traffic to
the city.
A new direction
For 2014, FEdC has set its
sights in a new direction. With
a focus now set on putting the
city on the map, the organization
began 2014 by searching for a new
director to replace Joan droll,
who held the position for nearly
five years.
Iannantuono said the board’s
decision to steer FEdC in a direction focused on marketing Fostoria to prospective businesses,
as well as working to grow businesses in the community, led to
droll and the organization walking their separate ways.
“There’s an area that Joan
has been fantastic at – and that
has been coordinating, getting
answers for our members, putting projects together and helping
facilitate the good work of FEdC,”
he said in a previous interview
with the Review Times. “There’s
another aspect to the job that
requires selling the community.
It’s a completely different set of
skills.
See FEDC, Page B8

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Projects dot Seneca Co.
commissioners’ agenda
B7
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Phone: (419) 986-5122
Fax: (419) 986-5204
Visit our Website at
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Officials weigh uses for former county courthouse site
By JIM MAURER
for the review times
TIFFIN — The Seneca County
commissioners have made no decision about constructing a building to replace the former county
courthouse, but additional funds
have been set aside for a potential
project.
In October, the commissioners agreed to put $300,000 into a
“justice center” fund, which has a
balance of $700,000.
No cost estimates have been
developed, but the commissioners have said a project may cost
$5 million to $6 million.
The commissioners have been
presented several building ideas
for the site at the corner of Market
and Washington streets in Tiffin.
The property is where the 1884
courthouse was located until it
was demolished in early 2012.
The area is now used as green
space by various groups for programs and festivals.
The county’s court annex building, adjacent to the property, has
a heating and ventilating system
large enough to handle a second
building. A new building would
likely be connected to the annex
building.
In a related matter, a meeting
will be held at noon March 5 at
the North Central Ohio Educational Service Center to present
results of a city/county justice
center study. Burgess/Niple, a
Columbus-based consultant, will
present information.
The study was funded with a
$100,000 state grant received by
the North Central Ohio Regional
Council of Governments.
The city/county building would
include space for two common
pleas courts, the clerk of courts,
and possibly other county offices.
Juvenile/probate court would relocate to the annex building from a
Jefferson Street site which is not
handicapped accessible.
The new building would likely
house Tiffin-Fostoria Municipal
Court, the municipal court clerk’s
offices, and the city prosecutor.
In June, Gov. John Kasich
signed legislation which created
the combined municipal court to
save both communities money.
Judge Mark Repp was unopposed
in the November election for a sixyear term. Fostoria has municipal
court space, so residents do not
have to travel to Tiffin for court
business. Repp splits his week
between the two sites.
Separately, Bascom’s new
Fostoria
Continued from page B1
to be a big production, bringing in
an estimated 5,000-10,000 people
over the one weekend, Keckler
said Gus Macker has vowed to
work with the city to ensure the
event is anything but an overwhelming experience.
“There’s a national event we’re
going to have here in good old Fostoria,” he said. “It scares me a little
bit, but I think we can handle it.”
Goodbyes
Fostoria said goodbye to several familiar faces in 2013, in the
form of two longtime city council
members.
wastewater treatment plant
became operational about midyear 2013 and residents were
given a year to connect to the
sewage system.
Helms and Sons Excavating,
Findlay, handled installation of
the main lines and construction
of the treatment plant. Cost was
more than $4 million. Federal
funds paid for the work.
Bascom residents have been
making quarterly payments for
years toward the project.
The federal funds included a
$1.1 million loan for the county
to purchase the New Riegel sewer
system, a federal requirement for
approval of the Bascom funds.
The purchase of the New Riegel
system was necessary because the
former Farmland Foods company
closed its plant. The company was
expected to pay more than 60 percent of the system’s annual operating cost. With Farmland gone, the
community did not have sufficient
income to pay for system operations.
Payments by New Riegel residents will cover the county’s loan
to purchase the sewer system.
Separately, work continues on
an energy conservation upgrade to
county-owned buildings. The largest part of the $877,000 project is
being done by Warner Mechanical,
Fremont, which bid $529,600 for
installation of the “chiller” unit at
the Seneca County Services Building on Washington Street, Tiffin.
The equipment will be tested in
the spring prior to the air conditioning season.
The company’s bid also covered installation of energy control
software at the county jail. It will
allow control of nine county buildings. Access to the program will
be available at the commissioners’
office, too.
Other work includes roof
repairs and lighting upgrades at
several buildings.
The work is expected to save
the county about $153,000 annually, which will be used to pay for
the improvements. The county
borrowed the money and will also
use about $190,000 in Community
development Block Grant money
for the work.
The county’s payback is estimated to take six to seven years,
according to Ed Reid with Palmer
Energy Co., Toledo, the project
consultant hired by the County
Commissioners Association of
Ohio to oversee the work.
Separately, the commissioners
last month affirmed their decision
to grant a petition for cleanup of
Wolf Creek from about Alvada,
near the Hancock/Seneca County
line, to Bettsville near the Seneca/
Sandusky County line. The commissioners also approved a resolution which sets assessment
amounts and a repayment schedule.
The commissioners will fund
the estimated $280,000 project. Repayment will be done via
assessments on real estate tax
bills, with up to three years to
repay the funds.
Leaning trees and log jams
will be removed this year. Also,
sand/silt bars will be removed as
part of the work. Some sand/silt
bars will require permits from the
Army Corps of Engineers, county
Engineer Mark Zimmerman said.
The owners of properties that
front the drainage channel are
being encouraged to do the work
themselves, or hire someone to
do it. Zimmerman will meet with
property owners who want to
undertake the work, which will
reduce their assessments.
In July, the commissioners
approved a lease agreement with
Seneca County Chaplain Corps for
the former county youth detention
center at 3481 S. Eden Township
151, Tiffin. The building faced
demolition after a new county
youth services center was opened
last February.
The Chaplain Corps will pay $1
annually, and provide insurance,
maintenance and repairs. The
one-year agreement includes an
automatic renewal for up to five
years if the organization retains
its operation. The agreement
includes an “out clause” for either
side annually.
Among its services, the organization provides counseling,
overnight stays for needy or displaced residents, debriefing for
emergency personnel after a crisis,
and a food pantry.
Separately, the commissioners
approved a resolution in december to issue up to $18 million in
bonds for construction of a postacute care rehabilitation center
and geriatric psychiatric medical
building on land adjacent to Mercy
Hospital.
It will include 20 beds for
rehabilitation patients. They will
be relocated from Autumnwood
Care Center on Ohio 18 east. Also,
there will be 24 beds for geriatric
psychiatric care, for individuals at
least 65 years old.
Volunteers of America, which
operates the Tiffin nursing home,
Ten-year city council veteran
Paul Feasel stepped down from
his position in November, just two
weeks after winning reelection.
Feasel, who held the position
since 2003, announced he would
not take oath of office, instead
electing to focus on his growing
family and his business, Bliss
Charters.
In 2014, Feasel’s vacant 2nd
Ward seat was filled by the man
he defeated in the election, Geary
Family yMCA Program director,
Greg Flores.
Teresa Lee, 3rd Ward representative who had also served on city
council for many years, did not
seek reelection in 2013 and was
replaced by community member
and pastoral associate at St. Wendelin, Jonathan Hay.
While Feasel and Lee are still
just a stone’s throw away, Keckler
likened the professional loss of the
two former councilpersons to the
2012 loss of Fostoria Municipal
Court Judge Barbara Marley and
councilman Jerry Nelson, both of
whom passed away after battles
with colon cancer, diagnosed only
months apart.
“Losing all that experience
all at once is a lot,” Keckler said.
“In the past, it was Paul, Teresa
and Jerry (Nelson) sitting on the
other side of the table staring at
me. Now that whole side is different ... We mourn the ones that we
lost and we certainly do appreciate the ones that left. We will miss
them but now it’s time to turn our
attention toward the future and
continue to do good things for
Fostoria.”
will fund construction of the building.
The county will have no
responsibility for debt payment,
but was required to sign off on the
issuance of bonds.
Also in december, the commissioners approved a 1 percent
increase in the county lodging tax
charged by hotels and motels. The
tax is now 3 percent.
The tax money will be used
by Seneca Regional Chamber of
Commerce and Visitor Services to
promote the county.
Last April, don Kelbley
resigned as director of the county
emergency medical service. He
had been director since November 2010.
He was replaced by Ken Majors.
Majors is working with the commissioners on a long-range plan
for the service which may include
paying workers. It may take a year
or two to develop the plan.
Separately, a four-county
group, the Transportation Coalition of North Central Ohio, organized to promote Ohio 53 safety
improvements. The group wants
to seek state funds for the project.
The group includes officials
from Wyandot, Seneca, Sandusky
and Ottawa counties.
A final report, expected in the
fall, would cover the 54-mile road
from U.S. 30/U.S. 23 near Upper
Sandusky to Ohio 2 in Ottawa
County. Left-turn lanes at intersections, a wider berm, lowering
some hills which obstruct visibility at intersections, and additional
signs are among the suggestions
to improve safety.
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Police
tion amongst convicted criminals,
makes him an effective deterrent
against repeat offenders or “frequent flyers” in Fostoria court,
Brooks said.
“This is helping us put forth
the perception in the image,
especially among the criminal
element, that this is not a town
to come into to commit a crime,”
he said. “We will catch you; you
will go to jail; and, you will get
time in jail.
“By doing this, we are hearing from defendants in town,
when we pick them up, that they
are not happy to go in front of
Judge Repp because they know
he is going to hammer them.”
‘Interactive presence’
File photo
FOSTORIA MAYOR Eric Keckler pauses in his short speech during the Fostoria Iron Triangle Visitor
Center & Viewing Area, or Fostoria RailPark, opening for a train to pass through the crossing. The park
is open from dawn until dusk daily.
FEDC
a completely different set of skills.
“If we were a larger community
and a larger organization, what
Joan does is absolutely required
and what this other person does
is really required if we’re going to
retain jobs, gain jobs and get new
companies to come to town; but,
we can’t afford to do both.”
To meet FEdC’s changing
needs, Iannantuono said the board
is actively seeking a candidate
Fire
the scrap yard. However, they
donated the money to the division,
rather than keeping it.
That money, as well as money
from other donations, paid for
book materials for local students
and an actor, Kerry Blair, also
known as “Kerry Kazaam,” the
Magic Safety Man, who visited the
schools to talk to students about
fire safety.
The fire division, in conjunction with city administration, Fostoria Police department, and the
Out
uled with the Rail Fest agai
n this year for Sept. 27.
“All events are created for the
purpose of putting the businesses
out there in the position to make
money,” Smith said. “That money
goes back into the community to
different programs like education
or business development. We look
at all opportunities.”
Smith said the chamber also
has planned an Area Safety Council meeting for April 16 at St.
Wendelin Parish with a special
motivational speaker.
For two years now the chamber
has been hosting “What’s Perkin
@ the Chamber” and “Meet me
@ 4 p.m.” The organization uses
these events as networking tools
to give those who attend the
opportunity to interact with one
another.
New this year will be the Gus
Macker, which is a 3-on-3 basketball tournament that will be held
outside of the Fostoria Junior/
Senior High School on June 14-15.
The event includes teams of four of
all different age groups, both male
and female.
Twenty outdoor courts will be
set up at the school, as well as a
with “extensive marketing experience” to attract jobs and undo
negative images businesses in
and around the region may have
of Fostoria, including being too far
away from a four-lane highway and
not having a local institution for
higher education.
“The image of Fostoria is not
the reality of Fostoria,” he said
in a previous interview with the
Review Times. “We identified at
least five aspects of the community that either, in the region or
outside the region, Fostoria can
have the wrong image portrayed.”
FEdC is looking to hire its next
director as soon as possible so the
board can begin putting together
a specific action plan for the years
ahead, Iannantuono said. FEdC
has already received offers from
economic development corporations in Hancock and Seneca
counties to help develop the successful candidate once the position
is filled.
As the year moves forward,
Iannantuono said FEdC has many
goals, including marketing the city
to site selectors for businesses;
continuing local projects like the
learning center; conducting retention visits to member companies;
and, providing continued assistance to FEdC members.
local schools, has become proactive in the Safe Schools program
in an effort to ensure the safety of
the students in the event of any
kind of emergency.
Officials from each department
came together in January for a
tabletop exercise, in which they
created guidelines and discussed
the best forms of action to take in
certain emergency situations.
“Each of us come from a different discipline so each of us is
going to want to react differently
in a given situation,” Loreno said.
“We discuss how emergency services is going to respond and how
our guidelines work and marry
them up to the school’s guidelines
so that when we get there, we’re all
operating under the same page.”
variety of vendors.
According to Smith, the event
will bring in roughly 10,000 to
12,000 people for the weekend
with 200 to 220 teams.
“It’s a huge event and fundraiser for the local community,”
she said. “The purpose of this is
it will bring in lots of people from
different areas. We want them
to really be able to take a look at
what’s here, the opportunities that
are here.”
The city signed a three-year
contract for Macker tournaments
to take place in Fostoria.
Smith said a certain percentage
of the proceeds will be donated
back into community to currently
a undetermined organization(s),
depending on how much is made.
In addition to this new event,
the Chamber purchased the building next to it, located at 121 N.
Main St. to “put a face on the
sidewalk” for the Fostoria Area
Visitor’s Bureau.
“The Visitor’s Bureau is the
marketing arm for the community,” Smith said. “We want people
to understand that we do have a
Visitor’s Bureau and we do tourism.
“This will act as reinforcement
that we’re growing. If the Chamber is reinvesting in property here,
that should make business owners
feel very confident that things are
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Loreno said the majority of
it is preparatory work, networking and brainstorming, looking
at strengths and potential weaknesses at every angle.
“The process is ongoing,” he
said. “Each and every time there’s
an incident of some serious matter
in the school, someone will evaluate it and make suggestions as to
how better to handle that situation or how to prevent it. So we’re
constantly going to be evaluating
how to improve our response and
discussing how it’s all going to
potentially play out.”
going places, business is picking
up.”
Smith advised that in another
effort to create jobs, increase business and promote the community,
she contacted Target headquarters
requesting that they consider
building a department store in the
area. However, they advised that
they are currently only building
in Canada.
“We can draw from Tiffin, Fremont, Bowling Green, Arcadia,
Bettsville,” she said. “I got their
attention. you think big and big
things will happen.”
According to Smith, both buildings will be renovated and will be
connected by creating an opening
in the wall. Bids will begin coming
in this month and she said she
hopes renovations will be complete by the end of 2014.
“The best part of working at
the Chamber is seeing the change
that’s happening in the community,” Smith said. “It’s growing and
growing and growing. Seeing the
people and the different organizations working together, communicating and knowing what everyone
else is doing so that they can be
promoting each other. … that is
how I measure success. Seeing
the people getting on board, not
being afraid to work with other
companies. And they really enjoy
it once they do it.”
The department set out in
2013 to give its officers a more
interactive presence in the community. To forge a more comfortable and approachable dialogue
with Fostoria’s citizens, FPd
both brought back its Block
Watch program and introduced a
local chapter of TRIAd, a group
dedicated to opening up more
communication with Fostoria’s
older residents.
Officer Brandon Bell, who
patrols the streets with his K-9
partner Riky, initiated Fostoria’s
TRIAd group, serving as the
coordinating officer.
“We want to try to increase
accessibility,” Brooks said. “We
want to make the perception
of the department toward the
citizens transparent and open
to the citizens. And, I think
we’ve taken great strides in
accomplishing that. I think citizens feel they can talk to us in a
more free and open fashion than
before.”
Fostoria’s T R I A d g roup
meets once a month and invites
any Fostorian, particularly the
elderly, to voice concerns about
issues in the community that
relate to them. Topics such as
telephone or postal scams and
property crime in the community are among topics discussed
at the meetings.
As of February 2014, Brooks
said Officer Adam Nelson will
become TRIAd’s new coordinating officer as Bell is spearheading a department-wide audit of
FPd’s evidence room.
“It’s something that has not
been done in a long time. We’ve
got evidence from as far back
as 1936 that we still have in
custody,” he said. “We need to
identify and purge out.”
The department reestab lished its Block Watch program
in October. Led by Brooks,
Murray and Mayor Eric Keckler, block watch brings Fostoria
officials, administrators and
enthusiastic members of the
community together to discuss
topics of concern and what the
city is doing to make the city
better.
Fostoria’s Block Watch pro-
GENERAL CONSTRUCTION
gram meets the third Wednesday of every month at 6 p.m.
Comprehensive training
Fostoria det. Shiloh Frankart
recently attended crime scene
processing technician training
in order to help the department
better solve breaking and entering and burglary crimes. Since
Frankart has received the training, Brooks said FPd has closed
three old burglary cases in town.
“This is a resource we’ve not
had in the past that we have been
able to readily use,” he said.
“That’s been a big asset.”
Going into 2014, Brooks said
the department is looking to
acquire additional equipment for
crime scene processing, including software for the processing
and analysis of digital photographs taken at crime scenes.
For the future, Brooks said he
would like to send another officer to the technician training so
two detectives could be on call
at all times. With two at FPd’s
disposal, he said the department
could have an even better case
closure rate in breaking and
entering and burglary cases.
Safe Schools
The Safe Schools Initiative
was formed ormed by Fostoria
City Schools in August 2012.
designed to bring local school
systems together w ith city
administrators and safety service officials, the initiative is
a comprehensive plan between
multiple agencies for keeping
school students safe in case of
an emergency.
Brooks and Fostoria Fire
Chief Keith Loreno are both
members of the Safe Schools
executive committee, alongside
representatives of FCS and St.
Wendelin Catholic School and
others.
The committee has met several times throughout the last
year to form a “critical incident
response” plan in case of an
emergency at an educational
facility.
Hosting “table top demonstrations,” officials from FCS,
St. Wendelin, Fostoria Police
depa r t ment , Fostor ia Fire
division, and Ohio and Seneca
County emergency management
agencies recently met and spent
multiple hours running through
various emergency scenarios
to prepare every agency in real
time.
“This tabletop was an excellent training opportunity for all
members to identify areas of
critical response for planning …”
Brooks said. “As the law enforcement participant, I took away a
great deal of information which
will help Fostoria Police department improve and develop our
critical response plan.”
Brooks said FPd also recently
sent officers Cory Brian and
Justin Kiser to ALICE instructor training, a program that provides options to school systems
in the case of an emergency situation. As part of that training,
those officers also completed
training at all of the local school
buildings, including St. Wendelin and Wesley United Methodist
Church’s day care center.
Looking ahead
Looking ahead into the rest
of 2014, Brooks said his goal is
to steer the department further
toward professionalism with
officers who treat everyone they
meet equally, no matter the circumstance.
“There has, in the past, been
a little bit of a slip where it has
been because someone has committed an offense, officers are
not polite; and, that is not the
perception we want to have,” he
said. “It doesn’t matter if you
contact the soccer mom going
to a practice who inadvertently
rolls through a stop sign. you
treat that person with the same
respect as the person you picked
up at a local store for shoplifting.”
While the current hunt for
the new chief prevents him from
making major decisions for the
department, Brooks said he
hopes 2014 allows him to continue to serve the community he
has raised his family in.
“I love Fostoria. This is a
good city,” Brooks said. “That’s
the reason why, if I can’t feel safe
letting my wife and kids go to
Kroger and go grocery shopping,
I’ve failed in my responsibility
as a police officer in Fostoria. If
I can’t send her to a local store,
then I’ve failed.”
WSOS Community Action Commission Inc.
Serving Wood, Sandusky, Ottawa & Seneca counties
In
Housing Repair
Preschool
Heating & Cooling bills assistance Home Weatherization
Foreclosure assistance
Fatherhood Programs
Homebuyer counseling, Down payment assistance.
Employment & Training for Youth in Hancock County,
Community Development programs and more
Taking applications for all programs now
For information, call 419-334-8911
or toll free at 1-800-775-9767
Or e-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.wsos.org
CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT
DESIGN BUILD
B9
Blanchard Valley building cancer center
Applies for National Quality Award
provided by blanchard valley health
SyStem
regional cancer center
On december 19, 2013, the
Blanchard Valley Health System
Board of Trustees unanimously
approved plans to build a $4.25
million comprehensive regional
cancer center, to adjoin the radiation therapy center on the EasternWoods campus in Findlay. The
new center will enhance efforts
to cure cancers and provide easy
access for patients. It will allow
us to consolidate many cancer
services in one location and add
support services that patients
and their loved ones need during
cancer treatment and recovery.
Plans for the new center are currently being developed, and construction is expected in 2014.
truebeam linear accelerator
BVHS invested in a new
cancer treatment system, called
the TrueBeam™ linear accelerator, which offers advanced radiation therapy for some of the most
complex cancers. The TrueBeam
system is designed to deliver more
powerful cancer treatments with
accuracy and precision. In addition, the system integrates new
imaging technologies to complete
treatments more quickly while
monitoring the motion of tumors.
The TrueBeam system also offers
faster imaging at lower radiation
doses. The system can generate
three-dimensional images to fine
tune tumor targeting in less time
than other X-ray systems, minimizing the amount of X-ray radiation received by the patient. These
images allow the physician to finetune a patient’s position prior to
and during the treatment process.
national Quality excellence
program
As evidence of Blanchard
Valley’s continual pursuit of performance excellence, BVHS has
joined the Baldrige program and
applied for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. By
applying for this award, BVHS will
receive feedback on areas where
we are excelling and areas where
we can improve. The program
will help us achieve best-in-class
levels of performance and identify
best practice management principles and operational strategies.
Applying for the Baldrige Award is
exemplary of BVHS’ dedication to
being a world class organization.
children’s hospital
partnership
Blanchard Valley Health
System and Nationwide Children’s
Hospital (NCH) joined hands as
collaborative partners in 2013.
The collaboration offers increased
access for area residents to NCH
pediatric specialists and extends
state-of-the-art pediatric research
and clinical trials to Northwest
Ohio. In addition, BVHS physicians receive advanced education
and training as well as direct
consultation with specialists at
Nationwide Children’s Hospital
in Columbus. For example, within
the next few months, specialists in
the areas of pediatric neurology
and pediatric behavior development will begin a regular schedule of coming to Findlay to see
patients. This is in addition to the
pediatric cardiology clinic that is
currently in place. Also, soon our
physicians will be able to work
directly with neonatologists at
Nationwide Children’s Hospital
through telemedine. We were fortunate to receive a grant from the
LPGA Marathon Classic, and additional funds from donors Todd and
Sherri Sopher, that have allowed
us to purchase a telemedicine unit
where we can video chat with
Nationwide physicians in their
NICU, directly from our Special
Care Nursery. We can adjust the
camera to allow the Nationwide
physician to view the baby, and we
can even zoom in so small that the
physician in Columbus can read a
medication label. This is in addition to our current ability to consult 24/7 with specialists over the
phone.
Sleep disorders center
In december 2013, BVHS finalized the purchase of the former PT
Services Rehabilitation building
located at 1913 South Main Street.
This property is located directly
to the south of the BV Sleep disorders Center and will be used as
an extension of the Sleep disor-
THe BlAncHArd VAlley Health system Board of Trustees unanimously approved plans in december to build a $4.25 million
comprehensive regional cancer center, to adjoin the radiation therapy center on the easternwoods campus in Findlay.
ders Center. With the purchase of
this property, the Sleep disorders
Center will be able to offer patient
consultations in one building, and
sleep studies in the other. Renovation of both the newly purchased
and current Sleep disorders
Center building will take place in
2014.
bvh ob added licensed
beds/Special care nursery
expanded
The Ohio department of
Health extended Blanchard Valley
Hospital’s licensed maternal beds
to include nine additional postpartum beds and a nursery to be
located on the north end of the
4th floor of the donnell Patient
Pavilion. These additional rooms
will be utilized to accommodate
post-partum mothers and their
babies during times of increased
census in the OB department. In
addition, the Special Care Nursery
expanded from six to nine beds to
allow more babies who need extra
care after birth to receive that care
right here in Findlay.
hanco named Sole provider
for the city of Findlay
In April 2013, Hanco was
awarded the sole emergency medi-
cal service (EMS) provider contact for the city of Findlay. As the
sole provider for Findlay, as well
as sharing county responsibilities
with other municipal agencies,
Hanco offers cohesive and coordinated response to emergency
calls, covering approximately
6,000 calls per year, of which
approximately 1,700 are city of
Findlay 911 requests and 800 are
Hancock County 911 requests.
Hanco works closely with surrounding EMS agencies and the
Findlay Fire department, who provide basic life support at the first
response level. In 2013, Hanco
EMS entered a collaborative partnership with the Liberty Township
Fire department to place a backup EMS unit at the Liberty Township Fire department building,
7692 County Road 140, Findlay.
The unit provides on-call medical
response within Liberty Township
on the west side of Findlay as well
as within the city of Findlay and
surrounding communities.
medical practices growing
The number of providers
employed by Blanchard Valley
Health System continues to grow.
In 2009, 21 physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants
were employed by BVHS. We
concluded 2013 with 46 employed
physicians and providers. In 2013,
a total of 12 providers were added.
AwArds And Honors
• BVHS associate Barbara
Plaugher received the highest
health care honor in the state of
Ohio by being named the Ohio
Hospital Association’s Health
Care Worker of the year in 2013.
blanchard valley hospital
• The Environmental Services
department (also known as housekeeping) received the runner-up
award for national department of
the year by Health Facilities Management magazine for the second
consecutive year.
• BVH received the Patient
Safety Excellence Award from
HealthGrades for the fourth consecutive year. This again put BVH
in the top 5% of hospitals in the
nation for patient safety.
• Top 10% in the nation for
overall hospital care, overall
medical care, overall surgical
care, cancer care, cardiac care,
stroke care, pneumonia care and
pulmonary care from CareChex,
a division of Comparion Medical
Analytics.
• Top 100 in the nation (and
top 10% in the nation and top 10%
photo provided
in the state) for women’s health
care from CareChex.
bluffton hospital
• Top 10% in the nation and
top 10% in the state for overall
hospital care, overall medical care
and overall surgical care patient
satisfaction from CareChex.
bridge home health &
hospice
• Bridge Home Health & Hospice was named one of the top 25
percent of home care providers
in the U.S. by HomeCare Elite,
a compilation of the most successful Medicare-certified home
health care providers in the United
States. This is the sixth year in a
row that Bridge Home Health &
Hospice has received this honor.
What’s coming in 2014
• Construction progress for
a new comprehensive regional
cancer center.
• deployment of Patient
Portal/continued investment in
health care technology.
• Implementation of ICd-10.
• Implementation of the
Affordable Care Act and determining its effects on BVHS.
Radiation Oncologist
Stephen T. Lutz, MD
Each patient of Bridge Home Health has a story about why they want to
The
Power
to Heal
We want every cancer patient in our
community to have the best care
possible without having to travel to
larger cities. That’s why BVHS added a
TruebeamTM linear accelerator to our
radiation cancer treatment capabilities.
Previously available only in Columbus
and Toledo, Truebeam technology
allows nationally recognized radiation
oncologist Dr. Stephen Lutz to:
receive care at home. For me, it’s spending time in the kitchen with my
kids. Because I have a condition that will require a lifetime of treatment
- Bridge was an easy choice. I’ve been a patient for more than 10 years
and have seen the same smiling faces each week. Thanks to Bridge
Home Health now I’m really cookin’. When it matters most - ask for
Bridge.
• offer advanced radiation therapy for
some of the most complex cancers
For more information or to
tell us about YOUR cancer care
champion, please visit :
cancercarechampions.org
or call 419.423.5522.
• deliver more powerful cancer
treatment with greater precision
in a shorter time
• provide a more comfortable
treatment experience
Scan code below
with your smart
phone to learn more
about Lesley’s story
Bridge Home Health & Hospice Ranked Among
Top 25 Percent of Home Health Providers in
U.S. for the fifth consecutive year.
We’re here for you.
15990 Medical Drive South, Findlay, Ohio | We’re here for you.
B10
FOSTORIA REVIEW TIMES, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2014
New businesses alter economic landscape
The past year was full of
change for Fostoria businesses
in 2013, with openings, closings,
name changes and new owners
altering the economic landscape
of the city.
The following stories helped
shape the business landscape of
Fostoria in 2013:
• Rick Ernest was hired in
April as the new financial advisor for the Edward Jones branch
office, 513 Plaza Drive.
Edward Jones provides financial services for individual investors in the United States and,
through its affiliate, in Canada.
The firm’s 12,000-plus financial
advisors work directly with nearly
7 million clients to understand
their personal goals — from college savings to retirement — and
create long-term investment solutions that emphasize a well-balanced portfolio and a buy-and-hold
strategy.
• Reffner Financial Group,
LLC, hosted a grand opening in
May at its new 222 S. Main St.
office.
The financial services firm
recently announced it has partnered with LPL Financial, the
nation’s largest independent
broker/dealer. Through this partnership, Reffner Financial Group,
LLC has access to a broad range
of competitive and fee-based
asset management programs, in
addition to industry-leading, unbiased research and a comprehensive array of tools, resources and
technology.
“LPL Financial is an excellent
fit for Reffner Financial, LLC and
for our clients,” said Ryan Reffner.
“The relationship gives us strategic support to help us conduct
business efficiently. At the same
time, the relationship allows us
the freedom to provide unbiased
advice based solely on what we
believe is appropriate for each
client — without any conflicts of
interest from a parent organization.”
Reffner said he hopes to continue fostering relationships in the
Fostoria area.
“I have been in the Fostoria
and surrounding communities
for the last nine years building
relationships,” he said. “I decided
to stay here in Fostoria because
there are a lot of good people here
and I want to be here to serve the
community for many years to
come. I look at my profession as
an extreme privilege to be able to
serve people.”
Securities offered through LPL
Financial. Member FINRA/SIPC.
For more information, contact Reffner at 419-701-7334 or email ryan.
[email protected]
• Mi Tequilas heated up the
Fostoria dining scene in May
when it opened at 1659 N. Countyline St., a location that previously
housed several Chinese buffet restaurants.
Owner Roman Zarazua completely transformed both the
interior and exterior of the building, applying bright coats of blue,
green, red and orange paint. His
family owns two locations in
Findlay, the similarly named Mi
Tequilas, as well as El Mexicano
Restaurante.
The restaurant’s menu features
lunch specials starting at $4.99
and dinner specials starting at
$5.99. Chips and salsa are served
with every meal. Soft drinks, iced
tea and coffee are $1.99 and come
with free refills. Carry-out orders
are available.
As with any good Mexican restaurant — particularly one bearing a name such as this — Mi
Tequilas also offers margaritas, as
well as beer and hard liquor. Hours
are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday
through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11
p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11
a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.
The restaurant’s phone number
is 419-435-2110.
• After working out of her
home for six years, Sarah Rudy
moved in May to her 110 E. North
Street studio, which formerly
housed Carol Creeger Photography.
Rudy, who had been a friend
and apprentice of Creeger for
seven years, made the decision
to take over the studio in March
and showed off her new business
venture with a grand opening June
10-15.
“It was just a coincidence
that when I was pulling out my
hair because I was outgrowing
my home studio, she was ready
to retire and rent the place out,”
Rudy said. “She asked if I would
like to rent the studio. I was in the
right place at the right time.
“I love to travel,” she said. “My
sets are reflective of my travels.”
The heart of her studio features
a rustic country wall, a tiled New
York subway wall, a retro waiting
room, a bohemian dressing room
and more, all of which are handpainted and crafted by Rudy and
with the help of her brother, who
is a carpenter and a painter.
Sarah Rudy Portraits offers
sessions for portraits of seniors,
families, newborns and children,
pets, maternity, boudoir and weddings.
Appointments and sessions
can be made by calling Rudy at
419-788-1016 or by visiting www.
sarahrudyportraits.com.
“My goal is to offer the best
senior and studio experiences in
the area,” she said. “I know and
respect a lot of photographers in
the northwest Ohio area, and I
hope to be one of the best.”
Sarah Rudy Portraits, 419-7881016, www.sarahrudyportraits.
com
• After 17 years of hosting the
Fostoria American Legion post,
the East Zeller Road club house
was sold in July to a local business
owner.
The Earl Foust Post No. 73 had
the club house on the market for
approximately three years before
deciding to auction it because of
lack of suitable buyers, according
to Jim Nusser, commander of the
charter.
According to the Seneca
County Auditor’s Office, the
Earl Foust Post No. 73 American
Legion Inc. owed back taxes in the
amount of $19,165.64. The auction
was a successful attempt to cover
losses and pay off outstanding
debts.
The value for the land and
the 12,000 sq. ft. building was
originally appraised for nearly
$500,000, according to auditor’s
office website.
The auction, hosted by Wilson
Auction & Realty, accepted an
offer of $120,000 for the building
and collected a little more than
$30,000 on what was left of the
contents inside, Nusser said.
“Selling all contents was actually our bonus,” said Nusser.
“This is money we can use to get
restarted.”
The 550 E. Zeller Rd. property
is now owned by Tim Frankart,
owner of Frankart Electric Inc..
“Possibly down the road we
will relocate to that area,” said
Frankart, explaining his plans for
his new purchase.
The former American Legion
building would provide a larger
facility for the business, said Frankart. However, he is still unsure as
to what exactly he would like to do
with the building.
Frankart Electric Inc. is a
family-owned electrical contracting firm that has served northern
Ohio businesses for approximately
28 years. It is currently located at
434 E. North St.
Nusser hopes to be able to find
a smaller, more affordable building
in Fostoria in which he can open
an American Legion.
• SMI Crankshaft announced
its official name change to NSI
Crankshaft on September 1 as a
result of a company merger which
occurred in 2012.
According to NSI Sales Manager Jeff Yount, in October of
2008, SMI Crankshaft LLC was
formed through the acquisition
of 100 percent of Norton Manufacturing’s assets by Sumitomo
Metals and Sumitomo Corporation. As a result of this acquisition, Sumitomo Metals owned
60 percent of the company while
Sumitomo Corporation owned 40
percent of the company.
All of Norton Manufacturing’s
faculty and machinery was consolidated into the Sumitomo Metals
and Corporation facility, located
at 1815 E. Sandusky St., Fostoria. The company added 150,000
square feet to the 54,000 squarefoot building to accommodate for
these changes.
Four years later, Sumitomo
Metals then merged with Nippon
Steel to become Nippon Steel and
Sumitomo Metal Corporation
(NSSMC), forming the secondlargest steel producer in the world,
said Yount.
NSSMC was considered the
legal name of the company while
the trademark name remained
SMI Crankshaft. Changing the
trademark name of the company
took more effort and thinking than
changing the legal name.
“Customers know us as SMI, so
customer recognition was something we had to consider,” Yount
said. “We wanted the new name
to be something that made sense
and a name our customers would
understand.”
After months of investigating
possible names for the company,
it settled with NSI Crankshaft, or
Nippon Sumitomo Integrated.
“We want to honor the new
ownership with the name of our
parenting companies,” Yount
said. “The new name represents
Nippon and Sumitomo integrated
together.” Yount assured that customers won’t see any changes in
productivity, staff employment,
or business; the name change is
solely legal.
NSI Crankshaft is a crankshaft
manufacturer that offers complete
vertical integration of its crankshaft manufacturing. It provides
steel making, forging and machining through one company.
According to Yount, Sumitomo
Corporation had the product and
raw forging through Sumitomo
Metals and had a trading business through Sumitomo Corporation. In purchasing Norton’s, they
acquired the ability to machine
as well. This vertical integration
allowed the company to better
compete against rival companies.
“We call ourselves a unicorn
in their organization,” Yount said.
“We’re the only machining outlet
for crankshafts. Our ability to
machine crankshafts sets us apart
from most other Nippon Steel and
Sumitomo businesses.”
• Goodwill hosted its grand
opening Oct. 18 in a 18,000
square-foot retail space at 546
Plaza Drive.
David Takats, director of fund
development and marketing for
Goodwill Industries of Northwest
Ohio, said the store will look to
hire roughly 12 to 15 employees
to start, with more possibly being
added as business grows.
The new location not only adds
jobs via the new retail location, but
Takats said it also provides external job opportunities for people
with “barriers to employment”
like having physical and mental
disabilities, welfare issues, being
a veteran or “wounded warrior” or
even being elderly.
“Goodwill’s whole mission is to
get people with those employment
barriers the jobs they need,” he
said. “We not only hire them into
the store, but we get them hired
out into the public.”
Goodwill stores carry items
File photo
MI TEquILAS heated up the Fostoria dining scene in May when it opened at 1659 N. Countyline St., a
location that previously housed several Chinese buffet restaurants.
from clothing and housewares to
electronics and furniture; and,
while most items are second
hand or gently used, Takats said
the new location will be one of the
more “high-end” stores, offering
name-brand items similar to the
nation’s most popular department
stores.
“We’re trying to transform all
of our stores into a much nicer
experience for our shoppers with a
lot more name brand merchandise
and quality clothing,” Takats said.
“Pretty much the whole gamut on
anything you can find at a normal
department store, Goodwill will
carry those items as well.”
Aside from the benefit of providing the community with more
job opportunities, Takats said the
presence of a Fostoria Goodwill
will also give residents a place to
go for “good, quality merchandise”
at low costs, making shopping for
school, holidays, parties or just
general items easier on the wallet.
“People who come in regularly
will always see new and fresh
things in the store,” he said.
The Plaza Drive storefront is
open Monday through Saturday
from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Sundays from 12-5 p.m.
• After nearly 2½ months
of renovating, a new restaurant
opened in October at the former
location of The Café.
Owner Al Elmazi, of Lambertville, Mich., said American Table
Family Restaurant, 603 Plaza
Drive, said he was told that Fostoria needed a “family restaurant”
and set his sights on the Plaza
Drive building. Once owned by
Bev and Dale Bohring, the building was sold to Elmazi in late July.
The building served as The
Café restaurant for more than 15
years before closing its doors July
20.
Elmazi, who has been in the
restaurant business since 1992,
owns five other American Tables
located in Lambertville and Temperance, Mich.; Oregon, Perrysburg and Toledo.
Serving breakfast, lunch and
dinner the menu includes a variety of American, Greek and Italian foods, including soups, salads,
main entrées and desserts. Specials will vary from day to day.
According to Elmazi, some favorites are stuffed peppers, chicken
pot pie, steaks and chicken.
Originally from Yugoslavia,
Elmazi graduated with a degree
in law.
“I didn’t know the language
or customs,” Elmazi said. “I met
some friends here who used to
It’s in ours!
own a restaurant and I thought it
would be an easy way to meet new
people and make money.”
Elmazi and his wife have five
children, two of which still live at
home and will help him run his
restaurants. His wife works at
the American Table in Perrysburg.
Before opening the restaurant,
Elmazi had to finish renovations.
Those included painting the interior, redoing booths, purchasing
new tables and chairs, new kitchen
equipment, adding TVs as well as
exterior work that included sealing and repaving the parking lot.
“I hope to bring good business to this town,” Elmazi said in
October. “I want to see the people
happy with the food and happy to
be here.”
For more information, contact
the restaurant at 419-435-5275.
We are moving!
999 N. Vine St.
(Dr. Hadacek’s former office)
GODDARD MURPHY & COMPANY
T
419-435-9361
www.goddardmurphyrealty.com
6
Become part of our Mohawk Family today by enrolling your child
for the 2014-2015 school year at St. Wendelin Catholic School.
For more information and to take a tour of the school, please
contact Katie Sakel, Enrollment Manager, at 419-435-8144 or
e-mail her at [email protected].
533 N. Countyline St.
Fostoria, OH 44830
St.WendelinParish&School
@SWCSAthletics
www.stwendelin.org
Challenging Academics