The Buckeye Boater - an electronic newsletter from Ohio DNR Division of Watercraft

Online Boat Registration Renewal Begins January 7

Boat registrations are valid for three years. If 2013 is the year for your boat registration to be renewed, look for your renewal letter in the mail this month. Boat owners who did not renew their boat registrations in 2011 or 2012 as planned can still use online renewal as long as they have their PIN. Ohio boaters spent more than $5.6 million in 2012 to register their boats. Visit Online Renewal.

Photo Challenge Highlights

Thanks to everyone who took the time to share your wonderful photos. Watercraft employees reviewed the submissions and selected their favorite photos. See the Top Picks

Articles

How My Life Jacket Saved My Life by Sara Weber

Some lessons can be learned at any age. [read more]

Safety Equipment Inspections in the Off-Season

You can do more than dream about getting back out on the water: Keep your safety equipment in shape over the winter. [read more]

Ohio Clean Marinas Program Completes Its Seventh Successful Year

Boating businesses do what they can to protect their investment and your boating future. [read more]

Superstorm Sandy: How She Affected Ohio

We didn't lose an historical landmark like the Boardwalk, but Ohio's North Coast didn't come out of the storm unscathed. [read more]

Trade Shows

Natural Resources is coming together to put on a better show for customers this season. [read more]

Education Grant Partner Wins NASBLA Northern Boating Educator of the Year

Dana Smith from Cleveland Metroparks Institute of the Great Outdoors makes us proud. [read more]

News

Waterway Safety Fund

The state's Waterways Safety Fund is providing more than $343,000 to support 29 community boating safety education programs next year. [PDF of Education Grant Recipients]. The Waterways Safety Fund is also providing $3.7 million to grant recipients for boating access facility projects that will improve and encourage public use and access to Ohio waterways. [News Release]

Chad TaylorWaterways Safety Council Member Named to National Advisory Council

Chad Taylor, vice-chairman of the Waterways Safety Council, was named to the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas Young Leaders Advisory Council. This council was created to help strengthen the marine industry professionals network. [News Release]

Division Employees Honored at Annual Meeting


Roxane Roth

Ralph J. Hawse Administrative Support Employee of the Year

Jeffrey Keller

Law Enforcement
Officer of the Year

Valerie Cox

Administrator
of the Year

Summer Classes at Stone Lab

Stone Lab, Ohio State University’s Island Campus on Lake Erie, is again offering a wide variety of summer classes in 2013. In addition to college-credit courses for undergraduate and graduate students, advanced high school students, and educators, non-credit workshops introduce topics ranging from outdoor photography and sport fishing to the identification of larval fish and Lake Erie algae. What could be a better place to learn about Lake Erie than Gibraltar Island, right in Put-in-Bay Harbor? Complete course listings, scholarship information, and a listing of public events are available online: www.stonelab.osu.edu

Staff Changes

DoncysonRetired

Todd Doncyson retired October 9 after more than 24 years with watercraft. A 1983 graduate of Hocking College and a 1987 graduate of the Ohio Peace Officers Training Academy, Doncyson began his career with the state in 1984 and with watercraft in 1987. He held many positions within the division during his tenure, most recently as the Law Enforcement Administrator.

LatchicPromoted

Jason Latchic accepted a promotion to the Cambridge Area Supervisor. After graduating from Hocking College in 2000, Latchic began his career with the state in 2001 at the Wapakoneta office and promoted to watercraft officer in Akron in 2002. He transferred to the Cambridge office in 2010.

HollenbackAndy Hollenback accepted a promotion to the Central/Southern Regional Manager. After completing the Ranger Academy at Cuyahoga Community College in 1999 and graduating from Ohio State University in 2000, Hollenback began his career at the Cambridge office. In 2002, he transferred to the Alum Creek office. In 2007 Hollenback was promoted to investigator and in 2011 he was promoted to Area Supervisor.

New Hires

Rod King of Mason started with the Division in mid-August taking over as the SQM Coordinator for southwest Ohio. King comes to us from Mason Middle School in Warren County. With a bachelors degree in Elementary Education from Mount Union College and masters degrees in School Guidance and Counseling and Education in Science from Miami University and the University of Dayton respectively, King has spent his career focusing on his students and teaching about the environment.

KuchleChristina Kuchle of Cincinnati has been hired to manage the state scenic rivers program in northwest Ohio. She is scheduled to begin her duties in January. Holding two Bachelors of Science degrees in forestry and natural resource conservation management from the University of Kentucky, Kuchle was recipient of a Gaines Fellowship in the Humanities and a Chellgren undergraduate research fellowship. She has worked since March as a student contractor in the Cincinnati office of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Division Spotlight

Administrative Support

The Administrative Support Section helps keep the Division of Watercraft on target in many aspects. Section staff are responsible for the financial side of watercraft functions including budgeting, purchasing, and revenue management, as well as tracking and reimbursements for the Division’s grant programs. They act as the Division’s contact with the Department of Administrative Services, and coordinate state printing orders and cost per copy issues. Other duties of the Administrative Support section are fleet management, warehouse/inventory management, and records retention.

Administrative Support has six employees located in the central office and three employees located at the Alum Creek warehouse location.

Winter 2013 Issue

Scenic River Spotlight

Grand Wild & Scenic River
Grand River

New Agents

Trumbull County:
Rattlesnake Hill Sporting Goods
675 State Route 534
Newton Falls, Ohio 44444
330-898-8176

Licking County:
Johnstown BMV
701 West Coshocton Street
Johnstown, Ohio 43031
740-966-0081

2013 Vessel Safety Decal

Boaters completing a courtesy vessel safety inspection in 2013 will get to display this attractive decal:
Vessel Safety Check decal issued in 2013

Donate to Scenic Rivers

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The Buckeye Boater is a quarterly electronic publication from the Ohio DNR Division of Watercraft.

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ODNR Division of Watercraft
2045 Morse Road, Building A
Columbus, Ohio 43229
1-877-4BOATER (Ohio only)
614-265-6480