Pulaski Park rededicated
CARISSA WOYTACH
COMMUNITY GUIDE
LORAIN — Rain misted churchgoers as they left Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish on Oct. 13. But they did not rush to their cars. Instead, they lined the sidewalk behind a procession of the Polish and American flags, singing as they made their way to nearby Pulaski Park.
Nearly 90 years after the park’s initial dedication, churchgoers, veterans and city officials rededicated the park after a volunteer committee completed major upgrades to the space. The park, at West 15th and 17th streets in Lorain,
is named for Casimir Pulaski, a Polish cavalryman who volunteered to fight for Gen. George Washington and the Continental Army during the American Revolution. Commissioned a brigadier general, he reorganized and trained the army’s cavalry units and died in 1779 from wounds suffered during the siege of Savannah, Georgia.
Mike Kachure, AMVETS Post 47 commander, said the journey began four years ago when Lorainite Stephen Bansek saw the park in need of help. Soon, Kachure was recruited to co-head the initiative.
“This quickly morphed into a veterans project, a
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What do Barack Obama and Donald Trump have in common?
For many, that’s an absurd question. How much more different can two people be? Different politics, different parties, different backgrounds, different races, different generations.
But the irrefutable fact is that Obama and Trump do share something: They both won the presidency by challenging their party’s establishment.
Obama, a freshman senator, won the Democratic nomination in a hard-fought primary war with Hillary Clinton, two-term senator from New York and first lady of President Bill Clinton.
Trump, who had never held elected office, bested a primary field of more than a dozen veteran GOP politicians, including John Kasich, then Ohio’s governor; Texas Sen. Ted Cruz; Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and early favorite Jeb Bush, then Florida’s governor.
Like Hillary Clinton, Jeb Bush — son of President George H. Bush and younger brother of President George W. Bush — was heir to a political dynasty. What most distinguished the long-shot victories of Trump and Obama was their willingness to criticize their parties.
Obama opposed the Iraq war and criticized Hillary Clinton and the majority of Senate Democrats who voted to authorize the war. He also introduced legislation to withdraw American forces from Iraq by 2008. Obama’s campaign slogan, “Change We Can Believe In,” was an explicit promise to change the status quo.
Trump was even more critical of the Republican Party, vowing to “drain the swamp,” of Washington insiders.
“The voters in the Republican Party this year defied the donors, the consultants, the power brokers, and chose a nominee from outside our failed and corrupt and broken system,” Trump said at an August 2016 campaign rally in West Bend, Wisconsin.
An advantage of flying under a banner of change and challenging your own party is its appeal to independents.
Obama and Trump both took a higher percentage of votes of independents in winning the presidency, according to exit polls compiled by the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research at Cornell University.
Obama won 52 percent of the independents in the 2008 general election compared to 44 percent for Republican John McCain. In 2016, Trump took the
Judge: Proper procedure followed in Tomlinson, Burge booking
Proper Elyria Municipal Court procedure was followed in the initial process to have Lorain County Prosecutor J.D. Tomlinson and his chief of staff, James Burge, fingerprinted at the Lorain County Jail last week after their initial appearance before a visiting judge on felony charges.
Municipal Judge Gary Bennett — who is not involved in the case — said Monday that Visiting Judge Patrick Carroll followed proper procedure for when a person receives a summons to appear in his court on felony charges.
The Lorain County Sheriff’s Office typically takes finger-
prints, photographs and DNA swabs from accused felons during the booking process at the jail. Booked Oct. 10, Burge and Tomlinson were required only to provide fingerprints. That booking photos and DNA were not taken raised questions about possible favoritism toward the two men: Booking photos are typical and DNA collection has
been required for accused felons in Ohio for more than a dozen years.
Tomlinson, 43, of Amherst, is charged with with intimidation, tampering with evidence and attempted bribery. Burge, 77, of Avon, is charged with intimidation and tampering with evidence.
All the charges are felonies, and the men are represented by attorney Michael Camera. They are due back in Elyria Municipal Court on Wednesday for a hearing. An email exchange between Sheriff Phil Stammitti and Bennett obtained by The ChronicleTelegram from a public records request shows Stammitti expresed “a few concerns over this process” on Oct. 10.
“Since these are felony charges, our normal procedure is that they be booked in, photographed, DNA swab and fingerprinted, otherwise we don’t have the required information for BCI, etc.,” Stammitti wrote Bennett. “I understand that they receive(d) a personal bond, and then they are released after this process. Could you please clarify this for us.”
Bennett replied by email: “The fingerprint order you referred to is the standard order we issue when defendants appear without fingerprints in a fingerprintable offense. We worked with your staff to put this order together and streamline the process.”
Carroll’s “fingerprints-only” order complied with Ohio Supreme Court guidelines and Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation
reporting, Bennett wrote.
“This order results in the ITN being available to the court and the clerk’s office to forward to BCI. I can’t speak to the booking process and I can’t speak to these specific cases.” ITN stands for “incident tracking number,” an identifier required by BCI. It is generated at a digital fingerprint terminal and if missing, BCI can’t give complete and accurate criminal history information, according to the Ohio Supreme Court.
Bennett said if Stammitti had decided to arrest Tomlinson and Burge, take them to jail and book them instead of issue a summons, a different process would have been followed.
Carroll made his order after
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CARISSA WOYTACH | The Community Guide
ABOVE: Eagle Scouts Will Bobeck (right) and Luke Young (left) were presented with plaques commemorating their work to upgrade Pulaski Park as part of their Eagle Scout project during a rededication ceremony of the park on Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024.
BELOW: Bernadette Zubel (left) and Krystyna Kolenda (right) sing the Polish National Anthem.
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VOTE PAGE A5
OBITUARIES
1939 - 2024
Mary Benedict Cooper Nelson, a devoted music educator, loyal friend, beloved mother, and avid Guardians and Cavaliers fan, passed away peacefully, holding her best friend’s hand.
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Mary spent her life dazzling others with her flute performances, supporting fellow musicians, and inspiring future generations to find joy in music; she changed many people’s lives. She loved classical music and was an enthusiastic supporter of contemporary composers.
In Oberlin, Ohio, Mary found a vibrant community of friends who shared her love of music, travel and laughter. Over decades, this close-knit group cared for each other like family, creating a lifetime of memories that enriched Mary’s life beyond measure. She found her spiritual home at the First Church in Oberlin.
Mary was a loving mother to her three daughters, Sarah, Alyce, and Johanna; and three grandchildren, Andrew, Christopher, and Viviana. They were her greatest pride. She is survived by her sister, Margaret, with whom she shared a close and enduring relationship.
She was preceded in death by her sister, Katharine Ann; her brother, Stancil Jr.; her mother, Colma; father, Stancil; and stepfather, Ken. Mary’s spirit, humor, and warmth will be missed by all who knew her.
A memorial service will be held at First Church in Oberlin at 1 p.m. on Thursday, October 31, 2024.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Northern Ohio Youth Orchestra, Oberlin Choristers, Oberlin Community Music School, or the Oberlin Heritage Center.
Our condolences go out to families that have suffered the loss of a loved one. To place an obituary or death notice in the Community Guide, call (440) 329-7000.
Burge and Tomlinson appeared before him Oct. 1 and requested a continuance to get a lawyer.
Carroll “continued it, which again is the right thing to do,” Bennett said.
It will be up to Carroll to rule following a preliminary hearing if there is enough probable cause to find that Burge and Tomlinson committed felonies. If he does, the case goes to Common Pleas Court and a grand jury, and if he doesn’t the case is over.
Burge and Tomlinson could also waive a preliminary hearing. That will send the case directly to Common Pleas Court and the grand jury, Bennett explained.
“We do this every day,” he said.
In October 2023, the Prosecutor’s Office used $100,000 in taxpayer funds from Tomlinson’s budget to pay an employment settlement to Jennifer Battistelli, an employee of Tomlinson’s office from January 2021 to August 2023 when she resigned.
During part of that time, Battistelli and Tomlinson were dating. She has accused him of abusing her, including grabbing her and smacking her in the head.
Tomlinson tried to keep secret a draft Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that Battistelli’s former attorney sent him during settlement negotiations. Tomlinson’s
excuse was that the document was “embarrassing,” which is not an exception to state open records law.
The Chronicle was denied the document three times. It took a lawsuit by James Barilla of Avon Lake sued in Common Pleas Court to make the document public, and it was found to contain further abuse allegations.
Stammitti’s office, the FBI and the State Auditor’s Office for months have investigated allegations that Tomlinson and Burge tried to intimidate Battistelli into recanting the abuse allegations.
Tomlinson also is accused of attempting to bribe Battistelli by paying her between $100 and $500 to meet with him for dinner to talk about the case.
Tomlinson has denied any wrongdoing, denied abusing women and said he welcomes the criminal investigation.
A Democrat and former defense attorney in his first term as elected prosecutor, Tomlinson is being challenged for reelection by Republican Tony Cillo, a veteran assistant Lorain County Prosecutor.
Publicly and in court documents, Tomlinson and Camera have claimed all the allegations are part of a concerted effort by Stammitti, Cillo, former prosecutor Dennis Will, and other political enemies of Tomlinson to see that he is defeated at the polls.
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The
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Cleveland, speaks at the Western Reserve Fire Musum after receiving the Ohio Association of Professional Fire Fighters endorsement in his reelection bid against Republican Bernie Moreno.
Ohio firefighters union endorses
Sherrod Brown for reelection
Response (SAFER) grant for the Elyria Fire Department in August.
CLEVELAND — The Ohio Association of Professional Fire Fighters endorsed U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Cleveland. in his reelection campaign Oct. 13.
Surrounded by the history of the Cleveland area fire service at the Western Reserve Fire Museum, Elyria Assistant Fire Chief and OAPFF Second District Vice President Dean Marks read the union’s accolades for the incumbent politician.
“Sherrod has always been a steadfast ally for Ohio firefighters,” Marks, joined by his wife, Cindy, said. “He stands with the men and women who put their lives on the line every day, and he fights to make sure we have the tools we need to do our jobs.”
In 2024 alone, Brown helped deliver $30 million in grant funds to help Ohio fire departments remain fully staffed and access resources and technology needed to protect their communities, Marks said.
That included an $850,000 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency
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city project, a neighborhood project and a faith-based project,” he said.
Bansek addressed the crowd, first in Polish, then English.
He said he will be happiest when the park is completely finished — some landscaping work and a plaque donated by the Nathan Perry Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution still need completed.
But even with work yet to do, Bansek was excited to see the project nearing the finish line.
He, along with DAR regent Robbie Brown, gave a brief history of Pulaski’s involvement in the American Revolution.
The Polish immigrant served alongside American soldiers in the war and led a cavalry charge at the
Brown also worked to introduce Social Security Fairness Act, which repealed provisions that reduced benefits for individuals receiving other benefits like a state or government pension, Marks said; and helped pass a bill allowing retirees to use pension funds to pay for their insurance premiums without being penalized.
The bill, though it has bipartisan support, has yet to pass.
“We never have to wonder about where Sherrod stands,” Marks said.
“He always stands with Ohioans.”
Marks also highlighted the FEND Off Fentanyl Act, a bipartisan bill Brown introduced to crack down on fentanyl trafficking in Mexico and chemical suppliers in China by requiring the president to sanction criminal organizations and drug cartels’ members and enhance sanction violations, while prioritizing fentanyl-related transactions for the U.S. Treasury Department, and allowing it to take measures to combat fentanyl-related money laundering.
Brown thanked Marks and his union for the endorsement.
Battle of Brandywine credited with saving Gen. George Washington’s life, Bansek said.
“Polish cavalry charge, behind them on their horse were red plumes about 5 to 6 feet high,” Bansek said.
“The first time most of the opposition saw them, they stood in awe because they did not realize what was coming at them. And when they realized, it was too late and he was already upon them.”
When the park was first dedicated on Oct. 11, 1938, there were about 6,500 people in attendance, Bansek said.
Then, like now, the program began with Polish Mass at the nearby church then a parade to the park. That parade decades ago, Bansek said, had about 3,000 attendees,
“I appreciate the public service and the danger firefighters put themselves in every day, every day, from fighting fires to rescue missions to exposing themselves to fentanyl when a rescue squad goes out,” Brown said. “... I appreciate the support of the firefighters, and I will continue to work to earn it.”
If reelected, Brown pledged to get the Social Security Fairness Act to a vote, and to push for legislation to help young firefighters, police officers and teachers make down payments on their first homes.
The Homes for Every Local Protector Educator and Responder (HELPER) Act would create a first-time homebuyer loan program through the Federal Housing Administration for teachers and first responders.
Marks is a 29-year veteran of the Elyria Fire Department and serves as Elyria Firefighters Local 474 president.
Brown faces Republican challenger Bernie Moreno next month. Early voting is available at the Lorain County Board of Elections, 1985 North Ridge Road E., now through 5 p.m. Nov. 3. Election Day is Nov. 5.
and about 300 of those attended a inner afterward.
The area around Pulaski Park was once filled with Polish and Italian immigrants, Bansek said, noting it was “lovingly called at that time the Pollack-Dago neighborhood,” garnering a laugh from the crowd.
Mayor Jack Bradley hoped the improvements to Pulaski Park, alongside the demolition of the longvacant United Polish Club across the street would help revitalize the area.
The city granted the Save Pulaski Park committee $35,000, including $5,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds, and the county matched $30,000.
In total, the group raised nearly $200,000 for the project from more than 50 donors.
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The notion of trick or treat produces two decidedly different experiences.
That’s exactly the takeaway from the Lorain County Metro Parks’ annual Halloween Fair held at the Carlisle Visitor Center.
“This is just a way to engage people in getting out into nature and having Halloween fun,” Carlisle Visitor Center Outdoor Experiences Manager Bev Walborn said. “We continue to add new attractions every year. They’re very creative.
“Halloween Fair takes the effort of every single employee within Lorain County Metro Parks. That’s what makes it such a special event to the community and to us here. We all work together, so it’s fun to see what the different park crews are able to come up with each year.”
Halloween Fair is open Fridays and Saturdays through Oct. 26.
The two-fold event includes the self-explanatory family-friendly trail (open 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.) and a spooky trail (open 7 to 9:30 p.m.).
“During family-friendly time, you can walk the trail but some of our scary areas are closed,” she said. “That
IF YOU GO
WHAT: Halloween Fair
WHEN: Fridays and Saturdays (through Oct. 26)
WHERE: Carlisle Visitor Center, 12882 Diagonal Road, Carlisle Township
TICKETS: $5 (children younger than 3 free)
INFO: Visit Loraincountymetroparks. com/halloween-fair, call (440) 458-5121 or go in person to the Carlisle Visitor Center (open 8 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily)
way, families can walk through to enjoy the sites and the scenes.
“Then at 6:30 p.m., we close the trail until 7 p.m. while we transition it into a more spooky kind of trail. That’s when our scarier areas open. People have the choice of going through these areas.”
Open throughout the entire night will be the Little Green Choo and Pumpkin Express tram taking riders around the non-spooky children’s nature discovery trail.
Riders will see inflatable Halloween characters and other family-friendly displays.
Halloween Fair also features plenty of low-cost
children’s carnival games, a DJ, face painters, balloon artists and more.
“There are stations that you can choose to enter or not,” she said. “If you come at 8 p.m. and you’re going to walk the trail, and something looks just a little bit too spooky, or you’ve got you children who ... may be a little apprehensive, you can choose to just stay on the trail and not go through those areas.
The Lorain County Metro Parks a couple of years ago added an all-abilities day, which this year takes place from 6 to 9 p.m. today.
“This is a chance for families and those with any special abilities to enjoy Halloween Fair with lights and sounds reduced,” she said. “We also provide trams on our walking trail for those that might have mobility issues.”
“That’s what makes it such a family-friendly event.”
Walborn strongly suggested folks interested in Halloween Fair don’t wait to get their tickets.
“All tickets are preregistered,” she said. “That also helps with alleviating the really long lines that maybe they might have experienced in past years. This way, you really get a chance to experience the Halloween Fair event without a lot of big crowds.”
Commissioners OK workforce funds
Millions of dollars in federal and state funding for community programs including child welfare and workforce development is on its way to Lorain County and surrounding counties, local and state officials announced last week.
The Board of Commissioners OK’d agreements with social, developmental, and educational organizations for mentoring and tutoring grants for lowincome children.
Much of the funding came from Temporary Assistance for Needy Families or TANF funding provided to the state by the federal government.
The TANF program “is designed to help families with children experiencing low-income achieve economic security and stability. States receive block grants to design and operate programs that accomplish one of the purposes” of TANF, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
The mentoring, tutoring and educational awards included: n $350,000 to the Boys
& Girls Club of Northeast Ohio, Lorain; n $350,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lorain County, Lorain; n $317,000 to Tower Educational Consulting Group Inc., Lorain; and n $312,000 to Horizon Education Center, North Olmsted; and a maximum of $25,000 to Lorain City Schools to provide eligible students with online driver’s education, at a cost of $245 per student.
Lorain County “values the importance of organizations that help our youth follow the path to a successful future,” the county said in a news release.
Since 2016, the Lorain County Department of Job & Family Services “has been steadfast in its commitment to fostering educational enrichment opportunities for the youth in our community,” the release said.
The grant agreements and funding are good from Oct. 1 through Sept. 20, 2025.
“It is important to recognize the value of providing educational opportunities to children in our county,” Commissioner Dave Moore, a Republican, said in a news release provided by the county. “By accepting
this grant and making these funds available, we believe that this will enrich the educational attainment of those directly impacted by this program.”
Moore is up for reelection to a second consecutive term on the board on Nov. 5. His opponent is Brian Baker, a Democrat and longtime union official.
In workforce development funding, Harbor of Toledo got $259,005 to provide work experience for people receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, Employment and Training program benefits. Also included was funding for Lorain Countians benefiting from Ohio Works First. OWF is a program of Ohio Department of Job & Family Services that provides up to 36 months of cash assistance to eligible low-income families with children.
Further on Oct. 8, Lorain County Public Health also received $100,000 to coordinate and provide supportive services for families. And the Lorain County General Health District meanwhile got a $12,600 award for protective services for adults from state Title XX Social Service Block Grants.
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ELYRIA — The Lorain County Board of Commissioners is once again considering a petition from Oberlin to annex nearly 142 acres of city-owned property in Pittsfield Township to serve as the future home of a high-tech industrial park.
Commissioners David Moore and Jeff Riddell, both Republicans, voted 2-0 to receive Oberlin’s petition to annex 141.8426 acres from the township to the city. Riddell said the board will vote on its decision at its Oct. 25 meeting.
Commissioner Michelle Hung, also a Republican, was absent from the Oct. 8 meeting due to illness.
The petition, originally filed Aug. 26, was put on hold by Oberlin as a “courtesy” move after two
members of the Pittsfield Township Board of Trustees resigned earlier that month.
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Oberlin Law Director Jon Clark said at the time that while Pittsfield Township has no legal standing to challenge the annexation under Ohio law, he wanted a full township Board of Trustees “to be able to go before the Board of Commissioners and have their say.”
Under state law, the annexation of the contiguous property doesn’t give Pittsfield Township a say in whether it goes through. As long as the legal description of the property is accurate and the Board of Commissioners is satisfied, the annexation is automatic.
Also under the law, the commissioners’ role in the annexation is limited to voting to certify the petition is accurate, according to the Lorain County Prosecutor’s Office.
Oberlin bought 212 acres of vacant farmland south of U.S. 20 and west of state Route 5 in Pittsfield Township in 2022 for $2.4 million from Eric and Lori McConnell. The 142 acres to be annexed is a portion of that.
Clark said in September that once the industrial park is built, some tax revenue will be shared with the township through a long-standing agreement it has with the city.
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Applications andinformation regarding thesevacanciesare availa bleatthe Clerk of Council’s Off ice, located at 85 South Main Street,Oberlin, Ohio 44074. Application scan also be completed online at the City’s website : www.cityofoberlin. com.
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biggest share of independents: 46 percent to Clinton’s 42 percent.
The latest Gallup Poll shows more than 40 percent of Americans consider themselves independents. But that share varies widely among the states.
In both Ohio and Lorain County, more than 70 percent of registered voters are not affiliated with either of the two major parties, according to the latest figures from Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose and the county Board of Elections.
While polls find most independents “lean” toward one of the two major parties, a significant minority — about 10 percent — are likely to switch parties.
That’s important because it could help explain how two otherwise very different people as Obama and Trump could win the White House in successive terms.
The percentage of Trump voters in 2016 who claimed to have voted for Obama in 2012 range from 11 percent to 15 percent, according to an analysis by the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia.
That percentage range works out to 6.7 million to 9.2 million votes.
“Given the extremely close margins in some states, particularly the Rust Belt trio of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, these voters played a crucial role in handing over the White House to the GOP,” the analysis concluded.
Some political observers dispute the importance of voters who switched, arguing that a bigger factor was higher turnout of white working-class men without a college degree, including some motivated by racial bigotry and anti-immigrant bias.
But another study found that voters who switched from Obama to Trump were a bigger factor in explaining Trump’s success in 2016 than increased turnout by the GOP’s base in the pivotal states of Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania.
The 2021 study, “Not by turnout alone: Measuring the sources of electoral change, 2012 to 2016,” concluded that in those swing states Trump’s improved performance in 2016, compared to Mitt Romney’s failed challenge to Obama’s reelection in 2012, “was powered by voters who turned out in both elections but switched to the GOP.”
The study noted that motivating a nonvoter to go to the polls is a gain of one vote. But convincing someone to change their vote “adds one vote to the candidate’s tally while subtracting one vote from the opponent’s, netting two votes.”
The study analyzed the precinct-level election results of 37 million voters in Ohio and five other states.
Daniel J. Hopkins, a political science professor at the University of Pennsylvania and co-author of the study, said the analysis relied on public records to avoid shortcomings of public opinion surveys.
“People that take surveys nowadays are overwhelmingly highly engaged partisans,” he said. “Surveys, then, are not a very good way to measure the voters who are less frequent voters and who may be more likely to swing from side to side.”
Several Lorain County voters who switched from Obama to Trump said they were willing to explain why, but almost all asked
their names not be used.
A first responder in Lorain County didn’t want to be identified because “my job is sensitive to me expressing my political opinion.”
“I hate to admit this, but I voted for Obama,” he said. “Being a union guy from a union family, I always thought Dems were the way to go — until Obama.”
While citing several reasons for voting for Obama — “he was a smooth talker, very educated, and frankly down to earth” — he said economics was the main reason for switching to Trump.
“My income suffered as a result of his policies he (Obama) put into place,” he said. “Trump ran this country like a business. ... I was actually starting to save money because I was able to pay my bills and have a little extra.”
Alex Rodriguez, 33, of Sheffield Lake, is a small businessman who has worked in the restaurant industry throughout his life. He also cited economics as the reason for switching to Trump.
Born in Cuba, Rodriguez’s father is an American citizen who brought his teenage son to Florida in 2008.
After graduating high school, Rodriguez voted for Obama in 2012.
“I did like Obama because he was a great speaker,” he said. “He was all about the community, all about love and affection. And I believed him.”
But Rodriguez began to change his opinion about Obama when he found it nearly impossible to find work.
“I went from Florida all the way up to New York, New Jersey, over here to Ohio,” he said. “The economy was horrible, horrible, horrible.”
Obama had begun his first term in the worst of what became known as the Great Recession, which saw nearly 9 million Americans unemployed and 10 million lose their homes.
The nation didn’t fully recover the jobs lost until May 2014.
The unemployment rate more than doubled to 10 percent and did not fall below 5 percent until nearly 2015.
Rodriguez blamed Obama for not doing enough.
“He didn’t do anything for us,” he said. “He prom-
ised a lot, but he didn’t create jobs to help us.”
Ohio was much slower to come back from the Great Recession. The state, which had not recovered jobs lost in the relatively mild recession of 2001, didn’t surpass the record high of 5.6 million set in May 2000 until March of this year.
Worse, two-thirds of Ohio’s counties have yet to recover and have fewer jobs today than a generation or more ago.
Despite blaming Obama for the poor economy, Rodriguez didn’t vote for Trump in 2016.
“I voted for Hillary because I did not want Trump,” he said.
Rodriguez said he was persuaded that Trump would be “a racist president who doesn’t believe in immigration.”
Four years later Rodriguez voted for Trump. What changed his mind?
“I bought two houses,” during Trump’s first term, he said. “I worked really hard. And then the economy was really good.”
Bob Meilander, chairman of the Lorain County Republican Executive Committee, said he wasn’t surprised that so many voters say economics is their chief concern in presidential elections.
“The biggest impact is people’s wallets,” he said.
“What do they have left at the end of the week, at the end of the month? That’s usually what drives the voters.”
Meilander credited Trump with energizing local party rank-and-file.
“We’ve been pushing the Trump signs out the door,” he said “We’ve gone through over 33,500 signs.
“People come in and they talk. They’re excited about what’s happening. They just speak their minds and say, ‘Yeah, I voted for Obama once, but now I’m Republican.’”
Former GOP chairman David Arredondo agreed Trump was vital to the success of the local party, which has made inroads in traditionally Democratic County offices.
Republicans now hold all three county commissioners’ seats, the recorder’s office and the coroner’s post.
“In 2016 is where we started to see the shift in Lorain County,” he said. “Because of Trump and his politics, blue-collar workers in Lorain County began voting Republican.”
Board of Election data show in 2016 Republicans took the lead in party affiliations, 46,000 versus 41,300 declared Democrats.
But by 2020, Democrats were back on top.
Since then, the pendulum has swung back.
“After this year’s primary, Republicans in Lorain County have 37,000 versus 28,000 Democrats,” Arredondo said.
Asked about the significance that more than 70 percent of the county’s total 221,000 registered voters are not affiliated with either party, he said that doesn’t accurately reflect voters’ attitudes because in Ohio the only way to declare a party affiliation is to vote in a partisan primary.
“Clearly a lot of those independent voters are voting Republican,” he said. “Just look at our state offices.”
Republicans have held every statewide executive post — governor and lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, auditor and treasurer — since 2010.
Arredondo, who led the county party from 2020 until April, said he was confident GOP dominance statewide would continue to fuel GOP success in local races in next month’s election.
Not surprisingly, Sharon Sweda, head of the Lorain County Democratic Party, is equally confident of her party’s performance on Nov. 5 — especially with Vice President Kamala Harris at the top of the ticket.
Sweda said Harris “has emerged” as a stronger candidate than President Joe Biden for several reasons.
“Kamala Harris has the ability to really relate better with younger voters,” Sweda said. “She has the advantage of having more youth, more energy. There’s an excitement that surrounds her.”
Sweda said Harris can offer change to voters unhappy with the Biden administration because, as vice president, she didn’t set policy.
“I’ve been vice president on a lot of committees and boards and I’m going to tell you, vice president is the backup,” Sweda said. “They are not the policymaker; they don’t lead the ship.”
Sweda said Harris “has
In the video, Romney characterized the estimated 47 percent of Americans who don’t earn enough to pay federal income tax as people “who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to youname-it.
“My job is not to worry about those people,” Romney said. “I’ll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.”
That video cost the man’s vote.
“I wanted to vote for Romney in 2012,” he said. “But Romney completely lost me with the comment about the 47 percent.”
The man said he voted for Trump in 2016 and was impressed by his four years in the White House.
The man, who earned a master’s in business administration and works in the field of finance, credited Trump’s tax cuts with stimulating the economy.
a greater awareness that we have economic issues,” pointing out that she has promised to restore the COVID-19-era $3,600 increase in the Child Tax Credit and proposed a $6,000 credit for families with newborns.
Harris also wants a $25,000 tax credit for firsttime home buyers.
Sweda said Harris has the advantage on a key social issue: abortion.
“She will defend women’s rights,” Sweda said. “I think women feel safer, they feel more protected with her positions.”
Sweda cited last year’s landslide passage of a state constitutional amendment to ensure access to abortion and other forms of reproductive health care as evidence of the importance of the issue to Ohio voters.
Lorain County voters approved the amendment by a 63-37 percent margin.
“We exceeded the state average of 57 percent,” for the amendment, she said.
Sweda acknowledged the loss of much of Lorain County’s manufacturing workforce has hurt her party.
“We had U.S. Steel, we had Ford Motor Co., we had General Motors, we had the shipyards,” she said “And those workers are predominantly unionsupportive workers who rely on the values of the Democratic Party.”
Winning back some of those traditional Democrats who now vote Republican will be a hard sell.
“I was in grad school when Trump first came on the scene in 2016,” said a 32-year-old Lorain native who asked not to be identified. “He spoke to the disenfranchised individual, the little guy that had been forgotten.
“That’s what I grew up around — hard working, middle-class, blue-collar people. Those folks seem to have been forgotten.”
The son of biracial parents, he grew up in a Democratic household and as a teenager worked for Obama’s first campaign.
“I went door-to-door for him in 2008, but I couldn’t vote then,” he said.
He said he was disappointed by Obama’s first term and planned to vote for Republican Mitt Romney in 2012.
He changed his mind after a video was leaked of Romney speaking at a private fundraiser.
“We had record low unemployment, particularly for minorities, growing wages, housing affordability, stable prices,” he said. “The last four years have been the complete opposite of that, which is why I will still vote for him this year.”
While praising Trump’s policies, the man said he’d rather the Republicans had someone else running for president.
“In the primary I voted for Nikki Haley,” the former South Carolina governor, he said. He pointed to Trump’s penchant for name-calling and abusive rhetoric.
“Some of it was funny,” he said. “But it’s just gotten old.” He argued the Republicans would have a better shot at winning the presidency this year “if there would have been someone at the top of the ticket that just was less divisive.”
John Russo, former co-director of the Center for Working Class Studies at Youngstown State University, cautioned Democrats not to count on all voters being turned off by Trump’s vulgar and disparaging language. Russo, now a visiting scholar at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., cited the example of former U.S. Rep. James Traficant Jr., a Democratic who represented the economically ravaged congressional district of Youngtown’s Mahoning Valley for 17 years, from 1985 until 2002.
Traficant’s politics and personality resembled Trump’s in several ways. Like Trump, he billed himself as an economic populist and defender of the working class and was known for his extreme rhetoric.
Also like Trump, he was charged with crimes. He was expelled from the House after being convicted of 10 felony counts, including taking bribes, filing false tax returns, racketeering and forcing his congressional staff to perform work at his homes.
Russo pointed out that despite those convictions, many of his supporters remained steadfast.
“Jim Traficant represented the politics of resentment,” Russo said. “He was very popular and that support continued even after he went to jail.”
While serving seven years in federal prison in 2002, Traficant ran as an independent candidate for another term in the House. He garnered 28,045 votes — 15 percent of the total cast.
Homecoming: Dukes take home big win
All photos: RUSS GIFFORD | The Community Guide
Wellington Football vs Oberlin - Homecoming. Wellington hosted Oberlin for their Homecoming game and celebrated the crowning of the 2024 Homecoming King Jonah Stump and Queen Harper Fleming. Wellington defeated Oberlin 39-3 which included a running clock throughout the fourth quarter.
ABOVE: Wellington’s Johnnie Kinter gets past Oberlin’s Jaden Brown for yardage. UPPER RIGHT: Wellington’s Bryce Lehmkuhl is able to drag down Oberlin’s Julian Anderson by his jersey.
LOWER RIGHT: The Wellington 2024 Homecoming Queen Harper Fleming and King Jonah Stump smile after being crowned before the start of the Football game against Oberlin.
Firelands girls sweep Keystone
Firelands’ Lexi Schrader prepares a set at Keystone. Keystone Volleyball vs Firelands. Keystone celebrated their three 2024 Volleyball Seniors against Firelands. Firelands spoiled the Senior Night by picking up a 3-0 win over Keystone. (25-9, 25-13, 25-11)
Wellington boys celebrate senior night with win
Wellington Boys Soccer vs Keystone. Wellington celebrated their seven Seniors for Senior Night against Keystone. Wellington cruised to a 10-0 win over a short-handed Keystone team which included several players from the Keystone Girls team.
ABOVE: Wellington celebrates their 2024 Seniors from left, Jonah Stump, Logan Cuson, Zach Barnes, Spencer Brasee, Alessandro Manni, Tomas LIsa and Robert Barnes against Keystone. RIGHT: Wellington’s Jorge Somoza Del Castillo moves the ball past Keystone’s Luke Skala.
Lorain County Democratic Women’s Club
The Lorain County Democratic Women’s (LCDW’s) Club will host their annual Soup & Salad fundraising event on October 17 from 5:30-7 p.m. at Rosebud Hall – 4493 Oberlin Avenue in Lorain.
Tickets are $20 at the door and sponsorships are available, including:
n Salad & Dessert sponsorships are $125
n Package Deal – two tickets, placemat ad and table sponsors for $150
n Just table and one ticket for $100
n Just placemat ad for $35 (available until full)
For more information, contact the LCDW at LCDWOhio@gmail.com
Pittsfield Historical Society
Barney Hartman, a lifelong Pittsfield Township resident, will give a program 7 p.m. Nov. 14
titled “Pittsfield Township’s connection to Booker T. Washington and the Atlanta Cotton States and International Exposition of 1895.”
The free program will be at the Pittsfield Town Hall, 16940 state Route 58, Pittsfield Twp.
Amherst Schools
The Board of Education will convene a special meeting 2 p.m. Nov. 10 at the AC Hotel Watson Room, 517 Park Street, Columbus, OH 43215 for the purpose of:
Pursuant to §121.22 of
the Ohio Revised Code, notice is hereby given that the Board of Education of the Amherst Exempted Village School District will meet in special session:
n Review and discussion of district goals; n Update of facilities project;
n Review draft of November 2024 five-year forecast, and n Development of taxation policy. Discussion only. No action will be taken.
Lorain County Strategic Action Plan
Renee Ligon, managing director of Partnerships & Engagement with Team NEO at JobsOhio Network Partner, will be among the speakers at the Lorain County Strategic Action Plan Final Summit. The Summit will be at 10 a.m. Oct. 22 at the Spitzer Conference Center, Lorain County Community College, 1005 Abbe Rd N.
Oberlin Heritage Center
n Get ready to have a spook-tacular time at the Ghostly Gala, presented by the Oberlin SCAREitage Center on from 7-11 p.m. Saturday. Enjoy a fang-tastic evening complete with two drink tickets (cash bar for additional drinks), a ghoulishly good selection of hors d’oeuvres and sweets, and a full-size candy bar that’ll make you feel like a kid on Halloween night. Enjoy music arranged by DJ Dolla Bill (Billie Neadham) and try
BULLETIN BOARD
your luck with our frightfully fun raffles, including a 50/50 raffle. Costumes are encouraged, so get creative and you might just snag a prize for best historical figure, couples costume, or group getup. Haunted hearts and spooky spirits, come out and support the Oberlin Scareitage Center—your ticket to the Ghostly Gala is sure to be a scream!
The festivities are at the New Russia Township Lodge, 46300 Butternut Ridge Road. Tickets are $45 (this is a 21 and up event) ($40 for OHC members).
n In honor of Veterans Day, Oberlin College Prof. Caroline Wood Newhall will present “Everything but Death,” A program about African American soldiers who became prisoners of war in the Confederacy. The program is 7:15 p.m. Nov. 12 at Kendal at Oberlin.
Knights of Columbus
n At 6 p.m. today the Knights of Columbus Council 3269 in Knights of Columbus will host Kevin Arocho, President of Arocho Firearms LLC, and a member of his staff (Heather) for a free mini-class including informing and training attendees on gun safety at Ragan Hall, 1783 Moore Road, Avon. They
will talk about the Rules of Firearm Safety, home security; creation of a home defense plan; legal use of force responsibilities; and aftermath of an encounter. Please RSVP by Oct. 14 to rudybreglia@gmail.com. Snacks and refreshments will be served. Bring a friend. Public is welcome.
n The “Knights at the Races fundraiser is 5:30 p.m. Oct. 26 with dinner at 6 p.m. and races at 7:15 p.m. The Father Ragan Council is partnering with the St. Ladislas Council of Knights. The Races Event will be held in the St. Ladislas Church Hall at 2345 Bassett Rd., Westlake. Cash Bar & Sideboards. Tickets are $30/person for dinner and access to betting. Pick a horse for $25. For Reservation Form or Information contact Pete Catanese at (440) 4654946 or use pcatanese7@ gmail.com. Mail checks to Knights of Columbus, PO Box 224, Avon, OH 44011 and make payable to Knights of Columbus. RSVP by Oct. 21 for Ads and RSVP for dinner reservation is Oct. 18 with your name(s), the number attending, your phone number, email address and check.
Lorain County Free Clinic
The 24nd Annual Lorain County Free Clinic Steak
Fry Benefit will be held from 4-8 p.m. on Oct. 18 at the Eagles, 1161 Milan Avenue, Amherst.
Tickets are $25 and include steak, potato, salad, desert and beverages. You can by tickets at lcfreeclinic.org, by emailing paul@ lcfreeclinic.org or calling 440-277-6641. All proceeds support the work of the Free Clinic and help provide medical care to the underserved in Lorain and eastern Erie counties. For more information, contact Paul Baumgartner at 440315-9012.
Empty Bowls by the Lake
Guests are invited on Oct. 19 to a simple meal of soup and bread served at ALHS from 11am- 2pm.
In exchange for a $25 donation, guests will be asked to keep a bowl as a reminder of all the empty bowls in the world.
The event will include live entertainment and a silent auction. All proceeds benefit Second Harvest Food Bank and other local community resource centers and food banks. When you give to Empty Bowls by the Lake, you are helping feed the hungry and to spread the word about the need that exists all around us. Please email us at EmptyBowlsByTheLake@ gmail.com if you’d like to help in any way.
Ebony and Ivory Piano Wars
The Rotary Club of Oberlin will hold a piano wars program at 6 p.m. Nov. 9
at 45960 Telegraph Road, Amherst.
Enjoy a fun night of fellowship and fundraising. Cocktails, dinner and entertainment are included with your ticket. $75 each Venmo @OberlinRotaryClub, PayPal @ Rotary Club of Oberlin OH, DACdb, or Check to PO Box 123 Oberlin, OH 44074. No tickets sold at door.
Oberlin Parents Weekend
Oberlin College’s Parents & Family Weekend is one of the Oberlin Heritage Center’s last big tour weekends of the year. Tours will be open to the public as well as to campus visitors. Nov. 8: Oberlin Origins SelfGuided Tour of the Monroe House 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Guided tour of the Jewett House 1:30-2:15 p.m. Nov. 9: Oberlin Origins SelfGuided Tour of the Monroe House 10 a.m.-5
e.g.
55. French vineyard
57. *Grisly
61. *Ghostly apparition
65. Throat dangler
66. *”The Murders in the ___ Morgue” 68. Actress Watts
69. Relating to a lobe
70. Songwriter Gershwin
71. a.k.a. tangelos 72. Pitcher
73. Lt.’s inferior, in the Navy
River clay deposits
Oberlin Schools administrator honored
WhyPlaya Game That Everyone Wins?
To
important,but so is knowinghow to get along with others.
Game Rules:
2-4playersorteams
Findamarker for each player or team
Flipa cointomove.
Heads:move twospaces.
Tails: move one space Play until everyone finishes andyou areall winners!
Bonus Challenge:
How canyou turn losing agameintoawin?
Spokekindly to familymember. FREETURN!
Fedyour pet. TAKE THE SHORTCUT!
Respected your sister’s or brother’s privacy. MOVE AHEAD TWOSPACES!
Find an example in the newspaper of someone helping their community. Tell why yourespect this person.
Close your eyes and draw your home.
Namea volunteerjob youcould do
Name something youown that is reusable
Forgot to take out trash LOSE A TURN.
Reduce: Find something youcould do without.
Planted owers TAKE THE SHORTCUT!
Tell aboutatime someone was kind to you.
Talk aboutthings that make you feel better when you’re sad
Directions: Play this game with a friend or afamily member.When you see aperson doing eachof the respectful behaviors on the bingo card, mark it off. Who can complete one row first? Can you cross offall the behaviors?
HOLDING ADOOR OPEN FOR SOMEONE
TWO PEOPLE SHAKING HANDS
SOMEONE SAYING “PLEASE” SOMEONE SAYING “THANK YOU”
SOMEONE SHARING WITH ANOTHER SOMEONE PICKING UP LITTER
Sha toys high the next
Actout making your bed.
Nametwo ways you and theperson on your rightare alike.
Complimentthe person l
Explain whyyou chose it
Compliment each player
whatit like to be tedwith spect.
Cutthrough a neighbor’s yard. LOSE ATURN!
Talk aboutthings that makeyou feel betterwhen you’re sad
SOMEONE BEING KIND TO ANIMALS
FRIENDS HELPING EACH OTHER
SOMEONE LISTENING WITH RESPECT SOMEONE SAYING A KIND WORD
SOMEONE SAYING “I’M SORRY” SHOWING A POSITIVE ATTITUDE
Youhelped ayounger student. Nice!
Polite to yard dutyteacher TAKE THE SHORTCUT!
Poli schoolcu MOVE ONE S stud ! Talked when teac wasgivingdirections DO NOTTALKUNTIL
E N! NEXT TURN!
Name three greatthings aboutanother player.
HOLDING ADOOR OPEN FOR SOMEONE
SOMEONE SAYING “PLEASE” SOMEONE SAYING “THANK YOU”
Listenedquietlywhile aclassmate spoke. MOVE AHEAD ONE SPACE.
Helpedsomeone carrysomething. FREETURN!
Name alaw you must obey.
Shakehands with hononyour h on your f theperso i
Talk about atime youshowed kindness
Name two classmateswho are respectfultoothers te to ustodian AHEAD SPACE! Tell howyou help keep your classroom clea
TWO PEOPLE SHAKING HANDS
SOMEONE SHARING WITH ANOTHER SOMEONE PICKING UP LITTER
Help without beingasked MOVE AHEAD ONESPACE. Thank another player forplaying this gamewithyou
SOMEONE BEING KIND TO ANIMALS
SOMEONE LISTENING WITH RESPECT
SOMEONE SAYING A KIND WORD
Actout helping someone carryabig bag of groceries
FRIENDS HELPING EACH OTHER
SOMEONE SAYING “I’M SORRY” SHOWING A POSITIVE ATTITUDE
Youtreat otherswith respectdespite di erencesinage, gender, race or religion. YOUARE A WINNER!
With hundreds of topics,every KidScoop printable activitypack features six-to-seven pages of high-interest extra learning activities forhomeand school! Getyour free sample todayat:
Anyashowed respect for her neighborhood by pickinguplitter. This week’sword:
The noun respect means treating people, animals and things in akind and thoughtful way
Tryto use the word respect in asentencetodaywhen talking with your friends and familymembers.
How can you turn alosing game intoa win?