James Proffitt

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Articles

How Ducks Unlimited Became Heros of the Conservation Movement

2 months ago | greatlakesnow.org | James Proffitt

January 28, 2025 In the Great Lakes region alone, Ducks Unlimited (DU) has been involved in hundreds of projects in the past decade that involve either the conservation of wetlands through acquisition, or the restoration and management of wetlands. These projects — always in concert with public and private partners, universities and other organizations — seek to establish or conserve the maximum amount of acreage possible with available funds.
Not your average real estate investor: Mercedez Pickens forges own paths, helps families

Jan 15, 2025 | thehelmsandusky.com | James Proffitt

A real estate investor who purchased a residential complex on Camp Street in April may set a record for breaking stereotypes. Sandusky High School graduate Mercedez Pickens spent $1.65 million on the five multi-unit buildings. She’s just 36, is a black woman and was a teen mother. And like Henry Ford, Oprah Winfrey, Mark Zuckerberg and Tiger Woods, she’s also a college drop-out. “I’m a serial entrepreneur with multiple businesses,” she says.
New life for Osborne School: Sandusky’s affordable housing solution for seniors

Jan 15, 2025 | thehelmsandusky.com | James Proffitt

It’s no secret that finding affordable housing is getting more difficult to find in the Sandusky area, but there’s a new project under way that should see about 20 brand new apartments become available in the next two years. And the units will be designated for one of the most-deserving segments of renters: senior citizens. The former Osborne Elementary School building, which was closed in 2021 after Sandusky City Schools built three new facilities, has sat vacant since.
Walleye Numbers are Down in Lake Erie

Dec 26, 2024 | greatlakesnow.org | James Proffitt

December 26, 2024 Ohio Division of Wildlife (ODW) officials have released their 2024 trawl survey indexes for Lake Erie’s two most-sought sportfish: yellow perch and walleye. This year’s results bring an end to a streak of wildly successful hatches for walleye. For yellow perch two of Ohio’s three management zones were above average, with the third zone down by 70% over last year.
Erie MetroParks’ education mission gets boost: New facility is the centerpiece at Osborn MetroPark

Oct 2, 2024 | thehelmsandusky.com | James Proffitt

The new Roger Johnson Nature Center was unveiled to the public Sept. 21 after a crowded ribbon-cutting ceremony at Osborn MetroPark. “Once the ribbon was cut it was a free-for-all,” says Kippie Loughlin, digital media, marketing and information technology coordinator for Erie MetroParks. “People just flooded the building; it was mass hysteria.
A Decade After Crisis, Algal Blooms Persist

Aug 2, 2024 | greatlakesnow.org | James Proffitt

August 2, 2024 On August 2, it will be 10 years since officials in Toledo alerted residents in the early morning hours not to drink, bathe in or otherwise come into contact with tap water from the Collins Park Water Treatment Plant. For nearly three days chaos reigned, as bottled water sold out that first day before dawn and disappeared from shelves in the region the next day.
Lake Erie Charter Life

Jul 17, 2024 | greatlakesnow.org | James Proffitt

July 17, 2024 Captains were few and far between in 1979, when Tibbels Marina in Marblehead, Ohio got into the fishing charter business on Lake Erie. A few years earlier, in 1975, the state had 46 captains on Lake Erie. A few years later, when the Tibbels family launched its first boat, there were about 156. With walleye and yellow perch populations fluctuating over the decades, so did charter numbers — with a high of 1,229, in 1989.
Ohio Birding Transitions

Apr 22, 2024 | greatlakesnow.org | James Proffitt

April 22, 2024 The Biggest Week in American Birding draws a worldwide audience to glimpse dozens of species of migrating birds including the stars of the show, tiny warblers, as well as local birds in northern Ohio — and officials say they’ve been seeing changes in recent years.
Bald eagle return exceeds expectations

Apr 11, 2024 | greatlakesnow.org | James Proffitt

April 11, 2024 In 1979, there were just four nesting pairs of bald eagles in the entire state of Ohio. Today there are more than 900 pairs spread throughout all but three of Ohio’s 88 counties, not including the immature birds that still appear mottled with brown and white because haven’t yet developed white plumage on their heads.
From the Ice Age to Now: A Lake Erie timeline

Mar 22, 2024 | greatlakesnow.org | James Proffitt

March 22, 2024 Lake Erie covers about 9,900 square miles and stretches 240 miles from southwest to northeast with an average depth of 62 feet. It borders four states and the province of Ontario. About 12 million people live in the watershed, including 17 major metropolitan areas. More than 10 million people rely on the lake as a source of drinking water. The lake has seen some tough times over the last 150 years.