The park
will include four pillars, symbolic of the Junction
Coalition’s founding principles, ornately decorated park
benches, a walk-trail, and an amphitheater stage. What was
once a barren, purposeless empty lot is going to be
transformed into a space of celebration, peace and
recreation. With the installation of amphitheater, Junction
also hopes to see growth in the economic investment in the
community.
On the
1300 block of Blum, Junction Coalition with the help of Tree
Toledo, Lucas County Soil & Water, TMACOG, LandBank, and
Partners for Clean Streams has successfully installed both a
rain garden and a community-food garden, commonly known as
“What Blooms on Blum.”
The rain
garden and community garden were installed during the summer
of 2017 and now are in full bloom and function. The rain
garden helps combat storm-water run-off and flooding during
heavy rain activity. It also has plants and vegetation
native to Ohio which helps enrich the soil and allows much
of our native birds and insects to return to their natural
habitats. All in hopes of restoring our ecosystem.
The
community garden is growing numerous edible fruits and
vegetables to help combat the existing food dessert, and
provide the community with its on sustainable means of
resources. These facilities are maintained and maintenanced
by the surrounding neighbors, where they have adopted the
principle of “if you take a fruit or vegetable, pick a
weed.”
With the
help of the City of Toledo Environmental Services, the
churches in the community are also doing their part in the
revitalization and beautification plans. Glass City church
has constructed a rain garden, while People’s Church has
installed a prayer garden known as “Sacred Grounds.”
Why It
Matters
Back in
August of 2014 Toledo experienced a toxic contamination of
its tap water. This outbreak is commonly known as the Toledo
Water Crisis. During this time, harmful algal bloom caused
primarily by the pollutants like farm and sewage run-offs.
This run-off often contains high-levels of phosphorus which
then feeds the harmful algal bloom.
The
Junction community found themselves in a compromising
situation when the residents (like many other Toledoans) had
to fend for themselves in this crisis. Ingesting this
contaminated water can negatively affect the brain, can
cause nausea, diarrhea, and even sickness and/or death among
pets and infants.
After the
crisis abated, the community did not stop there. Many of the
concerned citizens wanted to ensure this did not happen
again by taking a more active role in protecting their
drinking water. Part of that protection meant cracking down
on littering and garbage collection in the streets,
installing rain gardens, community gardens, and bioswales,
and educating and creating awareness about the protection of
freshwater sources.
Citizens
are also partnering with the city’s government officials,
ensuring that they are appropriately keeping their
constituents abreast on the state of the drinking water and
any alerts in a timely fashion. Collaborations and
partnerships are forming with Junction Coalition, Toledoans
for Safe Water & Advocates for Clean Lake Erie, who all
Toledo residents looking to protect our most precious
natural resource.
What’s
Next?
Jill
Ryan, director of Freshwater Future is determined to work
with the Junction Coalition and other organizations to
ensure community education and policy change takes place.
She shared her concerns about the on-going issues
surrounding drinking water: “There has been insufficient
notice of what the state of Ohio has done to ensure
regulatory action of phosphorus run-off takes place. There
needs to be a plan of action before and after a crisis
hits.”
As we near
the five-year anniversary of the Toledo Water Crisis, and on
the cusp of a rumored second outbreak, community members
have a couple questions on their minds that they intend to
ask their local officials about. The community poses the
following questions to our city officials:
●
How comfortable and confident can
citizens be in Toledo’s tap water?
●
What is the city’s before and after plan
if a second crisis does occur?
●
Why isn’t the drinking water dashboard
alert on the front page of the city’s website?
●
Is there a plan for regulatory action for
run-off and how are we as citizens are to be updated?
The Junction Coalition with the help Freshwater
Future, Great Lakes Alliance, Partners for Clean Streams,
Ohio Environmental Council, American Rivers, National
Wildlife Federation and many other local and national
environmental groups continue to educate the public about
how to protect our natural resources. Junction Coalition is
gearing up to have a full media blast of their upcoming
events, alerts, and information as well as disaster
preparedness seminar in September, 2019.
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