A baby boy later named Alex Michael Cervantes was a few days old when he was submerged in water and strangled, his body left in a freezer when his parents moved out of their East Toledo rental.

Two-month-old Kalib Henderson and 6-month-old Noland Letellier died after being shaken while 6-month-old Avery Glynn Bacon was allegedly thrown against a hard surface, causing the skull fractures that killed him.

One-year-old Ke’Ondra Hooks was struck in the head by a stray bullet, killed by street violence while sleeping on the floor of her family’s Moody Manor apartment.

Siblings Paige Hayes, 10, Logan Hayes, 7, and Madalyn Hayes, 5, were killed by their grandmother and uncle in a murder-suicide using carbon monoxide inside a vehicle in a West Toledo garage.

Five-month-old Ella Thomas drowned in a bathtub and 4-year-old Taevion Maulsby died of smoke inhalation from a fire started by playing with matches in the Old South End.

These 10 Lucas County children will be remembered at a memorial set for 11:30 a.m. April 19 at Lucas County Children Services (LCCS), 705 Adams St. The annual ceremony remembers those younger than 18 who died of abuse, neglect or street violence during the past year.

LCCS Executive Director Dean Sparks said 10 children is the most to be memorialized in one year since the agency started doing memorials about a dozen years ago. In 2011, three Lucas County teens were killed as the result of street violence and none died of abuse or neglect.

‘Profoundly somber’

Click to enlarge

“It’s sad,” Sparks said. “It is profoundly somber for all of us. We do what we do because we want to protect kids. That’s our mission in life. We think it’s important to take the time to stop and remember and to commit ourselves anew to doing everything we can to prevent child abuse. Those 10 deaths were absolutely preventable.”

April is national Child Abuse Prevention Month and April 10 is Ohio’s second annual Wear Blue Day.

“People need to know they are not alone in caring for kids,” said LCCS Public Information Officer Julie Malkin. “It’s simply getting the word out that it’s important to be passionate about this.”

LCCS Assessment Manager Cary Brown said she hopes seeing widespread community support might encourage someone to report suspected abuse or neglect. The agency’s hotline, (419) 213-CARE (2273), is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Reports can be left anonymously.

“If I see my cubicle mate doing it and a neighbor doing it, I might be the one to make that report and intervene before a child is seriously hurt because I know there are other people in the community who care,” Brown said.

Sparks said many people don’t report suspicions because they convince themselves the adult won’t really hurt the child or they feel it’s none of their business.

“People have a hard time imagining anyone harming their children, especially if it’s someone in their family or their neighborhood, but if you have a suspicion, call us or call local law enforcement,” Sparks said. “It’s better to call and it not be right than for a child to be harmed.”

Brown agreed, noting that LCCS had little or no prior involvement with the families of the 10 children killed.

“That fact reminds me that we depend on families, neighbors, community members and professionals to tell us these things are happening. Someone has to call and tell us,” Brown said. “I would err on the side of caution, err on the side of safety for that child.”

In 2012, LCCS received 4,959 referrals involving 7,347 children. Investigations determined 822 were abused or neglected, a 40 percent increase over 2011, according to the agency’s annual report. Forty-nine percent of investigations were for alleged physical abuse, 36 percent for neglect, 13 percent for sexual abuse and 2 percent for emotional abuse.

The highest rate of referral (referrals per 1,000 child residents) was in the 43604 ZIP code, followed by 43605 and 43608. The highest number of referrals came from the 43605 ZIP code followed by 43609.

“Some parts of our community have more resources than others, both financially and service-wise, where you would have a better ability to get help without coming to the attention of our system,” Brown said. “There’s probably areas of the community that think it doesn’t happen here, that it only happens in the central city. But drugs, alcohol and physical violence is not just in the central city; it happens everywhere.”

Of new cases opened in 2012, 40 percent of families were white, 32 percent were African-American and 25 percent were multiracial, according to the report.

Almost a third of the children (29 percent) remained in the home while issues were worked through, a third (34 percent) stayed with relatives and nearly a third (27 percent) went to foster homes, Malkin said.

Twenty-four percent of referrals came from social services, 24 percent from relatives, friends or neighbors, 16 percent from law enforcement, 15 percent anonymously, 13 percent from schools and 5 percent from medical personnel.

One area Brown said LCCS has been seeing an increase is with children affected by heroin addiction, whether through parental drug use or children born addicted to the drug or the prescription treatment drug methadone. From September 2012 to March 2013, 48 children were removed from Lucas County homes because of heroin use, including 15 infants who were born addicted and must stay in the hospital for up to a month to be weaned off the drug.

Mental health issues is another area seeing an increase, Brown said.

Families involved with LCCS aren’t necessarily “bad people,” Brown said.

“Most of the families we see really love their kids and want to be able to take care of them; most of our parents want to be good parents, but life circumstances are such that they can’t do it without resources that we can give them at this point in time,” Brown said.

Brown said the rewards of her job outweigh the stress and heartbreak.

“People say, ‘Oh I couldn’t do what you do,’ but the ability to make a difference has really gotten me through all these years,” Brown said. “We have the ability on a daily basis to make a difference in children’s lives. I’ve been doing this 25 years and I still feel that as I come to work every day.”

LCCS’ website, lucaskids.net, offers tips for recognizing child abuse or neglect and information about becoming a foster parent.

LCCS is encouraging people wearing blue April 10 to post photos on the agency’s Facebook page, tweet photos to @LucasCoOHKids or email photos to information@co.lucas.oh.us.

Sarantou

“Every year 1,700 kids die in the U.S. from child abuse or neglect. That’s epidemic stuff,” Sparks said. “All of us who are going to be putting on blue are saying we are going to be doing everything we can to prevent child abuse in our community. We want all of Lucas County and Ohio to be blue that day. We’re all going to stand united on behalf of kids.”

Toledo Council member urges support for Wear Blue Day

Toledo City Council will vote at its April 2 meeting on a resolution encouraging residents to participate in Wear Blue Day on April 10.

The second annual event, organized by Lucas County Children Services (LCCS), is meant to “unify our community in a commitment to keep children safe from being abused and neglected,” according to the resolution. April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month.

“Child abuse and neglect continues to be a concern in the Toledo area and members of Toledo City Council urge our community to stand up to protect our most precious resource, our children,” the resolution reads.

“It’s very important because we need to eradicate child abuse in our community,” said Councilman George Sarantou, the resolution’s sponsor. “Every day we’re reminded of child abuse in Toledo and throughout Northwest Ohio. It’s very important to urge people to be aware of it, report it and do something about it. It just can’t be tolerated. Children are very innocent and they certainly deserve to live in a positive environment and not go through child abuse, which as we know can have lifelong negative effects on a human being.”

Tags: Alex Michael Cervantes, Avery Glynn Bacon, Dean Sparks, Ella Thomas, George Sarantou, Julie Malkin, Kalib Henderson, Ke’Ondra Hooks, Logan Hayes, Lucas County CHildrens Services, Madalyn Hayes, Noland Letellier, Paige Hayes, Taevion Maulsby, Wear Blue Day

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 28th, 2013 at 6:33 pm and is filed under Community, Cover Story, Featured.
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A union leader’s concerns with the procedures teachers and administrators use to report suspected child abuse or neglect failed to generate discussion at a Feb. 26 Toledo Public School (TPS) Board of Education meeting.

Rather, board members focused on the three-year contract renewal of four administrative cabinet members. Board President Brenda Hill asked to delay that vote because the board is in the process of hiring a superintendent to replace Jerome Pecko when he leaves his position July 31.

At the Feb. 13 TPS Human Resources Committee (HRC) meeting, Hill brought to the committee’s attention that Don Yates, president of the Toledo Association of Administrative Personnel, had expressed concern over the number of TPS investigations, a review of how Lucas County Children Services (LCCS) caseworkers deal with referrals and the relationship between TPS and LCCS.

Cheryl Spieldenne, chief human resources officer for TPS, said in her report on the HRC meeting that Yates has expressed concern with LCCS being called in when there was an administrator involved in a child abuse or neglect investigation.

Board member Bob Vasquez, who said he has had the same responsibility to report suspected abuse and/or neglect in his professional career, reminded the committee that TPS has a policy for reporting.

Lisa Sobecki and Bob Vasquez

“We must follow it,” Vasquez said of that policy. “If I am told that you believe a child is being abused, I have an obligation under the law to report it. It’s not up to me to do anything but report. It’s my legal obligation.”

Pecko told the committee  there had been a recent change in the reporting procedure districtwide and that all reporting must now go through the superintendent’s office. He also said that there would be LCCS staff training sessions later in the year.

Yates, who did not attend the HRC meeting, said Feb. 19 that his concern centered on the training sessions Pecko said would take place.

“I am concerned with the administrative review process, especially when administrators and teachers are involved,” Yates said. “I believe there may be confusion internally as to who does what investigation. We need to be able to dot the i’s and cross the t’s, especially when administrators and teachers are involved.

“On the flip side, however, there are referrals that are legitimate and there are cases that need investigation. We want to stress education so folks know what’s an appropriate referral,” Yates said.

Choice is not an option

Dean Sparks, LCCS’s executive director, referred to state law — Ohio Revised Code Section 2151.421, which identifies “school authorities, employees and teachers” as one of 15 professions “required by law to report if they suspect or know that child abuse is occurring.”

Ohio law is clear that choice is not an option for school personnel, Sparks said. The law requires immediate reporting of any known or suspected abuse or neglect.

“This is not a union issue,” Sparks said. “This is a state law issue. Failure to make a report of any abuse that should reasonably be suspected is a misdemeanor punishable by jail time and a fine.

“Let me couple this by saying we get lots of reports about a variety of people who care for children, like teachers, preachers, scout leaders, day care providers and foster parents, that never turn out to be true. So to say that it could be a career-ender for someone reporting [the suspicion of abuse or neglect] is a misnomer. It could be if somebody’s abusing children, and if they’re abusing children, we want it to be a career-ender.”

Sparks said all reports are confidential by law and LCCS does not disclose who made the report without that person’s consent.

Once investigated, Sparks said that cases are deemed “unsubstantiated,” “substantiated” or “indicated.”

Sparks said most letters that come across his desk are “unsubstantiated” allegations. “So that, in itself, is a protection for that educator,” he said.

“Anybody can say anything they want about any of us. And if we conduct an investigation and said it didn’t happen, then that never happened. That seems to me to be some protection from civil and personal liability for that person.

“And for everybody who goes through an investigation of child abuse or neglect as a perpetrator, it’s really uncomfortable. We understand that. There’s no way that we can ask those questions [comfortably]. But it really is for the protection of everyone.”

Sparks said in more than 70 percent of the cases referred to LCCS, “we find that it has not reached the level of abuse and neglect. “And that’s not just for teachers. That’s all together.”

No child in jeopardy

Yates further qualified his concerns Feb. 26.

“In years past, we’ve had speakers come in from [LCCS] to meet with school counselors, to make sure that teachers and principals and everybody is real clear about reporting requirements,” he said. “To me, that’s just a good way of making sure that no child is in jeopardy because somebody wasn’t sure or somebody had a question about a situation and they didn’t know who to contact. To me, that’s just a good of having a solid relationship between two organizations in charge of kids.”

Prior to 2009, Yates worked as a school assistant center coordinator, supervising counselors, special education teachers and psychologists. In that job, Yates said he was “pretty well plugged into” districtwide child abuse and neglect professional development classes.

“I’m not aware that we’ve done that recently,” Yates said. “At a Human Resources Committee meeting, I made the comment that I think it’s time to set that up again just to make sure that everybody knows what the requirements are.”

Background checks

In other business, the board agreed to pay the $22 fee for all employees Ohio Attorney General Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) background checks at a cost of $63,140 to the district. The 3-2 vote approving this move was predicted by Cecelia Adams, board vice president, during the Feb. 13 Finance Committee meeting. Responsibility for the FBI background check will remain with the employee.

However, in presenting her committee report to the full board, Adams did not mention the 42-minute background check discussion that took place in the Finance Committee meeting. She asked the board to approve the related items in a bundle.

Before her motion could be seconded, Vasquez asked Adams why she had not disclosed the committee’s decision to bring the background check item to the board without a recommendation for a full discussion at the regular board meeting.

Adams said current TPS policy requires both; that in 2008, the decision to pay for both background checks was an emergency issue; and that she did not think there would be a need to do anything if that policy is to stay the same.

“Basically it is the responsibility of the employee,” she said.

Board member Lisa Sobecki immediately disagreed with Adams, saying that TPS should pay for the BCI background check and the employee should pay for the FBI background check. Sobecki cited the timeliness of the issue, saying employees “need to know when they come to work tomorrow what they will be expected to do.”

Sobecki also questioned whether the board had actually made the decision in 2008 or whether “this understanding may have been an administrative decision that was never brought to the board.”

Sobecki said she asked at the Jan. 22 board meeting that payment for background checks be put on the HRC agenda to be examined.

“Through discussion, HR discovered there was a policy issued and they had to look at whether they were going to change policy because the law had changed,” Sobecki said. “I, as a board member, said, ‘Wait a second. I was on the board at that time. I don’t recall this coming from the board. If it had, can someone show me? Is there a memorandum of understanding with your bargaining units? Was that agreement known to folks through a memorandum of understanding?’

“I don’t know if there’s one out there or not. One was not produced. All that could be produced was a letter that went out from Human Resources to the employees regarding their obligations, what was going to be happening, and the state law and what it is.”

‘Tough economic times’

Sobecki said the background check requirement includes bus drivers and food service workers as well as teachers and administrators.

“Ms. Hill referred to someone who has worked four years in the district working part-time making $9,000,” she said. “And $22 is important for someone who is possibly trying to get an education or paying off student loans or going to school or making a house payment.

“Those are what I look at because I value my employees and understand and sometimes can feel what they’re going though in these tough economic times. And they have worked tirelessly for us, not only in the position they are paid for, but also in their sacrifices on a very huge deficit that they didn’t create. That was my thinking through this whole process.

“And I agree with my colleagues that both of the checks are important. Actually, I wished that the state did the BCI check because it picks up things that the FBI check does not do. That’s a legislative thing in Columbus.”

Tags: Bob Vasquez, Brenda Hill, Cecelia Adams, Cheryl Spieldenner, Dean Sparks, Don Yates, Jerome Pecko, Lisa Sobecki, Toledo Public Schools

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 28th, 2013 at 3:05 pm and is filed under Community, Education.
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In 2012, as of press time, 34 people have died as a result of criminal homicide in Toledo. Seven of those people were children, according to a Toledo Police spokesman.

The number of those who died in 2011 as a result of criminal homicide was also 34. That number includes three juveniles: Timothy Blair, 14, Deadrick Rocker, 17, and Montelle Taylor, 17.

Among the children who died in 2012 were Paige, Logan and Madalyn Hayes, who died from carbon monoxide poisoning in a November murder-suicide by the children’s grandmother and uncle.

Also among the seven children is Ke’Ondra Hooks, 1,  who was shot in the head Aug. 9.

She and her sister, Le’Ondra, who survived, were in their home at  the Moody Manor complex when bullets came inside and struck them.

Sgt. Joe Heffernan of the Toledo Police Department said it’s possible that the shooters believed someone from a different gang was inside, but added, “Why they were shooting into the home, I don’t know if we’ll ever fully know why.”

Jason Jensen and Sik Da Don Sikosa composed a song to benefit the Hooks children. Photo by Boden Photography LLC.

Toledo-native rappers Jason Jensen and Sik Da Don Sikosa composed a song, “I Thought They Cared,” about the Hooks children and also performed at HipHop4Peace, a benefit for the victims’ family.

Sikosa said he wished more people would have come out to support the family.

“We can’t take life when life hasn’t even started. We have to give these kids an opportunity. … We could have killed somebody who would be the next president or would have cured AIDS,” he said.

Heffernan said that overall, there seems to be a decrease in the number of deaths from gang violence but an increase in deaths from domestic violence.

At press time, nine children had died in Lucas County as a result of abuse or neglect in 2012, said Dean Sparks, Lucas County Children Services (LCCS) executive director.

Every April, LCCS organizes a memorial for the children who died from abuse or neglect in the previous year. Although the three teens who died from street violence in 2011 were remembered at the most recent event, “At our last memorial, we didn’t have any children that had died of abuse or neglect,” Sparks said.

Many of the children were not connected to LCCS, so it’s hard to figure out what happened or why the number spiked from zero to nine, Sparks said.

Many of the children who died from abuse or neglect in 2012 were 1 or younger, he said, adding that many babies who die from abuse are shaken.Usually, parents who shake babies are reacting to “stressors,” Sparks said.

“Babies cry and it’s normal sometimes to get frustrated with them. What’s not normal is to shake them,” he said.

Sparks advocated intervening in a nonconfrontational way if you see an overly frustrated parent or calling 911 if there are indications of abuse or neglect. For parents, he recommended seeking support if they become too frustrated.

“Call a friend or a relative and have them come take care of the baby or give them the baby,” he said. “We’re at the point where we’re saying, ‘Bring the baby to us if you’re so frustrated.’”

Sparks added, “Clearly, not all these kids were shaken. We had the [Hayes] murder-suicide. I don’t know how you make sense of that. … I don’t know how you make sense out of a gang shooting into an apartment and hitting two babies.”

“We as a community need to mourn those losses … just as we see in Connecticut, which has prompted us as a nation to think about how we deal with guns, how we deal with mental illness,” he said.

“We really want people to reach out to each other. We want people to call us if they’re concerned and if a parent finds themselves with no other options but to hurt their babies, bring them to us we’ll take care of them. … Our community can’t take any more child deaths. Our nation can’t.”

To reach LCCS, call (419) 213-3200.

Tags: Dean Sparks, HipHop4Peace, Jason Jensen, Joe Heffernan, Ke’Ondra Hooks, Logan Hayes, Lucas County Children Services, Madalyn Hayes, Paige Hayes, Sik Da Don Sikosa

This entry was posted on Friday, December 28th, 2012 at 5:26 pm and is filed under City of Toledo, Community, Courts, Crime, Lucas County.
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It is not practical, logical or fair to give a blanket endorsement to every levy on the ballot. Nor is it logical or fair to dismiss every one of them without careful consideration. Toledo Free Press strongly endorses two levies on the ballot:

Mental Health & Recovery Services Board of Lucas County: Service demands are outpacing this important organization’s resources. It has shown fiscal responsibility by eliminating nearly $3.2 million in programs and cutting staff levels by 20 percent, yet risks a nearly $1 million deficit in 2013. More than 24,400 people were served by the MHRSB this year, with needs increasing. It has submitted a strong and responsible strategic plan and has worked to deliver on its mission to “cultivate a high quality, efficient and accountable network of community assets dedicated to reducing the impact of mental illness and addiction.”

This levy would cost $30.62 per year for the owner of a $100,000 home, according to the Chamber of Commerce.

Lucas County Children Services: Under the consistent and resourceful leadership of Executive Director Dean Sparks, LCCS has actually reduced the amount of its levy millage.

“If it doesn’t end up passing this time or next time, that’s going to affect direct services for kids, services we contract for,” Sparks said. “We spend $350,000 for substance abuse services. Child advocacy contracts would be in danger, mentoring and tutoring for children would be in danger, not to mention there would be a significant layoff of our staff.”

Other levies deserve your consideration. Scott J. Savage, president of the Board of Park Commissioners, argues for the Metroparks: “Metroparks enhance property values and make communities attractive places to live and do business. The Metroparks play roles in education, environmental protection and the overall ‘livability’ of our region.”

The 0.9-mill levy would replace the 0.3-mill levy that expires at the end of its 10-year term Dec. 31. If passed, the 0.9-mill levy will require renewal in 10 years. This levy provides the funds for the Metroparks system’s land acquisition, improvement projects and park operations.

The Toledo-Lucas County Public Library is placing a 2.9-mill levy on the ballot that if passed will replace and increase its 2-mill levy, which is due to expire at the end of this year. The current 2-mill levy has been in effect for four years.

The proposed levy will require renewal in five years, said Clyde Scoles, executive director of the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library.

With a total of seven levies on the ballot, voters face tough decisions.  Not all the organizations on the ballot have made a strong case. Perhaps this jam-up at the polls will cause some groups to think twice before they again pile on voters with this many requests on voters at one time.

Thomas F. Pounds is president and publisher of Toledo Free Press and Toledo Free Press Star. Contact him at tpounds@toledofreepress.com.

Tags: Clyde Scoles, Dean Sparks, Lucas County Children Services, Mental Health & Recovery Services Board of Lucas County, Metroparks, Publisher's Statement, Scott J. Savage, Toledo-Lucas County Public Library, Tom Pounds

This entry was posted on Friday, October 26th, 2012 at 12:00 am and is filed under Opinion, Publisher's Statement.
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Don Zellers considers himself the typical Toledo taxpayer.

At 41, Zellers is married and, for the first time in his life, the owner of a house, which he and his wife purchased five years ago. In October, Zellers, who has lived in the Toledo area all his life, lost his job with Clear Channel Toledo after surviving a few rounds of cutbacks.

Zellers works part-time positions with Clear Channel and Great Lakes Trivia, and began freelance writing for local publications, including restaurant reviews for Star, after being out of work for a month and a half.

He said he feels frustrated and overwhelmed with the seven levies Lucas County voters will face Nov. 6: five county levies, the Toledo Public Schools (TPS) 6.9-mill continuing levy for those in the TPS district and the 1-mill Parks and Recreation levy for Toledo citizens.

“A lot of people, including myself, are not getting raises and are making less money than they did last year, but the city expects us to pay more,” Zellers said. “And if you’re already making less money, where is that money supposed to come from? … It’s not like I’m living in abject poverty, but I’m definitely not living on the high horse.”

As an on-air personality with Fred LeFebvre on the 1370 AM WSPD morning show, Zellers has become the face of a station campaign to address the “levy fatigue” and its effect on the wallets of county taxpayers.

“What about Don?” is the question LeFebvre asks his listeners to consider when they head to the polls this November.

“We want people to begin to think of Don and themselves when they go to vote,” LeFebvre said. “It’s an individual choice, not a group or city choice.

“Think — do you want to raise your taxes? Can you afford it?”

Toledo-Lucas County Public Library

The Toledo-Lucas County Public Library is placing a 2.9-mill levy on the ballot that if passed will replace and increase their 2-mill levy, which is due to expire at the end of this year. The current 2-mill levy has been in effect for four years. The proposed levy will not require renewal for five years.

The levy will cost the owner of a $100,000 home $88.80 per year for five years, according to a newsletter on the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce’s website, toledochamber.com. This is a $27.55 per-year increase from the $61.25 taxpayers owning $100,000 homes have paid each year since 2007.

Rhonda Sewell, library media relations coordinator, said this levy is expected to generate $21 million to $23 million per year, which she said accounts for about half of the library’s budget. The other half is provided by the State of Ohio Public Library Fund (PLF).

A library operating levy has not been defeated since 1977. Sewell said a capital levy failed in 1991 but when reintroduced in 1995, it passed with 74 percent of the vote.

Clyde Scoles, executive director of the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library, said the 1995 capital levy was one of the largest bond issues passed

in Lucas County at the time. It upgraded, expanded and modernized the library system, Scoles said.

In 2009, 17.8 percent of the library’s state aid was cut. Since then, about 27 percent of library hours have been cut. The Sanger branch on West Central Avenue is the only library left with Sunday hours. Sewell said the library is operating at 1996 levels of funding from the state.

While Sewell said the library cannot promise all previously cut hours will be restored, the levy is expected to return the hours, staff members and materials lost in the cuts. Scoles said 50 percent of the current hours may have to be cut if this levy does not pass.

Scoles said he is hoping the increased levy generates $5 million to $6 million more per year for the library system that recorded nearly 3 million visits in 2011. Scoles and Sewell cite the variety of services the branch provided by the 19 neighborhood branches, where attendance has remained high during tough economic times, as reasons voters should support the library levy.

Toledo native Don Zellers works two part-time jobs. He said he feels frustrated and overwhelmed with the levies on the November ballot.

“We’re not talking so much about helping the library system but saving the library system,” Scoles said. “… People come for a variety of reasons — job information, homework help. Businessmen come in and grow their businesses using our databases and the expertise of business librarians and information centers. All of that would be curtailed quite a bit if our budget was cut by 50 percent.

Metroparks of Toledo Area

Metroparks of Toledo Area plans to become the most recent addition to the ballot for Lucas County voters, as the board of directors decided July 25 to place a 0.9-mill levy before voters in November.

The 0.9-mill levy would replace the 0.3-mill levy that expires at the end of its ten-year term on Dec. 31. If passed, the 0.9-mill levy will require renewal in 10 years.

This levy provides the funds for the

Metropark system’s land acquisition, improvement projects and park operations, said Executive Director Steve Madewell.

The Metroparks’ 1.4-mill general operating levy, which is also a ten-year levy, is not set to expire for another five years.

According to the The Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce, the owner of a $100,000 home would pay $27.56 per year, an increase of $19.10 from the $8.46 citizens pay to the current levy.

The last time a Metroparks levy failed was in the early 1990s, said Scott Carpenter, director of public relations for Metroparks. It was presented to the county the following year and passed.

Because of the long-term nature of Metropark projects, this upcoming levy would help finish projects at various stages of planning including the Middlegrounds in Downtown, the Blue Creek Conservation Area in Whitehouse and the Fallen Timbers Battlefield in Maumee, Carpenter said.

It would also provide for purchasing new land and maintaining the current parks.

“In addition to the completion of those projects, it would go toward the replacement and maintenance of restrooms, picnic areas, shelters and things like that,” Madewell said. “What we’re really focused on is preserving natural areas of open space and keeping clean, safe, natural and free Metroparks across the county.”

Lucas County Children Services

Lucas County Children Services will be represented on November’s ballot with a 1.85-mill levy. This is a 0.85 increase from the current levy, which will expire its five-year term in December 2013.

If passed, collection on the 1.85-mill levy wouldn’t start until 2014 and would continue for five years. Julie Malkin, the agency’s public information officer, said the agency is placing the issue on the ballot this year to better plan their finances in the coming year.

The 1.85-mill levy would cost the owner of a $100,000 home $56.66 per year, an increase of $26.04 on the current $30.62 per year paid to the 1-mill levy, according to the Chamber of Commerce.

Last year, voters approved a 1.4-mill levy for Children Services that will require renewal at the end of its five-year term. Combined, the agency would receive 3.25-mills from the county’s citizens, a decrease from the 3.5-mills the agency collected in 2001.

“We decreased our levy millage because we felt like we didn’t need to collect that much from taxpayers. We want to have a sound financial standing so that we make sure the children in Lucas County are safe,” Malkin said.

Federal funding, which makes up the bulk of the remainder of the agency’s funding, has been cut over the years. Malkin said local levy dollars are matched by federal dollars, so if the levy does not pass, more federal funding will be cut.

“We’ve been able to maintain the staffing levels of people that actually go out and see kids,” Executive Director Dean Sparks said. “Internally we have done everything we can to become a leaner system.”

The agency will have to cut $800,000 out of its budget if the levy passes, Sparks said. If it doesn’t pass, $13 million to $14 million of the agency’s $43 million will have to be cut.

“If it doesn’t end up passing this time or next time, that’s going to affect direct services for kids, services we contract for,” Sparks said. “We spend $350,000 for substance abuse services. Child advocacy contracts would be in danger, mentoring and tutoring for children would be in danger, not to mention there would be a significant layoff of our staff.”

Imagination Station

Imagination Station will ask voters to renew its 0.17-mill levy, which is set to expire at the end of 2013. The new levy would not take effect until 2014 and would continue for five years.

Executive Director Lori Hauser said the levy would generate about $1.3 million of the organization’s $3.2 million revenue by costing owners of a $100,000 home $5.21 a year.

Lori Hauser

The other $1.9 million is earned money, which comes from gate admission, memberships, corporate sponsorships, development and donations.

Twenty-seven percent of the nonprofit science center’s public funds go to exhibit maintenance and rental, Hauser said.

The rest goes to general operations and science education.

“We aren’t here to replace schools, we are here to work with schools,” Hauser said. “We’re wanting to get [kids] excited about [science]. Those are the careers of the future and we want to educate our youth.”

Hauser said corporations have invested $1.5 million in exhibits since 2009, including “Eat it Up!” with ProMedica and “Grow U” with The Andersons.

Hauser said Imagination Station is going on the ballot this fall because in case the levy does fail, like it did in 2006 and 2007 when it was called COSI, the extra time before the levy expires will give the center the opportunity to talk to citizens of Lucas County and find out their concerns and suggestions.

Mental Health and Recovery Services

The Mental Health and Recovery Services Board of Lucas County has placed a 10-year, 1-mill levy on the ballot. The board’s last levy renewal was passed in 2008, so this levy would generate new money for the agency.

Executive Director Scott Sylak said the agency has not asked taxpayers for new money in 24 years.

This levy would cost $30.62 per year for the owner of a $100,000 home, according to the Chamber of Commerce. This is in addition to the levy dollars already being collected by the agency’s 2008 levy.

“Basically, over the last six years, including this fiscal year, we’ve lost nearly $7 million. We’ve had to utilize $3 million of our reserves. We’ve cut our services by about $3.9 million and used $3 million of cash to supplement those losses to make up that gap. The issue now is we no longer have the reserve to supplement (our funds). We have no choice but to ask for new, additional dollars,” Sylak said.

Sylak said the agency has cut board and administrative services by more than 25 percent and has worked with its provider networks to improve the efficiency of the system and implement outcome measures to determine how effective the services are. Non-management staff has received one small pay increase in the past five years while executive and management staff haven’t received any increase.

“We don’t plan on increasing the amount of administration with these dollars at this time. We will critically evaluate the services that are most important to reinvest in, including treatment, medicine, housing, crisis support services and the expansion of kids services,” Sylak said.

Sylak said the levy will get the agency close to the dollar amount it has lost during the past six years.

Division of Recreation

Toledo City Council approved a new 1-mill levy for this November’s ballot, which would require renewal in 10 years.

Toledo City Councilman Steve Steel said the levy is expected to generate about $3 million per year for parks and recreation maintenance and programming.

Owners of a $100,000 home would pay $30.62 per year if the levy passed, according to the Chamber of Commerce.

Steel said Toledo has never had a recreation levy but almost every other community in the area has, including Maumee, Oregon and Sylvania.

Recreation funding comes from the city’s general fund, and when cuts must be made, parks and recreation funding is at the top of the list, Steel said. If this levy is passed, he said, the general fund might be loosened up for other city endeavors.

A task force of community members created a report that suggested multiple recommendations for raising funds for the recreation division. Steel said in addition to a levy, recommendations included charging for parking and admission into city swimming pools.

Steel said the city already charges admission into its pools and parking at Walbridge Park. Steel said other options they could have chosen were increasing summer baseball recreational league fees and charging for parking at all park locations.

City Council also chose to use funds from the Athletic Commission to fund a master plan. The master plan will determine what is needed from the city parks system and implement decisions made by citizens.

“We need to look at what is needed overall for recreation. Where are the gaps and what can the city do to fill those gaps?” Steel said.

Councilman Mike Craig has asked the city administration to hold off on demolishing the pools that have been identified for demolition. Steel plans to join Craig’s effort until taxpayers have the chance to create a dedicated funding stream for city recreation by passing this November’s levy.

Toledo Public Schools

Toledo Public Schools (TPS) is asking taxpayers to approve a new 6.9-mill continuing levy, which according to the Chamber of Commerce will cost the owner of a $100,000 home $211.28 per year.

The district is under investigation by the Ohio Department of Education for attempting to erase low attendance records by retroactively withdrawing and re-enrolling frequently absent students. Pecko went public with the district’s actions last week.

Jerome Pecko

The money from the levy would fund the district’s current transformation program and balance the budget beyond the 2012-13 school year. While the 2012-13 budget is currently balanced, a failed levy in November would mean drastic cuts the following year.

“Without additional funding at this time, the district will have to cut an excess of $15 million before the beginning of the 2013-14 school year,” TPS Superintendent Jerome Pecko said at a news conference in May.

“6.9-mill is not going to get us what we need but we think that the community can support it,” said Jim Gault, chief academic officer for TPS.

The school system has made staff cuts along with cutting middle school sports and ninth-grade sports, the gifted program in grades three through six, busing for high schools and altogether eliminating Libbey High School. TPS has since brought back some of the sports programs.

Pecko said that the proposed levy would allow the district to pursue a new district-wide discipline program, a unified student data program for parents and teachers, the gifted program for grades three through six and employee evaluations based on student performance.

School Board President Lisa Sobecki urged voters to consider what the levy provides.

“I’ve personally had to do this in my own life: looking at our home budget and putting values behind choices, and I would ask the citizens of Toledo to do that and put values behind those budgets and think of the students that we serve and look at what they’ll be doing some day. They might be your pharmacist, your lawyer … we need to have an opportunity for a solid foundation.”

In November 2010, TPS proposed Issue 5, a 7.8-mill levy which voters rejected. That levy, which would have generated roughly $21.6 million, was the second to fail in 2010 as TPS attempted to meet its $40 million deficit.

Issue 5 would have been the highest millage amount passed for TPS in the past four decades, and the first levy passed for TPS since 2001.

Umbrella levy

Lucas County Commissioner Pete Gerken has suggested discussing an “umbrella” levy, encompassing all health and human services issues. Gerken said a few members of the Chamber of Commerce and the Citizens’ Review Committee are interested in being the sounding board for such a discussion, which Gerken said will likely occur after the November election.

“I think everyone has some thoughts about the number of levies and the crossover of services like human resources, finances and ‘backroom operations’ the organizations all do separately,” Gerken said.

Gerken said Ohio’s Montgomery County does a health and human services umbrella levy, and Gerken wants to facilitate a discussion to see if that could possibly work in Lucas County. Gerken said he does not know about the success or failure Montgomery’s levy has had.

“Any discussion we have will be unique to Lucas County. Certainly the concept of doing things in a coordinated fashion makes sense to me,” Gerken said.

Gerken said he has no notion of how the funds from this levy would be distributed, but said collection by the auditor and distribution by the commissioners is one idea to discuss.

“We may find out it doesn’t work, but until we sit down and everyone puts down their pieces we won’t know,” Gerken said. “Eventually, there’s going to be winners and losers. With evaluations down 12 percent, there’s less resources and we owe it to everybody to start working together.”

Adding it up

If the seven levies are passed in November, the cost to taxpayers owning a $100,000 home would be $450.75, up $105.54 per year, according to the Chamber of Commerce.

Once property evaluations received feedback from the state at the end of October, citizens will be able to calculate the exact amount they will owe in property taxes on the Auditor’s Real Estate Information System, available online at co.lucas.oh.us.

“I know people need money and there’s some good causes out there,” Zellers said. “But I don’t know this time. I’m not sure. … I don’t know if I can vote for any of them. I’ll have to really look at them all and decide.”

Tags: Clyde Scoles, Dean Sparks, Decision 2012, Division of Recreation, Don Zellers, Fred LeFebvre, Imagination Station, Jerome Pecko, Julie Malkin, Lisa Sobecki, Lori Hauser, Lucas County, Lucas County Children Services, Metroparks of Toledo Area, Mike Craig, Pete Gerken, Rhonda Sewell, Scott Carpenter, Scott Sylak, Steve Madewell, Steve Steel, The Mental Health and Recovery Services Board of Lucas County, Toledo Public Schools, Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce, Toledo-Lucas County Public Library, WSPD

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 26th, 2012 at 6:10 pm and is filed under Community, Featured, Lucas County.
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The Blues Against Child Abuse event March 29 gives people a chance to not only hear some tunes, but to raise awareness of child abuse.

“We just wanted to find a way to bring attention to the issue and great music is a way to do it,” said Julie Malkin, public information officer for Lucas County Children Services (LCCS), the agency putting the event together.

The band Voodoo Libido will bring “lots of good old rousing blues” to the party at Dégagé Jazz Café, Malkin said. Hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar will also be available.

LCCS hopes to draw a younger crowd with its first-time blues party, said LCCS Executive Director Dean Sparks. The agency hasn’t done as many activities in the area around Dégagé and wanted to reach a different part.

The agency is asking eventgoers to bring a personal care item like soap or shampoo to the party to be donated to a child in foster care.

Voodoo Libido

Many times, foster parents need to run out and purchase these small items when the child arrives, Sparks said. If the children come in with these items, they have more time to bond with their new foster family.

“Sometimes [the children] come with nothing and it might make it an easier transition,” Sparks said.

Sparks said the county needs more foster parents. It’s the job of foster parents “to keep a child safe and to nurture them and help them bond and thrive in the world despite the things that have happened to them,” Sparks said.

Currently, there are 550 foster children in foster/relative care and 270 foster homes in Lucas County. To become a foster parent, you must contact (419) 213-3336 and be put in touch with a recruitment specialist. Background checks are performed in addition to a reference check, home study and safety/fire inspection. The parents must complete 36 hours of training before placement, Sparks said. Adults older than 21, married or single, are eligible.

“You don’t have to own a home as long as it’s safe and you have room for the kid, you can be a foster parent if you meet those criteria,” Sparks said.

Some foster parents work with birth parents to potentially reunite families or help children move on to another permanent home. Other times, foster families become that permanent home, Sparks said.

The blues event also serves as the local kickoff for National Child Abuse Prevention Month. This year’s theme is “child abuse is preventable.”

In 2011, LCCS received 4,148 referrals of suspected child abuse involving 6,046 children and discovered 587 area children were abused or neglected. The agency’s hotline for reporting child abuse receives about 750 calls per month and 300-400 are investigated.

These numbers are about average if not a bit low for an area the size of Lucas County, Sparks said.

Sparks and Malkin recommended reaching out to young parents with advice, reporting suspected abuse and talking to legislators as ways to prevent child abuse.

“Child abuse is preventable if everyone puts their minds to it,” Malkin said. LCCS has several events planned throughout April including “Wear Blue to Work Day” on April 11. Workers are encouraged to wear blue to the office, photograph a group of co-workers wearing the color and post it via social media.

“We’re trying to get everybody aware and develop that sense of camaraderie,” Malkin said. “We want to have fun, get people involved and aware and take advantage of social media.”

Buttons for the day are available by calling (419) 213-3254.

LCCS and other agencies will present information at the  “We Care About Our Kids: Community Forum on Child Sexual Abuse” at 6:30 p.m April 18 at the University of Toledo Scott Park Campus. Admission is free.

A ceremony honoring local children who died as a result of street violence, abuse or neglect is 11:30 a.m. April 25 at the LCCS offices, 705 Adams St., Toledo. Since April 2011, no children have died in Lucas County from abuse or neglect, but Timothy Blair, 14, Deadrick Rocker, 17, and Montelle Taylor, 17, died as a result of violence.

Tickets for Blues Against Child Abuse are $10 and available at (419) 213-3254 or information@co.lucas.oh.us. The event runs 7-10 p.m. March 29. Dégagé Jazz Café at 301 River Road, Maumee. Toledo Free Press is a media sponsor.

To report a case of suspected abuse, call (419) 213-CARE.

Tags: Blues Against Child Abuse, Dean Sparks, Degage, Julie Malkin, Lucas County Children Services, Voodoo Libido

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 22nd, 2012 at 3:52 pm and is filed under Arts and Life, Fundraiser, In Concert.
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Am I legally required to report child sexual abuse? Even if I’m not, should I report it anyway?

Don’t waste time asking questions. The answers are the same as they were before the Jerry Sandusky child abuse charges and the alleged Penn State cover-up.

“Everyone should report child abuse or neglect,” said Dean Sparks, executive director of Lucas County Children Services. “We have a moral and ethical responsibility to protect our children.”

Sparks said people who legally must report abuse to children services or to the police include schoolteachers, school employees, doctors, nurses, social workers, counselors and anyone who works with kids, Sparks said, reading from the Ohio Revised Code.

Many types of professions aren’t listed in this mandated reporting category, “but let’s get real, anyone with any integrity or concern about children should report it,” he said.

People should look for a variety of signs if they don’t witness something as blatant as a person violating a child. “That is an obvious sign, no question about it,” Sparks said.

Other signs that might not seem so obvious include:

• Adults who have relationships mostly with children, rather than people their own age.
• Adults who give expensive gifts or treats to children.
• Adults who spend time alone with a child, in particular when it goes against a policy established by a particular organization, such as the Boy Scouts.

“People who abuse children are good at setting up kids, separating them from the crowd, nurturing them and grooming them,” Sparks said.

He said it is better to report something suspicious than to remain quiet and let a possible case of abuse continue.

Reporting suspicions gets an investigation going, but that doesn’t mean abuse will always be uncovered. Sparks sais his staff is good at what it does and will thoroughly look into an accusation.

Sparks said the Sandusky case appalls him because it reportedly wasn’t just everyday people looking possible for signs of abuse.

According to the grand jury report, people actually saw the abuse happening and still did nothing.

“It just blows my mind,” he said. “It is not about doing what you are legally required to do; it is about doing what is right.”

To report a possible case of abuse, call (419) 213-CARE.

If you have a question for community ombudsman Brandi Barhite, email her at bbarhite@toledo freepress.com.

Tags: Brandi Barhite, Community Ombudsman, Dean Sparks, Lucas County CHildrens Services, Penn State scandal

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 17th, 2011 at 4:46 pm and is filed under Community, Community Ombudsman.
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EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is the first in a series of stories about Lucas County Children Services running prior to the Nov. 8 election.

Lucas County Children Services (LCCS) is tasked with the responsibility of seeing that the youngest, most vulnerable members of the community are able to grow up in a safe environment.

Safe, although not always ideal.

“We’re not necessarily concerned with lifestyles, parents who are bad housekeepers,” said Dean Sparks, executive director of LCCS. “We’re don’t care about clutter. What we care about is safety — children who are beaten, not being fed, with no supervision or medical care, or victims of sexual abuse.”

LCCS is asking voters to approve a 1.4 mill renewal levy Nov. 8, expected to generate annual revenue of $10.4 million. Along with a 1.0 mill levy expiring in 2013, the tax measures account for almost half of the agency’s $41.4 million operating budget. Most of the rest ($17.8 million) comes from federal funding, while $2.8 million is generated from the state. The agency’s two levies are used for operating expenses, including staff salaries, child protective services (foster care costs, kinship support), service contracts (mentoring, tutoring, counseling) and matching money for federal reimbursements.

In 2010, LCCS had expenses of about $42.4 million, with nearly $25.2 million of that going toward salaries and expenses. Placement costs made up the next largest expense (about $9.6 million).

Staying busy is not an issue at LCCS. Last year, the agency received 6,500 children referrals, or cases the staff of 370 employees investigated. Many of the cases didn’t fall under the responsibility of what LCCS is assigned to do. At any one time, about 1,700 children are on the agency’s active list, meaning they receive assistance from LCCS.

Sparks has been with the agency for 14 years.

“Children services represents this community’s concern of children not being cared for properly,” he said, acknowledging that some public perceptions of the agency tend to fixate on decades-old behavior. “We used to take children from their parents and put them in the orphanage. We learned that’s not a good way of handling things.”

The current way of handling the safety of the county’s children involves taking action on more than 20,000 calls each year about potential cases of abuse or neglect. The agency receives and assesses these calls, determines what (if any) action is needed, works with the families to ensure children are in safe environments and strives to ensure parents and children both have the resources necessary to give the children an upbringing free of neglect and abuse.

“It’s our responsibility to determine whether (each situation) warrants child abuse and if the child is in danger,” Sparks said.

LCCS is constantly walking the sometimes fine line between being law enforcement and doing whatever is necessary to keep children free from harm.

“Once we get a call, we do a record check and make a home visit for an inspection. We don’t go randomly knock on doors. We’re not a law enforcement agency. Our job is to take care of the child. The police take care of the perpetrator.”

From his quiet office overlooking the county courthouse on Adams Street, Sparks realizes his agency’s mission may seem uncomplicated, perhaps even routine, as he speaks about it. Going out in the community and into the homes of the children LCCS serves paints a different picture of substance abuse, domestic violence, emotional and mental abuse and sexual assaults.

“Some of the things we see happen to kids is pretty incredible,” he said.

Seventy-five percent of the youth LCCS oversees are younger than 12 years of age; 50 percent are younger than 5. Most of them are from a few ZIP codes in inner-city Toledo. The neighborhoods are the same ones where other problems — substance abuse, unemployment — run rampant.

“The only other professionals going into these neighborhoods are law enforcement,” Sparks said.

The youth served by LCCS are disproportionately African-American. In a city with less than  20 percent black population, about 40 percent of the children under the agency’s watch are black.

“That is not unique to Toledo, however,” Sparks said.

Where there is child abuse, Sparks said there are most likely two other problems as well: substance abuse and domestic violence. In the most severe cases, LCCS staff can get the wheels quickly turning to remove a child from the home.

“Children can be removed by police in an emergency,” he said. “Or we can petition the court to remove the child. We do not have the authority to remove anyone from anywhere. The only authority comes from the juvenile court.”

If a situation calls for removal, LCCS tries to find a relative the child can stay with. If there is no suitable family available, the children go into foster homes. About 550 childen are currently in 300 foster homes in Lucas County. At its highest, 1,100 children were in foster homes, Sparks said.

The agency tries to keep siblings together in foster homes. Sometimes it doesn’t happen.

“I’ve had kids say to me, ‘I understand why you took me away from my mother, but I never understood why you took me away from my sibling,’” Sparks said.

The children stay in foster homes for a few days to years, with the average stay lasting about 13 months. In the meantime, LCCS and other agencies work with parents to get them ready to have the children move back in with them.

“If we can’t get the children back in their homes within a year, we can ask the court to terminate parental rights,” Sparks said. “The stakes are very high. They must get clean quickly or risk losing their kids forever. Of course, getting clean can take a long time.”

Even when the parents are not suitable guardians, LCCS makes a concerted effort to get children into permanent homes.

“We really make the effort to find homes for kids,” said Julie Malkin, public information officer for LCCS. “Most of them who are adopted are adopted from their foster families, because they really do become part of their families.”

Sparks called it a myth that children services lets kids loose once they turn 18, although legal adults are free to leave the agency at that point if they wish. Recently, the agency has had several stories of success where youth have gone on to higher education at University of Toledo, Bowling Green State University and Owens Community College.

To help these future parents avoid the mistakes they were subjected to growing up, LCCS attempts to prepare them for future success.

“We teach budgeting, how to cook and clean and bank — all of that,” Malkin said.

Tags: Dean Sparks, Lucas County Children Services

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 20th, 2011 at 12:21 pm and is filed under Community, Election 2011.
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We have come around once again to Child Abuse Prevention Month. Each year at this time we pause to remember the children our community has lost to abuse, neglect and senseless violence. We also use the occasion to remind ourselves — and each other — that child abuse can and should be prevented.

We have an obligation to watch out for the parents and children in our lives. By caring for each other and helping parents in need, we create a safety net that protects children from becoming unfortunate victims, whether it’s of conscious abuse or pure neglect.

Of the children we will remember at our agency’s annual Child Memorial on April 29, none were lost to physical abuse. That’s important, and encouraging. However, it’s not realistic to believe we have ended child abuse in our community. Instead, perhaps this is a signal that we are becoming more aware of the price we all pay when we allow child abuse to occur.

In 2010, Lucas County Children Services (LCCS) received nearly 4,500 calls of suspected maltreatment involving 6,500 children. Almost half of the calls were for physical abuse. Of all of the children who were confirmed victims of physical, emotional or sexual abuse or neglect, nearly half of them were five years old or younger — our most vulnerable victims. While abuse occurred throughout the county, it was most likely to occur in neighborhoods that experience a number of social problems. Our community must support programs and services that help parents be good, safe parents. We need to make sure that quality day care and medical care are accessible to them, and that parenting classes are available for those who need them. But most of all, we have to make sure our young parents are connected to family, friends and neighbors. Those “kin” are the ones that teach young parents to make good decisions and handle tough situations, and when things get rough, wrap their loving arms around them.

Lucas County has been fortunate to have great family resources in our neighborhoods — community centers, Help Me Grow, health clinics and houses of worship. If you know of a parent who is having trouble caring for his or her children or keeping them safe, call us. We can work with that family and connect them with resources that can point them in the right direction. But you must be strong, first, and be willing to make the call.

Our community has experienced tragedy. We lost three children to drowning last year, and two teens died due to senseless street violence. The three drowning victims were very, very young, ranging from less than a year old to just 3 years old. Each of these children drowned under very different circumstances, but their deaths are equally tragic. The two young men who died lived in different parts of town, but both succumbed to random shootings that are part of everyday life for too many residents of our community. Their deaths remind us that we need to keep our children close, no matter how old they are.

Every April, as we remember the children we’ve lost during the past year, I hope and pray that we don’t have to gather together the following year to memorialize even more young victims. Let us all recommit to making Lucas County a safe place for children and a community that supports strong families.

LCCS hosts its annual Child Memorial on April 29 at 11:30 a.m. at its offices, 705 Adams St. in Downtown Toledo. The community is urged to attend. Report child abuse 24/7 at (419) 213-2273. You can remain anonymous.

Dean Sparks is executive director of Lucas County Children Services.

Tags: Dean Sparks, Family, Lucas County Children Services

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 14th, 2011 at 8:25 pm and is filed under Community, Family.
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Lucas County Commissioners voted to replace two Children Services Board trustees who were seeking re-appointment.

In a meeting on March 22, Commissioners Tina Skeldon Wozniak, Carol Contrada and Pete Gerken appointed county employees Eric Walker, director of workforce development, and Bridgette Kabat, chief of staff for county commissioners. Those who were seeking re-appointment were long-time board members Jeff Zivinski and Diana “Dee” Talmadge.

“It was no discredit to their service or attendance, but so often on boards you need a different look at the operations,” Gerken said.

He said they felt that Kabat’s understanding of finances and funding options within the county and Walker’s knowledge of federal and state law, as well as youth issues, would provide a good fit within Children Services.

“The county has gone through quite a lot of changes with downsizing. [Kabat] will be a helpful asset in making changes in these tough economic times,” Wozniak said.

Since Children Services receives funding from the county, Gerken said, it makes sense to collaborate services, especially at a time when they are being told by “everybody from the governor down” that they need to share resources.

“Jeff Zivinski and Dee Talmadge have been long standing members of our board. We appreciate their commitment and service to Lucas County Children Services. We understand that the commissioners make the appointments to our board and we will work with Eric and Bridgette in the months and years to come,” CSB Executive Director Dean Sparks said.

Zivinski and Talmadge could not be reached for comment.

Tags: Bridgette Kabat, Carol Contrada, Dean Sparks, Dee Talmadge, Eric Walker, Jeff Zivinski, Lucas County, Lucas County Children Services, Lucas County Commissioners, Pete Gerken, Tina Skeldon Wozniak

This entry was posted on Monday, March 28th, 2011 at 4:05 pm and is filed under Breaking News, Community, Government.
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