{"id":15834,"date":"2025-04-24T20:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-24T20:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/?p=15834"},"modified":"2025-04-24T20:00:09","modified_gmt":"2025-04-24T20:00:09","slug":"issue-8-will-help-metroparks-keep-trails-safe-air-breathable-and-water-clean","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/24\/issue-8-will-help-metroparks-keep-trails-safe-air-breathable-and-water-clean\/","title":{"rendered":"Issue 8 Will Help Metroparks Keep Trails Safe, Air Breathable and Water Clean"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"By Fletcher Word<\/em>
\nThe Truth Editor<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThere are great things about our city and region,\u201d says Toledo Metroparks Chief External Relations Officer Matthew Killam. \u201cLet\u2019s not focus on what we are not, let\u2019s focus on what we are.\u201d<\/p>\n

What we are, adds Killam, is an area with \u201cthe best park system in the nation.\u201d<\/p>\n

In order to maintain that status, to preserve the day-to-day operations that maintain that status \u2013 in Ohio\u2019s only \u201cmoving\u201d dunes to the 35-room colonial home of an auto baron both of which lie within the 19 Metroparks and 190 miles of trails over a 12,000 acre park landscape \u2013 \u00a0the system is asking area voters to say \u201cYES\u201d to the May 6 ballot Issue 8, a 10-year replacement levy that will cost the homeowner of\u00a0 $100,000 house $1.60 more a month.<\/p>\n

The levy will provide funds for the ongoing operations that keep \u201cthe trails safe, the air breathable and the water clean,\u201d says Killam.<\/p>\n

The services that Metroparks Toledo provides for area residents are indeed extensive \u2013 and for all generations. In addition to the wondrous physical attractions of nature, the Metroparks staff host a number of activities for families and children of all ages.<\/p>\n

There are activities ranging from archery, to birding, to ice skating and skiing, among many others; there are spring and summer camps for youngsters that focus on a number of activities such as paddling and survival.<\/p>\n

\u201cYoungsters participate and get to have a love affair with nature. We get people outdoors and about 1,200 get to experience nature for free. We want the next generation to become educated and gain experience,\u201d says Killam of the goal of all these family activities.<\/p>\n

\"\"It\u2019s money well spent, says Killam of the funds that the levy brings in, but the Toledo Metroparks does not rely merely on the largesse of local taxpayers. The system has brought in more than $100 million in state and federal grants in the last 10 years.<\/p>\n

Metroparks also contributes to the economy, employing, for example, about 225 staff annually, including summer help. The agency has also brought in and expanded businesses such as the various enterprises within the Glass City Metropark.<\/p>\n

The achievements of the Metroparks organization have been recognized nationally on numerous occasions. Most recently, the National Recreation and Park Association honored Metroparks with the \u201cInnovation in Park Design Award\u201d in 2024 for the creation of that same Glass City Metropark.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the honor Metroparks received for fulfilling their goals \u2013 making trails safe, the air breathable and the water clean, in addition to providing an entertaining, educational experience for so many.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s an honor received for fulfilling the Metroparks mission statement which is \u201cto conserve the region\u2019s natural resources by creating, developing, improving, protecting, and promoting clean, safe, and natural parks and open spaces for the benefit, enjoyment, education, and general welfare of the public.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are a conservation agency,\u201d says Killam. \u201cWe connect people to conservation.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Fletcher Word The Truth Editor \u201cThere are great things about our city and region,\u201d says Toledo Metroparks Chief External Relations Officer Matthew Killam. \u201cLet\u2019s not focus on what we are not, let\u2019s focus on what we are.\u201d What we are, adds Killam, is an area with \u201cthe best park system in the nation.\u201d In […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":15837,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[250,252,17],"tags":[],"wf_post_folders":[290],"class_list":["post-15834","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-news","category-politics","category-local"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15834","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15834"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15834\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15839,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15834\/revisions\/15839"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15837"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15834"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15834"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15834"},{"taxonomy":"wf_post_folders","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wf_post_folders?post=15834"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}