Weekend returns ‘ropes and boats’

CHARDON, Ohio — Geauga Park District is reopening its “ropes and boats” recreational offerings for the season, May 27.

The ropes course features platforms, challenge elements and a zip line exit. Access is free to all Geauga County residents with I.D. and $20 for out-of-county residents.

Looking to go out on the water instead? Geauga County residents can borrow boats for free with I.D. for canoe, kayak and paddle boats. For outof-county residents, boat borrowing costs $5 for child kayak, $8 for adult single kayak, $12 for tandem kayak or canoe, and $16 for paddle boats (credit card only, paid onsite).

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To check availability and make a reservation, visit the reservations module online and read all the information posted at geaugaparkdistrict.org/activity/high-ropes-course ahead of time. Contact Trevor at twearstler@geaugaparkdistrict. org or 440-226-2548 for more information.

• Use an Environmental Protection Agency approved insect repellent, such as those containing DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or IR3535.

• Pretreat clothing with permethrin before wearing it outdoors.

• After being outdoors, remove your clothing and wash and dry it at a high temperature. Inspect your body carefully. If possible, shower within an hour of coming inside.

If you’ve been bitten. How do you know if you’ve been bitten?

RUBES©

• You may see the tick still attached to your skin.

• A red rash that grows over time may appear on the skin.

• The center of the lesion may clear, resulting in a rash with a ringlike, or “bull’s-eye,” appearance. Not everyone who is infected gets this rash, and it can be more difficult to identify on darker skin tones.

What to do after a tick bite?

• Use tweezers to remove the tick. Grasp the tick as close to the skin surface as possible and pull straight back to avoid crushing the tick’s body and leaving parts attached to the skin.

• Monitor the bite area for a rash and watch for early symptoms of Lyme disease.

• Talk to your doctor. Depending on your situation, antibiotic treatment may be recommended.

• Residents can send ticks to the Pennsylvania Tick Lab for testing. Experts note that ticks that test positive for a pathogen don’t necessarily transmit illness, while a negative test result doesn’t guarantee safety from tick-borne diseases.

Penn State Extension provides free tick identification services. Pennsylvania residents can take specimens to their county’s extension office for identification.

If needed, local extension educators will send the sample to Penn State’s Insect Identification Laboratory. The laboratory’s director, Michael Skvarla, is available at mxs1578@psu.edu or 814865-3256.

By Leigh Rubin

Words

Ohio boating industry has $6.4B economic impact

COLUMBUS — Boating brings big business to Ohio says a new study showing the state’s boating industry has produced an economic impact of $6.4 billion in 2022. According to the study, published by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Parks and Watercraft, the boating industry also accounted for 45,856 jobs.

The study was conducted through a survey of nearly 10,000 boating households and over 200 marine trade businesses.

Other boating habits revealed through the 2022 survey:

• People spent 315 million hours boating in Ohio

• Fishing accounts for 33.6% of all boating time

• Women are the primary boat operators of 24.3% of all non-motorized boats and 5.4% of all motorized boats

Economic impact is measured by calculating direct, indirect, and induced effects of spending on boating-related products and activities. Contributions from both recreational boating and the marine trades were calculated in this study.