The 9 am team will meet and organize on River Road west at the I-75 overpass near the entrance to Findlay’s Water Pollution Control Center off Broad Avenue. The 1 pm team will meet at Civitan Park, off Clinton Court and Taylor Street east of the Main Street Bridge for the Downtown clean-up. Volunteers are advised to wear sturdy shoes and clothes that can get wet. Volunteers do not need to sign-up in advance, but may call for further information to 419-422-6487.

Clean-up efforts will be done by walking riverbanks and by boats being provided. Trash bags and instructions will be provided. Trucks are also being arranged to haul away collections. Dumpsters are being provided by H&O Services LLC. The event is co-sponsored by the BRWP, the City of Findlay, Hancock County Special Projects and Hancock Park District.

While tons of trash have been removed in previous river clean-ups, spring high waters have deposited debris in trees and along the banks yet to be removed. Clean-up organizers feel this is a good time for the clean-up as water levels are usually low and debris is now easily accessible. Volunteer safety and collection of debris for proper disposal are a top priority of the Blanchard River Watershed Partnership and Hancock County Special Projects Office.

The 2010 “Life on Lake Erie” photo contest is an opportunity for amateur photographers, age 16 and older, to share their talent in capturing the best that the Lake Erie region has to offer. Digital images taken between July 9, 2009 and July 9, 2010 in and around the Lake Erie watershed may be submitted to the Ohio Lake Erie Commission (OLEC) through July 16.

Winning photographs will be featured on the OLEC Web site and will become part of the commission’s traveling photo gallery. The images will appear at prime Ohio shoreline locations throughout the year including the University of Toledo’s Lake Erie Center in Oregon and the Lake Erie Shores & Islands Welcome centers in Port Clinton and Sandusky. Images may also be used to promote the Lake Erie region through environmental and educational programs and publications.

Submissions must be the original work of the photographer and can portray sustainable use, development, recreational use or protection of Ohio’s Lake Erie coastal resources. Both black and white and color digital images will be accepted, however, NO computer-enhanced images will be accepted. Previously submitted, late, copyrighted, digitally altered/edited or controversial photos will not be accepted.

To enter, submit your digital image on CD accompanied with a completed entry form, found at www.lakeerie.ohio.gov, to the Ohio Lake Erie Commission, One Maritime Plaza, 4^th Floor, Toledo, Ohio 43604. No more than five entries will be accepted per household; individuals may win only twice. For more information on the photo contest, please visit www.lakeerie.ohio.gov or call (419) 245-2514.

The Ohio Lake Erie Commission was established in 1990 for the purpose of preserving Lake Erie’s natural resources, protecting the quality of its waters and ecosystem, and promoting economic development in the region. The director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources serves as the commission’s chair. Additional members include the directors of the state departments of Transportation, Health, Development, Agriculture and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.

The commission oversees the Ohio Lake Erie Protection Fund, a grant fund which promotes environmental protection and economic development in the Lake Erie watershed. This fund is supported by Ohioans each time they purchase a Lake Erie license plate displaying either the Marblehead Lighthouse or the Toledo Harbor Lighthouse, designed by Ohio artist Ben Richmond.