Erin Dickerson’s Prayer
Hildegard of Bingen wrote, “Let us keep greenness in our souls so that creation can still unfold in us no matter what the season. Keep the soil moist so growth can continue.”
Lord,
Help us to look at the world around us with the innocence and simplicity of children. Guide us so we may remain creative and continue to grow in the ways you intended. May we water the soil of those we encounter with words of encouragement, actions of support, and prayers of love and caring so they too may grow, and their creative spirits unfold.
Amen.
Announcements
- Nancy Lehren said the next Build-a-Bear will be on April 17, 2024, at the YWCA downtown. The time is from 4 PM to 6 PM. Sign up using the Member Calendar. The next Build-a-Bear will be May 17, 2024 at South Community Behavioral Health Center.
- Sue Brubaker announced that the book drive is now closed. She thanked everyone that donated books and a special thanks to Diane Arehart for reaching out to the library and to Joan Cordonnier for reaching out to Up and Running. Children living in Chevy Chase will receive 300 books and mothers living at St Vincent DePaul will be receiving 80 books.
- Bob Lawson announced that Family Adventure Day at RecPlex will be on April 27, 2024. He needs people to give out information about CNO and to help teach casting, no worms involved. Sign up using the Member Calendar.
- Jane Fiehrer announced that the 2024 Visual Arts contest is open. Let young people and parents of young people know about the contest for drawings and paintings. Details are on the website.
Montgomery County Regional Planning Commission, Matt Lindsey
Mark Metzger introduced Matt Lindsey. Matt Lindsay has been the Manager of Environmental Planning at the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission since 2005. Matt oversees the agency’s water quality planning work across five counties, climate change planning, and work related to the green forms of transportation like walking, biking, and transit. As a part of this work, Matt serves on two Natural Resource Assistance Councils, including chairing the council for Montgomery County.
Slides
The slide deck has more information than is listed in this article.
You can view the slide deck of the presentation here.
Presentation
The Clean Ohio Conservation Fund of Miami Valley is funded at $37.5 million per year.
Eligible grant applicants include local governments, park districts, soil and water Districts, conservation districts and environmental and conservation organizations (501c3).
Open space project types include acquisition, easements, ecological restoration and access improvements.
Riparian corridor project types include acquisition, easements, ecological restoration of streams, rivers, lakes, other bodies of water reforestation of banks and access improvements.
Grant recipients must put in 25% of the funds for approved projects.
Purpose of the Clean Ohio Conservation Fund
The Clean Ohio Conservation Fund provides grants to protect conservation properties in perpetuity through the acquisition of green space, restoration of ecological value, and protection and enhancement of river and stream corridors. Public access is encouraged but is not required. They create natural spaces with habitat and ecological services. They do not create spaces for things like soccer fields.
About Clean Ohio
- It is a state bond initiative that started providing funds in 2001 after being passed by voters in 2000
- All 88 Ohio counties have received funding
- 400 abandoned and polluted sites have been cleaned up
- 26,000 acres of natural areas have been preserved
- 39,748 acres of family farms have been protected
- 216 miles of multi-purpose recreational trails have been created
Centerville-Washington Park District Acquisition and Projects
Kristen Marks discussed Park District acquisitions and projects through the Clean Ohio program.
Since 2016, the NRAC Committee has approved Clean Ohio Greenspace funding to acquire 87 acres of additional park land, as well as the purchase of a 4.5-acre conservation easement. This has taken Park District acreage from 980 to about 1,070 over the last 7 years.
Projects Include
- Pleasant Hill Park expansion – 32 acres
- Village South expansion – 6.7 acres
- Hithergreen acquisition – 14.9 acres
- Grant Park expansion – 33 acres
- St. Leonard Conversation Easement (Western Trail Extension at Bill Yeck Park) – 4.5 acres
Riparian Projects Include
In 2024, the Park District was awarded Clean Ohio Conservation funding for Riparian corridor restoration to make water quality improvements to the pond at Rosewood Park.
- Part of Hole’s Creek Watershed
- Biological health is poor – CWPD will improve the water quality of both the water body and the water when it exits into Hole’s Creek Watershed
- Work to begin summer/fall 2024
- Donnybrook Fen was restored in 2015 utilizing Riparian corridor funding
Countryside Park at the RecPlex
Mark Metzger Marks discussed the Clean Ohio funding for Turtle Pond and Heron Pond at Countryside Park at the RecPlex. After fifty years of nearby area development, Turtle Pond especially has a large layer of sediment that needed dredging. Without the help of Clean Ohio, it would be impossible to get the funding from just our area.
Funding from Clean Ohio ensures that more of the planned investments in the park master plan are funded. It also helps to balance the environmental and passive recreation needs of the community. Leveraging local dollars to gain state and federal funding stretches local taxes further. This is a win for our community by doing more with less.
Riparian corridor repairs will protect the Holes Creek watershed and be aligned with the NPS-IS Plan.
They are creating a high-quality wetland area and natural environmental transitions.
Access will be improved for fishing, kayaking and wildlife watching.
Improvements to water quality for the ponds will allow higher species diversity, density and productivity. Changes will filter sediment, reduce erosion, enhance habitat, create vegetative buffers and eliminate invasive species. This will prevent the need to do this all again in another fifty years.
Thank You
Thank you, Matt Lindsey, Kristen Marks and Mark Metzger, for educating us about the Clean Ohio Funds and how they are used in our community.
Welcome Guests
| Guest | Guest Of |
| Doug Orf | Tom Novak |
| Hunter Busch | Jeff Busch |
| Matt Lindsey | Speaker |
| Mike Newkirk | Fred Polizzi |
| Vicki Thompson | Ron Thompson |
New Member Readings and Inductions
| Name | Sponsor | 1st 2nd 3rd Reading or Induction |
| Vicki Thompson | Ron Thompson | 1st Reading |
| Mike Newkirk | Fred Polizzi | 1st Reading |
| Cindy Lowndes | Suzanne Werts | Induction |
Happy Bucks
| Member | Reason | |
| Bob Collins | $2, Grandson and wife announced that they are having twin girls. This adds to the twin boys they already have that are just over a year old. | |
| Jane Fiehrer | Happy that her birthday was Wednesday this week instead of Tuesday which means no singing to her! | |
| Vida McDowell | $3, Persian New Year started last Tuesday. Her son’s wife is having a baby in September. Her wedding anniversary with Gary is Friday. | |
| Matt Goeke | Son finished 9th out of 46 in the wrestling tournament. He was also named to the all Ohio team. | |
| Tom Novak | Thanks to all the members making phone calls to get people to renew their flag subscriptions. | |
| Don Kelley | $5, Granddaughter is graduating from Miami University with a 3.95 GPA which is Magna Cum Laude. She has been accepted into the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society. She will be attending Boston University School of Law in the fall. | |
| Paul Boeckman | Alter Knights won their basketball tournament. | |
| Nancy Lehren | CHS did well in the basketball tournament. | |
| Maha Kashani | She said, “Happy Tuesday everybody.” | |
Sergeants at Arms
| Member | Infraction |
| Bob Collins | Whey buying his 50/50 ticket, the sergeant said he searched for a certain number like he had inside information. |
| Anyone voting on the new By-Laws last week without reading them. | Only three people were fined since most would not admit they did not read the new By-Laws. The sergeants were not happy. I think they will escalate efforts in the next few weeks. Better wear your Optimist pin. |
| Tom Novak and Mike Brubaker | They just sent an Avenue of Flags postcard to new residents in our area. Meanwhile, Mike Bevis sends a letter to welcome new residents of Yankee Trace which includes inviting them to sign up for the Avenue of Flags. |
| Scott Langer | Showed up at 11:57 to the meeting which is too early for him. |
| Stan Fronzaglia | Beth Duncan witched the bells on Joan Cordonnier to be the Rotary bell instead of the CNO bell and Stan turned her in. |
Membership Anniversaries
| Member | Joined | Years |
| Charla Rheaume | March 26, 2008 | 16 |
| Scott Rheaume | March 26, 2008 | 16 |
| Brandon Barrett | March 26, 2019 | 5 |
| Bob Crawford | March 26, 2019 | 5 |
| Dav Bremer | March 31, 2001 | 23 |
| Rob Jones | March 31, 2001 | 23 |
| Don Kelley | April 1, 1983 | 41 |
Birthdays
| Kate Trangenstein | March 26 |
| Jane Fiehrer | March 27 |
| Bob Crawford | March 28 |
| Mike Creech | March 28 |
| Andy Higgins | March 30 |
| Maha Kashani | March 31 |
| Glen Brendel | March 31 |
CNO Donations – Since 2013
Click here to see a summary of donations the club has made since 2013
Thank You Notes Received this week
CLICK HERE to see the Thank You Notes we received this week