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The Title Bound? See Second Section
RESS May 19, 2014
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Serving i Th The E Eastern astern t Maumee M Bay Communities Since 1972
Warblers draw celebrity
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Board pres. will oppose teacher raise By Kelly J. Kaczala Press News Editor kkaczala@presspublications.com
Birds along the marsh
An estimated 70,000 birders visited Lake Erie marshes during the Biggest Week in American Birding. This group spotted warblers and a variety of shore birds at Metzger Marsh. (Press photo by Ken Grosjean)
“It Matters Where You Make It”
Lake Erie culture plays into our brand While running for re-election to U.S. Congress in October 2012, Rep. Marcy Kaptur told 100 Eastern Maumee Bay Chamber of Commerce guests she believes stronger branding efforts must be made to promote Lake Erie. “I am constantly telling audiences that we live in the most arable place on earth here on the banks of Lake Erie — the most prolific of all the Great Lakes. And, I challenged the U.S. Geological Survey one time to tell me where outside here there is this much fresh water and this much arable land. The truth is, there is no other place,” Kaptur said. “One geographer said, ‘Oh, it’s in Russia,’ and then he said, ‘Oh, there is no arable land next to water in Russia. Well, it’s in Africa. No, that doesn’t work, either, because there is desert around that.’ Yes, where this much fresh water and this much arable land come together, there simply isn’t a place. So, I feel especially grateful that we are endowed with the privilege of living right here in this precious place.” About three years earlier, the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce had already taken an initiative to “brand” the Toledo region, and brand manager Jeff
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If you want to live near water, where are you going to go?
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By J. Patrick Eaken Press Staff Writer news@presspublications.com
Schaaf is continuing that effort today. “He’s been part of the new branding coming out recognizing our area, not just Toledo but Northwest Ohio as well, making sure that people recognize and know of the strengths we have in this region,” EMBCC director Sarah Beavers said when introducing Schaaf to the OregonNorthwood Rotary Club. The branding initiative is funded by several organizations, including the Toledo Chamber, Best Nation Toledo, and the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority. On April 4, Schaaf and his associates launched a new phase that includes a refreshed logo, “It Matters Where You Make It,” and it includes a new campaign. Schaaf says Lake Erie plays into the branding effort in multiple ways.
Schaaf says the tens of thousands of birders who arrive from around the world for The Biggest Week in American Birding Festival, hosted by the Black Swamp Bird Observatory, are beginning a new chapter for the region. He adds that the lake offers the best fresh water fishing in the world, and Cedar Point is ranked among the top amusement parks in the country for its roller coaster rides. Then, there are the industrial benefits. The Great Lakes area includes about one million jobs related directly to manufacturing, about 200,000 jobs related to tourism, about 120,000 in shipping, and more than 118,000 in agriculture, fishing and food production, according to Kaptur’s numbers. “Those (tourism) aspects are important, but from a business development standpoint, those refineries are a huge asset for the region,” Schaaf said. “Those are something, when we are talking to companies that are interested in coming in and they are realizing that the skilled labor that is part of the refineries is huge. “The port is a huge element and the number of ships that are coming through there and the product that they are taking through — just the fact that you can go from our port to the Atlantic Ocean is
Oregon School Board President P.J. Kapfhammer said he will not support placing an operations levy on the November ballot if the Oregon City Federation of Teachers seek a raise in teacher salaries. The board is expected to enter negotiations this month to renew the teachers’ three year contract, which expires July 31. The union, which represents 250 teachers in the district, is going to request a raise, according to Kapfhammer, which he said he will aggressively oppose. The district is headed towards placing an operating levy on the November ballot. Jane Fruth, treasurer of the district, said at a board meeting last month that spending exceeded revenue in the last fiscal year and that is not “sustainable.” The board has until July 25 to decide whether to go with a levy in the fall. But Kapfhammer last week said he is against it and will urge the board not to support it. “Putting a levy on the ballot has to be done for the right reasons,” he said. “And teachers asking for raises at this time is not a good reason.” Kapfhammer said he will not budge from his position, even if it means a teachers’ strike this summer. He said he will also insist on replacing salary step increases with merit pay. As part of the teachers’ contract, most receive an automatic salary step, which is an incremental increase in salary the longer a teacher serves in the district. Merit pay is based on the quality of a teachers’ work performance. Dave Shafer, president of the union, said there has not been a request for raises, though he would not disclose if it would be part of contract negotiations. “We have not exchanged proposals,” said Shafer. “He has no prior knowledge of that.” Shafer also said he doubts there will be a teachers’ strike and is optimistic about negotiations. “The last resort of any union would be to go on strike. That’s not even in our con-
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Taking this approach leads to a life of mediocrity.
Bryan Golden See page 11
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