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Pot group, topless women promote petition By J. Patrick Eaken Press Staff Writer news@presspublications.com
Edward Kleppinger, treasurer for 632 Loves You, is the bearded man in front of the large “Honk for Weed” sign. The group spent Tuesday and Wednesday promoting a petition aimed at decriminalizing marijuana. (Press photo by Ken Grosjean)
Oregon
Board OK’s pay raises for staff The Oregon school board on Tuesday voted 3-1 to approve salary hikes in a new three-year contract with the Ohio Association of Public School Employees (OAPSE), a union that represents classified staff in the school district. Oregon school board member Jeff Ziviski voted against the contract, saying after the meeting that the raises may have violated a promise made to voters last November that revenue from a proposed 3.95 mill operating levy would not be used for salary increases. OAPSE members earlier ratified the agreement on Aug. 1. The contract provides classified employees a rate increase of 3 percent for the 2016-17 school year, a 2 percent increase for the 2017-18 school year, and a wage re-opener during the 2018-19 school year. Healthcare contributions remain the same with employees paying 15 percent of healthcare premiums. “After many long hours, I feel confident the administration and our negotiation team worked together to come up with a fair and solid contract for the hard working members of OAPSE local 320,” said OAPSE
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I needed to be certain I was not breaking a promise to the community because we are going to need the community again at some point...
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By Kelly J. Kaczala Press News Editor kkaczala@presspublications.com
Local 320 President Leslee Holliday. There are about 150 employees represented by OAPSE. They have not had a base wage increase since 2009. “As superintendent, ensuring we have a prepared, skilled, and hard working employee base is critical to an efficient running system,” said Superintendent Hal Gregory. “This new three year agreement
helps to ensure we will maintain and recruit talented support staff to carry out our mission to provide the best education and maintained facilities available for our students and community.” Treasurer Jane Fruth said funding was made available for the wage increases because of significant savings in healthcare renewal rates and increased valuations of property leading to increased tax receipts. Steps Though members have not received a raise in seven years, they have received automatic “step” or pay increases in their wages that is built into their contracts. Fruth said at the meeting that OAPSE has five steps for most jobs, but bus drivers only have three steps. Roughly 75 percent of the OAPSE staff are maxed out at the top step and will not receive any more. She said the raises, including benefits, will cost the district about $105,000 per year that will be drawn from the General Fund. Salaries for cafeteria employees are drawn from a separate fund. Nurses are paid by Federal Title VIB funds. The district is currently negotiating a new contract for the Oregon City Federation
A group of 15 residents from Lucas and Ottawa counties, including two topless women, were in front of Genoa City Hall Tuesday and Wednesday to promote the decriminalization of marijuana. The two topless women, who were body painted, were drawing negative commentary from local residents on social media, but they were also getting honks from drivers heading down Main Street. Many were not honking for the topless women, but the cause. A group calling itself “632 Loves You” is seeking signatures for a petition that would reduce sentencing and fines for individuals caught with small amounts of marijuana. “The petition that we have will decriminalize marijuana in all of Ottawa County for 200 grams or less and will set the fines to zero, jail to zero, and court costs to zero, etc.,” said 632 Loves You Treasurer Edward W. Kleppinger, who owns 632 Main, a head and pipe shop in East Toledo. If the group gets enough signatures, Kleppinger’s plan is to have it on the Ottawa County ballot in November 2017. “There will be no dispensaries. We’re not making it legal — that would be a state issue,” Kleppinger continued. “We just want to declare a truce on minor, small amounts of marijuana — to just let that slide and to try and get along — to just get a little bit of slack from the law enforcement on the small amounts of marijuana would go a long way in the community as far as alleviating pressure on the need to go get harder drugs.” Currently, possession of less than 100 grams, or about 3.5 ounces, giving 20 grams or less of marijuana to another person, or growing less than 100 grams of marijuana are each considered “minor misdemeanors” in Ohio, punishable by a maximum fine of $150. A minor misdemeanor is not a “jail-able” offense, but a person’s driver’s license can be suspended for a period ranging from six months to five years. While Ohio’s marijuana penalties are considered “less draconian” than its neighboring states, officers still spend significant funds and resources trying to enforce Continued on page 4
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