Labor Day closure

A Highfalutin’ Hoedown
The 2010 Gala at Terra Community College will transport guests to the Wild, Wild West for an evening of diamonds and denim.

“Red Hot Highfalutin’ Hoedown” is the theme of this year’s gala and reverse raffle planned for Sept. 24 in the Student Activities Center at Terra.

The event will feature sideboards, raffle packages, a silent auction and a Wild West Casino. Prizes of cash, dinner packages, décor items, art and theatre packages will available.

Guests will enjoy a themed dinner prepared and served by Guilio, executive ehef, and the staff of AVI Foodsystems. Back by popular demand, Ron Howard’s Highfalutin’ Cruisin’ will have guests adding a little do-si-do to their swing.

“Special events like the Gala are an opportunity for community members to become involved with Terra, to learn more about the college, and to provide support for our students,” said Dr. Sue Babione, executive director of the Terra College Foundation.

Tickets and sponsor levels range from $150 for one charity raffle ticket and dinner/beverage package for one, to $2,000 for four charity raffle tickets and dinner/beverage package for eight. Call 419-559-2301 or e-mail sbabione@terra.edu for more information.

Ramp closure
The ramp from northbound I-280 to Wheeling Street in Oregon will be closed for storm sewer and waterline installation Sept. 7 through 14 as part of the Wheeling Street widening project. The detour is Woodville Road (Exit 6) to Curtice Road to Coy Road to Navarre Avenue.

Through November, northbound Wheeling Street between Pickle Road and Brown Road is closed. The detour is Brown Road, Coy Road, Pickle Road.  Wheeling Street between I-280 and Navarre Avenue will be reduced to one lane in both directions.

Southbound Wheeling Street between Pickle Road and Brown Road is open.

The project, which includes the widening of Wheeling Street from Navarre Avenue (SR 2) to Pickle Road, including the bridge over I-280, is expected to be completed in December 2011. All work is weather permitting.

Volunteer voices
The Regional Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program at Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Inc. (ABLE) is seeking volunteer ombudsmen to help provide advocacy services to residents living in nursing homes.

Fall and winter Long-Term Care Ombudsman training sessions are being planned now. Those interested in volunteering for this program should contact the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program Volunteer Coordinator at 419-259-2891 or 1-800-542-1874, toll-free, and complete an application. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old and currently not employed as a long-term care provider.

Volunteer ombudsmen visit residents in nursing homes, help resolve problems and offer information to residents and family members about resident rights, quality of care and quality of life.

In 1978, The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program was mandated by the Older Americans Act to serve as a visible advocate for the elderly.

Volunteers are trained before entering a facility. They receive certification by the State of Ohio following the12-hour initial training and a Bureau of Criminal Investigation Check. The training is designed to assist participants in becoming effective advocates for nursing home residents. Once certified, volunteers are expected to contribute a minimum of four hours each month at an assigned facility.

Approximately 9,000 individuals reside in the 100 nursing homes located in the program’s 10-county service area, which includes Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky and Wood counties.

Fatherhood summit
A panel of community leaders, child welfare experts and local fathers will discuss the important contributions that fathers make to the lives of their children at Lucas County Children Services’ second annual Fatherhood Summit, “Bring Back the Dads.”

The discussion, which is open to the public, is scheduled for Sept. 14 at the LCCS Conference and Learning Center, 711 Adams Street (next to Lucas County Children Services) from 10 a.m. to noon.

Local radio and television personality Larry Whatley will facilitate the discussion. He will be joined by keynote speaker Raymond Lloyd, a trainer and consultant from Springfield, Ohio; and a panel of community leaders and fathers from the Toledo area.

“This agency is making a commitment to get as many fathers as possible involved in their children's lives,” said Dean Sparks, executive director of Lucas County Children Services. “We know that fathers provide nurturing, guidance and inspiration, and when they’re absent, their children are at greater risk for problems such as violence, academic difficulties and drug abuse.”

Registration for the summit is available by calling 419-213-3253 or by visiting www.lucaskids.net.

Scholarship initiative
Owens Community College has been chosen as one of nine Ohio two-year community and technical colleges by AEP Ohio, a unit of American Electric Power, to participate in a new $225,000 workforce development scholarship initiative designed to help low-income Ohioans compete for jobs in an evolving economy.

The Owens Community College Foundation has received a $25,000 scholarship grant from AEP Ohio for the new program.

Eligible recipients must be AEP Ohio customers at or below 200 percent of the 2009-10 Federal Poverty Guidelines. Scholarships will be awarded to individuals who are seeking to upgrade their skills, particularly in utility industry careers.

Construction class enrolling
A class to provide training in the construction trades will start Sept. 27 at The Ottawa County Resource Center in Oak Harbor.

The 12-week Constructing Futures Pre-Apprenticeship Program, which provides skills in the construction trades with industry-recognized certifications, prepares candidates for apprenticeship in one of the construction trades.

The training is part of a program to train or re-train people who may be seeking new skills for the job market. The program provides construction-related skills such as blueprint reading, forklift use, financial literacy, work ethic, OSHA training and other industry-related skills.

The program is administered by the Northwest Ohio Construction Education Center (NOCEC) and operated by WSOS in partnership with NOCEC, Alliance of Construction Professionals, Four-County Career Center, Penta Adult Career Center and Lucas County Workforce Investment Board.

If no programs are accepting new apprentices, WSOS staff will assist in job placement activities until there are openings in the registered apprenticeship programs.

To participate in this program, or for more information, call Jarmain at419-578-1809.

Northcoast Jobs
The Northcoast Jobs Connection Job Stores are offering the following seminars in September at the Ottawa County Community Resource Centre, 8043 W. SR 163, Oak Harbor.

Sept. 9 – 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., “Work Ethics.” Learn what employers expect in work ethics, including confidentiality, tactfulness, communication and manners in the work setting.

Sept. 16 – 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. “Get a Job or a Better Job POD.” Discuss applications, resumes, interviewing, networking, the Internet and more.

Sept. 23 – 9 a.m. to noon, “Interview for Success.” Learn about interview preparation, common questions, answers and more.

Sept. 30 – 9 a.m. to noon. “Conducting Employer and Job Research.” Learn more about using the state website, Ohio Means Jobs, and other Internet sites.

Seminars are free and open to anyone in the community. Job Store officials are asking that those interested in the workshops register by e-mailing Carol Guice at carol.guice@yahoo.com or by calling 419-307-1189.

On Sept. 20, a free “Introduction to Computers” class will be offered from 9 a.m. to noon, and an “Internet and E-mail” class will be offered from 1 to 4 p.m. Registration is required by calling 419-898-3688, ext. 270.

For more information on the Job Stores, log onto www.northcoastjobs.org or in Ottawa County, call 800-665-1677 or 419-898-3688, ext. 270.

Terra land purchase
The Terra Community College Board of Trustees on Aug. 25 approved the purchase of land from the Kerns family.

The 37 acres, at 3000 Napoleon Rd. in Fremont is situated on either side of the driveway of the Terra campus. The college has no immediate plans for the property.

“Essentially the family was interested in selling it and we were interested in buying it,” said Dr. Marsha S. Bordner, Terra’s president. “It’s the frontage to the college so we wanted to make sure we had some say in what would happen to it.”

The board authorized Bordner to purchase the land for a price not to exceed $6,200 per acre. Currently, the Terra campus sits on 103 acres.

No Wrong Door
The Ottawa County Council of Health and Social Concerns, in conjunction with United Way in Ottawa County, will host Ottawa County No Wrong Door training Oct. 14 at Riverview Healthcare Campus, 8180 West SR 163 in Oak Harbor.

Although United Way 2-1-1 is available to connect families and individuals with community resources and volunteer opportunities 24 hours a day, seven days a week, people still often turn to people they know. The mission of Ottawa County No Wrong Door is to make information about human services and resources available with one call to any area agency or organization.

The training is designed for front line staff in churches, doctor’s offices, schools, social service agencies or other businesses who have direct contact with the public on a regular basis to help participants understand the right questions to ask to determine the most appropriate referrals.

The session will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Registration will start at 8:30 a.m. The $10 registration fee includes breakfast, lunch and supplies.

For more information or to make a reservation, call United Way in Ottawa County at 419-734-6645.

Disaster planning workshop
CISP, a data center located in Toledo, and the Red Cross are holding a free workshop for Disaster Planning and Recovery for business Sept. 16 from 3 to 4 p.m. at the CISP disaster and recovery location.

The CISP technology data center is built from Tier 4 data center standards that offers security, physical and electronic, redundancy in all areas of technology including self-healing fiber connections, climate control, advanced fire suppression, dual battery systems and back-up generators.

“We were able to assist Service Spring, a company in the recent Lake Township tornado disaster, so they were up and running the Monday after the tornado in our disaster recovery room,” said Dustin Wade, president of CISP. “Obviously this affected our entire region, but we were able to help a business stay operational and we did it with tools available right here in northwest Ohio – tools built for this exact reason. Most people don’t even know it exists, so we’re holding a free seminar to educate businesses of the possibilities, realities and suggestions for the best practices for disaster planning and recovery – not just for a tornado, but for any disaster scenario.”

The one-hour informational session will include a presentation by the Red Cross for disaster preparedness at home as well as an overview of technical services available to protect a business’s critical data, operating systems and processes in case of a disaster.

RSVP required as only 85 seats are available. Call 419-724-5351 for reservations.

Veterans Home program
Deborah Grassman, a nurse practitioner, author and expert on hospice care for veterans, will present two programs Sept. 16 at the Ohio Veterans Home in Sandusky. Admission to the programs, which are sponsored by Stein Hospice, is free and open to the public.

Grassman, author of “Peace at Last: Stories of Hope and Healing for Veterans and their Families,” has worked for the Veterans Administration for 26 years and is currently director of Hospice and Palliative Care at the VA Medical Center in St. Petersburg, Fla.

At the afternoon session, which will run from 1 to 4:30 p.m., she will discuss her book and end-of-life healing strategies to assist veterans and their families. She will describe the emotional, social, spiritual and moral injuries sustained by veterans during the evening session from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Continuing education hours are available for nurses. To register, contact Julie Yeager at Stein Hospice at 419-625-5269 or jyeager@steinhospice.org.

Job Fair set
The Sixth Fifty Plus Job Fair will be held Sept. 17 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Erie Street Market in Toledo. Event sponsors include Lucas County Workforce Development Agency, Stautzenberger College and Experience Works.

Vendor space for business and community resources is now available. Registration is $30 and includes one eight-foot table, chairs, breakfast and a listing in the event directory.

Last year’s event attracted 54 vendors and more than 700 job seekers. To receive vendor registration materials, call The Source at 419-213-6312 or visit www.thesourcenwo.com to complete an online registration.

Stand in School
A “Stand in School Rally” to encourage Christian teens to stand in their school will be held Sept. 11 from 4 to 8:30 p.m. at Monclova Road Baptist Church, 7819 Monclova Rd., Monclova.

The cost is $10, with adult chaperones admitted free. For more information, call Dave Westmeyer at 419-866-0773 ext. 206 or e-mail d.westmeyer@monclovabaptist.org.

Checkpoint nets arrests
A “Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest” crackdown held in conducted Aug. 21 in Oregon netted several arrests.

Oregon Police Division conducted a checkpoint from 9:30 p.m. to 3:30 a.m. at 2800 SR 2.

Results of the checkpoint included:
• Three OVI arrests;
• Eight Driving Under Suspension and No Operators License;
• Three Seat Belt and Child Restraint citations;
• Two warrant arrests;
• Six other citations;
• Six vehicles towed.

Operations were supported by Ohio State Patrol, Lucas County Sheriff, Northwood Police, Toledo Metroparks and Ohio Department of Transportation during the checkpoint weekend.

Lake fundraiser
Lake High School students will conduct a fundraiser to help support Academic Excellence Awards and acknowledge outstanding students and citizenship.

The fundraising project will commence Sept. 7 and continue for about three weeks. All households within the Lake community will receive a phone call, offering the chance to purchase frozen pizza, gourmet coffee samplers, cookie dough, mixed nuts, extra-life light bulbs, fire extinguishers and trash bags.

Calls will be placed Monday through Thursday between 4 and 9 p.m. All products are guaranteed and will be delivered at no charge.

Pets in Poverty
Humane Ohio, a non-profit organization that operates a low-cost spay/neuter clinic and pet food bank, will benefit from a “Pets in Poverty event being planned by the Church of St. Andrew Youth Group Sept. 12 from noon to 4 p.m. at the church, 3260 Heatherdowns, Toledo.

Pets are welcome to the event, which will include a pet blessing, a pet food drive to benefit the Humane Ohio Pet Food Bank, pet-related vendor booths, food, music and “Pets in Poverty” t-shirt sales.

Food collected will go to stock the shelves of the Humane Ohio Pet Food Bank which serves more than 200 households and 900-plus pets in Lucas and Wood counties and Monroe County in Michigan.