News Briefs Week of 1/13/20

Job fair
The Lucas County Board of Elections will hold a job fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 13th. The event will be held at the Early Vote Center, 1301 Monroe St., Toledo. The board of elections is in need of election day workers Precinct Election Officials and seasonal workers for the March 17 primary election cycle. Every election cycle, thousands of Ohioans play an important role by working for the board of elections. These election day workers and seasonal workers ensure their neighbors can vote with ease, while also helping to safeguard the process so voters can have confidence in the results. Qualifications: You must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years of age, a registered voter in Lucas County. Also, you must not have been convicted of a felony, and you cannot be a candidate for office in the election for which you would be working as a P.E.O., and you must have reliable transportation. Please contact Robert Royster, at 419-213-2043 or email at RJRoyster@co.lucas.oh.us or Veronica Hill, 419-213-20134, or email at Vrhill@co.lucas.oh.us to work as a Precinct Election Official.

Volunteers needed
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires that communities receiving federal funding from their Continuum of Care and Emergency Solutions Grants programs conduct a Point-in-Time Count (PIT) sometime during the last ten days in January. This count assesses the number of homeless persons in the community. The last PIT count in Lucas County revealed 640 individuals living in shelters and 22 individuals living on the streets.
The Toledo Lucas County Homelessness Board (TLCHB), as the lead applicant for the community’s Continuum of Care grant, is the lead organization for this count that will be conducted on January 22 and 23. The Toledo Area Alliance to End Homelessness (TAAEH) and other agencies receiving federal funds—including many shelters— will also participate.
Donations of toiletries, warm clothing items, snacks, bottled water and breakfast/lunch donations are also needed.
Volunteers are needed, especially for the night count. Please call 419-244-9440 Ext. 10 if interested in volunteering.

Terra State hiring
KidsCollege instructors
Terra State Community College is hiring instructors for its 2020 KidsCollege program.
Instructors are needed to teach a wide variety of classes, ranging from animation to baking to Tae Kwon Do. KidsCollege will run from July 27-30 from 8 a.m.-3:15 p.m. Interested individuals may contact Holly Hoffman, Coordinator of Community Education, at hhoffman01@terra.edu or 419-559-2166. This is a paid opportunity. Applications are due by Friday, Jan. 24.
Located in Fremont, Terra State Community College is a two-year accredited, state-supported, residential college offering 22 Applied Degrees and Certificates to students.

Joyful Connections
grand re-opening
The public is invited to join the celebration as Joyful Connections hosts an open house for its new facility on Tuesday, Feb. 4 from 1-4 p.m. at 8200 W. SR 163 in Oak Harbor. The Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce will be on hand at 2:30 p.m. for the official ribbon cutting.
Joyful Connections is a local 501(c)3 non-profit agency that provides opportunities for children to stay connected with their parents or other family members in a safe, secure, neutral, and child-focused environment. The agency exists to minimize the negative impact on children experiencing challenging family situations.
For more information about Joyful Connections, visit www.joyfulconnections.com or call 567-262-3181.

Travel Circle Series
World travelers from throughout the region will discuss their experiences and share photos of their adventures each Saturday in January, February and March at Metroparks locations.
The program series is sponsored by Maumee Valley Adventurers, a local organization focused on outdoor recreation and travel. The group partners with Metroparks on the travel lecture series and two bike tours.
The free presentations start at 2:15 p.m. There is an optional pre-program walk at 1 p.m. each week. A 13-week program series by Maumee Valley Adventurers.
Locations alternate between Oak Openings Lodge at Oak Openings Preserve Metropark, 5440 Wilkins Rd. Whitehouse, and the Ward Pavilion at the east entrance to Wildwood Preserve Metropark, 4830 W. Central Ave., Toledo.
This year’s lineup includes trips to international destinations as well as sojourns here in the United States by new and returning presenters.
The schedule includes:
• Jan. 11 – “Loving Bali and Little Taiwan,” by Judy Pfaffenberger, Oak Openings Preserve, Oak Openings Lodge.
• Jan. 18 – “So Much to See, So Little Time: From the Midwest to the Mountains,” by Sherry Stanfa-Stanley, Wildwood Preserve, Ward Pavilion.
• Jan. 25 – “Our Scotland Odyssey,” by Steve Lauer, Oak Openings Preserve, Oak Openings Lodge.
• Feb. 1 – “Traveling in Israel: Sites and Controversies,” by Bill Hoover, Wildwood Preserve, Ward Pavilion.
• Feb. 8 – “Exploring Indonesia: Bali to Singapore,” by Nancy Verner, Oak Openings Preserve, Oak Openings Lodge.
• Feb. 15 – “Patti & Chuck's Parisian Adventure,” by Chuck Schmitt, Wildwood Preserve, Ward Pavilion.
• Feb. 22 – “Italian Vistas: Tuscany, Amalfi Coast, Mts. Etna, Vesuvius,” by Barbara Laird, Oak Openings Preserve, Oak Openings Lodge.
• Feb. 29 – “From Mt. Fuji to Mt. Denali: Crossing the Northern Pacific,” by Dick & Chris Weisfelder, Wildwood Preserve, Ward Pavilion.
• March 7 – “Mongolia and Siberia: Neighbors in Contrast,” by Ron Randall, Oak Openings Preserve, Oak Openings Lodge.
• March 14 – “Imperial Jewels of China” by Judith Wilkinson, Wildwood Preserve, Ward Pavilion.
• March 21 – “Toledo Sister City - Toledo, Spain,” by Dagmar Varela, Wildwood Preserve, Ward Pavilion.
• March 28 – “Japan: Timeless Beauty into the 21st Century,” by Vince & Meng Walsh, Oak Openings Preserve, Oak Openings Lodge.

NWO Trump 2020
Kick-off Party set
The Oregon Republican Club and the Toledo Tea Party will host a Northwest Ohio Trump 2020 Kick-off Party Thursday, Feb. 6 from 7-9 p.m. at the Oregon Senior Center, 4350 Navarre Ave., across from Pearson Metropark.
Attendees will learn how to get involved in the Trump 2020 campaign. Representatives from local organizations will be on hand, including Bikers for Trump, Toledoans for Trump, Auto Workers for Trump, Walk-Away, Workers for Trump, the NRA and the Trump 2020 Campaign.

Free youth hunt
The Oak Harbor Conservation Club will offer a free upland youth hunt Sunday, Jan. 26 at the DARR Wetlands, 12055 W. Toussaint North Rd.
Morning and afternoon hunts for pheasants and chukars will be conducted. Participants must be between 10 and 18 years old, have a valid youth Ohio hunting license and must wear hunter orange.
A limited number of hunting slots will be available. To apply send name and age of each youth to opra@bright.net. For more details. Call contact Don Hunter at 567-278-1551. No walk-ins allowed.

Wildlife park urges
help for wildfire
victims in Australia
After experiencing the devastation of a fire firsthand as well as experiencing the incredible support afterwards, African Safari Wildlife Park is encouraging the community to help those animals and people who are affected by the Australian wildfires.
As a member of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA), African Safari Wildlife Park as well as all other AZA Zoo and Aquarium members, have been asked to direct those wanting to help to the official Zoos Victoria Bushfire Emergency Wildlife Fund.
Zoos Victoria CEO Dr. Jenny Gray says, “While the fires are a distance from our zoos, our vet teams have been deployed into the fire areas where they are setting up triage and critical care facilities. The actual fire grounds are still too dangerous for people to enter and find injured animals. However, many animals are being brought in for care, with varying types of injury.
“We are also concerned for animals after the fires as even if they survive the fires there will be no food or shelter available. We anticipate a number of responses both at our zoos and in the wild to address the problems. Finally, there will be a significant impact on endangered species, many live only in the fire area, once the area is safe, we will get an idea of the scale of loss.
All funds raised will be used for critical care and long-term recovery of Australian Wildlife."
To donate and read about how contributions will help, visit www.zoo.org.au/fire-fund/.

Lake Erie Waterkeepers
Farms in Northwest Ohio will be the first in the state to gain certification as environmentally sustainable, a project funded by the governor's H2Ohio program.
Mike Libben, district program administrator for Ottawa Soil and Water Conservation District, will explain Ohio’s new certification process at the next Lake Erie Waterkeepers meeting Thursday, Jan. 16 at 7 p.m. at Packo's at the Park, 7 S. Superior St. in downtown Toledo.
The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. and will resume after Libben’s talk.
“If we get a majority of farmers involved, it'll make a difference,” said Libben, who farms 500 acres of corn, soybeans and wheat. “It’s the first money the state has provided for best management practices, and the funds are likely to go farther than federal funding typically does.”
Ohio’s certification process is modeled after Michigan's program, which has voluntarily enrolled 5,400 farms of all sizes and commodities. It aims to teach farmers how to prevent or minimize pollution risks.
Ohio's Department of Agriculture will initially focus on the 14 Northwest Ohio counties in the Maumee River watershed that feed Lake Erie and its tributaries.
People attending the meeting may order food. More info is available at lakeeriewaterkeeper.org.

Dog license
registrations
Wood County Auditor Matthew Oestreich reminds dog owners that Jan. 31 is the deadline for 2020 dog registrations.
Dogs may be registered for a one-year or three-year term or a permanent license, good for the dog’s life. The fee is $14 for a one-year license, $42 for a three-year license and $140 for a permanent license. No refunds are permitted.
The information necessary for registration is age, sex, spayed or neutered, color, length of hair, breed of the dog and the name, address and phone number of the owner. The Wood County District Board of Health has adopted a regulation requiring all dogs be immunized against rabies.
A kennel fee of $70 must be paid with the application for each kennel registered and additional tags are available for $1 each for kennels with more than five dogs.
Penalty fees will be collected on registrations received after Jan. 31, in the amount equal to the registration fee for each type of license. Therefore, the penalty would be $14 for regular licenses and $70 for kennel licenses in addition to the regular registration fee.
Persons acquiring dogs after Jan. 31 have 30 days after the date of acquisition or the date that the dog reaches three months of age to register with the Auditor’s Office.
The 2020 dog registration may be filed by mail, in person, or on the internet. When mailing the application, applicants are asked to include the license fee, dog information and a self-addressed stamped envelope for return of the license with a postmark of Jan. 3l or before.
Licenses can be purchased in person at the Wood County Auditor’s Office, located on the second floor of the county office building, Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. or at the Wood County Dog Shelter. Internet applications may be made at http://dogtags.co.wood.oh.us/ and require an additional $2 processing fee per license, which goes to the online firm processing the credit card purchase.
For more details, call 419-354-9150.