PITTSFIELD TWP. — Students at the Lorain County Joint Vocational School will have to lock up their cellphones during class this year.
And not in their lockers.
The new policy requires students to place their phones in a lockbox at the start of class, with the teacher holding the key for the period, Director of Communications Mario Codispoti said.
The new cellphone policy, released earlier this week is in line with the state’s model student cellphone policy, Codispoti
said. It does not include limitations on wearable technology like smartwatches.
Students will be able to use their phones during class changes, lunch and study hall, he said.
“For us, it’s always what’s in the best interest of students,” Codispoti said. “And then what does striking that balance look like. We don’t want to be too extreme on both sides of the fence.”
This year is a chance to get students familiar with the change ahead of the state’s 2025 policy deadline, Codispoti said, and work out any logistical issues with placing students’ phones in the lockboxes.
Ohio House Bill 250 requires public schools to “adopt a policy governing the use of cellular telephones by students dur-
In case of an emergency, such as a lockdown, students will not have access to their phones but families will receive updates and information from the school’s automated alert system via text, calls and emails.
ing school hours” by July 1, 2025.
In case of an emergency, such as a lockdown, students will not have access to their phones, he said, but families will receive updates and information from the school’s automated alert system via text, calls and emails.
Families are automatically enrolled in that system. Caregivers not receiving them can contact the school at (440) 774-1051.
Mario Codispoti, director of communications
Codispoti said the JVS is meant to prepare students for the workforce — and that includes its new cellphone policy.
“For us, it’s our responsibility to make sure that our students are achieving growth and success,” he said. “So (if) that’s one way for us to limit disruptions and interruptions, we’re going to take that stance.”
The policy does not apply to JVS staff or adult education programs.
Browns push for a dome
Dispensaries busy with cannabis sales
SHEFFIELD TWP. —
The first day of recreational marijuana sales in Ohio saw a steady stream of customers at a dispensary off Grove Avenue last week. Across the state, Ohioans lined up for recreational marijuana sales Aug. 6 after nearly 100 medical marijuana dispensaries were authorized to begin recreational sales to those 21 and older after receiving operating certificates this week from the state’s Division of Cannabis Control.
The three Lorain County dispensaries that started
recreational sales were FRX Elyria Craft Cannabis Medical Dispensary, 709 Sugar Lane, Elyria; The Citizen by Klutch, 5152 Grove Ave., Sheffield Township; and RISE Medical Dispensary, 1920 Cooper Foster Park Road, Lorain. The Citizen by Klutch/ Klutch Cannabis’ Vice President of Compliance and Communications Pete Nischt said there was a line out the door when it opened and a steady stream of customers until storms knocked the power out in the afternoon.
“It’s been years in the making,” Nischt said, noting staff were trained ahead
The Browns have made their desire abundantly clear.
They want to build a dome in Brook Park, rather than renovate Cleveland Browns Stadium on the lakefront.
That was the message last week in a letter to season ticket holders that strongly reinforced previous indications.
While the organization hasn’t made a final decision and a commitment of public funding for the dome site must be worked out, the team took its case to the fans with the letter and the release of images of the site.
They’re a response to the letter from Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb to the Browns last week outlining the city’s funding proposal for a $1.1 billion renovation of the current stadium.
The city argued moving home games out of downtown — where they’ve been since the franchise was founded
The Citizen by Klutch/Klutch
of
of Tuesday’s kickoff to help customers navigate the company’s digital menu and help choose products off the shelves.
“Obviously we’ve had a lot of sales today, that isn’t
altogether surprising,” he said. “I think it’s probably something that most dispensaries are experiencing, but I think that Ohio has a really large, longstanding, robust cannabis community.”
in 1946 — would do major financial damage.
The Browns have requested additional information from the city as they evaluate the proposal. The lease on the stadium expires after the 2028 season.
“We do not take the stadium decision lightly, and have been working diligently with city, county and state officials to consider all opportunities,” Haslam Sports Group executive vice president and chief operating officer
David A. Jenkins wrote in the letter.
“We need to be bold, we need to be innovative, and we need to take advantage of this unique moment to create a transformational project not only for our fans, but for Cleveland, the Northeast Ohio region and the State of Ohio.” Jenkins wrote the current stadium would need “substantial improvements” for “sustainability” and to make it “state-of-the-art.”
See DOME, A2
Committee formed to get people to vote
22 percent voted in the primary
Carissa Woytach
The Community Guide
A nonpartisan coalition hopes to increase voter turnout this November.
El Centro de Servicios Sociales, Lorain County Urban League, the Lorain Public Library System and the Elyria YWCA are spearheading a group to get more county residents registered to vote and out to the polls for the general election.
The group’s first meeting at the Lorain County Urban League’s downtown Elyria office on Thursday saw nonprofit leaders, local
clergy and school district representatives discuss how to increase Lorain County’s voter turnout. The 2024 primary election had only 22 percent of voters cast a ballot; with single-digit turnouts in parts of Elyria’s south side and neighborhoods in south and central Lorain.
The idea is patterned after the coalition El Centro and other organizations led for the census self-response in 2020 — as low voter turnout areas in Lorain and Elyria are also where low See VOTE, A2
An artist’s rendering provided by HKS shows a proposed Browns domed stadium.
PROVIDED BY THE BROWNS
Scott Petrak The Community Guide
Carissa Woytach
The Community Guide
CARISSA WOYTACH / COMMUNITY GUIDE
Cannabis Vice President
Compliance and Communications Pete Nischt demonstrates how the dispensary’s digital menu works.
Ballot issues set for Lorain County
Dave O’Brien The Chronicle-Telegram
The deadline has passed for local ballot issues, bond issues or levies to make it in front of voters at the Lorain County polls on Nov. 5 ballot. There is less than two months left for Lorain County voters to ensure they are registered to vote in the Nov. 5 election. That deadline is Oct. 7.
The following issues will be assigned numbers once they are certified for the ballot by the Board of Elections:
Lorain County
n Mental Health, Addiction and Recovery Services Board of Lorain County, 1.2-mill, 10-year renewal levy
n Lorain County Children Services, 1.28-mill, five-year renewal levy
Avon
n Avon Schools, 3.98-mill, 37-year bond issue for school construction.
The Avon Board of Education voted unanimously in June to put the bond issue, which will seek to raise $90 million, on the ballot for November. It would go for school upgrades and help the district consolidate from six buildings to four.
n Rezoning 17.7 acres of property owned by Isomer Group LLC on Nagel Road between Detroit and Middleton roads from
response rates were for the census.
A panel with Lorain Councilwoman Sylvia DuVall, D-at Large, Elyria Councilman Brad Armstrong, I-5th Ward and Lorain County Urban League intern Steven Furcron discussed why community members do not go to the polls on Election Day.
The group agreed some residents may feel they do not have any civic power, or feel only voting for president matters.
DuVall noted even at the local level, a mayor cannot make decisions unless a City Council agrees. El Centro Executive Director Victor Leandry said the coalition is also talking about educating communities — on the issues on the ballot, on how to get reliable information on the issues and candidates and how to get registered.
When asked if the purged voter list would be a challenge for the committee, Furcron said there is a lack of information
single-family residential, or R1, to general business district, or C4 designation.
n Precinct 2-A, Sunday alcohol sales, Coopers Hawk Winery and Restaurant, 35351 Chester Road.
Avon Lake Schools
n A 6.59-mill, 37-year bond issue and 1-mill levy for elementary school and middle school construction and improvements to the high school; and n A 4.22-mill, 10-year levy for emergency requirements.
The Avon Lake Board of Education took steps on June 18 to place both issues on the November ballot, the first being to issue bonds to build a new K-5 elementary school, a new PreK-5 elementary school, a new middle school for grades 6-8, and to raise enough money to renovate Avon Lake High School.
Columbia Schools
n A 4.88-mill, 37-year bond issue for school improvements.
Total amount to be raised is $38.5 million.
n A 2-mill, five-year levy for general permanent improvements.
The Columbia Board of Education voted July 9 to put both issues on the ballot.
Eaton Township
n 1.25-mill, additional continuous levy for fire department n Precinct No. 1, weekday alcohol sales, Pine Brook Golf
reach younger voters, Armstrong said coalition members need to make them comfortable and relate to them before asking if they are registered to vote.
Furcron agreed. He said it will take canvassers more than a couple minutes to gain someone’s trust to be able to check if they are a registered voter, or if they have been purged from the rolls. Leandry said the group plans to get the schools involved.
The deadline for voter registration is Oct. 7 and early voting starts Oct. 8. Absentee ballot requests are due Oct. 29 and Election Day is Nov. 5. There are five subcommittees available for those interested in participating in the group’s civic engagement efforts: a faith-based committee, an educational committee, one for registration and canvassing, one organizing a candidates’ night and getting people to vote, and another focusing on the schools and young voters. For more information, contact Leandry at vleandry@lorainelcentro.
Links, 11043 Durkee Road; and n Precinct No. 1 Sunday alcohol sales, Pine Brook Golf Links, 11043 Durkee Road.
Firelands Schools
n 1 percent earned income tax, for a continuing period, for current expenses.
The Firelands Board of Education voted July 8 to put the issue to voters. It would place a 1 percent tax on earned income of individuals living in the school district.
Kipton
- Reduction in Village Council from six to five members
LaGrange
n Gas aggregation
Lorain
n Lorain Schools, 4.97-mill, five-year levy for general permanent improvements.
If passed, the levy will generate $3.5 million per year for the life of the levy, or $17.7 million over its five-year lifespan.
n Change in terms of City Council members, increase from two years to four years.
If approved, terms for representatives of wards 1, 3, 5 and 7 and all council-at-large members would be extended to four years starting in January 2026.
Terms for council members representing wards 2, 4, 6, 8 and the Council President would increase
The organization also continues to point out the “significant operational limitations” on the lakefront site, including ingress, egress and parking.
“We have invested heavily in exploring this path and remain engaged with the City of Cleveland regarding a potential renovation plan, but it remains a complex and challenging proposition,” Jenkins wrote.
Then he shifted the focus to the dome.
“The other and more transformational option is to build a $2.4 billion new domed stadium in Brook Park, creating a modern, dynamic, world-class venue that would greatly enhance the fan experience and enable the State of Ohio and our region to compete for some of the biggest events in the world 365 days a year,” he wrote.
“The stadium’s year-round activity would anchor a large-scale lifestyle and entertainment district, in-
effective January 2028. It is the fifth time since 2021 that city voters will see the term change issue on the ballot.
Oberlin
n Oberlin Schools, 4.21-mill, 37-year bond issue for construction
Pittsfield Township
n 2-mill, five-year renewal levy for roads and construction
Vermilion
n Referendum on zoning property at Sunnyside Road.
Residents submitted a petition with 881 signatures seeking a referendum to reverse City Council’s approval of the rezoning of 300 acres for mixed-use development by DBR Commercial Realty, which is planning to build 600 homes on the property.
n Precinct 4-A, Sunday alcohol sales, Aunt Ruth’s Family Store, 3807 Edgewater Drive.
Joint Vocational School District
n 2.2-mill, 36-year bond issue for construction.
EHOVE serves multiple school districts in Erie, Huron and Ottawa counties and is located in Milan Township, Erie County. Some Lorain County voters will have a say on the bond issue.
Camden Township
n 1.32-mill, 25-year bond issue for fire equipment
cluding experiential retail, residential space, hotels and other unique products, drawing visitors throughout the year and driving substantial fiscal impact for our region.
“While significant work remains, the more we have explored the Brook Park option, the more attractive it has become, and we are excited to share the current vision with you.”
The Browns attached the renderings to the email.
Jenkins said they also considered other locations for a dome, including Burke Lakefront Airport, which the Browns and the city determined wasn’t feasible. And a dome at the current stadium site doesn’t work because of economic constraints and FAA restrictions.
“The Brook Park site is the most compelling option for a dome for several reasons: its central location for our regional fan base, its proximity to downtown, the RTA and the airport, and its strong existing infrastructure,” Jenkins wrote. “The large foot-
Registration deadline
The deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 5 election is Oct. 7. If you are dropping off a registration form in person that day, the board offices at 1985 N. Ridge Road in Sheffield Township will be open until 9 p.m.
You can update your registration online until 11:59 p.m. Oct. 7 on the Lorain County Board of Elections website.
You can check on your voter registration status in several ways: 1. Go to the Lorain County Board of Elections website at www.voteloraincountyohio.gov and click on the box on the left that says “Voter Registration Status.” You will be asked to verify that you are human by clicking a box, and then asked for your four-digit birth year, last and first names.
2. Call the Lorain County Board of Elections at (440) 326-5900 or go to its offices for assistance.
3. Update your voter registration information online with the Online Voter Registration System on the Secretary of State’s website at olvr.ohiosos.gov.
In-person absentee voting begins at 8 a.m. Oct. 8 and ends at 5 p.m. Nov. 3. Polls are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Nov. 5. For information, visit www. voteloraincountyohio.gov/officehours.
Staff writers Carissa Woytach and Richard Perrins contributed to this story.
print is also ripe for major economic development and supports ample parking and optimized ingress/egress for our visitors.”
The Browns have an agreement to buy 176 acres on Snow Road near Cleveland Hopkins Airport on the site of a former Ford plant. They’re seeking a 50-50 partnership in the $2.4 billion project and also plan a $1 billion privately funded development around the dome.
They’re proposing new bonds to cover the public portion of the funding that they believe would be repaid by the new revenues generated.
“Importantly, we are not looking to tap into existing taxpayer-funded streams, which could divert resources from other pressing needs,” Jenkins wrote. “We are instead working on innovative funding mechanisms with local, county, and state officials that would leverage the fiscal impact of the project and the unprecedented private contribution to support the public investment and gen-
erate a substantial return for Brook Park, Cuyahoga County, and the State of Ohio.”
The Browns would like Cleveland to get behind the move and have pledged to work with the city on the development of the lakefront, whether there’s a renovation or the dome is built.
“The City of Cleveland and the success of its downtown remain incredibly important to us,” Jenkins wrote. “We acknowledge that a move to Brook Park may have a near-term impact on downtown, but we believe that the yearround activity of a domed stadium can still positively impact the downtown economy, particularly when coupled with the possibilities of a reimagined lakefront absent the stadium.
“Developing the lakefront without the stadium could be the best way to maximize the long-term success of our underutilized North Coast waterfront asset.”
Contact Scott Petrak at (440) 329-7253 or spetrak@chroniclet.com.
2024-2025 SEASON
Stocker Art Center announces lineup
Michelle Foster’s “Welcome Home – The Legacy of Carole King” will be performed Nov. 1 in the Hoke Theatre as part of the Stocker Arts Center’s Performing Artist Series. John Benson The Community Guide
The only good news about the summer flying by is it means we’re that much closer to the upcoming Stocker Arts Center season of song, dance, film and theater.
The Elyria-based venue at Lorain County Community College announced Friday its jam-packed 2024-2025 season. The programming is the first full season selected by Stocker Arts Center Director Erin Miller, who last year took over for Janet Herman Barlo.
“Janet was here for so long, it would be irresponsible for me to try to do a major switch,” she said.
“First, I’m not that much different from her, but also that would be a huge shock to our patron constituency. I’m just sort of moving on while going on into sort of the same types of programming.” Miller spent the entire 2023-2024 season immersing herself into all things Stocker Center, which she said really shines when presenting performing artist series types of events such as classical dance, music and Broadway.
“I had the whole year to spend time getting to know some of the patrons and getting to see the things that they really enjoyed,” she said. “So I approached this season as sort of going back to the basics.”
Before looking toward this season, Miller actually found inspiration from previous Stocker Center Director Kasson Crooker, who she said decades ago booked various types of acts — including a performance by the Cleveland Orchestra and prestigious dance companies.
“Programming since the pandemic has gone away from that,” she said.
“People are doing a lot of tribute acts because that’s super popular right now, so I’m going more into the single artists.”
The artists include Michelle Foster’s “Welcome Home — The Legacy of Carole King” on Nov. 1, as well as Chris Mann’s “Bennett: From Gershwin to Gaga — Celebrating the Tony Bennett Songbook” on March 28.
“The biggest feedback I heard was that we need to bring Broadway back,” she said. “Times have changed technologically speaking since we used to have Broadway touring shows come here to Stocker.
“They’ve become super technically advanced. Some of those productions that are touring out there right now physically won’t fit into this space, so last season I started the Broadway Sessions.”
Featuring coordinator, director and sometimes performer Joanna May Cullinan, Broadway Sessions this year includes three shows — “The Music of Stephen Schwartz” (Oct. 5), “Beloved Broadway Flops” (Nov. 2) and “From Page to Stage” (March 15) — as well as a full-length production of “Songs for a New World” (Feb. 22-23).
“This is putting my own stamp on the season, trying to bring some of that self-produced
Sweet Honey in the Rock will bring its 50th anniversary tour Feb. 7 to the Hoke Theatre as part of the Stocker Arts Center’s Performing Artist Series.
Stocker Event Series
(7:30 p.m. at Hoke Theatre)
n “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” — 49th
Anniversary Spectacular Tour with host Barry Bostwick (Oct. 16)
n Tiempo Libre (Oct. 26)
n Livingston Taylor (Nov. 9)
n Gangstagrass (Feb. 21)
n Terrance Simien and the Zydeco Experience –“Mardi Gras Madness” (March 1)
n Mike Super – “Magic and Illusion” (March 22)
n InLet Dance Theatre – “What Do You Do With An Idea?” (March 15)
n Eric McCormack & Laura Bell Bundy: “A Blonde, Brunette and Some Duets” (April 11)
n Electric Avenue – The Ultimate 80’s Tribute Band (May 3)
Performing Artist Series
(7:30 p.m. at Hoke Theatre)
n New York Theatre Ballet — “Firebird” (Oct. 10-12)
n Michelle Foster: “Welcome Home – The Legacy of Carole King” (Nov. 1)
n “Who Brought the Humbug? — The Ultimate Holiday Party” (Dec. 10)
n Sweet Honey in the Rock — “50th Anniversary Tour” (Feb. 7)
n Chris Mann — “Bennett: From Gershwin to Gaga – Celebrating the Tony Bennett Songbook” (March 28)
n “Britbeat: The Immersive Beatles Tribute Experience” (April 19)
Studio Theatre
(7 p.m. at Studio Theatre)
n The Musical Theater Project — “A Christmas Cabaret” (Dec. 13-14)
n Broadway Sessions: “The Music of Stephen Schwartz” (Oct. 5) “Beloved Broadway Flops” (Nov. 2) “Songs for a New World” (7 p.m. Feb. 22, 2 p.m. Feb. 23) “From Page to Stage” (March 15)
Film Series
(7:30 p.m. at Hoke Theatre)
n “The Taste of Things” (Sept. 6)
n “Babel” (Sept. 13)
n “Anatomy of a Fall” (Sept. 20)
n “Nowhere Special” (Sept. 27)
n “The Divine Order” (Oct. 4) n “Wadjda” (Oct. 18) n “Shayda” (Nov. 8) n “Atonement” (Nov. 15) n “The Old Oak” (Nov. 22)
n “The Well-Digger’s Daughter” (Dec. 13) For more information, visit Stockerartscenter.com
theater back into Stocker, which has been gone for a bunch of years,” she said.
Another focus on the upcoming season is appealing to younger audiences with Miller pointing to “Gangstagrass” (Feb. 21).
“I’m taking a risk on some new things, specifically a group called ‘GangstaGrass,’ which is a fusion of bluegrass and traditional rap,” she said
“It seems like a strange combination until you look at the roots of rap that come from bluegrass in the African diaspora.
“So it’s a natural pairing that going to hopefully appeal to all ages but may be intriguing for some of our younger crowd as well.”
For more information, visit Stockerartscenter.com.
Contact John Benson at ndiffrence@att.net.
Oberlin’s white squirrels inspire new shop owners
OBERLIN — The newly opened White Squirrel art boutique is as unique as the animal it is named after.
Owners Robert Allen, a retired emergency manager with NASA, and Marce Allen, a retired paralegal with the Department of Defense, didn’t stay retired long.
The couple got bored, and then got creative — in more ways than one.
“We wanted to open our little store to highlight our hobbies,” Marce Allen said. “I’m into arts and crafts and my husband is into photography.”
But the shop is more than that.
“We want to try to be a model for the community,” she said.
“Oberlin is known for its white squirrels. That’s where our name came from. We opened up to local vendors to invite the community into our store. We have four vendors now. Someone who makes hand cream, another one who makes room deodorizers, someone who makes little purses and a local author.”
Marce Allen’s contribution to the store is arts and crafts, or as she says, a little bit of everything.
THE WHITE SQUIRREL
WHERE: 133 S. Main St., Oberlin
WHEN: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday; closed Sunday, Monday and Tuesday
CONTACT: Call Robert and Marce Allen at (440) 774-9202 or email oberlinwhitesquirrel@gmail.com
Robert Allen wants to make photography accessible.
“I want people to come in and learn,” he said. “Many people have a camera and most don’t know how it works. It’s really hard to read books on photography, so I’d like to offer one-on-one classes. I want to make it affordable and make a difference in the community.”
Robert Allen also plans to offer family shoots, pet sittings and senior portraits.
The store’s grand opening took place earlier this month with the new shop owners welcoming the public with refreshments.
“This is our first foray into shop ownership,” Marce Allen said. “We
want this to be a relaxing place. There are things we want to do, but we don’t want to make this a big job for us.
We’re not here to make a profit, but we are going to have fun doing it.”
The White Squirrel is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. The store is closed Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.
“It’s just the two of us working,” Marce Allen said. “We still want to enjoy our time.”
Marce Allen, originally from Wyoming, and Robert Allen, originally from Cleveland, moved from South Amherst to Oberlin about five years ago.
In that time, they’ve grown to love the town and have a vision for how they want to fit in.
“We are hoping people can come in and look for a gift for a loved one or family member,” Marce Allen said. “They can find a quick gift and we will have cards and offer gift wrap.”
“And make it affordable,” Robert Allen said.
Contact Christina Jolliffe at ctnews@chroniclet.com.
Slave rescue documentary wins Emmy
Christina Jolliffe
The Community Guide
OBERLIN — A documentary about the OberlinWellington Rescue of 1858 recently received an Emmy award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences — Ohio Valley.
The film, “A Higher Law: The Oberlin-Wellington Rescue of 1858,” was made by filmmakers Scott Spears and Christina Paolucci with interviews of local Oberlin history experts, such as Liz Schultz, executive director of the Oberlin Heritage Center, and Ken Grossi, board president of the Oberlin Heritage Center.
“It really was a passion project for the filmmakers,” Schultz said. “It was a project of love.”
The documentary brings to life the events surrounding John Price’s rescue from slave catchers by community members from Oberlin and Wellington in 1858. The film follows Price’s journey from Kentucky to Oberlin, increasing tensions between pro- and anti-slavery factions in the years leading up to the Civil War, Price’s kidnapping and liberation, Oberlin’s connection to the raid on Harpers Ferry shortly after and reflections on post-Civil War inequities.
The Oberlin Heritage Center was first approached about the project in 2019, when the documentary was just starting. Spears and Paolucci had secured a pilot grant to start the film, but to obtain a larger grant they needed a nonprofit fiscal partner.
That’s where the Oberlin Heritage Center really became involved.
“They interviewed several of us, some of us twice,” Schultz said.
Her area of expertise was the narrative leading up to the event.
“We’re kind of the local storytellers,” she said. “It’s a very exciting story and viewers get to learn about some people with a very interesting story. This film helps people better understand what the nation was like right before the Civil War as tensions increased in the 1840s and 1850s. Of course, these issues continue to affect us today.” Relations between Black and white people, access to property ownership and wealth are all issues that are still relevant today.
“Even Oberlin with all of its wonderful accomplishments started to backslide after the Civil War,” Schultz said. “The film speaks for itself.” Schultz said the Oberlin Heritage Center was proud to have been a part of the documentary, which has been shown around town and in schools locally since its premiere in 2023.
“I’ve heard nothing but positive feedback,” she said. “It’s an inspiring story about people putting their lives on the line to help others. It’s a story that should be told.”
The documentary is available for free on PBS Western Reserve under the “Watch on Demand” option and at the Oberlin Public Library System. The Oberlin Heritage Center also has DVD copies available for sale.
“Our staff had a planned social event the night of the Emmys,” Schultz said.
“We weren’t there, but we were all together when we got the call that the film had won, so we were able to celebrate together.”
Contact Christina Jolliffe at ctnews@ chroniclet.com.
Oberlin celebrates 200th birthday of Wilson Bruce Evans
The Community Guide
The Wilson Bruce Evans Home Historical Society will celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of its namesake who was an Oberlin Underground Railroad operative and abolitionist activist, at its annual meting, Sept. 14 at Martin Luther King Jr. Park. The public is invited to hear welcoming remarks by prominent local leaders, and tributes to activists for their contributions to African American life in Oberlin.
Actor Debra Rose will present “The Journey of Lee Howard Dobbins,” the story of a freedom seeking orphan whose short life ended in Oberlin. Weather permitting, trustees will show off the recently completed front porch (in the photo at right) on the Evans House at 33 East Vine Street, across the street from Martin Luther King Jr. Park. It was built to evoke the entryway Evans added to the home in 1883. Trustees will also unveil a sign recognizing the rehabilitation funding secured through a grant from the National Park Service African American Civil Rights program. Birthday cake will be served
AUGUST 19, 2024
AUGUST 20, 2024
to conclude the event.
In case of rain, the event will be held at the Oberlin Underground Railroad Center, 291 South Main St. At 3 p.m., Lewis Sheridan Hughes, great-greatgreat grandson of Wilson Bruce Evans, will present “Prelude to Oberlin: The Leary-Evans Family and Free People of Color in Antebellum Fayetteville, N.C.,” in the Community Room of the Oberlin Public Library.
This talk will focus on the Learys, the family of Sarah Jane Leary Evans, wife of Wilson Bruce Evans, and their history as prosperous, prominent, free people of color in North Carolina before the Civil War.
All events are free and open to the public. The Evans Home Historical Society 4th Annual Meeting is part of the Ohio Open Doors Program of the Ohio History Connection, promoting and inspiring pride in Ohio’s heritage.
For more information, email manager@evanshhs. org or go to our website evanshhs.org
- 4:00 P.M. - 36 S. PROSPECT ST. - PURPOSE: To hear a presentation on work being done at Westwood Cemetery
Non-conforming restaurant denied
Owners say it is discrimination
The Community Guide
ELYRIA — The proposed restaurant and bar of an Elyria native and NFL veteran will not move forward for now, a snag that one owner said was discriminatory.
Council’s Community Development Committee voted on Monday to deny a conditional use permit for the business at 460 Cleveland St. The conditional use permit is needed because the area is not zoned for restaurants.
Council members and neighbors of the property, which was once a Payless shoe store, said their main concern was a lack of parking at the property.
The proposed business is owned by Elyria native and former NFL running back Hubert Oliver and Rosalyn Wade.
Councilman Kenny Oswald, D-4th Ward, said he thinks the owner are great people. “But it’s not about that, it’s about the law and ordinances and the problem that we have a parking issue.”
Wade said that she and Oliver had been trying to get their business open for over a year, and that she felt the fact she and Oliver are Black was the source of issues.
“We’ve been demonized by the neighborhood, they’re saying we’re this, we’re that, and all we are trying to do is start our business,” Wade said before the committee on Monday. “... This problem has to do with us, our color.”
Councilman Jack Cerra, D-7th Ward, who represents the area where the business would be located, said that the concerns residents shared made no mention of race, and they were worried mostly about the building’s limited parking lot creating traffic and excessive street parking.
Christina Jolliffe The Community Guide
PHOTO PROVIDED
Owners Robert and Marce Allen take a break in front of their boutique, The White Squirrel.
Prosecutor faces accusers
Denies accusations of domestic violence
Dave O’Brien
The Community Guide
ELYRIA — Critics and supporters of embattled Lorain County Prosecutor J.D. Tomlinson, who is facing allegations that he committed domestic violence against a former girlfriend, stood Monday outside the Lorain County Justice Center on Court Street to tell their sides of the story.
Amherst Township resident Tia Hilton organized a rally she said was in support of domestic violence survivors and to hold Tomlinson accountable to allegations he struck Jennifer Battistelli, his former girlfriend and employee.
Tomlinson has denied striking her.
After Battistelli quit her job with Tomlinson’s office in August 2023, she negotiated and received a controversial $100,000 taxpayer-funded settlement from Tomlinson’s office in October.
Hilton said everyone who showed up Monday had the right to be there, even those who came out in support of Tomlinson.
“I don’t want any drama,” she said. “Somebody has to take a stance for the citizens. That’s our money. That’s (Jennifer Battistelli’s) life. The stuff that I seen in those videos is not OK. If you’re a human you can’t actually say that’s OK.”
“I get it: Couples fight. They go through it. But you’re the prosecutor. You knew better.”
“You walk away from a situation. You don’t keep it going for years. You don’t do it. And then you put your hands on somebody? Not acceptable,” she said. “We want accountability and we’re not going to stop until we get it.”
Tomlinson has not been charged with any crimes.
Tomlinson is the target of an investigation by the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office, FBI, and Auditor of State’s office, Sheriff Phil Stammitti said. All court records of the case are sealed while visiting Judge Thomas Teodosio considers whether to appoint a special prosecutor and grand jury to hear evidence.
Tomlinson has said he welcomes the investigation, and that he has done nothing wrong.
For most of Monday’s brief rally, five or six people including Hilton stood on Hilton’s side, wearing the color purple to support domestic violence survivors.
Across the front steps of the county courthouse from them were a dozen or more Tomlinson supporters, many dressed in white Tomlinson campaign T-shirts and holding signs in support of the elected prosecutor.
Tomlinson, the incumbent Democrat, is facing a challenge from Republican Tony Cillo, a former assistant prosecutor in Tomlinson’s office. The Lorain County Democratic Party’s last chance to replace Tomlinson as their nominee for
prosecutor on the November ballot was at 4 p.m. Monday.
Tomlinson’s supporters said Monday’s rally, as well as all the allegations against him by Battistelli, are products of Cillo’s attempt to beat his former boss in this year’s campaign or revenge for Tomlinson’s dismissal of charges against two defendants Tomlinson said were wrongfully convicted of child abuse in the 1990s Head Start case.
Hilton, a vocal critic of Lorain city and county government, said multiple times that her rally wasn’t political.
It was about Tomlinson needing to take responsibility for what he was showing doing in multiple videos taken in secret by Battistelli and made public in the last few weeks.
“J.D. can’t hold criminals accountable if he doesn’t hold himself accountable” for his alleged actions, Hilton said.
Battistelli’s lawyer said Tomlinson smacked her in the face, the sound of which is allegedly captured in a video recorded late spring or early summer 2023.
Battistelli did not attend Monday’s rally.
Hilton said the she has more than 1,000 hours of videos of Tomlinson and Battastelli. Hilton declined to discuss what is on the other videos and how she obtained them.
At least three times Monday, Hilton said she was responsible for getting Tomlinson elected prosecutor in 2020.
“I got him elected and now I have buyer’s remorse,” Hilton told a Chronicle photographer before the rally.
Referencing a video Battistelli took of Tomlinson where he told her “You eat because of me,” Hilton said she wanted to remind Tomlinson that he eats because the taxpaying public elected him and pays his salary.
“You eat because of us,” she said. Tomlinson soon after emerged from the Justice Center to address both sides of the rally.
He said Hilton had the right to come out and air her concerns.
“I think I speak to all my supporters when I say we’re all against domestic violence, in any form,” Tomlinson said.
“I have never struck or threatened anybody in my life.”
He said he apologized to Battistelli “and for using any language I shouldn’t have used and any inap-
Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Hadaway remembered
Carissa Woytach
The Community Guide
Shawn Hadaway, better known to his fellow Sheriff’s Office deputies as “Smooch,” died July 29. He was 65.
Hadaway Colleagues called him ‘Smooch’
Few remembered how Hadaway got his nickname, but several of his fellow deputies remarked on how kind and well-liked the nearly 30-year veteran of the department was.
“He was always (Smooch) for as long as I can remember,” Avon Police Capt. Jim Drozdowski said.
Drozdowski, who worked for the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office until his own retirement in 2016, said ride-alongs with Hadaway while Drozdowski worked as an auxiliary officer for LCSO helped spark his own career with the department.
Drozdowski said some deputies did not like auxiliary officers riding with them, but Hadaway did not mind.
“When you did get in conversations, he’d explain to you about the job and everything like that,” Drozdowski said. “Just the way he presented himself, his attitude, definitely leaned me toward getting into law enforcement.”
propriate arguments that we had. I’ve been lucky enough to apologize to Jenn and I’m glad that she’s accepted my apology, I believe that she would say that.”
Battistelli would not say that. She said Monday that she had no comment on Tomlinson’s statement.
Hilton told those in attendance that one of Lorain County’s problems is that “nobody speaks up and everything gets pushed away.” Before Hilton could finish that thought, Nancy Smith came forward from the crowd to speak.
Smith, who was convicted and imprisoned in the 1990s Head Start child abuse case, said it was Tomlinson who got the charges against her and her co-defendant Joseph Allen dismissed in Lorain County Common Pleas Court in 2022.
“Why I’m here is because (Tomlinson) did protect me, he gave me my life back,” Smith said, “and for women to stand up against this man and do the things they’re doing is ridiculous.
This has become a joke in Lorain County. This has all become a joke. It’s out of control. It should never have happened, it should not be happening right now.”
Hilton and Smith briefly argued and talked over each other, as Tomlinson stood between them appearing to try and calm the situation.
“Jonathan Rosenbaum and Tony Cillo and Dennis Will have ruined my life!” Smith shouted at one point.
Rosenbaum is the former assistant prosecutor who obtained Smith’s conviction.
Now in private practice, he filed a lawsuit on behalf of his client James Barilla to get public records related to the Battistelli settlement.
Tomlinson has fought Barilla and Rosenbaum to prevent the records from being released.
His office also has refused to release one specific record to the Chronicle despite multiple requests.
Tomlinson again denied assaulting anyone, said he only “had arguments” and said he had apologized for the other behavior captured in the videos.
“I didn’t smack anybody,” he said, repeating the denial three times.
“I’ve apologized to (Battistelli) for the arguments I had, for the language I shouldn’t have used. That’s true.
“But I didn’t smack anybody. I just didn’t.”
been me.” Hadaway was shot in the chest with a shotgun by Terry Wyers, after deputies were called to Wyers’ home for a report that he was threatening neighbors. Hadaway was not wearing a bulletproof vest at the time of the shooting, and was flown to MetroHealth Medical Center for wounds to his abdomen and chest.
Lorain police shot and killed Wyers about a halfhour after Hadaway was injured.
Hadaway was home for two months before returning to work after the shooting. He received the Medal of Valor and Purple Heart. Drozdowski also remembered that June night.
“That was a terrible night for everybody,” he said. “It really jolted everybody when that happened. … (It) threw the entire department for a loop for a little while there.
When Hadaway came back to work, he went into the detective bureau, Drozdowski said.
The rapport between the pair continued, with Hadaway just a call away for young officers in Grafton when Drozdowski was a part-time chief for the village. Those young officers would call Hadaway, or his partner sergeant on night shift, Tom Tomasheski, for help, Drozdowski said.
Tomasheski said Hadaway was his partner in crime on LCSO’s midnight shift for nearly a decade.
He remembered Hadaway worked his way up from the department’s auxiliary after graduating from Elyria High School. Hadaway later attended Lorain County Community College and Kent State University.
He became a deputy in the late 1970s and was later promoted to sergeant. Hadaway worked as the night shift supervisor alongside Tomasheski. Somewhere in that time, Hadaway got his nickname, Tomasheski said, noting it was a badge of honor and acceptance among law enforcement.
He remembered amazing shifts together, working with young deputies to set them off on their own careers in law enforcement.
While stories of those shifts, or details around the antics in the department may be lost to time, no one forgot the night Hadaway was shot.
That night in June 2000 was an overtime shift for the midnight supervisor, Tomasheski said, as the afternoon shift sergeant was on vacation.
Hadaway had taken the OT, Tomasheski said, but called him two days prior to the shift to switch it.
Normally, Tomasheski would’ve made the swap without a second thought, he said, but he had already made plans for that evening.
“I came in that night to work the midnight shift, even though I was scheduled to be off,” he said. “I remember standing in the parking lot, we had talked about it. …. That’s when it hit home that could’ve been, maybe should’ve
Sheriff Phil Stammitti, who became the head of LCSO in 2001, said Hadaway was lucky to survive that incident. Stammitti said Hadaway also served on the department’s SWAT team and Road Patrol. After retiring from LCSO, Hadaway taught the law enforcement program at Lorain County Joint Vocational School.
Drozdowski said Hadaway shared knowledge with scores of students, teaching them the “right way” to work in law enforcement.
JVS Superintendent Glenn Faircloth said Hadaway will be missed and offered prayers and condolences to his family.
“Mr. Hadaway played a valuable role in the success of the criminal justice program,” Faircloth said in a statement. “As a law instructor with LCJVS, he had a great ability to relate to students, teach tactical training and instrumental in de-escalation techniques.”
Social media saw an outpouring of Hadaway’s former students, each remarking how good of an instructor he was.
Tomasheski said in recent years he would get reports from Hadaway’s brother, Thomas, on his former partner in crime’s health.
Recently, he said retirees from the department have started getting together to share some of those old stories and keep one another updated on their lives. He said Hadaway’s health had declined and he was never able to attend.
“I’m happy for one thing — I’m happy he is no longer suffering,” Tomasheski said. “I know from talking to his family that he was suffering a lot. I’m glad he’s not in pain anymore.”
Hadaway is survived by his wife, two children, two grandchildren and his siblings.
A celebration of life is planned for Sept. 7 at Midway Baptist Church, 41812 Griswold Road, Elyria. Calling hours will start at 10 a.m., followed by a memorial service at 11:30 a.m.
BRUCE BISHOP / COMMUNITY GUIDE
From left, J.D. Tomlinson supporter Nancy Smith; Tia Hilton, who represents a group rallying for survivors of domestic violence; and Prosecutor J.D. Tomlinson argue Monday outside the Lorain County Justice Center, where Tomlinson was facing accusations from the rally group. To see video, scan the QR code below.
THE COMMUNITY GUIDE
Supporters of Lorain County Prosecutor J.D. Tomlinson gather outside the Lorain County Justice Center on Monday.
Amherst’s Isabella McGee (19) controls the ball under pressure from Alex Vargo (Class of 2024).
Amherst’s Gabby Vasquez (17) battles for the ball with Gabi Brezina (Class of 2024.)
Photos by Russ Gifford / The Community Guide
Mystery Dinner Theater in Amherst
The Amherst Historical Society will present “Murder on the Petulant Express,” a 1930s Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre by Jack Pachuta and directed by Valerie Farschman, in September at the Amherst Historical Society Hall, 113 South Lake St.
Shows will be Friday and Saturday, Sept. 20 and 21, at 6 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 22 at 2 p.m.
With World War II looming, tensions run high as the plot unravels. You will meet and question an international cast of suspects who all have a motive for murdering wealthy industrialist Peter Petulant, the owner of the Petulant Express.
Tickets are $35 for members and $40 for non-members. It’s a BYOB buffet. Tickets are limited. Reserve yours by contacting 440-988-7255 or office@amhersthistoricalsociety.org
See schools before open in Oberlin
Each school year, Oberlin City School District welcomes students, parents and community members into its buildings prior to the first day of school with an Open Doors event.
This year, Open Doors will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 22. Open Doors is an opportunity for students and parents to meet staff and tour our buildings. There will be vendors and activities for school-aged children. The Band Boosters will have dinner for a nominal fee. Guests are encouraged to stay to attend the Oberlin High School Marching Band preview night starting at 6 p.m. on the Oberlin High School front lawn.
Sandstone Village celebrates the 1930s
Learn from reenactors about 1930s history in “Hooverville,” a Living History Event from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sept. 7 at Sandstone Village 763 Milan Ave.
The free event will include games, music and pastimes of the 30s; a Soup Kitchen for donation; Hobo Jungle and Culture; kids’ activities; a blacksmith shop and village buildings will be open; food trucks.
For more information, please contact the Amherst Historical Society at (440) 988-7255 or office@amhersthistoricalsociety.org
Chalk the Walk for drug overdose awareness
Lorain County Public Health and other local agencies will raise awareness on overdoses during Chalk the Walk on from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Ely Square in Elyria. The community is invited to attend and create uplifting messages to reduce stigma on substance use and overdose.
The event also aims to encourage and support people seeking or currently in recovery from a substance use disorder. This event will lead up to National Overdose Awareness Day on Aug. 31.
Chalk will be available to anyone who wants to partici-
FOOTBALL
BULLETIN BOARD
pate. Other attractions include: music, artist chalk displays, naloxone (Narcan) rescue kits, face painting, and food for purchase. Hear local recovery stories throughout the event. Everyone is encouraged to wear purple for overdose awareness.
In 2023 in Lorain County, there were 118 deaths related to an overdose with 106 (90 percent) of them from opioids. LCPH distributed 6,191 naloxone rescue kits, 346 of which kept people from dying from an opioid overdose.
To get a free naloxone rescue kit by mail, submit a request at LorainCountyHealth.com/opioids. Or, visit LCPH, 9880 Murray Ridge Road in Elyria, weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. to receive training and pick up a naloxone rescue kit. Call 440-322-6367 to make an appointment after hours.
Wellington plans 41st Harvest of the Arts
Wellington’s 41st annual Harvest of the Arts will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 15.
There will be about 60 fine art and folk art vendors, a handmade quilt raffle and lunch in our Friends Cafe. Come visit us in historic Wellington at 101 Willard Memorial Square. Free parking and admission. For more information, call 440-647-2120. This is a fundraiser for community programming at Herrick Library. Fresh produce at Keystone-LaGrange Library
The Keystone Empowers You Collaborative will host a pop-up produce stand at the Keystone-LaGrange Library, 133 E. Commerce Drive, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. on Aug. 22 and Sept. 12 and 26.
Reserve a bag of fresh fruits and vegetables online at bit.ly/KEYProducePickUp.
If you do not have internet access, you can leave a voicemail for your reservation at (440) 409-7460.
Bags of fresh fruits and vegetables are $12. You may pay ahead via Venmo (@Donna-Pycraft), or pay upon pickup with cash or Venmo.
Fruits and vegetables are provided by Pycraft Farm Market and availability will vary based on what is in season.
Keystone Empowers You (KEY) is a community-based group funded in part by the United Way of Greater Lorain County, and facilitated by Lorain County Public Health. MLS High organizes mobility safety event
Marion L. Steele High School in Amherst will host a free Safety in Mobility event Saturday and Sunday.
The event, hosted by Ford Philanthropy, the Governors Highway Safety Association and the Ohio Traffic Safety
Office, is open to parents and teenagers aged 13 and older.
Consisting of eight one-hour training sessions, the event focuses on vulnerable road users like pedestrians, cyclists and scooter uses. Participants will experience the perspectives of drivers and vulnerable road users through practical lessons and virtual reality.
The training sessions will take place at the high school at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
For more information and to register for the event, visit drivingskillsforlife.com/training/hands-on-training. Peck-Wadsworth closed for three months
The Lorain County Engineer’s Office announced that Peck-Wadsworth Road will be closed until mid-Novem
ber between Hawley and West roads in Wellington Township for a bridge replacement.
FOOD DISTRIBUTION
Endangered Marine Mammal
Swimming in the warm,clear waters of Hawaii is a cute animalwithlarge eyes.It’scalled the monk seal
Unfortunately,the Hawaiian monk seal is one of themost endangered marine mammals in the world
Hawaiians call theseal ‘Īlioholoikauaua Circle everyother lettertofind out what ‘Īlio holo ikauaua means
Je Schinkel,Graphics Vol. 40,No. 37
Whyisitcalled a monkseal?
The foldsofskin around theseal’sneck look like a cowl, or hood. Also, monk seals spenda lot of time alone, or in small groups.
BODY SHAPE: Their bodies arelong and fusiform,ortorpedo-shaped, which helps them swim quickly and smoothly
TheGoodNews
When people realized thatthe numberof Hawaiian monk sealswas getting smaller,they started taking actions to protect them. In 2022, theHawaiian monk seal population was estimatedtobebetween 1,512 and 1,743. This was thefirst time in over20years thatthe population surpassed1,570
Standards
Deep Divers
Monk sealscan holdtheir breathfor up to 20 minutesasthey forage in the coralreef Theycan dive deep underthe seato more than1,800 feet!
FLIPPERS: Theyhaveshort ippers to help them swim and spin quickly
Monk seal pups weigh 25-35 pounds when they areborn.
Pups weigh about 200 pounds within vetosix weeks
Monkseals are generalist feeders andeat differentkinds of marineanimals.Circle theanimals thatyou thinkamonk seal will eat.Then,check youranswers by doingthe math. The items thatadd up to even numbers arewhat monkseals will eat. 7+4+1 = crab
= sh
= seagulls
Howmany sh can you
canyou nd in the coralreef?
Monk seal nostrils aresmall vertical slits. They close when they dive.
TheAdjective Hunt
The word marine is an adjective, which describes thenoun that comes after it in asentence. Select one page of the newspaperand circle 10 adjectives. Underline the nounsthat they each describe.
• Read these facts about Hawaiian monk seals.Thendrawone in 4easysteps! 1 2 3 4 5 6
With hundreds of topics,every KidScoop printable activitypack features six-to-seven pages of high-interest extra learning activities forhome and school! Getyour free sample todayat:
This week’sword:
The word marine is an adjectivethat means livinginthe sea.
The monkseal is a marine mammal.
Trytouse theword marine in asentence today when talking with your friends andfamily members.
If you were an animal,which would you be and why? Which animalswouldbein the rest of your family?
