Four grants worth nearly $6,200 have been approved by the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy Foundation (MWCF) for programs to be conducted at the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) lakes.
Grant assistance has been approved by the MWCF Board of Trustees for the following projects:
* $1,080 to purchase 60 signs for locations at the lakes to promote the MWCD’s “Dock Watch” theft prevention program.
* $1,850 for the purchase of eight rechargeable flashlights for rangers and a cage for a law enforcement vehicle at the MWCD’s Charles Mill and Pleasant Hill lake parks.
* $1,300 for law enforcement training for rangers at Charles Mill and Pleasant Hill lake parks.
* $1,959 to assist with the purchases of a safety boat and 15 pairs of binoculars for FFA Camp Muskingum located on Leesville Lake.
The Board of Trustees also announced that the 15th Annual MWCF Golf Outing will be held on Aug. 15 at Oak Shadows Golf Club at New Philadelphia.
In another matter, the MWCF Board of Trustees re-elected James Schoch of New Philadelphia in Tuscarawas County as chairman, Harry Horstman of Scio in Harrison County as vice chairman and Faye Heston of Canton in Stark County as secretary-treasurer.
Trustees also appointed John Davis of the Scio area in Carroll County as a new member of the Board of Trustees. Davis, a former educator and Carroll County commissioner, also spent 20 years as the director of FFA Camp Muskingum at Leesville Lake.
The MWCF is a publicly supported charitable organization initially organized in 1996 that is dedicated to supporting the mission of the MWCD. While the MWCF is completely independent from the MWCD, with its own Board of Trustees, it has developed charitable funds that support improvements and programs on and around MWCD facilities.
Some of the other projects it has funded or assisted in funding include development of a dog park at Atwood Lake Park, a new ranger cruiser at Charles Mill Lake Park, play equipment at various locations, safety and response equipment for a ranger cruiser at Pleasant Hill Lake Park, courtesy boat docks at Tappan Lake, an oil tank for FFA Camp Muskingum located at Leesville Lake, automated external defibrillator (AED) devices at many MWCD facilities, a multi-purpose trail plan for the Atwood Lake region, a weather warning system for the Seneca Lake Park region and ice rescue equipment for the Village of Carrollton. Since 2008, more than $100,000 has been awarded by the MWCF for projects.
In addition to Davis, members of the MWCF Board of Trustees are the following:
James Schoch, chairman – a resident of Tuscarawas County and a retired banker, Schoch is a member of Atwood Yacht Club and also serves as the treasurer and executive board member of the Eastern Ohio Development Alliance.
Harry Horstman, vice chairman – a resident of Harrison County, Horstman also is a member of the MWCD Board of Directors, served as a member and former chairman of the Development Advisory Committee of the MWCD, and managed Camp Aldersgate located at Leesville Lake for 30 years.
Faye Heston, secretary/treasurer – a resident of Stark County who has served on the boards of various community service organizations, Heston also is a former member of the Development Advisory Committee of the MWCD.
Jim Bates – a resident of Guernsey County and former camper at Seneca Lake Park, Bates also served as a member and former chairman of the Development Advisory Committee of the MWCD.
Bob Blanke – a resident of Harrison County and a retired metropolitan parks official, Blanke also has served as a member and former chairman of the Development Advisory Committee of the MWCD.
John M. Hoopingarner – a resident of Tuscarawas County, Hoopingarner is the executive director of the MWCD.
Leslie Hudson-Carper – a resident of Summit County, Hudson-Carper is a financial advisor and has been an active sailor at Atwood Lake for many years.
David Parham – a resident of the Atwood Lake area, Parham also is a member of the MWCD Board of Directors.
For more details about the foundation, including donation options, visit www.muskingumfoundation.org or contact Nick Lautzenheiser toll-free at (877) 363-8500 Ext. 2256.
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