January 28, 2001
Davoli state of the city address
By Jefferson Wolfe
Staff Writer
FOSTORIA -- The mayor discussed the city's progress in the last year and urged Fostorians to promote the city in a positive way Friday during his state of the city speech.
Mayor John Davoli gave the speech in which he discussed efforts the city has made in law enforcement, sewer improvement and crowded railroads Friday morning at the Center Street Coffee House.
"Stick up for the city -- it's your city," he said.
The first thing Davoli discussed was crime and drug enforcement.
Davoli wants to have a crime summit in the late spring or early summer of 2001, in which a street in a high-crime area would be shut down. There will be a cookout with hot dogs being served, but also there will be information about programs that are available for the residents, as well as a sign up for the block watch program.
Also, there would a be a display of drugs and drug paraphernalia and a demonstration by Rocco, the drug sniffing dog, and his handler, Ofc. Matt Noftz.
Similar block parties were conducted last year, but nothing specific to crime and law enforcement, Davoli said.
"We're going to show these people (drug dealers) that we are in charge," he said.
"I have and will continue to go on drug raids for many reasons," he said.
Once, he went with the officers on a raid and found how difficult it was for officers to get in and out of the city's van with all their gear on. Davoli found an old bread truck and the department uses this as their deployment vehicle.
"This was a direct correlation of seeing a problem and fixing it, a problem I would have never seen sitting around my desk," he said.
Also in 2000, the city enacted a new loitering law, installed new lights, met with Fostorians living in high crime areas and used Rocco the police dog to give demonstrations, Davoli said.
The second issue Davoli discussed was basement flooding.
"No citizen should lay awake at night listening to the rain worrying about their basements flooding," he said. "Our problem is the fact that our storm sewers and sanitary sewers are connected."
Storm sewers separate from sanitary sewers were constructed on Cherry and Lynn streets, and another similar project is planned on the east side.
On Center Street near Adams Street, a storm sewer had never been connected to a catch basin. It was connected last year and has helped to alleviate the flooding, Davoli said.
Other small projects are planned for 2001.
Some of the combined sewers have been modified, he said, to get rid of back pressure in the system. Also, 60 tons of debris was removed from catch basins this past summer, and that effort will continue.
Railroads were a large concern in Fostoria in 2000. Davoli compiled information to be a part of Gov. Bob Taft's $200 million initiative, and hand delivered the paperwork to Columbus himself.
The city is supposed to have word soon about whether or not the state will provide funding for any over- or underpasses.
Davoli thanked the city's departments, including the fire, police, water and sewer departments.
He also praised the work of Eric Keckler, the street department superintendent, in snow removal efforts.
"Every school child in town hates that guy," he said.
As he closed, Davoli urged Fostorians to talk up the city and help break a negative image and the perception that Fostoria is a drug town.
"Fostoria is a great city," he said. "It's up to all of us to carry out that message to all Fostorians ... You live in this town. You have to tell people you love it. ...
"My ultimate goal is for Fostoria to be known to the dealers and criminals as the place not to go to do business. I want them to think of Fostoria as the last place on earth to do their dealings. This will only happen if we continue to keep fighting as hard as we can, and I pledge to all Fostorians we will."
In 2000, Fostoria Mayor John Davoli:
- Performed 38 weddings
- Attended more than 600 meetings
- Jogged more than 500 miles
- Attended all 24 council meetings
- Cooked more than 2,000 hot dogs at different events
- Went into more than three dozen flooded basements
- Got dunked in dunk tanks 387 times
- Participated in more than a dozen drug raids and operations for secret indictments
- Returned 702 phone calls
- Climbed 165 feet up into the water tower and 31 feet down into the sewer lift stations
- Distributed 1,200 bags of wildflower seed mix