Lake Twp. Ranks of fire department bolstered

Seven new firefighters are just what the Lake Township Fire Department needs, Bruce Moritz, fire chief, told the township trustees Tuesday.
The trustees approved the hiring of seven as probationary firefighters: Zach Kohlhofer, Adam Nelson, Bobby Jo Nelson, Forrest Wagner, Craig Healy, Cole Winters and Ernest Brasington at the chief’s recommendation.
“We’ve been running a little thin,” he said. “They’re going to be a welcome addition to the department.”
Kohlhofer, Adam Nelson and Bobby Jo Nelson will be assigned to the Walbridge fire station and Wagner, Healy, Winters and Brasington will be assigned to the Millbury station.
Chief Moritz said they already started their training.
He credited an open house held at the Millbury station in August with attracting interest in the department and said another individual is “in the wings” preparing to join.
Currently, the department is staffed by 25 part-time firefighters and 29 paid volunteers besides the chief and another full-time officer.
In other business, the trustees referred a resident of Bailey Road to the Wood County prosecutor’s office after he asked whether a temporary injunction was in effect against the owner of the Woodville Road Nursery.
The township is involved in litigation against the owner, James Mlynek, over a zoning dispute.
Parcels owned by Mlynek at the center of the dispute are adjacent to Bailey Road. One case is pending in Perrysburg Municipal Court where a trial is scheduled for Dec. 18. Another case is pending in Wood County Common Pleas Court.
The trustees agreed to move their next meeting date to Nov. 6 due to the Nov. 5 general election.