August 2007 Hebron Fish Hatchery Youth and Handicapped Blind Build

One Heck of a Project for Young and Handicapped Duck Hunters!!

Sunday August 12th & Sunday August 19th: Members of the OWA put in a HUGE effort working with the ODNR to improve youth and handicapped hunting in Ohio. The Hebron Fish Hatchery is a State facility that hosts handicapped and youth-only hunting access. With the help of generous and hard-working members the OWA in just a couple days rebrushed existing blinds and built a completely new boardwalk to facilitate wheelchair access.  A special thanks goes out to Khentco Building Supply Co. LTD who donated $2000.00 in lumber for the project!!   A week later Officers and members met with the ODNR Chief of Wildlife David Graham.  Chief Graham was highly impressed and hopes to get some photos of the blind in use for a future issue of Wild Ohio.  A quote from Brian Kitchens the Fish Hatchery Manager: "We can get all the money we want from other groups, but these guys are stepping up and getting the work done." We couldn't have said it better, as "getting it done" in Ohio is what the OWA is all about !! The OWA and ODNR are now looking for handicapped children to utilize this new blind, so if anyone knows a handicapped youth, or maybe a soldier who has returned from Iraq without full mobility, that would like to get out and hunt ducks in a brand new blind at Hebron, please contact OWA President Andy Hogle at info@ohiowaterfowl.org.

After the build some of the Officers and Members who participated met with the Ohio Division of Natural Resources, Chief of Wildlife David Graham, [pictured above with OWA President Andy Hogle] and the Hebron Fish Hatchery Manager Brian Kitchens.  Through ever growing partnerships like this the Ohio Waterfowl Association is creating new project leads and deepening the voice of waterfowlers in Ohio.

. . . Before tackling the new blind and boardwalk construction, OWA members took time to brush up other blinds that were already present

The the hard work began, watch as a Boardwalk and Blind takes shape!!

A BIG BIG Thanks to the Members who helped to complete this project: Paul Streblo   Keith Osburn      Stump Decker       Greg Gbur     Aaron Lynch Dave Phillip     Jim Miller       Jon Tabor      Jeff Moore  Ellen Moore Kevin Parrott      Pete Yeh       Cletus Haubiel     Brandon       Brian Kitchens Gary Law       Justin Link     Mark Slatter     Andy Hogle     Matt Hogle     and a special thanks to Khentco Building Supply for donating the lumber! Without the dedication of OWA Members, the OWA accomplishes nothing in Ohio.