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Grants sought for dog park
RESS June 22, 2015
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Crowds gather on Main Street, Gibsonburg, to observe the arrival of an antenna that was atop the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York prior to the terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2001. The 36foot, 7,000-pound antenna will be placed at Williams Park to commemorate public safety service. A parade included a performance by the Black Swamp Pipe and Drums. (Press photos by Russ Lytle/Facebook.com / RussLytle/RHP)
of The Week
Imagine a local school system being sued because they want to get their vegetables from local farmers...
Chuck Lynd See page 10
Woodmore schools
Board member wants clarity in dispute By Larry Limpf News Editor news@presspublications.com The newest member of the Woodmore school board hopes a lawsuit against him over his appointment to the board will result in clarifying the relevant legal issues and the board can get back to business. Dan Hoppe, whose appointment is being challenged in Sandusky County Common Pleas Court, said he was, in effect, a bystander in the appointment process but looks forward to a resolution of the matter. “Although I am disappointed the Sandusky County Prosecutors Office has chosen to focus their efforts on me personally, I welcome this opportunity to clarify the law and be a part of a solution that is best for the Woodmore School District,” Hoppe said in an email message to The Press. “As a dedicated member of our schools’ community, I look forward to clarity and justice so that we may be able to focus on real as opposed to perceived challenges and opportunities within our district. It is unfortunate that a dispute has developed over the process by which I was selected, a process in which I was essen-
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It is unfortunate that a dispute has developed over the process by which I was selected...
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Gibsonburg gets Trade Center antenna
By Larry Limpf News Editor news@presspublications.com The Lake Township trustees haven’t committed to developing a section of township-owned property into a dog park, but they’ve given the township’s park supervisor the authorization to apply for grants to fund amenities for a dog park. The trustees Tuesday gave the go-ahead to Ron Hanely to apply to the Wood County Parks District for grants that would fund benches, trash and pick-up stations, dog agility equipment and fencing. Hanely recently floated the idea of developing a dog park at the property adjacent to the township’s former dispatching center on Lemoyne Road but the trustees haven’t decided to proceed with the proposal. Hanely last week said the deadline for applying for grant money from the park district for 2016 is June 26. Successful applicants will be notified in November or December and grants will be awarded in April of next year. He said he’s visited dog parks in south Toledo and in Danbury Township to get opinions from dog owners about those facilities. One option he’s considering is to fence the township property into sections to separate large and small dogs – a common layout for dog parks, Hanely said. “One thing we heard from many dog owners is they think it is important for their dogs to have a secure place to socialize with other dogs,” he said. “Elderly people who’ve moved into small homes or apartments in particular seem to appreciate having a place to take their dogs. And a lot of recreation magazine articles are also mentioning the benefits of dog parks to communities.” One advantage of the Lemoyne Road site is that it’s centrally located in the township, Hanely said. Some grant-funded items, such as benches and trash and pick-up stations, can be used at the township’s other parks, if the trustees decide to not proceed with a dog park. According to the park district website, in 2008 voters approved a 1 mill replacement levy, enabling the board of Park commissioners to increase funding for the grant program from $75,000 to $100,000 annually.
Portage River Fest See page 4
tially a bystander. I volunteered to serve on the board to help improve our district and I look forward to doing just that.” The county prosecutor’s office filed the complaint June 11, contending the board violated state law when it appointed Hoppe to a board seat vacated by Grant Cummings, then the board vice president, who resigned in early May. The complaint says Ohio Revised Code requires an appointment to be made by a probate court judge when a school board doesn’t act within a required time frame.
The complaint asks that Hoppe prove he is rightfully a member of the board and, failing to do that, asks the common pleas court to remove him from the board. The board met in a special meeting May 12 to interview five candidates. However, four board members couldn’t agree on who should fill the vacant seat when they met during a regular meeting on May 19 – about 13 days after Cummings resigned. Board president Steve Huss then scheduled a special meeting for May 31 and the members present, Corinna Bench, Julie Bowman, and Huss unanimously voted for Hoppe. Board member Joe Liszak decided to not attend the meeting, arguing the board had missed the deadline set by state law to appoint someone to fill the vacant seat. At Liszak’s request, Norman Solze, an assistant prosecutor with the Sandusky County office; Mark Mulligan, the Ottawa County prosecutor, and Jim Stucko, of a Columbus firm retained by the board, had offered interpretations of the statute. All say a board is required to fill a vacancy at its first meeting – whether it’s a regular or special meeting - sometime beContinued on page 4
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