Author: dovertwp

UPDATE: On October 30, 2018,the American Tree Farm System (ATFS) announced that Dover Township residents Randy and Koral Clum had been named the 2018 National Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year. Click here to read the full announcement.

In 2017, Hepatica Falls Tree Farm, owned by Dover Township residents and business owners Randy and Koral Clum, was named Ohio’s Tree Farm of the Year. Earlier this year, Randy and Koral were designated the North Central Regional Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year, making them owners of one of the top four tree farms in the entire United States. Now the couple, their daughter, and team at Clum Forestry Consultants wait to hear if the American Tree Farm System named them National Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year.

A Columbus-native, Randy graduated from The Ohio State University in 1977 with a Bachelors of Science degree in Forestry. Born and raised in Iowa, Koral graduated from Iowa State University in 1980 with a Bachelors of Science degree in Forestry. That summer, the two met at the 1980 Ohio State Fairgrounds during a fair workers appreciation picnic. They went on to work together at Shawnee State Forest and married in October 1981. In her position at Shawnee, Koral was the first female forester to work on a State Forest in Ohio.

In 1985 the pair began working for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) as service foresters, covering three counties each. Koral covered Holmes, Wayne and Tuscarawas counties while Randy covered Carroll, Harrison, and Stark counties. They purchased their home in Dover Township at this time, and their daughter, Casey, joined the family a year later.

“We previously lived at the edge of a 63,000-acre forest, and we fell in love with Willow Glen’s dense trees and rolling hills,” Koral said. “Dover provided easy access to the counties in which we were working at the time, and we loved the school system and the strong sense of community here.”
Eight years later, in 1993, the couple purchased a 149-acre property in Harrison County, founding Hepatica Falls Tree Farm. Randy started his own business, Clum Forestry Consultants, a few years later in the basement of their home. Koral joined him at the company three years later, and they celebrated 20 years in business in 2017.

Since purchasing the farm, Randy and Koral have had four timber harvests at Hepatica Falls, affecting 100 of the 149 acres and producing more than a half-million board feet of timber. If you’re wondering what that amount of timber looks like, it’s almost 95,000 8-foot long 2x4s. If you stacked those 2x4s, the pile would be as high as the Eiffel Tower—stacked on top of itself 16 times. If you laid them end-to-end in a trail, it would stretch from Cleveland to Columbus.

Sure, that’s a lot of harvested wood, but the Clums still have more than 700,000 board feet of growing stock in 30 different tree species on their farm. That’s a big part of why they’re being considered for this award. Hepatica Falls is also home to more than 50 different species of wildflowers, three waterfalls, bobcats, coyotes, otters, deer, and nearly 20 more wildlife species. They count among the farm’s most important successes the memories they have made there with their friends and daughter—including stick forts, tree swings, mushroom hunts, campfire meals, and sled rides to name a few.

The American Tree Farm System will announce the recipient of the National Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year Award in October. The decision will be announced at: treefarmsystem.org

The 168th Annual Tuscarawas County Fair will run Sunday, September 16 – Sunday, September 23. Admission for ages three and up is $5. Admission for senior citizens is $3. Weekly passes are available for $15 and $25. These prices do not include rides. Stop by any First National Bank of Dennison location, Heritage Country Store or WTUZ Radio for a discounted admission coupon for $3. Learn more and purchase tickets for the Rodney Atkins Concert, Truck and Tractor Pulls, and Demolition Derby at tusccountyfairgrounds.com.

Sunday, September 16
630p – Junior Fair King and Queen Contest
7p – Annual Plate Auction, Companion Animal, Miscellaneous and FCS Project Awards Recognition

Monday, September 17
9a – Open Class Beef Show / Junior Fair Bred & Fed Steer Show / Junior Fair Beef and Kiddie Showmanship / Junior Fair Poultry, Kiddie and Old Timer’s Showmanship / Junior Fair Broiler Show / Junior Fair Standard and Fancy Poultry Show
4p – Draft Horse and Draft Mule Halter Judging
630p – Junior Fair Market Lamb Show / Junior Fair Sheep Breeding Show / Junior Fair Sheep, Kiddie and Old Timer’s Showmanship
730p – Motorcross, Grandstand, Free Event

Tuesday, September 18
9a – Junior Fair Market Hog Show / Junior Fair Dressage Show, English Horse and Pony Show
5p – Guys and Gals Lead Class
6p – Junior Fair Market and Dairy Goat Showmanship / Market and Dairy Goat Show
7p – Open Class Dairy

Wednesday, September 19
9a – Junior Fair Market and Dairy Steer Show / Cattlemen’s Scholarship Winners / Junior Fair Feeder Calf Show / Junior Fair Beef Breeding Show / Junior Fair Pony and Easy Gaited Horse Show / Junior Fair and Kiddie Rabbit Showmanship / Junior Fair Breeding Rabbit Show / Junior Fair Market Rabbit Show
2p – Open Class Dairy and Kiddie Showmanship
4p – Junior Fair Swine and Kiddie Showmanship
730p – Rodney Atkins, Grandstand
Thursday, September 20
9a – Junior Fair Turkey Showmanship / Junior Fair Market Turkey Show
10a – Open Class Draft Horse Hitch Show
4p – Livestock Sale, Swine
5p – Livestock Sale, Lambs, Market Steers, Dairy Steers
7p – Drag Race, Grandstand, Free Event

Friday, September 21
9a – Junior Fair Dairy Show / Junior Fair Dairy Showmanship / Junior Fair Western Horse and Production Show
12p – Harness Racing
2p – Junior Fair Pygmy Goat and Kiddie Showmanship / Junior Fair Pygmy Goat Show / Junior Fair Utility Goat Show
3p – Dairy Product Sale
4p – Junior Fair Ground Roping
6p – Animal and Me Show
7p – NTPA/COTPA Truck and Tractor Pull, Grandstand

Saturday, September 22
9a – Junior Fair General Livestock Judging Contest / Junior Fair Dairy Judging Contest / Junior Fair Versatility
10a – Cloverbud Round-Up
12p – Junior Fair Super Showmanship / Harness Racing / Junior Fair Contesting Show
3p – Junior Fair Small Animal Sale, Goats, Turkeys, Rabbits, Broilers
4p – Kiddie Tractor Pull
7p – OSTPA Truck and Tractor Pull, Grandstand
8p – Square Dance

Sunday, September 23
930a – Worship Service
10a – Open Class Beef Judging
12p – Open Class Goat Show
1p – Harness Racing
730p – Demolition Derby, Grandstand

In the State of Ohio, statutory townships—like Dover Township—use the laws provided by the Ohio Revised Code (ORC) for regulation, zoning, and enforcement purposes on private property. Per ORC, it is legal to discharge firearms on private property in Ohio’s Townships if discharging the firearm(s) is done in a safe and legal manner and that the person(s) discharging the firearm is the landowner or someone to whom the landowner has given permission.

What is a ‘Safe and Legal Manner?’ You are responsible for every bullet that leaves the barrel of your firearm. You still own that bullet and will be held legally responsible for any injuries, fatalities or damages it causes. In order to be safe while discharging firearms, a shooter needs to be able to see the intended target, the backstop and beyond. For this reason, shooting activities are restricted to daylight hours.

Those convicted of violent felonies or domestic violence and persons who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol are prohibited from possessing or discharging a firearm. The Ohio Revised Code contains specific laws allowing for the arrest of such violators. Ohio Revised Code 2923.162 prohibits persons from discharging firearms upon, over or within 100 yards of a cemetery; a public roadway; and also on the ground belonging to a school, church, or inhabited dwelling or property of another. It is also illegal to discharge a firearm from a vehicle. Persons found guilty of violating this code will face penalization ranging in severity from a fourth degree misdemeanor to a first degree felony.

Target Practice A private property owner, prior to allowing the discharging of a firearm on his/her property, needs to have a proper backstop made of soil or some other soft porous material and free of rocks or hard material that may increase the chances of a ricochet bullet. The backstop must also be of sufficient height and width to guarantee the capture of all bullets fired at targets. A wooded area is generally not considered a proper backstop as the shape of trees increases the chance of a bullet glancing off in an unsafe direction.

A range should be located so that nobody is shooting toward a house, vehicle, roadway, or any other structure. Not all private properties are suitable for shooting activities. Properties located in housing developments are typically not suitable for shooting ranges due to smaller lot sizes and their close proximity to neighboring houses. Please review the National Rifle Association’s NRA Range Source Book for more information on shooting ranges.

Hunting It is legal to hunt on private property in the township. Hunters are bound by the rules and regulations set by the Ohio Division of Wildlife, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, and the ORC. There are many hunting laws and restrictions, and I recommend hunter safety courses for all those unfamiliar with safe and legal hunting practices.

How We Handle Firearms Complaints When the Sheriff’s Office receives a firearms complaint, the Deputy will first survey the location to ensure a proper backstop is in place, that persons are shooting in a safe direction, and that the shooting activity has been conducted in a safe manner. If the Deputy deems the location of the shooting activity unsafe, a cease-fire may be ordered until the location, backstop and activity are safe.

To minimize neighbors calling in shooting complaints, be cordial and respectful, exercise common sense and good discretion, and make sure that you address all of the aforementioned safety concerns. Building rapport and good relationships with your neighbors and inviting them to target practice with you may be helpful in demonstrating to them that you are safe and responsible.

For additional information or with questions about operating firearms or firearm businesses, please contact Zoning Inspector Dave Weber at the office 330.343.6413 or on his cell phone 330.440.1944.

Road salt prices have more than doubled this year, but Dover Township Trustees were prepared. “The average price per ton for road salt during the last six years is $58.53, which makes last year’s rate one of the lowest we’ve seen,” said Drew Yosick. “We took advantage of this and filled the salt bins at the end of last season.”

As a result, the township currently has more than 500 tons stored, more than half of the average 900 tons needed each winter. The township will be purchasing at least 630 additional tons at the 2018 price point, $84.53 per ton. The cost of the township’s road salt is paid from either the Gasoline Tax Revenue, the Motor Vehicle License Tax Revenue, or from the Road and Bridge Fund.

“We always plan for a high rate and hope it comes in low,” said Trustee John Karl. “Unfortunately, that’s not the case this year. Like this year, prices were high in 2015: in fact, they were almost identical, totaling $84.41. The following year salt prices dropped to $42.24 per ton. It’s just a supply and demand thing. If we have a mild winter, it will be cheaper next year.”