1316 Mudbrook Rd., Huron 419-433-4552 www.BarNorthBistro.com Open 7 days at 11 am
SOUP’S ON! Your #1 Value in Advertising! Daily Lunch Special #1 in Readership • #1 in Circulation 11am - 5pm $6.99
#1 in Results
HURON
-433-2499 Huron Market
525 Cleveland Rd. 419
Boneless Pork Loin
Our Family Spiral Sliced Ham
HOMETOWN NEWS 219/lb 195/lb $
GREAT PRESS FOR A GREAT LAKE PLACE
$
Expires April 4
March 29, 2012 Vol. 7 Number 13
NEWS ONLINE 24/7... www.HuronHometownNews.com
14th Chamber Lighthouse Race Route Will Circle McBride Arboretum
Around Town Page 2 ---------------Church Chat/ Milestones Page 3 ---------------Library/ Parks & Rec Page 4 ---------------Seniors Page 5 ---------------Schools Page 6 ---------------Classifieds Page 7
Carol's
Wine of the Week
Our Family Tonic Water or Club Soda 750 ml
The 14th annual Huron Chamber of Commerce Lighthouse Race has a new date, a new name and new route for 2012. The Lighthouse Race to the Woods will be a 10-mile race heading west out of Huron to the BGSU Firelands Campus where runners will circle the picturesque James H. McBride arboretum. Also planned on Saturday, May 5, will be the Lighthouse 5K race and the Kalahari Kids Fun Run. The 5K race will follow the same course as in previous years. These races draw a crowd of several hundred runners each spring. Plants and trees in the arboretum should be in full bloom, providing the runners a picturesque peek at the campus located on the corner
of Rye Beach and Boos roads. Kalahari Waterpark Resorts is sponsoring a Kids’ 1-K Fun Run for children up to 12 years of age. Each child will receive a commemorative T-shirt, refreshments and prizes. “We are very grateful for the generous support of the folks at Kalahari and our other major benefactors: Arby’s, Firelands Regional Medical Center, River’s Edge Inn and First Federal Savings of Lorain,” said Sheila Ehrhardt, director of the Huron Chamber of Commerce. Funds raised from these races in the past 13 years have been used to provide thousands of dollars in scholarships for graduating Huron High School seniors.
To download a race registration from, go to www.Huron.net. The first 225 participants to register will receive a ConAgra Implosion commemorative t-shirt, lots of refreshments, age group and overall awards, and will have the chance to win some great door prizes. Start time for the 5K Run is 9 a.m. and the 10-Milers will set out at 9:15 a.m. In order for those racing to cheer on the aspiring young runners in their families, the Kids’ Fun will start at 8:30 a.m. All of the racers will take off from and return to Huron High School Memorial Stadium. For the fit and fearless, registrations will be accepted there from 7:45 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. in the stadium locker
rooms. Runners have come to look forward to this race and with the picturesque 10-mile route it will be a whole new challenge to runners. Awards will be given to the top overall male and female finishers and to the top three in each age division. Age groups include: 13 and under, and 14-19, (5K only) 19 and under, (10-miler only) 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65 and over. So put on your running shoes and head to Huron to compete in the Huron Chamber of Commerce’s Lighthouse 10-Mile and 5K Run. For information, phone 419.433.5700 or e-mail chamber@huron.net.
The State of Lake Erie in 2012 By Lisa Yako This past winter was one of the warmest in recorded history. For Lake Erie, these warm temperatures meant that the water temperature did not drop below ~39º F in the lower depths of the lake. Consequently, there was little to no ice on Lake Erie (There actually was a small amount of ice cover in January.). This trend of little to no ice was also seen in 1998, 2002, and 2006. According to Jeff Tyson, Fisheries Biologist Supervisor with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Lake
Erie Fisheries Research Unit in Sandusky, “the lack of ice has a number of effects on the physical environment, as well as some soft links to the biological environment. Physically, with the lack of ice cover, there generally is a lot of evaporation from the lakes.” From a biological standpoint, the effects of the lack of ice cover on Lake Erie are a bit more complicated. Lake Erie is the home of a number of fish species, including gizzard shad and white perch, for which Lake Erie is their northernmost range. When the winters are severe and the ice cover is thick, these species experience large die-offs. These species eat much of the same food as the young of game species, namely yellow perch and walleye. Hence, the young of game species have a better chance at survival when
the other species experience a die-off due to decreased competition for a limited food source (i.e., plankton). Further, Jeff Tyson stated “Ice cover and winter severity have also been linked to good walleye and yellow perch production through reproductive physiology. Low temperatures induce egg maturation and oocyte development for both walleye and yellow perch. It appears that egg viability and larval survival are positively related to more severe winters. Lastly, ice cover has been positively correlated to whitefish egg survival.” However, any adverse effects of our mild winter on fishing for walleye and yellow perch, due to depressed numbers associated with the increased competition among the various species’ larvae, will not be experienced for 2-3 years; at that time, the larvae from this spring that survive to adulthood will be available to anglers. What about water conditions this summer? The effects on potential blooms of the algae, Microcystis, due to Lake Erie’s warmer water temperatures this
past winter, depend upon the type of weather patterns that will occur this spring and summer. According to Jeff Tyson, “Microcystis is generally associated with warmer water, but we will need to have that in combination with high phosphorus loading from runoff. If we have a dry spring and summer, the bloom may occur earlier, but may not be as intense as what we saw last year. If we have a wet spring/summer and higher water temperatures early in the season, we may see Microcystis blooms earlier and as intense as last year.” Hence, the intensity of the algal blooms remains to be seen. As evidenced by Jeff Tyson’s projections about fish populations and blooms of Microcystis, Lake Erie is a dynamic system that experiences effects from weather patterns and pollution on the smallest to the largest of its flora and fauna, and over periods of years. So, enjoy your lake this summer, watch for the changes, and remember that you can help in your own ways to keep Lake Erie clean and healthy.
Real Estate Sales Up By John Schaffner 2012 is starting to look like it could be a better year for local real estate sales in Erie, Huron and Ottawa Counties. According to numbers release on Wednesday from the Ohio Association of Realtors, unit sales are up and so are prices. According to Ohio Association of Realtors President Robert Miller, “the Ohio housing market continues to display signs of recovering from the economic challenges that have confronted
Compare Cornell's ad to the rest. More choices, better value! Support your local community
CORNELL’S Foods MONEY SAVING FACT:
THE LESS YOU EAT OUT… THE MORE YOU SHOP CORNELL’S THE MORE MONEY YOU’LL HAVE IN YOUR POCKET!!
the nation since the onset of the economic downturn that began in 2008, with sales activity in February posting gains of more than 19% from the mark set during the same moth a year ago.” Home sales in February 2012 in the Firelands Association of Realtors area that includes Ottawa, Huron and Erie Counties, unit sales increased 6%, from 116 units sold in February of 2011 to 123 units sold in February of 2012. However, total dollar volume increased 12.3% in February, mainly due to a combination of
GET YOUR EASTER EGGS NOW!
increased unit sales plus a nearly 6% increase in the average sale price. The year-to-date figures for the first two months of 2012 show similar gains. The number of units sold is up nearly 9% for the year, while the total dollar volume is up nearly 10% due in large measure to an overall increase in the average sale price compared to the same time frame a year ago. All of those numbers are lagging behind the comparable figures from the State of Ohio as a whole…which has seen a 16.5%
increase in unit sales from the same two month period a year ago. OAR President Miller also noted that a recent survey of the state’s real estate professionals suggest that the industry remains optimistic about the market’s outlook in the coming months. 77% of realtors describe the current housing market in their area as moderate to strong, an 11% jump just since January. 82% of Ohio Realtors believe home prices over the next year will remain stable and could even post gains.
BIRDSEYE OR FRESHLIKE VEGETABLES
WALNUT CREEK BUTTER 16 OZ.
MEDIUM EGGS
MIRACLE WHIP OR MAYO
.99¢
50¢
.89¢ 10-16 OZ
$2.29
SMOKE HAM PORTIONS
BONE-IN TURKEY BREAST
FRESH ASPARAGUS
EASTER LILLIES 6 INCH
$.99/
$1.29/
$1.99/
$6.99
LB LB LB Locally Owned & Operated! PRICES GOOD March 29 - April 4, 2012 A Friendly Place to Shop!! HOURS: 7 AM - 9 PM DAILY • 419-433-7733 408 Cleveland Road East, Huron, OH 44839 .59