News Herald from Port Clinton, Ohio • 3

Friday, May 4, 2001 Ottawa County Ohio Legislature Bill to give voice to Korean War vets Rep. Bill Hartnett, D-Mansfield, sponsored the bill, which would require that the fifth slot on each of the five-member county commissions be based the recommendation of the Korean War Association, the Military Order of the Pur- pie Heart, or the Vietnam Veterans of America. Hartnett's bill simply adds the Korean War Association to the other two groups that can recommend candidates for the fifth slot. The appointments made by common War veterans in Ohio, and my belief is that they deserve a voice in the veterans service commission if it is the wish of a Common Pleas judge." The bill passed in a 97-0 vote, and now goes to the Senate. pleas judges last for five years.

"The membership in the association is one of the few veterans organizations where the membership is growing," said Hartnett, a Korean War veteran. "There's 72,000 Korean Gannett News Service NH Columbus Bureau COLUMBUS Korean War veterans would have a voice in veteran service commissions in each of the state's 88 counties under a bill passed Wednesday in the House. National Day of )t i-A -farr i mn iiilfwftrftii mm "ft v- -N f- ') I iJl- I kiA jj I to! 4 'X ft i 'I I I i 1 1 i i rif iff'' Vi i Area residents gathered at the Ottawa County Courthouse on Thursday to celebrate the National Day of Prayer. At left, standing left to right, Christine Sutherland, Sharla Rath-felder, and Wayne Smith bow their heads during the observance. Above, Pastor Eric Hamp of the Erie Shores Assembly of God speaks during the courthouse lawn prayer service.

Nor'Easter Club project benefits United Way The Nor'Easter Club and local artist, Joe Hagerty, have initiated a fun and philanthropic project that will benefit the local chapter of United Way. Hagerty will create an original oil canvas of impressive proportion, 10 feet by 5 feet. Cartoon like in composition, the painting will feature dog creatures in a nautical surrounding. Initially, the painting will be hung at the Nor'Easter Club in an unfinished, outline form. United Way donors can then select a personal dog and add their own personalized details.

When all of the dogs have been purchased by donation the net proceeds will go to the United Way Fund; the canvas will be removed and completed with the specific details; the completed canvas will then be re-hung at the Nor'Easter Club during a grand unveiling ceremony. The minimum donation to the United Way Fund for the purchase of a personal dog and place in history will be $150, however, larger donations will be accepted. All donations are tax deductible. The program kick off will be from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday at the Nor'Easter Club open house.

Bloodmobile sets up at Elks May 14 PORT CLINTON The American Red Cross will have a bloodmobile from 1:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. May 14 at the Elks Lodge For reservations, call Dorothy Ostling at 734-5765. BCS school board changes meeting date OAK HARBOR The regular May Benton-Carroll-Salem School Board meeting has been rescheduled to 7:30 p.m. May 23 to avoid a conflict with a track meet.

The meeting will still be held in the Oak Harbor High School auditorium. Garden club sells plants May 19 CATAWBA ISLAND -Catawba Island Garden Club will have its annual Plant, Rummage and Bake Sale at 9 a.m. May 19 at John Braun Park. May 11 deadline for queen contest applications PORT CLINTON -Those students who are home schooled are eligible to apply for the Port Clinton Walleye Queen. Applicants must be 15 to 18 years old (freshman, sophomore or junior) and live in the Port Clinton City School District.

Applications can be picked up at the high school. Contact Jackie Bolton, 734-9703, for information or an application. The deadline to apply is May 11. Mystery tour journeys through CIC CATAWBA ISLAND -Maxine Burnstine of Timely Tours will have a "Let's Take a Trip" mystery tour Wednesday at the Catawba Island Club on Beach Club Road. The event, sponsored by Port Clinton Christian Women's Club, will begin at 11:30 a.m.

Join the group in a musical journey with Bill Kin-nell, and speaker Arlene Kinnell from Westerville. Reservations are required and may be made by calling Bonnie, 734-2449, or Linda at 797-2876. The $10 charge is inclusive The club is an affiliate of Stonecroft Ministries. Christy Farms has open house FREMONT Christy Farm Nature Preserve Open House will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sunday. The event will include hourly guided nature walks and a bird banding demonstration. The preserve is located just north of Fremont on Christy Road, off Ohio 19. Park in the designated area. This open house is sponsored by the Black Swamp Bird News Herald photos by John Walz Mickey Johnson Executive editor Cynthia L.

Jacoby City editor Pete Groh News editor -Call 734-3 141 For the Record Police Log Sisters accused of assault plead innocent News Herald reports PORT CLINTON Two city women pleaded innocent Monday to charges of felonious assault after being accused of attacking another woman with a hammer. Amy L. Gilliam, 23, and Carrie A. Gilliam, 24, both of 1882 E. State St.

are charged with two counts each of second-degree felony felonious assault. They both have pre-trial hearings set for 9 a.m. June 22 in Ottawa County Common Pleas Court. They are accused of breaking into Amy Gilliam's former home on North Miley Drive in Marblehead and attacking Melanie Carrisales with a hammer. The sisters told Danbury Township police they came to the house with the intent to remove children's beds, according to police records.

Carrisales is the ex-wife of Amy Gilliam's boyfriend at the time, and police said all three lived at the North Mi-ley Drive home together. Carrisales was taken to Magruder Hospital for injuries she suffered on her arms, face and head. Ottawa County Sheriff's Office Detention Facility Thursday Joseph G. Kopac, 60, 1 28 Perry Sandusky, arrested by Danbury Township police, picked up on a bench warrant for failure to appear for a fine hearing, $552 bond plus sheriff's fees. Port Clinton police Friday arrest Timothy Sparks, 25, of 320 Hoover Port Clinton, charged with intoxicated disorderly conduct, released to a family member.

Friday log 2:06 a.m. Bicycle parked in space in apartments in 200 block of Buckeye Boulevard; already moved when officer arrived. 4:38 a.m. Open window at Jefferson Elementary; officer located cleaning person, all OK. 7:59 a.m.

91 1 call from 800 block of Fremont Road; kids playing on the phone. 8:15 a.m. Damage to gate in 400 block of Lakeshore Drive. 9:19 a.m. Squad requested in 500 block of Lakeshore Drive for a person with a head injury.

1 0:34 a.m. Man on bike feeling ill at Sixth and Kaspar street; gone when officer got there. 10:55 a.m. Minor accident in 100 block of West Second Street. 11:28 a.m.

Noninjury accident at Perry and Maple streets. 2:10 p.m. Request wrecker to tow car in the 100 block of Hayes Street. 2:10 p.m. Squad requested in 1700 block of South Bay Drive for an ill man.

2:37 p.m. Squad requested in 2800 block of Harbor Road for man with abdominal pain. 6:34 p.m. Juveniles found throwing eggs at vehicles parked in the 400 block of Madison Street; told to stop. 7:15 p.m.

Vehicle parked in alley in 200 block of East Second Street; owner moved vehicle. 7:42 p.m. Noninjury crash at Fourth and Harrison streets. 7:54 p.m. Loud music coming from car in the 800 block of Grant Street; vehicle left the area.

8:06 p.m. Vehicle lockout in 800 block of Bataan Lane. 9:56 p.m. Person passed out on a table at Derby Pond; officer found person, not intoxicated. 10:22 p.m.

Drivers honking as they went past Perry Plaza; officer could not find anything Letter carriers aim to help 'stamp out hunger' Ohio counties try to matte up Tor iacK ot state MRDD funding Port Clinton Letter Carriers of the National Association of Letter Carriers will be joining Letter Carriers across the nation in their annual "Stamp Out Hunger" day May 12. Carriers, together with the United Way have teamed up once again for this much needed food drive to stock local food pantries, which are very Prayer observance low this time of year. The groups asks residents to put non-perishable food items in a plastic bag, in or near mailboxes May 12. Your letter carrier or one of the volunteers will pick up the food and deliver it to the food warehouse. There will also be a food drop off box in the lobby of the Port Clinton Post Office.

cycling." The Ozone Action Day kick off runs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and includes a variety of prize drawings such as an electric lawn-mower and a gas grill. Live radio remotes provided by WRQN, WKKO, WXKR, and WWWM will keep the event hopping. The kick off helps educate the public on what actions to take when Ozone Action Days are declared throughout the summer.

coaster delayed said park spokeswoman Kim Stover. She said the long, 50 mph ride still needs to be fully tested. The park opens Saturday. Six Flags, formerly Geauga Lake, has built a walkway linking the park with the adjacent Sea World marine park. Visitors also can ride boats across Geauga Lake between the parks.

drown at park rig and ran straight into a retention pond. The horses, which weighed a ton each, were hitched together and still had on heavy harness equipment as they went into thepond. The tangled equipment and the horses' bulk contributed to the drowning, said Ottawa Metro Park chief ganger Rick Kohli said. Ozone Action Day kicks off air quality awareness program TOLEDO Summer heat and air quality are the focus of Ozone Action Days, which will be launched today at the Erie Street Market. "Ozone Action Days are an easy way for the public to get involved with the environment simply by taking mass transit or biking and not mowing or grilling on Ozone Action Days" said Kurt Erichsen, director of Environmental Planning at TMACOG.

"It's easy as re- New Six Flags roller Associated Press AURORA The debut of a new roller coaster will be delayed at Six Flags Worlds of Adventure, which merged during the off-season with Sea World of Ohio. X-Flight, described as "the flying coaster" because riders will be inverted after cresting the first hill to provide a sense of flight, is expected to open on May 19, ment for him," Bersnahan explained. "Our frustration level is beyond comprehension." County boards serve 56,000 people with mental retardation or developmental disabilities. Corcoran estimates that over three years, the plan will help another 2,000 who are living with aging caregivers, 3,750 who are living with their families and would benefit from limited services, and 200 children with very intense needs. Summit County gets $7 million yearly from local levies to support MRDD residential services.

Under the plan, the county could bring in another $10.5 million that would help another 230 people on the county's waiting list, said Tom Armstrong, superintendent of the Summit County MRDD board. Currently, 700 people in Summit County are on the waiting list for a placement in a residential facility or for extra services while they live with their families. Kenneth Ritchey, director of the Ohio Department of MRDD, called the plan significant and ambitious. If approved, it would satisfy needs without MRDD advocates forcing the issue thorough a lawsuit and without the state providing a big infusion of funds. "It has the prospects of starting to address long-term service needs that are neglected," Ritchey said.

But he, as well as other MRDD officials, acknowledges that while the plan affects immediate needs, it's not a permanent solution to the persistent un-derfunding of services for the disabled. Associated Press COLUMBUS As the budget process descended on Capitol Square beginning late last year, so did advocates for the mentally retarded and those with developmental disabilities. Carrying signs and banners, families, friends and supporters of the retarded and disabled flooded the Statehouse lawn about once a week, pleading for money to no avail. So, they came up with a plan. County MRDD boards would use $100 million they have raised from local levies to access $150 million in previously untapped federal matching Medicaid funds over the next three years, under a plan the House approved in its version of the budget early Thursday.

"The desperate nature of the state budget certainly helped our creativity," said Maureen Corcoran, executive director of the Ohio Provider Resource Association. The money would help thousands more Ohioans who are mentally retarded or developmentally disabled receive residential and nonresidential services that the state currently can't afford to provide. The situation that has resulted in long waiting lists for services statewide. "We realized that the state was not going to come forward with the match and that we needed to instead," said Fred DeCres-centis, superintendent of the Lucas County MRDD board. "It's transferred the burden from the state to the county." The plan still must be approved by the Senate, Gov.

Bob Taft and the U.S. Health Care Financing Administration. The Legisla- House-approved budget calls for funding for the Ohio Department of MRDD to increase by 2.9 percent in 2002 and 3.3 percent in 2003. ture must send the budget to Taft for his signature by June 30, but intends to send it this month. The House-approved budget calls for funding for the Ohio Department of MRDD to increase by 2.9 percent in 2002 and a 3.3 percent in 2003.

MRDD advocates say the amount is not nearly enough for the state to address the most pressing issue an increasing number of elderly parents are caring for their disabled children. That is because there is no space in assisted living facilities or group homes and no money to pay caregivers. Under the county MRDD boards' plan, certain groups, such as people living with aging caregivers, would get priority for services. Roger Bersnahan, a 61-year-old electrical engineer from Dayton, hopes his son, Kevin, benefits from the new federal money that would be made available, but he's skeptical. His 31-year-old son, whose skills are that of a 2-year-old, is one of more than 12,000 people on waiting, lists for residential treatment facilities.

"We're unable to plan any future for Kevin. There's no funding for us to even anticipate any place- Horses break loose, Assochited Press LIMA Two draft horses broke loose from a rig while plowing a field and drowned at Ottawa Metro Park. The horses, named Buddy and Lucky, were working as a team Thursday when a hitch broke and spooked them, Allen County sheriffs Lt. Bill Blank said. The horses broke from the.