TOLEDO -- On September 11, 2001 Toledo Mayor Mike Bell was then serving as the city's fire chief. He remembers how city leaders acted promptly and decisively when it became apparent that the United States was under attack. "The mayor at the time called a meeting with myself, the sheriff and the police chief, and we were sitting in a room on the 22nd floor(of One Government Center) trying to come up with a strategy when the rest of the building had been cleared out," Mayor Bell said.
Paul Toth was the Director of Toledo Express Airport ten years ago. When the government ordered all commercial airliners to land immediately many flights were diverted to Toledo. "We opened conference rooms so people could call their families, we called rental car companies and hotels to make sure we had rooms for all these people," Mr. Toth said.
A primary election was scheduled for September 11, 2001 and one of the candidates on the ballot was George Sarantou. But when he learned about what had happeend in New York, Washington, D.C. and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania his mindset shifted. "My priority was what happened to my country, not my race for city council," Mr. Sarantou said. Mr. Sarantou prevailed in his primary election contest and continues to serve as an at-large member of the Toledo City Council.
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