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Ohio Constitutional
Amendment Creates Livestock Care Standards Board

Q: I know Ohio voters passed Issue 2 in November 2009, but what exactly does Issue 2 do?
A: Issue 2 amended the Ohio Constitution to create an Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board that is responsible for establishing standards to govern the care and well-being of livestock and poultry in Ohio.
Q: Doesn't Ohio already have laws that address the welfare of farm animals?
A: Ohio does have animal cruelty laws that apply to all domestic animals, including farm animals.  These animal cruelty laws prohibit acts such as torture; confining an animal without adequate shelter, fresh air, food or water; and causing unnecessary or cruel harm to an animal.  Unless there is a change in Ohio law, livestock and poultry will fall under the animal cruelty laws as well as whatever standards are developed by the Livestock Care Standards Board.
Q: What will happen now that Issue 2 has passed?
A: The constitutional amendment resulting from Issue 2 grants authority to the Ohio legislature to enact laws necessary for creating the Livestock Care Standards Board and for overseeing, implementing and enforcing its standards.  Ohioans can expect to see a law from the legislature in 2010 to address the additional details necessary to set the Livestock Care Standards Board into action.  Ohioans should also see the appointment of the first Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board members by the governor and legislators.  After these actions, the new board will be able to develop the livestock care standards.
Q: How will the Livestock Care Standards Board determine standards for livestock care?
A: The new constitutional amendment gives the board limited guidance on developing the standards.  The law states that the board should endeavor to maintain food safety, encourage locally grown and raised food, and protect Ohio farms and families.  It requires the board to consider these factors:  agricultural "best management" practices, biosecurity, disease prevention, animal morbidity and mortality data, food safety practices, and the protection of local, affordable food supplies for consumers. The board may also choose to consider additional factors when developing the standards.
Q: Who will serve on the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board?
A: The Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board will consist of 13 members, as follows:
· The director of the department of agriculture, who will serve as chair of the Board;
· Ten members appointed by the governor with senate approval, which must include:  one family farm representative; one member knowledgeable about food safety in Ohio; two members representing statewide farmer organizations; one veterinarian licensed in Ohio; the state veterinarian; the dean of an Ohio college or university's agriculture department; two members of the public representing Ohio consumers; one member representing a county humane society;
· One family farmer appointed by the speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives;
· One family farmer appointed by the president of the Ohio Senate.
Q: Who will enforce the standards developed by the board? 
A: The new law grants the Ohio Department of Agriculture the authority to implement and enforce the standards developed by the Livestock Care Standards Board. 
Q: Can Ohioans change Issue 2, now that it's in the Constitution?
A: Revising or repealing the Constitution requires the approval of Ohio voters.  However, Ohio legislators or voters may pass additional laws that relate to Issue 2, as long as the laws do not conflict with or violate the new constitutional amendment.

Q: Is Ohio's new law similar to other state laws about livestock?
A: No; Ohio's law is unique.  A number of states have recently enacted laws prohibiting some practices disapproved of by animal welfare advocates, such as housing a laying hen in a cage too small to allow it to spread its wings.  Only New Jersey has a regulatory program that establishes general standards for farm animal care, but that program was developed by its state agriculture department rather than by a board of citizens like the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board.
Q: Where can I find the new constitutional amendment created by Issue 2?
A: The new amendment is Article 14 of the Ohio Constitution, which is available in local libraries or online at http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/constitution.cfm.
This "Law You Can Use" column was provided by the Ohio State Bar Association.  It was prepared by attorney Peggy Kirk Hall, Agricultural & Resource Law Program, OSU Extension.  The column offers general information about the law.  Seek an attorney's advice before applying this information to a legal problem.

"Mental Illness Carries Stigma"

If meeting 54-year-old Rita Dinquel in public, you likely would see her as confident, intelligent, and articulate. She would look "normal." Yet doctors over the years have diagnosed her with major depressive disorder and borderline personality disorder, conditions significantly impairing her ability to function. She reads this column in the Pekin (Illinois) Daily Times.
"When people find out I'm on disability, they say I don't look sick," said Dinquel in a telephone interview. "Personally, it's taken me a long time to come to grips that I have an illness and not a character fault."
Dinquel began experiencing depressive episodes at age 18, but started self-injuring (cutting her body) when she was 14. Beginning in 1978, she has been hospitalized 12 times for depression. Her other diagnosis, borderline personality disorder, has involved since early adulthood her lacking the ability in part to effectively self-regulate her emotions, relationships, thoughts, self-image, and behaviors.
She said, "While in a depression, I have inattention, inability to focus, sleeplessness, feelings of wanting to be alone, and feelings of extreme worthlessness. I have had suicidal thoughts and one suicide attempt."
She worked as a paralegal for about 25 years. Early in her career, she said she "cut my arms in the morning and put on an expensive suit for work with my arms bleeding under the sleeves." The depression had so deadened her emotions, she said, that the pain from cutting herself made her feel alive. (She no longer cuts.)
In 2002, after submitting a four-inch stack of paperwork detailing her lifelong struggles, she applied for disability benefits and was accepted on her first try. "When I got my award letter, I sobbed, and thought I was really sick and didn't just have a character flaw," said Dinquel.
Her experiences with depressive bouts and hospitalizations have greatly contributed to the breaking up of her marriages and to employers firing her. Though no longer paid for working, she does participate in some volunteer activities.
"There is a stigma that comes with having (a mental) illness," said Dinquel. "It's taken me a long time to realize I have one. I have periods when I can't function no matter how much I know what to do. But I do know how to take care of myself. I know how to ask for help." She strongly advised people diagnosed with depression to stay in therapy.

Laura on Life
Valentine's Day is one of those holidays when, if you are in a relationship, you know something is required of you. The challenge tends to be determining just what exactly is required.
On the surface, men seem to have the toughest time with this. Should he get her chocolate? If she's on a diet this week, she might never forgive him for it. Is she on a diet? He doesn't remember.
How about flowers? She's allergic to some flowers, he thinks, but which ones? Flowers are lame anyway.
Maybe jewelry? What did he get her last year? That was so long ago.
At some point, he's going to get hungry from doing all that pondering and he will smile because he just had the greatest idea! He will take her out for dinner! ...Wait. Maybe that is what he did last year.
However, women are just as baffled as men. She loves him. She wants to show him she cares on Valentine's Day. But what to get him? Flowers are out for sure. His friends would pick on him. He'd love a box of chocolates, but she's watching his weight because he certainly won't do it.
Jewelry? For a man? Nope. He'd never wear it anyway. Or worse, he'd wear and it would somehow get caught in the fan belt of his V8 Triton engine and then… he'd never wear it again.
She could make him a nice dinner, but chances are good that he will be taking her out for dinner again this year.
Hallmark has made bazillions of dollars because of this Valentine's Day enigma. Ever since an imaginary baby with a bow and arrow shot you both with his pheromone-tipped projectile, a Hallmark card has been the only "safe" way to express your feelings on Valentine's Day.
The problem with a Hallmark card on Valentine's Day is that it's like the minimum amount due on a credit card statement. No matter how heartfelt the sentiment, the card is the least that is expected of you. At its best, it will merely smooth over any bloopers you make with whatever it is you decide to do for your sweetheart on Valentine's Day.
If there were no such thing as Valentine's Day, we wouldn't be under such pressure to deliver. If it was just another ordinary day and you brought home flowers, she'd know you were thinking about her, and it wouldn't really matter that you didn't remember which flowers send her into anaphylactic shock. She'd probably forgive you… eventually.
When it's Valentine's Day it's different, though. In essence, this holiday is designed to remind us deadbeats to do something special for our loved ones because we are apparently too stupid to remember without a huge, commercialized holiday with giant red and pink hearts plastered everywhere to remind us. We might do something special for each other nearly every day of the year, but Lord help us if we forget on Valentine's Day, because, really… it's not possible. Therefore, we must have forgotten on purpose.
I wish I could help you decide what to get your one and only for Valentine's Day, but I'm as much in the dark as everyone else. The only thing I can give you is a warning: If you, through some strange series of events, don't see the very conspicuous pink and red hearts everywhere, forget Valentine's Day, and come home empty-handed on February 14^th, the rest of February is going to be pretty rough for you. March and April aren't looking too good either.
Laura Snyder is a nationally syndicated columnist, author & speaker. You can reach Laura at lsnyder@lauraonlife.com Or visit her website www.lauraonlife.com for more info.

SPIECH MENS & BOYS WEAR CLASSIC BOWLING LEAGUE
HIGH SETS / GAMES:
Mark Ferrara  269 -755
Mark Arnal  254 -726
Adam Barta  258 -709
Russ Slagle  263 -697
John Doughton Jr. 243 -683
Rex Rager  247 -677
George Hall  256 -661
Jim Davidson  235 -647
Ron Killian  244 -643
Jim Bryant  228 -633
STANDINGS:
Second Third Winners
Arnal Construction
Russ Slagle,  Rex Rager
Mark Arnal,  Darald Cornfield
Rich Gramelt,  Bill Gramelt
HIGH GAMES:
Joe Beeson  258
John Williams 240
Frank Florjancic 238
Bill Bahny Jr.  234
Rich Berry  228
TEAM HIGHS:
Mark's Team  1176-3422
Arnal Construction 1068-3184
Finelli Plumbing  1011-2930

Kay Lanes leagues

Kays Bantam: Gina Magazine 92/169, Cierra Anzelmo 78/147, Kayla Bross 58/114, Joshua Shepley 117/225, Brett Zeigler 150/238, Donald Bishop III 129/252.
Kays Prep: Rachel Bendon 129/378, Mikayla Mills 141/351, Abigail Shepley 109/293, Patrick Ledenko 140/415, Dakota Kaczmack 118/327, Lucas Swerdan 108/303.
Kay Junior: Betty DelFratte 123/347, Miranda Boyle 200/484, Morgan  Reed 125/319, David Miller  177/462, Isaiah Mann 175/456, Richard Oblinsky  195/511.

GOOD TIMES LEAGUE

GOOD TIMES: JANUARY 28,2010 Sue Verostko had avery nice 181/435, Lillian Zedaker 164, Vivian Fell 162, Brenda Newlin-Globeck 150-151/437,Paula Meeker 148, Alice Lyth 143 & Mary Ann Diana 141. Alice Lyth picked up the 3-10. Mary Ann Diana, Brenda Newlin -Globeck & Lillian Zedaker all had turkeys. The Pink Ladies are still perfect with 12 wins.