Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011

Webworms under control

By Amy Kronenberger
ST. MARYS - The application of 5,850 gallons of pesticide in St. Marys has brought the webworm infestation under control.
Exterminator Matt Ashcroft of Tawa Tree Preservation of Ottawa sprayed 4,050 gallons of low toxic pesticide on city land and 1,800 gallons on private property. The service cost the city $8,775, mayor Greg Freewalt said during a city council meeting Monday.
"The issue is pretty much taken care of, but we will investigate further to determine if more treatment is needed," he said. "We'll definitely do a followup."
The city agreed to eradicate the pests after residents living near the city-owned Weston Woods made a plea for help two weeks ago. Residents on Vine and Beech streets said the worms moved from the woods onto their properties, destroying landscaping.
Webworms are caterpillars about an inch long. They are named for the large web-like cocoons they spin in trees. Every four to seven years the worms have a "population explosion" that can last two to three years, Ashcroft said.
In other critter-related issues, the city wants to reduce the number of squirrels. The animals have caused frequent power outages.
Council's electric committee last week agreed to look into changing the city's ordinance to allow live trapping of squirrels within city limits during hunting season, Sept. 1 to Jan. 31.
The committee intended to present the amended ordinance to council Monday; however, members are still working out legalities with the Ohio Division of Wildlife, council president Dan Hoelscher said. They need to define who can trap, where they can trap and what can be done with the animal after trapping.
"We have to follow Division of Wildlife guidelines," he said.
In other action, councilman Patrick McGowan made a motion to amend the codified ordinance stating the city needs to notify the public of meetings through only one venue. Currently, the city notifies the public via a bulletin board in the municipal building.
McGowan recommended the city post the meetings on its website and in the newspapers, in addition to the bulletin board.
"The problem is, not everyone can check the bulletin board, not everyone reads the paper or has a computer, so we need to broaden the scope," he said.
Law director Kraig Noble said posting in two areas doubles the chances of a mistake. He said if it's posted on the website, it should come with a disclaimer.
Council voted five-to-two to send the issue to the streets and sidewalks committee for further discussion. Council chose the streets and sidewalks committee because McGowan is a member of that committee, and they have no specific committee for communications.
Councilmen Michael Kleinhenz and Dennis Vossler, both members of the committee, voted against the measure, saying further discussion was not needed. The meeting was set for 5:15 p.m. Monday.
In first reading, council suspended the rules and passed an emergency ordinance to assess a property owner the cost of demolishing a building.
The Gates building, formerly located at 110 S. Main St., cost $25,624.48 to be razed and removed. The cost will be placed on the tax duplicate of building owner Kalvin Schanz.
Freewalt told council members state funding to the city is down about $100,000 from last year.
Additional online stories on this date
High school injuries can wreak havoc on bodies years later
Editor's note: This is the second story
in a three-part series examining the issue of sports injuries and its impact on area youths.

By SHELLEY GRIESHOP and RYAN HINES
newsdept@dailystandard.com
At 30, Theresa Jenkins walks gingerly as she tries to keep up with her three young children. [More]
The Celina girls' soccer team opened the 2011 season in dramatic fashion by scoring with less than three minutes left in the game to garner a 1-0 win over the Findlay Trojans on Monday at the Soccer Stadium in the season opener for both teams. [More]
Subscriber and paid stories on this date
Quasar Energy Group will use manure from Grand Lake Watershed
GRAND LAKE - Quasar Energy Group of Cleveland has been awarded a $1 million federal grant to build a methane digester in Mercer County to help reduce harmful algae blooms in Grand Lake.
MARIA STEIN - Julie Bruns pedaled her way across the country with a mission - raising money to benefit people dealing with multiple sclerosis.
The
ST. MARYS - St. Marys City Schools administration welcomed new teachers and staff members during a luncheon Monday.
New part-time athletic director
CELINA - City council members Monday night authorized the safety service director to receive bids and enter into an agreement for improvements to Hierholzer Street.
No change in wards expected
COLDWATER - Village officials will take a headcount of residents to determine if any changes need to be made to the village's four wards.
"We are required by our charter to do this every 10 years," village manager/engineer Eric Thomas said at Monday's village council meeting.
ST. HENRY - Village council members opted to stay a party to two class-action lawsuits upon advice from the town's solicitor.
Council members voted
Mercer County was tied for the lowest unemployment rate - 6.5 percent - in the state in July, according to figures released today by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
Mercer County Cross Country Meet
Compiled by Gary R. Rasberry
The first area cross country meet of the season offered some possible insight to competition for later in the year as Celina and Wright State University-Lake Campus hosted the Mercer County Meet on Monday.
Local Roundup
Compiled by Gary R. Rasberry
Celina opened up Western Buckeye League girls tennis action in style with a 5-0 shutout victory over Ottawa-Glandorf in Putnam County on Monday.
Clean Ohio funds to keep 76 acres as an agricultural easement
MONTEZUMA - A Franklin Township farm is the first in Mercer County to be approved for state farmland preservation funds since the program debuted in 2002.
CELINA - Dan Otten has optimistic expectations for his Celina cross country teams with both the boys' and girls' teams losing just one runner from a year ago.
COLDWATER - Buoyed by experience and strong finishes in the Midwest Athletic Conference last season, the Coldwater cross country program will look to
FORT RECOVERY - With a group of veterans on both the boys' and girls' teams, Fort Recovery's cross country coach Michelle Stammen is optimistic for the upcoming season.
MARIA STEIN - Marion Local's cross country coach Randy Jutte has been through nearly everything in his 28 years at the helm of the Flyers, and this year will once again present a mixed bag as far as talent on the boys' and girls' squads.
MINSTER - This fall marks the 25th anniversary that Larry Topp has commanded Minster's perennially powerful boys' cross country program.
The Wildcats slipped to second in the Midwest Conference a year ago after winning the MAC crown in 2009.
NEW BREMEN - Julie Ferguson is very optimistic about the upcoming season for her New Bremen Cardinals' girls' cross country team because of an experienced squad returning to go along with growing numbers in the program.
ROCKFORD - Parkway's cross country coach Ann Vian is hoping that an increase in the size of both her girls' and boys' squads will translate into success this fall.
ST. HENRY - After winning the Midwest Athletic Conference boys' cross country title for the first time in school history a year ago, St. Henry appears loaded for a possible MAC repeat along with a fifth straight appearance in the state meet.
ST. MARYS - A season ago, the St. Marys Roughriders crossed the finish line at the Western Buckeye League boys meet in seventh place. With a solid contingent of returners for the upcoming season, head coach Rob Cisco is looking forward to climbing a few rungs on the ladder this fall.
CELINA - Keith VanDeventer and Toma Hainline are realistic when trying to set expectations for their Celina boys' and girls' golf teams.
VanDeventer's boys have just one senior while Hainline's girls have none leaving the Bulldogs' coaches with modest goals for this fall.
Coldwater's golf coaches Jack Mescher and Vaughn Schellhause are counting on veterans to lead the way this year for the Cavaliers.
While Mescher's
FORT RECOVERY - Golf coach Brad Evers has one of his most experienced groups in memory competing this season.
"We have five seniors this year, whic
MARIA STEIN - The boys' and girls' golf teams for Marion Local will go in different directions in trying to build their squads this year. The boys wi
MINSTER - Dave Borchers wasn't exactly sure what to expect from his Minster boys' golf team this year, but the early results have pleased the second-year Wildcats' coach.
NEW BREMEN - The 2010 season was magical for the New Bremen boys' golf team as they tied for first place with Minster during the Midwest Athletic Conference dual meet season and finished in second place during the MAC tournament.
ROCKFORD - The outlook for the Parkway boys' golf program is cautiously optimistic.
The Panthers finished in the middle of the pack in the Midwest Athletic Conference last season as they ended the campaign with a 5-4 conference dual match record (tied for fifth place).
ST. HENRY - Both of St. Henry's golf coaches welcome back plenty of experience from last year's teams that each finished in sixth place in the Midwest Athletic Conference. Redskins' boys' coach Charlie Maier and St. Henry's girls' coach John Dorner lost just one golfer to graduation.
ST. MARYS - While his fellow varsity coaches in other sports at St. Marys were still occupied tinkering and adjusting their various lineups in preparation for the upcoming fall season, Roughriders' golf coach Scott Ross has seen good things from the first two matches of the season.
CELINA - Both of Celina's soccer teams were hit hard by graduation, but Ryan Jenkins' boys and Cal Freeman's girls will still be considered contenders in the Western Buckeye League.
COLDWATER - Strides continue to be made for the Coldwater girls' soccer program.
In just its second season last year - the first with a full varsit
ST. MARYS - After taking a few years off from coaching varsity to guide the junior varsity squad, St. Marys' soccer coach Dave Ring is back at the varsity level this fall and is hoping to build on the Roughrider's 10-6-1 record from a season ago.
CELINA - The last four years in the Western Buckeye League have been pretty dominant for the Celina girls' tennis program with three league titles and just one WBL defeat during that time span.
ST. MARYS - For St. Marys' girls tennis coach Bill Ruane, it isn't difficult for him to admit that he has stepped into an ideal situation for a first-time head coach.