All LifeNuts understand the relationship between ikigai (Japanese word for purpose in life) and life expectancy. Without the former, there’s not much of the latter. Mike, now nearly 99, which happens next Feb, told me that he was recently honored for his work in cleaning up our rivers in Ohio. He’s an adamant environmentalist. Here’s what he had to report:
“On September 30, a group including Hope Taft, former Gov. Bob Taft’s wife,came to Loveland. They included ODNR Director Mary Mertz, Asst. Director Steve Gray, Scenic Rivers Manager Bob Gable, Southwest Ohio Scenic Rivers Manager Aaron Rourke and Laura Briggs, Director of Policy Initiatives. Eric Partee, Executive Director of Little Miami Conservancy hosted us. My wife and local son attended, making a max total of 10 allowed for the government for a possibly indoor meeting during the pandemic.
“My (local)corrected actual river history is that OKI (Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana) had originally sought for the Little Miami’s mouth in the Ohio River to be developed as a Port Authority, a transportation hub with interstate highway, rail and river barges and related development. We sought to preserve the natural character of the river for environmental and recreational use. That entailed helping to bring to life the Ohio Scenic Rivers System in 1968, including the Little Miami as a member. I think I joined Little Miami, Inc. in 1970.
“After that we founded Rivers Unlimited, the nation’s first statewide river protection system in 1972 and I was its president until 2003. In 1973 Dan Dougherty, Carl Rahe, Charlie Ball and I went to Denver, sat on the dusty floor of the Wilderness Society and founded American Rivers Conservation Council (ARCC)with 29 others from across the country). That became American Rivers soon after. I remained a director of AR for 19 years. And worked to bring the Little Miami into the new national system. The state and national status offers protection against destructive actions and for protective cleanups and plantings. And therefore adds quality of life to the value of homes in the area. We did successfully help bring national status to, ultimately, the entire river.
“Respecting Mill Creek, in 1993 we sought to clean up this “most endangered river” with the Rivers Unlimited Mill Creek Restoration Project (RUMCRP) and now its water quality is much better, its flow is more normal and there’s a bikeway and scheduled kayak/canoe trips along it. It’s the Mill Creek Alliance now, in good professional hands and is an asset to some parts of its watershed, with more en route.”
“On September 30, a group including Hope Taft, former Gov. Bob Taft’s wife,came to Loveland. They included ODNR Director Mary Mertz, Asst. Director Steve Gray, Scenic Rivers Manager Bob Gable, Southwest Ohio Scenic Rivers Manager Aaron Rourke and Laura Briggs, Director of Policy Initiatives. Eric Partee, Executive Director of Little Miami Conservancy hosted us. My wife and local son attended, making a max total of 10 allowed for the government for a possibly indoor meeting during the pandemic.
“My (local)corrected actual river history is that OKI (Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana) had originally sought for the Little Miami’s mouth in the Ohio River to be developed as a Port Authority, a transportation hub with interstate highway, rail and river barges and related development. We sought to preserve the natural character of the river for environmental and recreational use. That entailed helping to bring to life the Ohio Scenic Rivers System in 1968, including the Little Miami as a member. I think I joined Little Miami, Inc. in 1970.
“After that we founded Rivers Unlimited, the nation’s first statewide river protection system in 1972 and I was its president until 2003. In 1973 Dan Dougherty, Carl Rahe, Charlie Ball and I went to Denver, sat on the dusty floor of the Wilderness Society and founded American Rivers Conservation Council (ARCC)with 29 others from across the country). That became American Rivers soon after. I remained a director of AR for 19 years. And worked to bring the Little Miami into the new national system. The state and national status offers protection against destructive actions and for protective cleanups and plantings. And therefore adds quality of life to the value of homes in the area. We did successfully help bring national status to, ultimately, the entire river.
“Respecting Mill Creek, in 1993 we sought to clean up this “most endangered river” with the Rivers Unlimited Mill Creek Restoration Project (RUMCRP) and now its water quality is much better, its flow is more normal and there’s a bikeway and scheduled kayak/canoe trips along it. It’s the Mill Creek Alliance now, in good professional hands and is an asset to some parts of its watershed, with more en route.”
- Mike Fremont
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