PR: Toledo Science Center

The Toledo Science Center, formerly known as COSI, stood unused for nearly a year when it turned to Hart for one last attempt to pass a levy, reopen its doors and reopen the imaginations of area children to the wonders of science. Two previous efforts under different campaign leadership had failed.

With that, our decades-long history of successful candidate and issue campaigns kicked into high gear. Print, radio and Cable TV relentlessly drove home the campaign message of “Kids, Jobs, Our Future.” The effort also featured a live, web-cam press conference with former United States Senator John Glenn (who also knows a thing or two about science). The American space hero even stuck around to answer every last question from the many area school children in the audience.

The strategy to bring the region’s business, education and labor leaders to the forefront also was a turning point in the campaign.

The result? Toledo Science Center’s levy issue passed with several thousand votes to spare. The fact that it was a new tax for county voters made the victory all the more gratifying for the Hart and Toledo Science Center teams. The kids? They were just elated that programs like “Motion Mania” would soon be back in action.