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Fired one day before retirement By Cynthia L. Jacoby Special to The Press
Think spring Mackenzie Upham and Sam Vincent, students in Clay High School's Environmental and Agricultural Technology Program, tend to kale and basil plants in the school's greenhouse. The students are preparing for their Spring Greenhouse Sale, April 15-28. For more information call 419-693-0665 ext. 2169. (Press photo by Ken Grosjean)
New legislation expected to cut algae By Kelly J. Kaczala Press News Editor kkaczala@presspublications.com Ohio Senate Bill 1, passed by the state Legislature earlier this month, will go a long way toward reducing toxic algae in Lake Erie, supporters say. Gov. John Kasich signed the bill into law on April 2 at Maumee Bay State Park. Last August, nearly 500,000 residents in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan were left without clean drinking water for three days after toxic algae blooms contaminated the water supply in the Western Lake Erie basin. Rep. Michael P. Sheehy, of Oregon, called it “an important first step in protecting our most valuable natural resource for generations to come.” “The current drought advisory in California only reinforces how precious of a resource Lake Erie is and how important it is to protect it,” said Sheehy. Bipartisan support for the measure shows that the issue is still a priority with the public, he said. “I am pleased we were able to come together in a bipartisan way to give the lake the attention it deserves,” he said. The new law prohibits the applica-
tion of fertilizer and manure on frozen and saturated ground within the western basin of the lake. It also will require municipal water treatment facilities to begin monthly monitoring of phosphorus by December 1, 2016. Starting on July 1, 2020, the legislation bans depositing dredged material in Ohio’s portion of Lake Erie and its tributaries. Phosphorous and nitrogen, which are naturally present in livestock manure and commercial fertilizers, are widely recognized as a prime source of nutrient pollution that feed the growth of toxic algae. The nutrients also can be redistributed in the water column when harbor dredgings are disposed in the open waters just off shore of Toledo and other ports along the lake. Sheehy had introduced legislation last year that would have prohibited the application of fertilizer and manure on frozen ground, but it did not pass. “I’m excited to have been a part of the new legislation – some of the things I had called for in the last legislative session that I championed are part of that bill. I’m optimistic things are going to start to happen. They will, slowly but surely,” he said.
an attack on farmers. “SB 1 helps Lake Erie, but in doing so we agreed not to ignore Ohio’s number one industry. In fact, some call this bill the `Clean Lake Erie Act of 2015,’ but perhaps a subtitle might be – `Heal the Lake, But Respect the Farm.’” There have been other steps taken to address the algae issue even before the water crisis last year, he said. “This is the 4th or 5th step in fighting for a cleaner Lake Erie,” he said. Other efforts include the Healthy Lake Erie Fund in 2012, Senate Bill 150’s fertilizer certification program, and a new $10 million capital budget fund that for the first time in Ohio history begins the task of ending open-lake disposal of dredged material in the lake. Still, Sen. Bill 1, he said, is the most significant legislation so far. “It is more comprehensive and arguably takes the largest step to helping Lake Erie,” said Gardner. “Lake Erie is far from dead,” he added. “In 2014 Lake Erie enjoyed a very good year in boating, fishing and tourism. We must fight to protect Lake Erie, but we must also promote it. Lake Erie remains a great place
Comprehensive bill Rep. Randy Gardner said the bill is not
A graceful transition into retirement isn’t happening for former Genoa Fiscal Clerk Charles Brinkman. Brinkman, 65, submitted his intent to retire letter earlier this year, with a target final date of March 31. The decision seemed amicable between the fiscal officer and village officials until March 30 when he was terminated from the job he has held since August 2004. His retirement letter followed an inhouse agreement for Brinkman, whose employment has apparently been plagued with repeated clerical problems, to leave his job with dignity. But that plan fell through when Brinkman’s restrictions regarding his final days went astray, according to Village Administrator Kevin Gladden. “From the time he turned in his retirement date he was under administrative control. He was to work with the interim fiscal clerk and he was to clean up his office,” Gladden said, adding Brinkman’s office was littered with unorganized stacks of papers and files. As March progressed, Gladden explained, the situation worsened. The administrator did not go into further detail because of a pending May 4 grievance hearing set by village council. He said documentation would be presented at the public hearing. The mounting tension forced Gladden to make a hard decision. His view: Time to cut losses and let the chips fall where they may. Around noon on March 30, Brinkman was escorted from the administration building. “It seems pretty cold,” Gladden added, “But there were other situations that arose and they were just intolerable.” Gladden said Brinkman, who was paid about $62,000 annually, doesn’t have a contract but the fallout connected to his actions caused significant damage within the village system and village officials could no longer defend a quiet departure.
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