Seven-Year-Old Raises Money For Charity With Colorful Crayon Artwork
BY NANCY GAGNET — MIRROR REPORTER
Seven-year-old Evan Wolaver found a creative way this holiday season to help those less fortunate.
“He’s always very concerned about others. If he sees someone in need of help, he often asks what he can do for them,” Evan’s father Ryan Wolaver said.
One evening while Evan was coloring a Christmas picture, he asked if he could sell it and give the money to someone less fortunate, Ryan explained.
Ryan took the picture the Maumee Municipal Court, where he works as a probation officer. He had it sitting on his desk when a coworker asked about it.
“I told them what my son wanted to do and it just kind of snowballed from there,” he said.
Several employees from the office began pulling out their wallets to buy a colored picture.
While he hasn’t kept track of every picture sold, Wolaver believes his son has colored about 25 pictures, raising approximately $40.00 for charity.
“The money will be donated to the Beach House, a shelter for homeless women and their children,” Ryan said.
Lynn MacKinnon was a co-worker who purchased a picture.
“I just thought it was wonderful,” MacKinnon said.
Many of the pictures are hanging at workstations throughout the probation office, including Jane Monroe’s work area.
“It’s such a sweet and unselfish thing. You don’t find too many 7-year-olds doing this,” she said.
Evan, who is a first-grader, lives in Perrysburg with his parents Ryan and Alia and his 5-year-old brother Nathan.
Evan said he doesn’t mind giving away the money instead of keeping it.
“It makes me feel happy,” he said.

Engineering Firm To Bring 80 Jobs To Maumee Location
BY NANCY GAGNET — MIRROR REPORTER
In an effort to draw more businesses to Maumee, city council approved another job creation and retention grant.
At the December 5 meeting, council approved a request by city administrator John Jezak to issue a jobs grant to the JDI Group.
The architecture and engineering firm plans to move its operation from its current location in Springfield Township to 360 Dussel Dr., which previously housed call centers for Verizon and Alltell.
With the grant, the company would receive annual payments of $20,000 for a nine-year period in exchange for maintaining a staff of 80 full-time employees and an estimated annual payroll of $4 million.
“We’ve outgrown our facility and we’re looking to relocate to a new facility and add employees,” said Tim Fry of the JDI Group.
Grant payments will commence one year following occupancy of the building and will not exceed $180,000, Jezak said.
On November 21 council also approved a job creation mini-grant for the Toledo Board of Realtors.
The grant includes a lump sum payment of $4,200 for the organization, which has a staff of six full-time employees and an estimated payroll of $285,000.
The organization will move from Sylvania to 590 Longbow Dr. in Maumee.
In other action at the meeting, council members:
• Tabled a request by Maumee police Lt. Michael Fortney to rescind his previous request to retire on July 29, 2012.
Council approved his request to retire at the February 15, 2010 meeting.
Mayor Tim Wagener recommended denying Fortney’s request based on a recommendation by city law director Sheilah McAdams and city labor attorney Michael Angelo.
• Approved a request to file for the 2011 State Fire Marshal Firefighter Training Grant.
• Approved a contract amendment with Ebony Construction in the amount of $5,327.06 for the 2011 street maintenance program. The total amount of the project with the amendment is $258,875.28.
• Approved a $6,500 contract with Madden Brothers for tub grinding services.
• Placed on file an application to the Ohio Division of Liquor Control for transfer of a permit within Speedway LLC businesses.
• Approved a $3,570.60 contract with Bender Communication relative to radio maintenance.
• Authorized agreements for health and life insurance program providers.
• Approved a request for advance payment of 2012 real estate tax collections from the Lucas County Treasurer.
• Approved an agreement with Bergren Associates in the amount of $3,100 for service to the SCADA system in the water and sewer division.
• Approved a request by council member Doug Brainard to refer to the buildings and lands committee a request to build a police memorial.

The next Maumee City Council meeting is scheduled on Monday, December 19. The committee of the whole meets at 7:00 p.m. and the regular meeting begins at 7:30 p.m.