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Monday, 07 June 2010 |
By MIKE BURKHOLDER
Managing Editor
CELINA — A grassroots campaign to improve Grand Lake St. Marys is
continuing to grow.
Milt Miller, of the Lake Restoration Committee, updated members of the Lake Improvement Association Saturday during their monthly meeting regarding progress of the Lake Restoration Initiative. Miller said the campaign surpassed its $500,000 fundraising target and officials voluntarily increased the figure to $600,000.
“The momentum out there has been phenomenal,” Miller said. “Fundraising wise, we more than cracked the $500,000 mark but seemingly every day we run into expenses that we didn’t anticipate but that’s part of the challenge.”
Miller said the first sediment collector arrived as part of the Streamside Initiative. The components to operate the device also arrived and officials are set to have a preconstruction meeting today.
“The second collector for Beaver Creek will be here sometime this week once we get the first one taken care of,” Miller said, noting there was a grant submitted by St. Marys Township that would pay for a third sediment collector.
Miller also touched upon the progress of the AiryGators. Miller said while testing is taking place, the water quality is making it a moot point.
“To test the effectiveness of our technology we need a poor lake,” Miller said. “Right now it’s wonderful. Given that, we’ll take the wonderful.”
A curtain sectioning off a portion of the lake near Shockers in Montezuma will need to be reinforced. Miller said because the curtain is exposed to the lake, it needs to be stronger.
“The seams are literally pulling apart,” Miller said. “We are working with a company right now to make a heavier duty one. That’s just demonstrative of one of the things we run into with this project.”
Officials are scheduled to meet June 11 with officials from the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District. Miller said the meeting will be the first step in establishing a permanent group tasked with maintaining the water quality of Grand Lake St. Marys.
“We are so proud of our unified voice that there are strong feelings that we need to continue this group in some form or fashion into the future,” Miller said. “Thus far, we have looked at a number of alternatives and right now I think there are strong feelings at going toward the conservancy district.”
LIA President Tim Lovett commended the work of the LRC. He said establishing a conservancy will help ensure the group’s work continues in the future.
“One of the things we look at as we go into the future is sustainability,” Lovett said. “This is not a one-and-done situation, it’s a long-term project. Ultimately we will come up with some mechanism that says we are going to keep this going long-term.”
Paul Bradley, a regional representative for U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, spoke during the meeting and addressed some of the work Brown is doing to help secure funding for the improvement of Grand Lake St. Marys. Bradley said the issue ranks near the top of Brown’s agenda in Washington.
“This is something that really needs to be resolved,” Bradley said. “This is something that hopefully our office can assist with.”
Bradley praised the collaboration among the various lake groups in bringing the issue to the attention of legislators. Bradley said a unified front is important.
“If this is something we can help with we are going to do everything we can do,” Bradley said.
Bradley said an appropriation application was submitted through Brown’s office and is one he is trying to get passed through. The request is for $4 million.
“The fact that you guys were able to raise so much money was staggering to me,” Bradley said. “In my work for the senator, I haven’t seen anything on that level before. It really shows that this is something that has community support. For the senator, when he is looking for projects and causes to get behind he wants to make sure they have broad community support.”
In other LIA business,
• There will be a boat house dedication ceremony at 1 p.m. June 19.
• LIA officials are looking for nominations for the Guardian of the Lake award, which will be presented in September. Nominees can be given to any LIA member.
• Midnet Media and Brian Morris received plaques for their involvement with the LIA.
The next meeting of the LIA is scheduled for 10 a.m. July 3 at the Celina Moose Lodge.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 12 August 2010 )
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