News Briefs Week of 9/21/20

Airport grant funding
The U.S. Department of Transportation is awarding funds to three airports located in Ohio’s Fifth Congressional District. Funds will be used to implement various safety and infrastructure upgrades at each airport facility.
Airports receiving grant funding include:
• Wood County Regional - $1,700,000 to build and extend taxiways;
• Toledo Express - $9,841,052 to build and rehabilitate taxiways.
• Hardin County - $78,380 to rebuild an apron;
Congressman Bob Latta (R-OH5) said, “Keeping the residents of Ohio’s Fifth District safe is always my top priority. I am pleased that airports in Wood, Hardin, and Lucas County will receive funding for labor, material, and equipment needed to construct and restore infrastructure at their airports. Making necessary improvements to these airport facilities will greatly increase the safety of all passengers.”

Clean Your Streams
Every September since 1997, volunteers have participated in a Northwest Ohio environmental tradition of cleaning the greater Toledo-area’s streams, rivers, and ditches for Clean Your Streams Day. The goal for this year’s event is no different.
Partners for Clean Streams and its partnering organizations are organizing this year’s cleanup, set for Sept. 26 with many locations across the greater-Toledo area for small teams.
The organization is also offering a virtual Clean Your Streams option that can be completed from Sept. 20-26. Partners for Clean Streams is looking for volunteers to join the effort to remove marine debris from our waterways, safely.
Registration can be completed at partnersforcleanstreams.org/cys24/register. Group sizes are limited to 10. Registration for Clean Your Stream Day closes on Sept. 18 and the virtual Clean Your Streams registration closes on Sept. 26.
The safely distanced clean-ups begin at 8 a.m. at seven different kick-off locations, with staggered check-ins for volunteers, wearing masks, to briefly pick up supplies before spreading to cleanup sites.
Kick-off locations include:
• City of Oregon Municipal Building
• Middlegrounds Metropark
• Monroe Street United Methodist Church
• Woodland Park, Perrysburg
• Secor Metropark
• Side Cut Metropark
• University of Toledo Health Science Campus
The virtual clean-up can be completed on your own time, at any public location in the greater Toledo-area, on the CleanSwell App. This free app can be downloaded on to any smart device. Register for “Partners for Clean Streams” so your cleanup efforts can be counted. Partners for Clean Streams is partnered with the Ocean Conservancy and will receive the trash data submitted on the app.
Follow the cleanup virtually using #cleanyourstreams419 and tag @PCSMaumee with pictures of your cleanup.
Safety Guidelines for Clean Your Streams 24 can be found online at https://partnersforcleanstreams.org/events/cys/876-cys-24-safety-plan.

20 Under 40 Awards
The 25th celebration of the 20 Under 40 Awards will be a virtual event this year. The awards program will be livestreamed Wednesday, Oct. 28 at 7 p.m. on the 20 Under 40 website, www.20Under40Toledo.com.
Twenty additional honorees from Northwestern Ohio and Southeastern Michigan will join the roster of 480 alumni recognized over the past 24 years. This year, 200 candidates are vying for the top 20 spots. Visit 20Under40Toledo.com for a complete list of candidates.
An independent panel of judges selects the 20 candidates for recognition. The 20 Under 40 program focuses on the accomplishments of individuals under the age of 40 who have distinguished themselves in their career and/or as a volunteer in the community. The goal of the program is to further motivate young leaders in our area. Award recipients are not announced in advance of the program.
Program sponsors include Eastman & Smith, Fifth Third Bank, Plante Moran, The Andersons, Inc., University of Toledo and Dana Incorporated. The Toledo Business Journal serves as the media partner, Leadership Toledo serves as the community partner, and The Creative Block and Ulrich Pinciotti are creative partners. Community support is provided by EPIC Toledo, Imagination Station, The Toledo Repertoire Theatre, Toledo Alliance for the Performing Arts, Toledo Lucas County Public Library, Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo Opera, Toledo Zoo, and Valentine Theatre.

Circle Toledo results
Lt. Shaun J. Robinson, of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, announced the results of the 35th annual “Circle Toledo” OVI (Operating a Vehicle Impaired) enforcement effort, which began at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4 and continued through 6 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 5.
“Circle Toledo” is a 12-hour OVI enforcement effort with police agencies surrounding the Toledo Metropolitan area. Included are agencies from Wood, Lucas and Fulton counties. The goal of the effort is to increase public awareness of the dangers of drinking and driving as well as to remove impaired drivers.
The agencies surrounding the Toledo Metropolitan area cooperated to produce the following results during the 12-hour effort:
• Six impaired drivers were removed from the roadways (OVI arrests);
• 191 vehicles were stopped;
• Five seat belt citations were issued;
• 24 other citations were issued.

Crossing repairs
Norfolk and Southern has notified the Ottawa County engineer’s office the rail company will be repairing defective surfaces at several crossings.
From Sept.15-22, crossings at Atwater Road, Toussaint South Road and Brokate Road, between State Rt. 163 and Salem-Carroll Road, will be closed.
From Sept. 22-25, Plasterbed Road, between Lockwood and State roads, will be closed.
Updates will be posted on the county engineer’s website.

Black Swamp
Players to stage
virtual play
The Black Swamp Players will present two performances of the one-act play “Nothing Good Happens After Midnight” on Sept. 16 and 23 as part of The Hump Day Revue.
Written to be performed in a virtual environment, this play by sketch writer Laurie Allen is set in April 2020 and focuses on a bride-to-be, Savannah, who learns the hard way that being quarantined alone in her apartment does not mix well with wine and pre-wedding jitters. With her fiancé, Billy, quarantined with his parents, she relies on video conference calls with Billy and her parents, Joyce and George, for support. But one fateful night with a pair of scissors and a poor attempt at hair dressing might jeopardize the festivities.
Directed by Deb Shaffer, the production will feature a different cast in each of its two performances. The Sept. 16 cast includes: Allie Levine (Savannah), Karen Long (Joyce), Patrick Davis (George), and Heath Diehl (Billy). The Sept. 23 cast includes: Leah Truman (Savannah), Deb Weiser (Joyce), Bob Welly (George), and Heath Diehl (Billy).
Performances are free and will be streamed live via the Hump Day Revue. A recording of each performance also will be made available on the organization’s website following the live performances.

Cub hosting
first responders
Personnel from six fire departments and law enforcement agencies have been invited to an open house at the Oak Harbor Conservation Club Sept. 20 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The open house is free and open to the public.
Paul Dornbusch, a spokesman for the club, said the open house is being held to recognize the service of first responders and allow them to discuss their roles in the community with the public.
Demonstrations will be held of equipment such as drones, radar, firearm safety, fire extinguishers, the BOLA restraint system and others.
Units from the Portage River District, Mid-County EMS, Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office, Port Clinton Police Department, Oak Harbor Police Department and Ohio State Highway Patrol have been invited.
A police K-9 unit will attend and Det. Ron Timmons, of the Port Clinton Police Department, will discuss his work.
Free gun locks and information about the conceal carry law will be available and parents can have ID cards for children made.
A fashion show for conceal carry equipment will be held at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
A fishing class for all ages will also be held. Participants can bring their own poles or use a club pole.
The club will also have a chicken bar-b-cue and raffles.
The club is located at 975 Gordon Rd. in Salem Township.

Victory Gardens expands
A tremendous response to the just launched Victory Gardens campaign, which includes Lucas County, has resulted in an immediate expansion of the program.
The program took off immediately and demand was so high for seed packets, four more counties were added: Fairfield, Licking, Mahoning, and Summit. Seed pick-up days and times for each office are available on the Ohio Victory Gardens website. The collaboration between the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) and Ohio State University (OSU) Extension Offices has delivered more than 2,600 seed packets to ten counties across the state.
Victory Gardens originated during World War I, an answer to a severe food shortage at the time. The idea was wildly successful, growing an army of amateur gardeners and serving to boost morale and patriotism. Although there’s no food shortage now, ODA and OSU Extension are reviving the effort and once again encouraging people to plant seeds, realize the fruits of their labor, and share with others if inspired.
Seed packets were originally distributed through six OSU Extension Offices: Clark, Cuyahoga, Franklin, Hamilton, Lucas, and Washington counties
The Victory Gardens Program will continue and expand with a larger seed distribution across the state in the spring. It also offers a full website with details on seed distribution, advice, and resources on every aspect of planting and harvesting produce.