Like many of the other rural cities and towns in Lewis County, the City of Toledo hosts an annual Fourth of July show, with fireworks being launched from behind Toledo City Hall and the adjacent Lewis County Fire District 2 firehouse.
During the Toledo City Council meeting on Monday, May 19, Teresa Reynolds, manager of the nearby Toledo Hardware and Feed and Flying K gas station, raised concerns during public comment about fire danger as the gas station is less than 200 yards from where the fireworks are launched from.
Additionally, Toledo Public Works Department Assistant Director Jay Crow announced per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) testing had been conducted on the city’s water supply for the first time.
And among other items also discussed during the meeting, Toledo resident Dr. Sandy Hare talked about an upcoming cleanup day scheduled in town on Saturday, May 31.
Fireworks show concerns
Toledo’s annual fireworks show is organized by the Soto-Bloomstrom family in collaboration with the Toledo Lions Club, the City of Toledo and Lewis County Fire District 2.
The Lions Club also sells fireworks leading up to the show as a fundraiser program to pay for scholarships for Toledo High School graduates, with the fireworks stands typically opening a week before the Fourth of July weekend.
Reynolds was raising concerns on behalf of Toledo Hardware and the Flying K’s owners, Rick and Tonya Lovell.
“I’m here representing Rick and Tonya tonight. They are out of town,” Reynolds said. “... They’re very concerned about the fireworks back here. Last year, it was quite a mess for us.”
In preparation for last year’s fireworks show, the Lovells cleaned up their business front in preparation for the holiday weekend and festivities.
“When we got back, it was a total fiasco and mess. There was (fireworks) debris around all of the islands of the gas station, and the tanks,” Reynolds said. “The debris went clear out to our propane tanks, behind our Conex (container and) between our Conex and the building, where there’s just nothing but dead grass.”
According to Reynolds, the Lovells were “dead set against” launching the fireworks in such close proximity to a gas station. She added she had also spoken to Lewis County Fire District 2 Chief Chris Davidson.
“I spoke with the chief today of the fire department, and he voiced the same opinion,” Reynolds said. “We’re totally behind what they’re doing for the scholarship, that’s wonderful. But it needs to be somewhere else. These buildings, ours is over 100 years old, and if she starts burning, she’s not going to stop.”
The Lovells are preparing to celebrate 30 years of owning their business in June as well. They originally purchased Toledo Hardware when it was just a NAPA Auto Parts store and gas station in 1995, as previously reported by The Chronicle.
Toledo Mayor Cherie Devore advised Reynolds to keep an eye on upcoming meeting agendas as the fireworks show organizers will soon be applying for a special events permit, which will have to be approved by the council.
Devore invited both Reynolds and the Lovells to attend the meeting, at which they can comment on whether they think the council should approve the permit or not.
PFAS testing
The City of Toledo’s water was tested for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — more commonly known as PFAS or “forever chemicals” — for the first time ever, according to Crow.
PFAS are man-made chemicals that have been commonly used in many consumer products and industrial processes for decades, but have recently been linked with various health concerns and pose environmental hazards with how long they take to break down and disappear in ecosystems.
Crow provided an update on PFAS testing in Toledo during a public works update for the Toledo City Council.
“This April, we completed our first round out of three for PFAS testing this year, and it came back with no detection,” Crow told the council.
Though the results came back negative, he added another round of testing was going to be carried out before the end of the month.
“After that, it’s on a three-year schedule,” Crow added. “Again, that’s just for drinking water testing.”
Toledo cleanup day
Also speaking during the meeting’s public comment period, Hare previewed the upcoming Toledo Community Cleanup Day event, scheduled for Saturday, May 31.
“I’m a walking billboard,” Hare said, pointing at her Toledo t-shirt.
Volunteers for the cleanup event will be needed for two shifts on Saturday, the first from 9 a.m. to noon, and the second from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., with both shifts meeting and starting at Kemp Olson Memorial Park, located at 600 S. Sixth St. in Toledo.
Being hosted by the local nonprofit Vision: Toledo, a free barbecue lunch will be provided for all volunteers courtesy of the Toledo Market Fresh grocery store, and an outdoor patio pizza oven will be raffled off during lunch as well.
Volunteers are asked to wear good work clothes, sturdy shoes, gloves and hats along with sunscreen. Organizers are also asking volunteers to bring any shovels, rakes, wheelbarrows, brooms, window cleaners and any other cleaning or gardening equipment they have.
Other local businesses are invited to donate raffle prizes as well, and sponsorship opportunities are still available. For more information, call Hare at 541-968-8533.
Toledo-themed gift bags will also be available for volunteers.
To sign up as a volunteer for the clean up day event, visit https://tinyurl.com/yckey4cb.
