Ohio Bird Sanctuary soars with Treehouse Classroom, Wings campaign:
https://www.richlandsource.com/life_and_culture/ohio-bird-sanctuary-soars-with-treehouse-classroom-wings-campaign/article_b0918fd6-008c-11ec-8ed4-5ba1c303b40d.html
The Ritter House c 1909:
https://www.richlandsource.com/area_history/the-ritter-house-c-1909/article_14b41448-46c1-11e5-b767-2b7ad2db0b41.html
Open Source: Where do my extra tax dollars go?:
https://www.richlandsource.com/open_source/open-source-where-do-my-extra-tax-dollars-go/article_727d3984-7d15-11eb-b340-b7a377f3ebdc.html
GALLERY: Fun and games at the Lexington Blueberry Festival:
https://www.richlandsource.com/life_and_culture/gallery-fun-and-games-at-the-lexington-blueberry-festival/collection_8248cb18-02c0-11ec-93f3-178b422e0526.html
Lyme disease cases on the rise in Knox County due to black-legged tick:
https://www.knoxpages.com/news/lyme-disease-cases-on-the-rise-in-knox-county-due-to-black-legged-tick/article_59c384f0-0160-11ec-9843-1bc47828c767.html
Richard Phillip Schafrath:
https://www.richlandsource.com/obituaries/richard-phillip-schafrath/article_f4c5ac28-00e1-11ec-a4e7-03bd9dac1219.html
You're listening to Source Daily. Join us Monday through Friday to stay up to date with what's happening in North Central Ohio. We’ll be sharing a closer look at one of our top stories, along with other news, local history, memorials, answers to your questions, and more.
Today - Over 160 community donors and officials celebrated the completion of the unique Treehouse Classroom of the Ohio Bird Sanctuary.
Before we begin,
We’d like to take a moment to thank our Sponsors at First Federal Community Bank. Today, First Federal Community Bank wants you to meet Travis Smith, Assistant Vice President in Commercial Banking, as he continues to help Mansfield area business owners and investors expand their business or start a new one.
Travis thrives on being a resource for the community to explore all of their business banking needs through a collaborative approach. Together you’ll talk about the resources available to meet your goals.
First Federal Community Bank looks forward to collaborating with more local business, owners and investors soon. Equal Housing Lender, Member FDIC.
On Friday, donors and officials celebrated the completion of the Treehouse Classroom of the Ohio Bird Sanctuary. The sanctuary is the major resource of avian, nature, and conservation expertise and education in Ohio.
Gail Laux, founder and executive director, said that the Treehouse Classroom is the Sanctuary’s first step in the development of capital projects that will advance their role in outdoor education.
A $3 million project was developed to renovate buildings, create additions on the Visitor Center, upgrade systems, and expand the trail system to improve accessibility. And the Sanctuary’s first-ever capital campaign is called Spreading Our Wings. It’s officially begun.
And they’re hopeful that they'll raise $3 million during the 'Wings' campaign to be able to initiate a permanent savings fund to help cover future maintenance expenses. This campaign has already raised more than $700,000 of its goal.
Laux’s late daughter, Samantha, was stricken young by a rare disease that took her life at age 23. Samantha had spent her early years climbing trees and her last years in a wheelchair. Laux says this is for her.
The Treehouse Classroom will hold nature education classes for thousands of children and adults, including those in wheelchairs or pushing strollers.
Adjacent to the Sanctuary’s Education Center, a second unit of enclosures with a small presentation area will be used for the care of native birds that are used for nature programming and outreach.
The Ohio Bird Sanctuary offers professional care for injured, orphaned, and displaced native birds like eagles, hawks, and owls.
Many of those birds can’t be released to the wild, and the Sanctuary provides a “living museum” of birds in enclosures with natural habitat.
In the past few years alone the organization has doubled the number of visitors. And half of the Sanctuary’s visitors are from outside of north central Ohio.
Originally called the Richland County Raptor Rehabilitation Center, the organization was established as a nonprofit in 1988 by biologist Gail Laux and her husband, Chris, on their family farm. Within a decade, the Sanctuary had become known as THE place to bring injured and orphaned birds in Ohio.
The Sanctuary was opened to the public in 1999. Now, more than 30,000 people visit the Sanctuary annually.
Before we continue… I’d like to take a moment to highlight The Source Member Program. Memberships support daily reporting and research-driven solutions stories. Real world impact happens regularly in the form of community discussions and events.
We believe you deserve to be confident in your community’s news. So Visit SourceMembers.com to join.
Now, some local history… Did you know that The Ritter House was built on South Main Street hill in 1891, and fashioned in the Queen Anne style of Victorian brick architecture? As a distinctive and prominently visible landmark, the old house has been loved by generations of Mansfielders, so when the proposal was made to tear it down in the 1970s, to make way for a Route 13 project, the outrage was firm and decisive.
It has taken a number of years for appropriate dignity to catch up with the regal old house, but she is once again in her glory as the newly restored and augmented home for the Richland County Foundation.
You can read more about The Ritter House and see pictures at richlandsource.com.
Next, we’re answering a question from our readers and listeners like you...
Today’s question comes from Linda Walls of Washington Township. She wants to know where revenue from property tax hikes will be used.
The short answer: Lot’s of places but maybe not where you think. And like questions involving taxes, the answers to "how much?" and "why?" are complicated.
A shifting tax base, a 1970s tax reform bill and the difference between inside and outside millage all impact how much of your extra tax dollars actually translate into extra revenue for your local government or school.
Richland County Auditor Pat Dropsey explained that When property values go up, property owners will typically see a slight increase in their taxes -- but it’s not necessarily proportionate with an increase in tax revenues. That’s because a bump in property values will only impact revenues collected from inside millage.
The Ohio Constitution permits local taxing entities to jointly collect tax up to one percent of a property’s value without voter approval. This is known as inside millage.
In Richland County, tax revenue generated by inside millage is divided up between the county and other entities where a taxpayer resides, including cities, villages, townships and school districts.
Inside millage rates are fixed; so when a property’s value goes up, the amount generated by inside millage rates goes up too.
The remaining tax paid by a property owner comes from outside millage -- levies and bond issues that were approved by voters at the polls.
If you want an explanation it’s best to call the auditor's office at 419-774-5501.
Is there something you’ve always wondered about Richland County that you’d like us to investigate? Check out richlandsource.com and click “Talk to Us”. Here, you can ask us anything and we’ll go out and find the answers.
Now, we’d like to take a moment to highlight everyone who helped make the Lexington Blueberry Festival a success! Kids and adults had a blast and enjoyed the food, music, rides, games, and entertainment.
Head over to richlandsource.com to see lots of pictures of the festivities.
Next, From Knox Pages… The blacklegged deer tick continues to make its presence known in Knox County, and that’s a concern for residents and their pets.
The tick is the main carrier of Lyme disease, which has infected 28 Knox County residents so far this year. That’s 10 more than last year.
The ticks themselves can be hard to spot and the symptoms vary but can include fever, flu-like illness or a rash within a few weeks
Nate Overholt at Knox Public Health said that: “Prompt removal of an attached tick will significantly reduce the risk of infection. Not all ticks are infected with disease, but those that are, must bite and remain attached for hours in order to transmit diseases.”
Ticks live in grassy areas and attach themselves to you or your clothing when you walk by.
It’s also important that you protect your furry friends. Dogs can be protected from Lyme disease through vaccination that is boosted yearly.
Make sure to visit knoxpages.com for more information about how to protect yourselves.
Finally, we’d like to take a moment to remember Richard Phillip Schafrath of Mansfield.
Richard was born in 1937 and his life of 84 years encompassed a lot and he truly lived a story of accomplishment. A short obit could never do his life justice.
Richard leaves behind his wife of thirteen years, his nine children, many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, his brothers and sisters, and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; and a brother.
The family has celebrated Richard with private services. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you make memorial contributions in honor of Richard to Richland Pregnancy Services.
Thank you for taking a moment with us today to remember and celebrate Richard’s life.
Thanks for listening, join us again tomorrow!
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