The City of Toledo is exploring different ways to address an uptick in vandalism in town, including the installation of new security cameras, according to Mayor Cherie DeVore.
DeVore made the comments as around 50 people packed the Toledo High School auditorium Tuesday for the 12th annual Big Toledo Community Meeting, which provides residents and community leaders a chance to connect and share their ideas for the future. According to Mike Morgan, of Vision Toledo, the event began in 2010 after a fire in the town.
Elected in the November general election, the meeting provided DeVore an opportunity to speak to her constituents, where she stressed the importance of community involvement.
“We’re really needing volunteers. Even if it’s minimal, if you can donate two hours of your time a month, that is all it takes to really make a difference,” DeVore said. “Even though you think you may not have a lot of time to give, that small amount is really going to make an impact. So I do encourage you to come out in any capacity that you can.”
DeVore reported that the town has seen an uptick in vandalism, which is something she is “trying to work on.”
“I’ve worked with ToledoTel. We are putting up cameras around town. We’re going to start doing that this week,” DeVore said. “So we will be keeping a close eye on the areas that have been hit the most, just to make sure that we can keep this town as safe as possible.”
Police Chief Duane Garvais Lawrence noted that cities throughout Lewis County — namely Chehalis, Centralia and Winlock — see “call after call after call” to law enforcement for assistance.
“We don’t have that, and our department is really starting to grow here,” he said, noting the department recently hired a new officer.
Ethan Siegel, a local author and president of the Toledo Lions Club, said the club is an excellent way for people to get involved.
“We want to make things happen in this community,” Siegel said. “We want to help you make things happen in this community.”
Sharon Ripp, a member of the Toledo Cheese Days Committee, said the theme of this year’s festival is “Hashtag say cheese.”
The event begins Thursday, July 11, at 6:30 p.m. at Kemp Olson Memorial Par for food and live music. On Friday, the annual festival will continue with the frog jump, and Ripp said the committee is looking for additional activities.
Morgan said a Wine and Cheese Tasting Garden during the festival serves as the group’s main fundraisers and supports community improvement projects throughout the town.
On Saturday, the festival continues with a car show and parade, before a barbeque concludes the events on Sunday.
“It’s a community project. We help a lot of people,” Ripp said. “Come sign up. Come see us. Come talk to us.”
Todd Chaput, initiatives program manager with the Economic Alliance of Lewis County, said the Alliance is introducing specific branded merchandise for each town in Lewis County. The expansion of town-specific marketing will also include new tabs on the Discover Lewis County website and brochures for each community.
“We’re making sure that each community has their own special flavor, and we’ve worked with each community to identify and create that flavor,” Chaput said.
Steve Berch of the Toledo Planning Commission said the town is currently creating its 20-year growth management plan.
“Rest assured that we are taking into account where we want to be and what we want to see in town,” Berch said, inviting residents to attend the town’s planning commission meetings.
