Springfield Sisters Named Grand Champions At Lucas County Fair
BY NANCY GAGNET — MIRROR REPORTER
Mackenzie and Meredith Shank agree that their horses have their own unique personalities.
Both are quarter horses. Ned, a 9-year-old, loves people, and Henri, a 4-year-old, is said to be very “laid back.”
“There’s just something about him,” said Meredith, who has been working with Henri for the past year.
Mackenzie, who’s been riding Ned for three years, describes him as “very friendly.”
“He’s the greeter around here,” she smiled.
The sisters grew up in Springfield Township riding horses, and for the past three years they’ve brought them to the Lucas County Fair with their 4-H club, Stirrup a Bit.
This year, after posting successful scores in 4-H competition, they will move on to the state fair competition in Columbus.
Mackenzie, 13, was named Grand Champion of Western Pleasure and Meredith, 12, received the Grand Champion of Showmanship award.
“They put a lot of time in,” said their mother, Joyce. “They really bond with the horses, and the horses have learned to trust them.”
Those participating in 4-H events arrived several days before the fair opened and immediately started competing – working morning until night to care for the horses and prepare them for the day.
“You have to work many hours daily,” Joyce said. “What you put into it is what you get out of it.”
Ceci Tolson, advisor for the Stirrup a Bit club, said the Shank sisters spend a lot of time practicing and it shows.
“No matter what animal you’re showing, if you don’t spend time with them it’s very obvious, and they do very well,” Tolson said.
Meredith said their hard work pays off when the horses perform.
“The true test is when you go to class to see if he does what you taught him,” she said.
Like many other members of 4-H, the Shank family brought their camper, which served as temporary housing for the week of the fair, but the challenge was finding time to rest.
“You have to try to get a couple hours of sleep,” Mackenzie said.
4-H clubs are youth organizations that promote a variety of year-round projects including working with animals, gardening, sewing, photography and more.
Athletic Facility Construction Back On Track After Concerns Over Environmental Issues
BY KELLY J. KACZALA — MIRROR REPORTER
Construction of new athletic facilities for the Springfield Local Schools is back on track.
The project, off Albon and Angola roads in Springfield Township, was delayed when the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency raised concerns about storm water control and wetlands issues at the site.
Dina Pierce, Northwest district media coordinator with the Ohio EPA, said the agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had met with school officials on July 2 and last Friday to discuss issues with work on the athletic fields.
The project impacted nearly 20 acres of high-quality, forested wetlands on the site, Pierce said.
The school district voluntarily halted construction after being asked by the Army Corps of Engineers.
The school board told the Ohio EPA it did not know wetlands were present at the site, Pierce said.
The school’s consultant followed up with a delineation report on the site, but the report did not specify where the wetlands were, Pierce said. Friday’s meeting was to verify the wetlands’ presence and location.
According to Pierce, the school district will redesign the layout of the athletic fields to avoid the wetland areas.
“We will be requiring the school district to restore the forested wetlands that were damaged in the Oak Openings area,” she said.
Ohio EPA plans to issue a notice of violation for the wetlands impacts. The Army Corps of Engineers may also issue a citation, Pierce said.
The site has a storm water control issue as well, Pierce said.
“The schools did file a notice of intent requesting coverage under the state’s construction storm water general permit. However, they began construction without waiting for the permit to be issued,” Pierce said. “General permits are issued quickly, typically in three weeks or less. We have told them that the site needs a sediment pond installed as soon as possible. This should have been done before any grading began to contain sediment running off the site during storms.”
Springfield Township administrator Leslie Kohli said at a July 21 trustee meeting that the Ohio EPA and Marcus Ricci, of the Lucas County Soil and Water Conservation District, received an anonymous call from a local resident regarding clearing and potential building on a wetlands area.
“He and the EPA went over and inspected it. There were wet areas of standing water. There were also different indicators of wetlands, different types of plants that were there,” Kohli said.
Ricci told Kohli that he lacked authority to proceed on the matter, and he contacted Brian Miller, assistant drainage engineer with the Lucas County engineers office.
The engineer’s office has not yet approved the revised construction plans, Kohli said.
Kohli said she received an e-mail from Lynette M. Hablitzel, of the Ohio EPA, asking if the township or county had inspected the site for compliance. She said the township might be issued a violation for not inspecting the site.
As of April 2008, the county and township are required to develop and implement local storm water control measures, including controlling storm water from construction sites that disturb one acre or more of land.
Kristina White, community liaison with the Springfield Local Schools, said construction was expected to resume on the project on July 29.
“An independent geological report, commissioned by the Springfield board of education, confirmed for the Ohio EPA that an initial concern that wetlands were present on the 37-acre property was found to be limited to only a 1.2-acre section not affected by construction,” White said.
School board member Ken Musch said the project has received “significant” support from the public and media.
“During the design phase and permit approval process, our architect, engineer and board of education members all met numerous times with the Lucas County engineer, Lucas County sanitary engineer, Lucas County Plan Commission, Springfield Township zoning board and Springfield Township trustees regarding both the site and our plans,” said Musch. “The possibility of wetlands on the property was never mentioned. Further, the board of education obtained all necessary permits for construction.”
Springfield Local Schools superintendent Kathryn Hott said the community could be assured that the construction would remain on schedule.
“Despite the delay, all steps are being taken to complete the project in time for spring sports,” she said.
The athletic facility is part of a $7 million project, funded by the levy, which will include a running track, tennis courts, baseball, softball and soccer practice fields, a football stadium, a bus loop, an expanded training and fitness facility at the high school, and additional classrooms.
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