News Briefs Week of 1/20/20

By: 
Staff writer

Meeting canceled
Due to a lack of agenda items, Oregon City Council President Dennis Walendzak has canceled the Committee of the Whole meeting that was scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 21. The next regular council meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 27, at 5330 Seaman Rd.

DeWine to sign HB 4
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine will sign House Bill 4, a measure that requires the Governor's Office of Workforce Transformation to act as a liaison between the business community and the Department of Education or the Chancellor of Higher Education regarding industry-recognized credentials and certificate programs.

Boating safety course
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Parks and Watercraft will present an Ohio Boating Education Course on Saturday, Feb. 1 from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Maumee Bay State Park Nature Center, 1400 State Park Rd., Oregon. Admission is free. Pre-registration is required due to class size limitations.
The course covers a variety of boating topics such as navigation rules, boating and personal safety equipment, navigational signage, Ohio boating laws and more.
Ohio law requires any person born on or after Jan. 1, 1982 to be able to show proof of successful completion of an approved boating safety education course if operating any watercraft powered by a motor greater than 10 horsepower. For additional information or register, call the Maumee Bay office at 419-836-6003 or visit http://watercraft.ohiodnr.gov.

Meeting rescheduled
The regular meeting of the Board of Park Commissioners for the Wood County Park District has been rescheduled to Monday, Jan. 20 at 3:30 p.m. at Park District Headquarters, 18729 Mercer Rd., Bowling Green.

City offering new
code enforcement
courtesy notices
City of Toledo code enforcement employees began using a new courtesy notice for violations on Jan. 13.
The courtesy notices will give property owners an opportunity to correct problems before a costly city cleanup or civil penalty is imposed.
“The Code Enforcement division will also perform increased follow-ups with property owners in an effort to reduce violations by one-third and save residents money,” said Code Enforcement Commissioner Dennis Kennedy.
The new notices will be posted at occupied properties to alert residents of property maintenance violations such as abandoned vehicles, tall grass, illegal signs, graffiti, improper bulk refuse set-outs at the curb or structural issues. Code enforcement inspectors will conduct a follow-up inspection seven days later, at which time, a traditional violation notice could be issued if the problem has not been corrected.
The city has 11 inspectors who issue about 26,000 violations a year. About 50 percent of violators respond, while the other half are issued citations or proceed to court. Voluntary compliance with the courtesy notice program may reduce the number of cleanups that must be performed by the city and cut reinspection costs by thousands of dollars by the end of the year.
“Community groups and property owners asked for us to make this change, and implement a new courtesy notice because many times we have issued a citation for a problem the property owner was not previously aware of,” Kennedy said. “Many times, people say, ‘why didn’t you just tell me about this before giving me a ticket?’ We think this will reduce code violations because we believe people truly want to be compliant with the code but they may be unaware of violations on their properties.”

Foundation invites
grant applications
The Ottawa County Community Foundation (OCCF) invites nonprofit organizations located in or serving Ottawa County to submit requests for grant funding.
The Foundation annually awards grants to programs in the fields of education, social services, physical and mental health, safe and positive living environments, natural resources and the arts. Since its inception in 1999, the Foundation has awarded over $600,000 through its community grants program.
Interested applicants should download the latest Guidelines for Grant Seekers and Forms from the website at www.OttawaCCF.org
Applications must be submitted via the U.S. Postal Service to Ottawa County Community Foundation, P.O. Box 36, Port Clinton, OH 43452. Completed applications must be postmarked no later than Monday, March 16 to be considered.
For additional information, email info@ottawaccf.org.

Crash investigated
The Toledo Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating a two-vehicle crash which occurred around 4:50 a.m. on Thursday on State Route 2 east of Decant Road in Jerusalem Township.
A pick-up truck, driven by Miranda J. Heuberger, 20, Toledo, was eastbound on Route 2, when it traveled left of center and struck a garbage truck driven by Thomas C. Sutton, 48, also of Toledo.
Heuberger was extricated by mechanical means from her vehicle, and transported by Life Flight to St. Vincent Medical Center with serious injuries. Sutton was transported to St. Charles Hospital by ambulance with non-life-threatening injuries. The roadway was closed for approximately three hours.
Safety belts were in use by both drivers and it wasn’t known if drug or alcohol impairment played a factor in the crash, the patrol said.
The Highway Patrol was assisted at the scene by the Lucas County Sheriff’s Office, Oregon Police Department, Jerusalem Township Fire Department, and the Ohio Department of Transportation

Zoning change
recommended
The Wood County Planning Commission is recommending a request to rezone a parcel of land in Lake Township be approved by the township.
The commission approved its non-binding recommendation during its Jan. 7 meeting.
Kenneth Swartz requested the 60-acre parcel be rezoned from A-1 agricultural to B-2 commercial.
In his application, Swartz said he intends to sell the parcel and the B-2 classification would make it more marketable.
The property is located about 1,800 feet south of the intersection of State Rt. 795 and Cummings Road. Latcha Road borders it to the south.

Memorial donation
Patrick Pauken, president of the Bowling Green Kiwanis Club, last week presented a $5,000 check to Jack Jones, chairman of the Fundraising Committee for the Wood County Veterans Memorial.
“The members of Bowling Green Kiwanis are pleased to contribute to this memorial project. The primary mission of Kiwanis is to serve children, and this revitalized memorial will show respect for our fallen military members, while helping children to understand the sacrifices that have been made to keep America free,” Pauken said.
The existing Wood County Veterans Memorial was established on the southwest corner of the courthouse lawn in 1950. Memorials for Korea and Vietnam were added.
Weather has taken a toll on the memorials, he said, as has time. Wood County veterans worked to design a new memorial plaza that will recognize all county residents who died in the Civil War, WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Gulf War, and Afghanistan along with Gold Star families.
The $400,000 project will create an area that is accessible to people with disabilities, and is conducive to memorial services. Donations for the project can be made to the Bowling Green Community Foundation/Wood County Veterans Memorial, P.O. Box 1175, Bowling Green, OH 43402. Email: Vmemorial@co.wood.oh.us

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