Running Club Keeps Wayne Trail Students Moving
BY NANCY GAGNET — MIRROR REPORTER
With the theme, “We’ve got to move it, move it,” Wayne Trail Elementary students are doing just that at recess.
The Wayne Trail Recess Running Club helps kids stay fit and active with regular laps around a designated area on the playground, said fifth-grade teacher Maureen Judy, who created the program.
“We expect all fourth- and fifth-grade students to walk or run five laps right at the beginning of recess, and then they can go play or do whatever they want,” Judy said.
Five laps, which is approximately one-third of a mile, is what the students need to keep active, she said.
“That way, 400 kids are getting movement every day at recess,” she said.
To motivate kids to move even more, Judy created an extra challenge, having kids log extra laps for special recognition.
“We total the laps each week and keep a tally of whose room has the extra laps,” she said.
The class with the most extra laps will receive the “Big Shoe,” a pair of size 16 shoes donated by gym teacher Derek Sheridan.
“We spray-painted them gold and mounted them. With no budget for this club, we are hoping the cute, huge shoes will inspire the classes to compete to do more laps,” Judy said.
She also plans to award the winning room a special certificate.
“I love the concept. I am hoping the club keeps its impetus all year and continues to make all of us a little fitter,” she said.
Principal Lonnie Rivera added five minutes to recess to allow students the extra time to run their laps.
“The kids really seem to enjoy the friendly competition,” Rivera said.
In September Stephanie Sheridan’s fourth-grade class walked an extra 1,403 extra laps and Joel Calkins’ fifth-grade class walked 2,033 extra laps, which earned both classrooms a coveted gold-painted shoe.

Fire Division Contract And Squad Leader Position Approved By Maumee City Council
BY NANCY GAGNET — MIRROR REPORTER
The city of Maumee officially approved an amended contract with the fire division union.
At its October 3 meeting, Maumee City Council approved legislation to enact a contract with the International Association of Firefighters Local 5436, which represents paramedics, paramedic squad leaders and fire prevention inspectors.
While council initially approved the agreement at its September 6 meeting, legislation was ordered and approved this week, making the agreement official.
The city does not employ full-time firefighters; however, there are 14 employees in the IAFF, said city finance director Linda Wilker.
The new terms, which were discussed as part of the current collective bargaining agreement, will increase employees’ contribution to health insurance from 10 to 15 percent.
In addition, work week hours for paramedics and paramedic squad leaders will be reduced from 48 to 42 hours per week.
With changes in the hours, a new shift was created, which prompted council to approve a request by Fire Chief Richard Monto to add a squad leader for it.
Council approved a request to allow the interview process to begin to fill the position. A paramedic within the department is expected to be promoted to fill it.
The contracts with the IAFF as well as the Fraternal Order of Police and the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, which includes the city’s service workers and a portion of clerical staff, expire on December 31, 2011.
Council also approved the appropriation of $1,200 to repair conference room chairs.
The buildings and lands committee made the recommendation to council to fund repairing conference room furniture, which is used for both council and Maumee Municipal Court purposes.
The court will also fund $2,800 in repair costs for the furniture, said council member Brett Buehrer, who is also a member of the buildings and lands committee.
According to Buehrer, the court utilizes the room for anger management, domestic violence and civil mediation sessions.
“The committee realizes that no one in Maumee would want to hold weekly anger management classes using their own furniture,” Buehrer wrote in a letter to council.
Buehrer also acknowledged that eliminating the court’s usage of the room “is not in the best interest of the city or the Maumee taxpayer.”
Council unanimously approved the recommendation.
In other action at the meeting, council members:
• Approved the retirement of David Causer, an employee of the department of public service, effective November 30.
• Approved a $253,548.22 contract with Ebony Construction Company for the street maintenance program.
• Approved a $1,850 amendment with E.T. Electric relative to the Key Street pumping station contract.
• Authorized an agreement with the Lucas County Sheriff’s Office for participation in the 2012 county OVI task force.
• Approved an $8,574 purchase of a Grasshopper lawnmower from A.J. Boellner for the city’s water department.
• Approved the levy of property taxes for the 2012 collection.
• Approved a $3,450 agreement with the Lucas County Senior Nutrition Program.

The next Maumee City Council meeting is scheduled on Monday, October 17. The committee of the whole meets at 7:00 p.m. and the regular meeting begins at 7:30 p.m.