This newsletter is distributed by the Franklin Township Board of Trustees. The goal of the newsletter is to inform area citizens of the activities in Franklin Township.

Franklin Township is working on many projects as well as other activities that contribute to the quality of life for all who live, work and play here. We have many initiatives that will ultimately enable our community to grow and develop. Contact us with questions, comments and concerns.

Franklin Township meetings are held the second Wednesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at the township office.

The Franklin Township Zoning Board of Appeals (BZA) hears requests for variances. These requests are made by individuals who wish to vary from the Zoning Code restrictions on a particular parcel of land. There are two types of variances: area variances (those authorizing departures from yard and height restrictions) and use variances (those authorizing uses not expressly permitted by the Code.)

• Zoning is in the middle of its busy season. The Inspector is busy sending applications and making on-site visits. Because the job of the Inspector is only part time, he needs time to complete the application process before permits are issued. That means individuals and contractors need to plan ahead. Once the application reaches the Zoning Office, the Inspector will review the permit and will do the first on-site visit within (72) seventy-two hours of the receipt of the permit. Be prepared when you are getting ready to build that you have contacted the Zoning Inspector early enough to give him the needed (72) seventy Ðtwo hours to complete his job. EveryoneÕs cooperation will make the process go smoothly.
• The Township is currently in need of the assistance of conscientious individuals who want to become involved in the undertakings of the township. Members are needed to serve on the Zoning Commission and the Board of Zoning Appeals. Membership on these boards require individuals who care about the development of their community enough to put aside personal agendas and will work with the board, as a whole, to enforce the Zoning Code. Anyone who is interested can contact one of the Township Trustees.

Greetings from the members of the LIA. We invite you to attend our meetings at the Moose Lodge. We have been fortunate to have many interesting and informative speakers at every meeting. So come to a meeting and if you agree, join our Association for $10.00

We need new and old members to renew their $10.00 membership. This association can be a strong influence but, we need the membership to be active.

We are planning a fund raising event in August, 2001. It will be a one-day event of a 9-hole traveling miniature golf outing. This will be similar to a lake poker run only you will be on a 4-person team with the lowest team score winning the tournament. Look for details at your local watering hole.

Grand Lake St. Marys is a unique recreational facility. As we enjoy its many benefits, we are reminded that it is constantly in need of our protection. Have a great Summer!

The middle of the summer season has come and gone and operations have been going well at Grand Lake St. Marys State Park. The biggest news has come in the form of great water boating conditions. The lake level has been above average for the entire season and stands at +3 inches at the time of this writing.

Despite a rainy May, the campground has seen big crowds throughout the year. The cabin, teepee, and Rent-a-Camp operations are almost fully booked. If you donÕt own a camper but would like to go camping try one of our camping options sometime. (Our writer right to the Chief evaluations indicate visitors are very pleased with their visits.) Positive feedback is running ahead of last year. The visitor pass program in the campground and our unguarded beach operations are doing very well.

Our dredge operations have had mixed success so far. The 1968 St. Marys dredge has experienced several breakdowns in the past few months. This has caused lengthy delays in our pumping schedule. The new swinging ladder dredge, on the other hand, has been pumping away at Southmoor shores.

We have received the go ahead from the Army Corp of Engineers and the Ohio EPA for two new jetties at the East Bank Shoreline. The construction process on these jetties has begun. Boat owners and boat dock owners are reminded that annual dock fees are now overdue. Up to date dock stickers are required to be displayed on the licensed watercraft and on the dock structure. Dock owners are obligated by law to maintain their docks in good condition. A construction of seawall and/or docks requires a state dock/seawall permit. In the upcoming seasons dock/boat owners can expect closer scrutiny by park staff in insuring compliance with these regulations.

Remember to wear your lifejackets, they save lives.

The club established in the late 1940's, was organized and charted in 1951. Our mission is to support all sporting activities on Grand Lake St. Marys, Ohio and conservation of all forms in the state of Ohio.

All proceeds from the following events are used to support the KidÕs Fishing Derby, Coonskin Camp, scholarships and many other conservation issues. Please come and support our special events.

The annual kidÕs fishing derby was held on June 2, 2001. Despite the weather, we had a great turnout. 248 kids were entered but only 127 fish were caught. We would like to thank all the members for their hard work and a special thank you to Windy Point Carryout for donating all the bait.

FLEA MARKET: On August 4, 2001 the club will be hosting a Flea Market at the facility. Any one interested in having a booth please contact John Chaney 419-268-2660. An 8 x 10 booth for $20.00. All vendors are welcome. Refreshments will be made available. Please come set up a booth or just come and browse.

SCOTCH DOUBLES BOWLING TOURNAMENT: August 18, 2001 at 6:00 pm at Pla-mor Bowling Alley in Coldwater, Ohio. Cost is $25.00 per team. Team consists of any 2 persons. You don't have to be a bowler to have a good time at this event. 1st prize is $100.00, 2nd $75.00, 3rd $50.00 and $25.00 to the last place team. Come and join us in a good time.

FALL ROUND UP: September 29, 2001 at 4:00 the festivities begin. Dancing, Monte Carlo, refreshments and snacks. Hog Roast will begin at 5:00 till 7:00 pm. Tickets are on sale now. Please contact Lila Miller at 419-268-2839 if needing to purchase tickets - $5.00 per meal. Raffle tickets are also available. $1.00 each or 6 for $5.00. Grand Prize is a trip to the Argosy with overnight accommodations and $500.

HUNTER'S EDUCATION CLASS: On August 6, 7 and 9, 2001, there will be a Hunter's Education Instruction Class at the Club. The class will be held from 6:00-9:30 pm. This class is required of anyone wishing to purchase their first hunting license or for anyone wishing to refresh their hunting safety skills. The class is free to all. Please call Brian Miller 268-2839, Jim Karafit 268-2634 or Dan Sendelbach 586-3040 to register for the class.

Meetings are held at Wright State University the first Monday of each month. The board of Trustees and its ex-officio members meet monthly to discuss topics and concerns related to the ongoing growth and development of Grand Lake St. Marys.

The corporation is formed by appointees from the Celina, St. Marys and Coldwater Chambers of Commerce, as well as, the Lake Improvement Association and other area organizations united to achieve long term lake development goals in cooperation with government agencies.

The Lake Development Corporation meets at Wright State University on the first Monday of each month.

At the June meeting, concern was expressed over the recent budget cuts to the Division of Parks and its impact upon Grand Lake St. Marys. Another concern was that stream pollution violations are up this year because of the high water. For the third season walleye fry have been released into the lake. First year released walleye are now approximately 15-16 inches long and about the diameter of a baseball.

LDC also announced plans for its Annual Legislative Day on the Lake which is set for Thursday, July 26. This yearÕs program will be held on the Wright State UniversityÕs Lake Campus.

In 1991, Franklin Township started a Cloverbud 4-H Club. It was named the Busy Beavers and consisted of 22 children in grades Kindergarten through 2nd grade.

Cloverbuds are children who explore areas of healthy living, earth environment, citizenship, plants, animals, consumer skills, science and technology, personality development and expressive arts. The primary goal of the Cloverbud program is to promote children's healthy development - mentally, physically, socially and emotionally.

Day camp - Day Camp for the Cloverbuds will be held at Harbor Point on July 11 from 10:00 am to 3:00 p.m. Members enjoy a day of fun doing nature projects, crafts, etc.

Fair Projects:Each member does a project of his/her own choice which will be judged to be placed in the clubÕs booth at the Mercer County Fair. Judging for the Cloverbuds will beheld on July 24.

Anyone who wishes to become a Cloverbud member should call one of the advisorsÑConnie Davenport 268-2369 or Sharon Nixon 586-1818.

In 2000, the Franklin Clovers had 45 members led by three volunteer advisors. The Clovers completed 63 projects, received many Best-In-Class awards, sent six members to the State Fair competition, won recognition for their booth display at the Mercer County Fair and sent two girls to State Conservation Camp in Licking County to learn about natural resources and land usage.

Currently, the members are busy getting the booth ready for the 2001 Mercer County Fair. This yearÕs theme is "Welcome to the Jungle."
4-H Camp was held at Harbor Point June 18-21.
Judging of 4-H projects will be held July 17 and 18 plus July 24 and 25 of the following week.

The CVB has announced a summer program to motivate local residents to explore their own backyard. "Be a Tourist in Your Own Hometown" is providing coupon booklets offering to buy one admission - get one admission free at four local museums: Neil Armstrong Air and Space Museum, the Bicycle Museum of America, Ft. Recovery State Museum and the Heritage Museum and Relic Shrine. The coupons are for the weekends of July 7 & 8, August 4 & 5 and Sept. 1 & 2.

We encourage local residents to take advantage of the offer. "Our best area ambassadors are those individuals who have explored our museums and attended our fairs and festivals. By offering this program, the CVB hopes to add to our list of ambassadors. No one markets our area better than the person who takes pride in our culture and our heritage."

Beginning June 25, coupon booklets will be available at the CVB office at 900 Edgewater Drive, St. Marys, and at each of the Chamber of Commerce offices in the two counties: Celina/Mercer County Chamber, Southwest Auglaize Chamber in New Bremen, St. Marys Area Chamber, and the Wapakoneta Area Chamber. An area visitors guide and a calendar of events will be included with each booklet. Each will also contain a form to register to win a two-night stay at the Celina Holiday Inn Express, the St. Mays AmeriHost Inn or the Wapakoneta Holiday Inn.

Regular monthly meetings are held the second Monday of each month at 7:00 pm at the Franklin Township office located 6805 SR 219.

Trail paving through Zuma Park will take place in the next couple months. We will be doubling the length of the trail and will go entirely around the park. The trail will run from State Route 219 at the bridge to State Route 219 on the north side of the Celina City School property.

Zuma Days, held on June 29 & 30, was very well attended. We would like to thank everyone who helped make this event a success.

The Mercer County Sanitary Department is in the process of making an improvement to the system. We will be dividing the sanitary sewer system in half. The point of separation will be at the lift station at the corner of State Route 219 and Windy Point Road. This upgrade will be two-fold.
First: It will take a big load off our main lift station in downtown Montezuma. By adding this, it will make a big difference during wet springs when the heavy rains fall and when the snow melts while the ground is still frozen. It is during these times that the potential for system overflow is the greatest. By splitting up the system we greatly reduce the potential of this happening.
Second: As many of the customers know, development on the east end of our system is moving at a rapid pace. This upgrade will allow development to continue without effecting people on the west end of the system. It is important to note that these upgrades will be made without any additional costs to current customers.

The Grand Lake St. Marys Watershed Project is joining with OSU Extension, Soil & Water Conservation Districts and other watershed projects, to bring a Manure Science Review day to the area. The program will be held at the Auglaize County Fairgrounds on August 27 & 28 and 30 & 31 in Wooster, Ohio from 9:00 Ð 4:00 each day. A variety of informational sessions will be offered concurrently in the mornings on both days which will provide information on topics such as methods of manure storage, nutrient management, environmental issues and also social issues. In the afternoon, participants will have the opportunity to attend the trade show or tour area facilities. A pre-registration fee of $5.00 per day includes informational sessions and lunch. The cost will be $10.00 per day if you do not pre-register. For more information on the Review Day or to pre-register, please contact John Smith, Auglaize OSU Extension 419-738-2219 or Matt Heckler, Mercer County SWCD at 419-586-2548.

Another major happening for the project is the beginning of the volunteer watershed stream-monitoring program. Volunteers will be sampling the water in the lake and tributaries to establish baseline data on the overall quality of the watershed. These volunteers are recording data such as the flow rate, depth, temperature and some general chemical testing. This information will be compiled over a period with the help of Dr. Robert Hiskey from Wright State Lake Campus. We certainly appreciate their enthusiasm for the project and their time and efforts while collecting the samples! For information regarding the volunteer sampling program or any other programs offered by the Watershed Project, please feel free to call the Watershed coordinator at the number above.

Currently we have 28 hangars at the airport for pleasure and business users and we have a waiting list of hangars as they become available.

The airport board is working with the County Commissioners and Steve Walter of GES Aviation about a taxiway to the industrial park. GES. Aviation would like to build some hangars near the industrial park if the airport can run a taxiway to that area.

Some lights have been installed near the parking lot and the fueling area for airplanes. A sensor light has been installed for the fueling area to take pictures of any person (s) near the fuel pumps at night. The lights for the parking lot were recycled from the Coldwater football field, which will give us better lighting in the parking lot to make it safer after dark.

The property owned by Vaughn Engle, located east of the airport on SR 219, was recently purchased by the Airport Authority. This project is still in the planning process.

Buehler Asphalt & Paving did some milling work and repaved the taxiway and will be sealing the cracks on the runway.

Lakefield Airport has submitted a grant application with the ODOT for burying some existing power lines along SR 219. If money is received, as many lines as possible will be buried.

The Mercer County SheriffÕs Office began itsÕ directed patrol system on April 1. So far, the district system is working well and residents of Franklin Township and other areas of Mercer County should be seeing regular patrols.

An area of concern for us is an increase in complaints of Golf Carts and other recreational vehicles traveling on the roads. Although this is a convenient method of travel for short distances around the area, it is a prohibited means of travel. Concerns are due to the visibility of the vehicles and slow speeds, especially where the road may have a crest in it. A car traveling at 55 mph has a very difficult time slowing for a golf cart traveling 12-15 mph if it isnÕt seen in time. A crash with an automobile and a golf cart or recreational vehicle will most assuredly result in an injury. The SheriffÕs Office is requesting your assistance in keeping Franklin Township safe, please use your golf carts and recreational vehicles on private property only.

With the summer season upon us, the SheriffÕs Office would also like to remind boaters to use good common sense when enjoying our lake this summer. We recommend you always wear a life jacket, even if you are a good swimmer, swim only in designated swimming areas, and donÕt drink alcoholic beverages and operate your water craft. LetÕs all work together to have a safe and enjoyable summer in the Grand Lake Area.

Regular meeting held the 3rd Saturday of each month at 12 noon at the Village Office.

Time is running out for your opportunity to donate to the Montezuma Village Park improvement project. For every dollar we raise we raise , the village will receive $3.00 from the state up to $44,000. Currently we are about half way to reaching the maximum amount from the state for our park improvement project. The project consists of sidewalks, boat ramp, sea wall, paved parking area, etc.

The village plans to erect a "Dedication Wall" with bricks that you can purchase to recognize your gift to this improvement project. You can have your name, family's name, a date of a special event or a business can have their name as well as their logo engraved on the bricks. There is much history of old-time families and businesses that can provide a place for their names to live on by being mounted on the Dedication Wall.

A 4 x 8 inch brick can be purchased for $100, an 8 x 8 inch brick for $500 and a 12 x 12 inch sand stone for $1000. If you have any questions, please contact one of the village councilors at the numbers listed. The amount of donations we receive will determine the size of the project we will be able to construct. Remember, the state will match $3.00 for every $1.00 we raise. Help us get the maximum use of these state funds. Donations forms are available at Arnie's Corner in Montezuma.

The Fire Department currently has 15 active firefighters and are in need of more. To become a firefighter, you must pass a physical exam, complete a 36 hour required class, attend 6 regular department meetings a year, attend 6 work details and be willing to give about 90 hours of your time to perform the above mentioned activities. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, contact Roger Davenport at 268-2369 or contact any member of the Fire Department, or come to a regular monthly meeting at 7:30 pm on the first Thursday of the month at the Township Building.