County mirrors U.S. housing cost rise
Carissa Woytach
The Community Guide
Nearly half of the country’s renters spent more than 30 percent of their income on housing in 2023, according to new U.S. Census Data. That is more than 21 million renters, according to the 2023 American Community Survey
1-year estimates released today.
The numbers were similar in Lorain and Lorain County, with about 43 percent of renters in the county spending 30 percent of their income on rent; while in Lorain it was about 47 percent.
The median rental cost on a national level jumped from about $1,354 in 2022 to $1,406 in 2023.
100-year-old windows have many stories to tell
St. Peter’s UCC in Amherst to celebrate majesty and history of its stained glass
Christina Jolliffe
The Community Guide
AMHERST — A beacon of light with its ornate art glass windows, St. Peter’s United Church of Christ is the only place of worship on aptly named Church Street, and congregants are celebrating the artistic details that make their church a standout.
On Sunday, the church will celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the dedication of those art glass windows.
“Today, you could not replace those windows,” said church historian Linda Gatz, of Amherst. “They are invaluable. It’s a piece of art, religious art and it’s very spiritual. If you arrive early, you can sit there and just get lost in it, meditating.”
In her role as historian, Gatz has unearthed photos and stories about the windows going back to 1924. For example, she learned that a group of children saved pennies so that their Bible class could help to purchase a window.
“These are art glass windows, a category of stained glass windows, that have details hand painted on them,” she said.
The church has four feature windows with several smaller windows.
“My favorite is ‘Jesus Knocking,’” Gatz said. “It represents the idea that if we hear a knocking
In Lorain County, median rents increase by less than $30, according to the ACS, a roughly 3 percent increase.
Lorain County’s median home values rose about 3.6 percent in the same time period, from $216,060 to $223,800. The percentage change was in line with the state’s median home value
and open the door, He will come in. God and Jesus are always here. People stop them from coming in.”
The colorful glass is far from the humble beginnings of the church.
A small group of German immigrants helped erect St. Peter’s, which was founded in 1857. Services were performed in both English and German until the 1950s, Gatz said. The windows were added in 1924 and have undergone several refurbishments over the years, with the most recent one taking place in 2018.
Gatz, a retired history and government teacher, found it fun to discover the history of the windows and church, finding all sorts of photos and documents. Many of the photos were undated or did not include names, but the Amherst Public Library and Amherst Historical Society have helped tremendously, she said.
“It’s been my joy to do this and put it together,” she said. “I grew up in an Episcopal church and we had one feature window. My husband and I moved to Amherst when we retired and his family helped found this church, so it’s very meaningful to me.”
A special service will be held at 10 a.m. Sunday by the Rev. Don Nichols, followed by performances by the handbell choir and church choir. A potluck dinner will follow. Everyone is welcome.
increase, but was a larger increase than some surrounding counties.
Lorain County Chamber of Commerce President Tony Gallo said Lorain County’s home and rent prices remaining relatively stable in the year was a good thing.
“We’ve always tried to say that Lorain County and the city is a great place to own a home, build a family and start a business, and maybe the data is reflecting that in a positive way,” he said.
PHOTO PROVIDED
St. Peter’s United Church of Christ stained glass windows will be celebrated Sunday.
Schools get report cards from state
Most unchanged from last year; Keystone and Oberlin show improvements
Carissa Woytach
The Community Guide
Ohio released its new state report cards for public school districts last week.
In Lorain County, about half of districts saw no change between overall scores in 2023 and 2024.
Amherst, Avon, Avon Lake, Elyria, Firelands, Lorain, Midview and North Ridgeville all remained unchanged on the new cards.
Keystone and Oberlin saw gains in their overall scores, while Clearview,
Columbia, Sheffield-Sheffield Lake, Vermilion and Wellington all lost between a half-star and full star.
The annual score cards evaluate the performance of every public and community school district and building in the state based on students’ results on standardized tests.
This year’s report cards, the third in a row to use a one- to five-star rating system for districts in five different components, saw statewide gains in literacy and math proficiency.
Districts and school buildings are
listed as needing supports if they score one or two stars in a component; meeting standards if they score three stars; or exceeding standards if they score four or five stars.
A sixth category, college, career, workforce and military readiness, was provided for all schools for information purposes. It will not be included until the 2024-25 school year.
Elyria Superintendent Ann Schloss said the tests given to create the report cards released Friday are a snapshot — one test, one day in time.
Cuyahoga County only saw a 2 percent median home value hike, while renters in the urban center saw about a 3.6 percent increase in median monthly rent costs.
No crying in baseball?
Unless they are happy tears from a proud Guardians coach
CLEVELAND — The Guardians’ come-frombehind victory over the Twins on Monday night brought manager Stephen Vogt to tears.
Trailing for much of the game after Minnesota chased starting pitcher Matthew Boyd in the third inning, Cleveland bounced back in a big way to win 4-3 Monday night.
Rookie Kyle Manzardo hit a goahead home run in the eighth inning to send the Guardians to their eighth win in 10 games against the Twins.
“I’m so happy for him,” manager Stephen Vogt said of Manzardo. “Everybody dreams of hitting that big home run or that big base hit in the major leagues to help your team win a game. And for him to hit that go-ahead home run in the eighth inning, that’s a moment you dream of from the time you’re 3 or 4 years old. Everyone who grows up wanting to play baseball has dreamed of that moment. The smile on his face looking back at our dugout, that was incredible.
“But my favorite part is (Josh) Naylor at second base (after a leadoff double), standing there watching it and cheering, waiting for him at home plate with a smile on his face. That’s the kind of stuff that this team does.” Vogt began to choke up before a reporter asked him if he was getting emotional.
“I love these guys,” he said.
LORAIN COUNTY SCHOOLS: HOW THEY DID
Chris Assenheimer The Community Guide
Vogt
HOUSING
From A1
“We have a tendency to say (Lorain County) still has really good schools here, the cost of living is good here, whereas Medina’s kind of getting it from all sides and it’s a lot of blank slate as far as property,” Gallo said. He also estimated Medina may have more scarcity in rental units, which could drive up costs.
As the ninth-largest city in the state, Lorain alone saw its median home values increase about 12.3 percent, from $125,158 in 2022 to $140,500 in 2023.
The estimated median home values do not reflect the reappraisal of properties done by the Lorain County Auditor’s Office this year.
Lorain Mayor Jack Bradley said the International City is a desirable community with a good cost of living, but still expressed concerns about the increase in home values being passed on to tenants, even though median rents in the city decreased by about 8 percent.
“People that are already financially burdened with high rents are going to be facing increases that they have no control over and it’s a shame that increases as high as they are being imposed are going to affect the low and moderate income people in the city,” Bradley said.
Of Lorain’s renters, about 47 percent paid more than 30 percent of their income toward housing costs, while about 26 percent spent more than half their income on rent, according to the ACS data.
Lorain, alongside the Lorain Metropolitan Housing Authority, is in the midst of applying for a Choice Neighborhood Grant to help build 430 mixed rental and home ownership units from East 36th to East 28th streets between Broadway and Grove Avenue.
But that $40 million implementation grant, if awarded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Development, would take time to build.
While recognizing Lorain’s housing costs had not spiked as much as other cities, Bradley still hoped to be able to help residents with affordable housing, down-payment assistance and rental assistance.
Gallo said in the big scheme of things, Lorain and Lorain County still has more affordable housing than other areas.
“Sometimes very little change is a really good thing too, we haven’t gone sky high, we haven’t gone down low,” Gallo said.
The 1-year American Community Survey includes statistics for geographical areas with populations of 65,000 or more. Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com.
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Ballet back in Vermilion
It will perform one show in its summer home on Saturday
Rini
The Community Guide
VERMILION — Just as the summer season is winding down in this tourist town, one of its most high-profile summer residents is planning a visit.
The Cleveland Ballet will return to its part-time home for a performance Saturday on the Village Green, the park just across the street from the company’s summer residence, the Harbourtown Fine Arts Center.
The event, “Encore in Vermilion,” is the ballet’s annual summer residency event at HFAC. It was scheduled a bit later in the season than last year, working around the performers’ vacations, said Jim Chapple, chairman of the HFAC’s board.
It serves as a fundraiser for the center, located in the towering Old Town Hall and Opera House standing on the perimeter of the park. The historic red brick building, which still contains the stage and vintage seating from its days as an opera house on the second floor, is in need of an estimated $5 million in renovations and upgrades.
That’s one of the reasons the ballet doesn’t perform more often in Vermilion, Chapple said. The board is actively applying for grants and researching other funding to restore the building for more uses.
“A ticket in Playhouse Square that close is $170.” Jim Chapple, board chairman, about the relative affordability for seats in the front
Dancers will perform selections from across their repertoire in style, including “Walpurgisnacht” from the Charles Gounod opera “Faust.” Based on a Germanic folk tale, the selection takes place on the celebration of Mayday when the witches appear. It was previously selected to be included in the Dancer’s Showcase at Playhouse Square.
Another selection is the prologue from Tchaikovsky’s classic “Sleeping Beauty.” The scene unfolds at the christening of Princess Aurora, when her fairy godmothers are delivering gifts to the newborn. The arrival of a vengeful fairy brings forth the curse of sleep, and a good fairy intervenes, predicting she will awake with true love’s kiss.
“They did that last year and it was absolutely beautiful; I could listen to it all the time,” he said.
They also will perform other excerpts from the Cleveland Ballet’s ChoreoLab, a showcase of dancers’ choreography, Chapple said.
“They’re really young dancers and very talented. What I love about this program is people will get to see the beauty and artistry but also the athleticism of being in the ballet,” Chapple said.
Performing outdoors on a manufactured stage to an audience of 150 is a big change from dancing before audiences of 3,000 or so in historic, restored Playhouse Square.
“It feels like a private event here. I don’t care what seat you get here, you’re not more than 10 or 15 rows away. You can get pictures with the dancers afterwards,” Chapple said.
“This helps people have access to artistic beauty of the ballet, here in Erie and Lorain counties. It gets people to see some things they don’t have to drive to Cleveland for.”
The nonprofit HFAC is coming to the end of its three-year contract with the ballet, and Chapple said it hopes to renew another term as the ballet’s summer “home.”
“We love the relationship with the Cleveland Ballet. The new artistic director (Timour Bourtasenkov) is just phenomenal and the dancers love to be out here,” Chapple said.
COURTESY OF MARK HORNING & CO PHOTOGRAPHY
Cleveland Ballet dancers perform the prologue from “Sleeping Beauty.”
Jeffers
COURTESY OF LUCA SPORTELLI CREATIONS Members of the Cleveland Ballet perform “Walpurgisnacht” from the opera “Faust.”
‘Arsenic and Old Lace’ brought back to life
Workshop Players did it last fall ... until the cast got sick
John Benson
The Community Guide
It wasn’t the elderberry wine, just bad luck.
That’s how local theater veteran Pat Price described the unfortunate set of circumstances related to last fall’s Workshop Players Theatre’s production of “Arsenic and Old Lace.”
“We had a sold-out show every single performance, including a waiting list,” said Price, an Oberlin native who now calls Lorain home. “We had a wonderful first weekend, great audiences, wonderful performances and then, boom, nine out of 17 cast and crew members got ill. We had to cancel our second weekend. It was just crushing.”
Feeling like it needed to finish what it started, Workshop Players Theatre decided to give “Arsenic and Old Lace” another go with a second run appearing this weekend through Sept. 29 at its Amherst venue.
“We’re really happy,” she said.
“And it’s been pretty amazing to walk in the theater and see everything there all over again. You know what Yogi Berra said, ‘It’s déjà vu all over again.’ That’s what it’s like.”
The good news for Price is with the exception of one person, the entire 12-member cast is back and champing at the bit.
“This is just one of those casts that everybody gets along with everybody else,” she said. “There are no divas. We just enjoy each other and the whole production just clicked. To have it end that way was like, oh, we really didn’t get to say goodbye.
“Also, there’s a whole bunch of people who didn’t get to see it. And my
IF YOU GO
WHAT: Workshop Players Theatre presents “Arsenic and Old Lace” WHEN: 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 19, 20, 21, 28; 3 p.m. on Sept. 22 and 29
WHERE: Workshop Players, 44820 Middle Ridge Road, Amherst
TICKETS: $18.50
INFO: Call (440) 634-0472 or visit workshopplayers.org
guess is, because it was reallygood, there will be people who saw it the first time who may want to see it again.”
Previously described as an old chestnut like “Harvey” or “You Can’t Take it With You,” “Arsenic and Old Lace” is a classic comedy by Joseph Kesserling that revolves around the discovery of a dead body by drama critic Mortimer Brewster in his aunts’ home.
He learns not only are the two old women aware of the dead man in their parlor but they killed him.
Add in a brother who thinks he’s Teddy Roosevelt and another using plastic surgery to hide from the police, “Arsenic and Old Lace” is a classic black comedy.
“This script was
The Sandstone Village Fall Festival will be held from 10 1.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 28 at Sandstone Village, 763 Milan Avenue, Amherst
It will feature Sandusky Bay Chapter, Archaeological Society of Ohio’s Indian Artifact Display in The Hickory Tree Grange. Projectile points, hafted knives,
A free community presentation about Operation Market Garden will be held at 7 p.m. Oct. 8 at the Amherst Historical Society, 113 South Lake Street, Amherst.
Members of Baker Company, a 101st Airborne reenacting group, will share about Operation Market Garden, an Allied military operation during WWII which was fought in the Germanoccupied Netherlands from September 7-25, 1944. It is free to attend. Refreshments are provided.
To RSVP, please contact the Amherst Historical Society at 440-988-7255 or office@amhersthistoricalsociety.org
written in the 1930s and it still has every bit of charm and fun in it that it did back then,” she said. “The audience goes, ‘Oh yeah, “Arsenic and Old Lace.” I want to go see it again because it is just such a charming and very funny play.’”
So can Price confirm Workshop Players Theatre won’t be returning to “Arsenic and Old Lace” for a third run next year?
“I doubt that it will come back a third time but I would be delighted,” she said, laughing.
“You know how Playhouse Square does ‘A Christmas Carol’ every year? I would love it if we could do ‘Arsenic and Old Lace’ every year, but I don’t think that is going to happen.”
atalatels and pottery will be on display, and some items will be available for purchase.
Native Americans for centuries held fall festivals and trade fairs.
Please contact 440-988-7255 or office@ amhersthistoricalsociety.org for more information.
PHOTO PROVIDED
Teddy (Kevin Boland) shows Einstein (Jonathan McCleery) a picture of “the two of them.”
Sandstone Village Fall Festival is Sept. 28
Operation Market Garden to be topic
Oberlin Golf Club turns 125
Christina Jolliffe
OBERLIN — The Oberlin Golf Club reaches a milestone this
the
club
its 125th anniversary.
Located at 200 Pyle Road in Oberlin, the links stand out for more than its picturesque setting and pristine greens or its history of hosting national qualifying golf events. It has remained, while other clubs have faltered, but it’s the members who make it a success.
John Carney, 74, of Sheffield, played here as a junior member when he was a teen and young adult and signed up as a member 12 years ago.
“We have a very active club,” he said. “There are no swimming pools, tennis courts or food service, just a quality golf course that is well-maintained and challenging.”
Hosting events for the Northeast Ohio Golf Association (NOGA), the Greater
Cleveland Women’s Golf Association and even the Professional Golfers’ Association of America (PGA), Oberlin Golf Club has a reputation as a great course and club, Carney said.
“We take pride in just being a golf club,” he said. “Our membership participation, club events and club championships have helped us.”
Carney, who plays three or four times a week, says each hole is unique with its own set of challenges and it’s a great course to walk with about 60 percent of members doing so.
The serene setting is an added bonus.
In 1899, the original nine holes were a pasture lot owned by William Evans on Morgan Street. The cost was just 25 cents to play. The original nine holes were redesigned by golf course architect Harold Paddock Sr. and the course expanded to 18 holes in 1961. Of course, several revisions to the original course have happened since that time.
Cliff Purtilo, head golf pro
with the club for 29 years, said the membership and the history is what has kept the club strong throughout the years.
“We’re the third oldest club in Ohio,” he said. “We take pride in how it’s maintained. You won’t find a place as wellmaintained in probably five states.”
Purtilo, who played golf for the University of Toledo, coached for a few years after graduating before taking the position with Oberlin.
“We have a lot of good players,” he said. “We have people who have excelled professionally and amateur- wise. It’s just a special place. We take great pride in the tradition of the place. What it is and where it is. There are not many clubs like it.”
Oberlin Golf Club has a close relationship with Oberlin College as well.
Charles Martin Hall, the inventor of aluminum, designated what is now the back nine holes to be an arboretum and a place for physical fitness, Pur-
tilo said. He donated the land to the college and Oberlin Golf Club, which owns the front nine holes and leases the back nine holes from the college.
The college golf team plays the course as well.
“It’s our little, hidden secret,” Purtilo said. “And we’re proud of it.”
The club has 290 members from all across Northeast Ohio.
“We have a very stable membership,” Purtilo said. “The club itself is fiscally sound. We’ve been successful and will continue to be successful. It’s a wonderful place to work and a wonderful place to play.”
The club also boasts a driving range to keep those golf skills sharp.
The course is available for corporate outings, charity outings or client appreciation tournaments. For membership information or group outings, call Oberlin Golf Club at (440) 774-1891.
Contact Christina Jolliffe at ctnews@ chroniclet.com.
Pittsfield gets ‘new’ trustees
It allows the board to get back to annexation issue
The Community Guide
ELYRIA — A petition by the city of Oberlin to annex nearly 142 acres of city-owned land in Pittsfield Township was put on hold last week until two new members were appointed to the township Board of Trustees.
On Monday, Lorain County Probate Judge James Walther appointed the two new members.
Mark Deidrick, a former Pittsfield Township trustee who decided not to run for office again in 2023, was appointed to replace Walt Bredel. That term of office ends Dec. 31, 2027.
Meanwhile, Andrew Lake was appointed to finish off the remainder of Forrest “Bud” Mohrman’s term, which ends Dec. 31, 2025. He is a 13-year resident of the township, U.S. Army veteran and a married father of three, he said Monday.
“I wanted to try and help out the township as best I can,” Lake said. “I am here to learn.”
They join incumbent Trustee Mark McConnell on the board.
Now, the annexation can be back on th table,
Oberlin Law Director Jon Clark, who said the city’s long-term plans are to build a high-tech industrial park on the property, withdrew the annexation petition he originally filed on Aug. 26 with the Lorain County Board of Commissioners.
“I wanted Pittsfield Township to be able to go before the Board of Commissioners and have their say,” Clark said.
The move by Clark was mostly a courtesy. Under state law, the annexation of the contiguous property doesn’t give Pittsfield Township a say in whether it goes through.
“This is automatic. If the legal description is accurate, and if the commissioners are satisifed, then the annexation is automatic” once certified by the Board of Commissioners, Clark said.
Still, Clark withdrew it in consideration of the possibility township officials might want to appear before the Board of Commissioners to publicly support or object to the annexation. The commissioners’ role in the annexation also is limited.
Their only role is to vote to certify the petition is accurate, Chief Assistant Lorain County Prosecutor Dan Petticord said.
“We just thought we’d delay the annexation in recognition of the unique circumstances the township is in temporarily,” Clark had said.
Port Authority takes over concerts
Carissa Woytach
The Community Guide
LORAIN — Bob and Sandy Earley were retired for “about two minutes” last Friday.
The longtime promoters and organizers of Rockin’ on the River signed over the rights to the summer concert series to the Lorain Port and Finance Authority that evening, on the last night of the 2024 season.
Starting next year, the port authority will run the long-running concert series at Black River Landing, with the Earleys on as consultants through up to the 2027 season.
Between opening act Ravenwood and headliner
The Four Horsemen: A Celebration of Metallica, the Earleys alongside Mayor Jack Bradley and the Lorain Port and Finance Authority
took the stage to formally sign the transfer.
Bradley said Bob Earley has been rockin’ cities, and rivers, long before half of those in attendance could find the Black River on a map, with Sandy acting as the “behind-the-scenes boss” for all those years.
A decade ago Bob and Sandy Earley brought the concert series to Lorain, and along with it summer
nights of “incredible music, fun and a little bit of organized chaos to our lives,” Bradley said while a tearyeyed Bob Earley looked on. He, and Friday night’s crowd, thanked the Earleys for their time and effort, and wished them well in retirement.
Port authority Executive Director Tom Brown said the port believed it was important the Rockin’ on the River stay in Lorain, and kept Bob and Sandy Earley on as consultants to help make sure that happened.
Brown and Bob Earley also announced that Wish You Were Here, a popular Pink Floyd tribute band, would return to the waterfront stage next season. Brown pledged next year’s concert season would retain the $10 ticket prices and other highlights longtime Rockin’ on the River fans had come to know and love, and that season passes would be up for sale on Black Friday — with Bob Earley returning to the port in March to announce the 2025 lineup. “We’re going to keep getting bigger and better,” Brown said.
The Oberlin Golf Club, located at 200 Pyle Road in Oberlin is shown. The club reaches its 125th anniversary milestone this year.
PHOTO PROVIDED
Duke defends self against online posts
Part-time Grafton mayor says he’s got a full-time funeral home to run
Owen MacMillan
The Community Guide
Allegations that the Grafton mayor has broken village rules and neglected his elected position are popping up on a Facebook account allegedly run by a former village employee.
The unnamed employee is using the Village of Grafton Facebook account to critique the village and specifically the administration of Mayor Charles Duke.
Grafton police and Duke have said they were aware of the situation.
“We are aware of the page and although it was used at one time to communicate with the public, the page was created by the former employee and is still controlled by the former employee,” the release from Grafton police said. “Unfortunately this former employee has chosen to continue to use the page and the name village Of Grafton to post derogatory comments about the village of Grafton.”
Duke did not provide the identity of the former employee he believed to be controlling the page, but said that there was only one suspected person.
“There’s only one possible one, but I’ve got to make sure before I mention his name,” Duke said Wednesday.
One employee of the village who recently left on bad terms with the administration is former Village Administrator Joe Price,
FUNDRAISERS
The Amherst Historical Society presents Murder on the Petulant Express, doors open at 5:30 p.m. for 6 p.m. show Friday and Saturday; doors open at 1:30 p.m. for 2 p.m. show Sunday at Amherst Historical Society Hall, 113 S. Lake St., Amherst. Tickets are $35 for members and $40 for non-members. Buffet, BYOB, raffles and prizes. Dress for a 1937 party. Tickets are limited. Reserve yours today by contacting (440) 988-7255 or office@amhersthistoricalsociety.org. Italian American Veterans Post 1 Festa Italiana noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, 4567 Oberlin Road, Lorain. Food, baked goods, raffles, clothing and live entertainment. Free admission. Kiwanis anniversary dinner celebrating 100 years of service to the Wellington community and kids, 6-9 p.m. Sept. 26 at the Fraternal Order of the Eagles at 631 S. Main St., Wellington. Tickets are $40 per person and include a buffet meal, two drinks, dessert, a memorable program and live “Music through 100 Years” by Gabby Dobbins. Tickets are available at Bremke Insurance, Fifth Third Bank and the third floor of the Wellington Town Hall. Visit wellingtonkiwanis. square.site/100th to purchase a ticket and to learn more. St. John’s Ukrainian fresh pierogi sale, place order 5-6:30 p.m. Sept. 18 for
who was accused of misconduct by several former and current employees. Earlier this month, Village Council approved a separation agreement with Price.
When contacted by the Chronicle-Telegram, Price said Thursday he was one of multiple people who post on the page.
He said that the Village of Grafton Facebook page has existed since 2010, long before he joined the village in 2015.
Price would not comment on who made the posts this week that criticized Duke, saying he wanted to protect the anonymity of his fellow contributors. He did say that there were several recent posts that had not been made by him.
“My day was buried yesterday, so while some of that stuff was posted I was probably somewhere else,” Price said. “That post (Thursday) morning, when I look at the time, I was en route to Painesville.”
A resident and City Councilman of Broadview Heights, Price was hired by the city of Painesville in August after he agreed to leave Grafton.
The village of Grafton page is designated as belonging to a “non-governmental organization.” The administrator or administrators cannot be reached because the page does not accept direct messages and comments on posts are turned off.
A post made to the Facebook page on Sept. 11 states: “In remembrance of 911 (sic), all flags in Ohio are ordered to be
flown at half staff. Hopefully Village Hall and Grafton PD will at some point choose to remember and honor this day.”
In a statement, Duke said that the account did not represent the city and said the tone of criticizing the village for not lowering flags was inappropriate.
“Unfortunately, posts were made badgering staff over 9/11, I believe in an effort to score political points,” Duke said in the statement. “While I respect freedom of speech, we have veterans serving in village government between staff, police and fire. Nine-eleven is not a day for oneupmanship and playing ‘gotcha,’ it’s a solemn time of remembrance for the souls who were claimed in the barbaric acts of terrorism, an attack on our Republic which we avenged.”
One of the page operators commented on their initial Facebook post on Wednesday, posting a picture which purported to show Village Hall with its flag not at half-staff.
“Stopped in to remind Mayor Duke, he wasn’t in today, wasn’t in yesterday, not expected in tomorrow,” the comment said, ending with a frowny face emoji.
Speaking to The Chronicle on Wednesday, Duke defended himself from this line of attack by saying he is sometimes unable to physically be at Village Hall due to his work at the Duke Funeral Home, which he runs.
“I’m a business owner. I am very, very
busy at my funeral home,” Duke said.
“That is what pays my bills and feeds my family. I am a part-time mayor. And what little bit of grounds that they actually, the little chunk change they throw me I can make in a weekend at the funeral home. So my main concern is my business and taking care of the people, the deceased and the people that need me at that time.
“This little running in and out of a town hall every day to sign a piece of paper is a joke.”
Duke said that he has also been criticized for not signing paperwork as soon as it is turned in to his office, but argued that he is a part-time mayor and that he has been forced to do the job of both the mayor and the village administrator after Price was placed on leave and then resigned.
“So they’re gonna have to bear with me and cut me some slack on that, my business comes first and if they don’t like that, then I’m willing to walk,” Duke said.
“That mayor’s job, I did it for the people. But you know what, I’ve got people that really need me when they call my funeral home. And that’s where my dedication is. I’ve been there for 31 years.
“I’m not letting people down and I’m not gonna disrespect the dead because I gotta rush up (to Village Hall) and sign a piece of paper.”
Duke said that he goes into the office on Saturdays and Sundays to sign any necessary paperwork, and that his job has not interfered with his ability to be mayor.
Myth clashes with reality in Johnny Appleseed story
There’s probably a lot more myth than legend in the stories surrounding the life of Johnny Appleseed, the man who traveled throughout Ohio and neighboring states planting apple seeds.
Born Jonathan Chapman in Leominster, Massachusetts, on Sept. 26, 1774, Appleseed, as he became known, has been described as happily scattering apple seeds wherever he traveled in Ohio, northern West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Illinois and even Ontario.
More accurately, historians have come to realize that Chapman really was a pioneer nurseryman
BRIEFS
who most often planted seeds on virgin land he had purchased.
Sarah Lohman, a culinary historian and author who grew up in Hinckley, Ohio, and now lives in Las Vegas, described Chapman as someone who bought land in the Northwest Territory “dirt cheap.”
Wellington businesses warned of possible ‘fire inspector’ scam
The Wellington Fire District is warning of a person falsely claiming to be a fire inspector making the rounds at local businesses.
“If someone does enter your business, and they are not wearing a Wellington Fire District uniform or have proper identification, claiming to be a fire inspector, please contact the Wellington Police Department at (440) 647-2244,” the fire district said in a Facebook post, written by Assistant Wellington Fire Chief Troy Pitts.
Sheriff’s Office awarded more than $100,000 in grants
The Lorain County Sheriff’s Office has been awarded two grants worth more than $100,000 for traffic enforcement in the county.
The sheriff’s office announced Thursday
In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, states considered land that had been “improved” with crops or orchards to be much more valuable, she said during an interview on the “Travel with Rick Steves” radio program that aired in April
“So he would buy the land, walk through it (planting seeds) and then sell it 20, 30 years later at a much higher price,” said Lohman, whose most recent book is “Endangered Eating: America’s Vanishing Foods.” In it, she describes the thousands of apple varieties that have been lost since the 1800s.
that the $100,179 comes from the Ohio Traffic Safety Office. That state agency disbursed the grants from federal funds it received, according to the sheriff’s office.
The first grant, worth just under $51,840, is for the Selective Traffic Enforcement Program. It allows deputies to focus on aggressive driving, speed and distracted driving enforcement.
The second grant, worth just under $48,340, is for the Impaired Driving Enforcement Program. It focuses on efforts to get impaired drivers off the road.
The grants are for one year, starting Oct. 1 and ending Sept. 30, 2025.
Friday is Pet Rock adoption day
It’s Pet Rock Adoption Day from 1-2 p.m. at the Columbia Library branch. Pick a rock, decorate it, name it and get an official adoption certificate. For ages 5 to 10. Preregistration required at LorainPublicLibrary.org/programs.
By the time Chapman died on March 18, 1845, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, he still owned 1,200 acres of nurseries. He left his estate to his sister, Persis Broom. The location of his burial site is uncertain, but Archer Park in Fort Wayne is home to a Chapman grave marker.
Chapman’s life was important enough to U.S. history that in 1966 he was commemorated on a stamp issued on his 192nd birthday.
He was known as a kind and generous soul but also was a bit eccentric in outward appearance. He traveled by foot, and barefoot
LEGAL NOTICE
at that even in winter. He wore threadbare clothing, not because he could not afford nicer garb, but by choice.
Beyond clothing, Chapman “wore on his head a tin utensil which answered both as a cap and a mush pot,” Rosella Rice, who met Chapman in his later years, wrote in “History of Ashland County, Ohio” published in 1863. The 1966 stamp, however, inaccurately portrays Chapman. In the image, he’s well-dressed, with a type of traditional hat and sturdy boots. He’s carrying a shovel and a canvas or cloth bag, presumably filled with apple seeds.
Catching some waves (and wind) Tony Galang, of Rocky River, rides a wing foil at Lakeview Park on Saturday.
THOMAS FETCENKO / COMMUNITY GUIDE
Dennis saDowski STAMPS
Send sports news to news@lcnewspapers.com. Deadline for all submissions is 10 a.m. each Monday. Printed as space is available.
At right, Wellington’s Alex Frenk avoids Black River’s Kayden Hendershot after making a catch.
Wellington Football vs Black River Black River committed four turnovers, failed on three fourth down tries but still defeated Wellington in overtime. Wellington had a chance to win in overtime but failed to score a touchdown after getting a first down inside the five-yard line.
Amherst scored its first goal halfway through the first half and led 1-0 at the break.
Amherst and Ashland battled back and forth in the second half until Amherst found its offensive rhythm and pushed two more goals across the line in the second half for a 3-0 win.
Photos by Russ Gifford / The Community Guide
Wellington’s Landon Wright throws a pass against Black River.
At left, Black River’s Seth Gaspari picks up yardage at Wellington.
Amherst Girls Soccer at Ashland
Amherst’s Isabelle McGee pushes the ball past Ashland’s Adi Helbert.
Amherst’s Ashley Ciura clears the ball past Ashland’s Rowyn Garn.
Amherst’s Julia Ciura brings the ball upfield past Ashland’s Lexi Mowry.
Wellington celebrates its 2024 Seniors at their home meet against Keystone and Oberlin.
Wellington’s Joseph Fox leads all racers.
Wellington’s Lauren Vannatter won the Girls Varsity race at her home meet.
Wellington Cross Country meet with Keystone & Oberlin Wellington celebrated its five Seniors at its home meet. Wellington’s Joseph Fox won the Boys Varsity race. Wellington’s Lauren Vannatter won the Girls Varsity race.
CROP Walk is Oct. 6 in Amherst
C.R.O.P. walks began in 1947 as Christian Rural Overseas Programs to help the American Farmer share their extra grain with hungry neighbors after WW2 in Europe and Asia.
The first walk in America was in North Dakota in 1969 and the walks were held in Lorain County for many years in Lorain, Elyria, and Oberlin and started in Amherst late in the 1990s and continue today with members from our Community Congregational UCC, St. Peters UCC and now friends from our Vermilion UCC with 25 percent of raised funds staying at our local Amherst Food Pantry at Good Shepherd Baptist Church. All funds are matched by Nordson Corporation.
Our walk is Oct. 6 at 2 p.m. in downtown Amherst. Every one is invited to join us in person or with donations through our website @events.crophungerwalks.org/cropwalks/event/amherstoh.
Free Clinic annual steak fry Oct. 18
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 440-315-9012.
Knights of Columbus holds pro-life program
The Knights of Columbus Council 3269 will present Tony Sinito, National Account Manager, Ultrasound & Trophon Equipment, Service, and Parts, today at 7 p.m. in Ragan Hall, 1783 Moore Road, Avon.
He will talk about imaging with ultrasound, its operating principles and medical applications including pregnancy staging with associated costs and interaction with Knights of Columbus Councils for pro-life efforts. Please RSVP to rudybreglia@gmail.com.
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. Reserve tickets by contacting 440-
GREEKS AND ROMANS
ACROSS
1. Fountain order
5. Christian minister, abbr.
8. Betelgeuse or Deneb
12. Isaac’s firstborn
13. Senegal’s neighbor
14. Nobody (2 words)
15. Bangladeshi currency
16. Chopin’s creation, e.g.
17. Like thick smoke
18. *Greek goddess in 1995 Woody Allen movie title
20. *Mars, to the Greeks
21. Ooze out
22. Edible tuber
23. *Poet of “Aeneid” fame
26. *”Pair of writing tablets”
30. Outrage
31. A small part
34. European currency
35. Jousting pole
37. B & B
38. Sunni religion
39. Et alibi, abbr.
40. Newspaper VIP
42. First woman, Biblically-speaking
43. Return of disease
45. Washer, during a certain cycle
47. Last month
48. Belittle
50. Taro plant
52. *Athenian Acropolis tourist attraction
56. Anticipate
57. Black-and-white cookie
58. Small European freshwater fish
59. *#18 Across, to Romans
60. Big cat sound
61. Future atty.’s exam
62. Work units 63. Tight one, in football
BULLETIN BOARD
988-7255 or office@amhersthistoricalsociety.org
Fresh produce at Keystone-LaGrange Library
The Keystone Empowers You Collaborative will host a its final pop-up produce stand of the year at the KeystoneLaGrange Library, 133 E. Commerce Drive, from 5:306:30 p.m. Sept. 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 communitybased group funded in part by the United Way of Greater Lorain County, and facilitated by Lorain County Public Health.
Red Cross blood drive Oct. 8
In partnership with American Red Cross, Mercy Health hosts regular blood drives to ensure that we have an adequate stock of blood. Mercy Health – Lorain Hospital will be hosting a blood drive from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Oct, 8 at the hospital. Make an appointment by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS or visiting www.RedCrossBlood.org. Use Sponsor Code: Mercy.
To ensure the safety of both patients and donors, there are requirements that must be met. For more information about eligibility, visit redcrossblood.org.
Empty Bowls by the Lake plans fundraiser
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.
It’s not too late to join our fight against hunger. Restaurants, we would love to serve one of your delicious
soups. Businesses, we would love to feature one of your products or experiences in our silent auction. Volunteers, we could use your help. Please email us at EmptyBowlsByTheLake@gmail.com if you’d like to help in any way.
Avon Democratic Club to meet
The Avon Democratic Club will hold its next meeting on Oct. 10, at 6:30 p.m. at the Avon Library, 37485 Harvest Drive. We will discuss the upcoming election and what we can personally do to elect local and national Democratic candidates.
Local candidates will also be present to meet in person and provide their signage.
More information at https://www.avonohdems.com.
Last County Action Plan summit Oct. 22
The Lorain County Strategic Action Plan Final Summit will be held at the Spitzer Conference Center, Lorain County Community College, 1005 Abbe Rd N Elyria, on Oct. 22 from 10 a.m. to noon.
The Final Summit will be the culmination of the work from the Lorain County Strategic Action Plan process, launched in March.
The Final Summit will include a presentation of the short, medium and long-term actions that have been established from the Task Force sessions.
Oberlin Library board to meet
The Oberlin Public Library Board of Trustees will hold a regular meeting at the library Oct.10 at 5 p.m. The meeting is open to the public.
Lost Houses of Lorain County program
A review of selected historic houses and the case for historic preservation and architectural salvage will be the topic of a free program at 7 p.m. Oct. 10 at Pittsfield Township Hall, State Routes 58 & 303, just south of Oberlin.
The presentation will be given by Col. Matt W. Nahorn, owner and manager of the New Indian Ridge Museum on Cooper-Foster Park Road, in Amherst.
Over the last 25 years or so, Nahorn has salvaged over 60 doors and other materials from old houses, mostly representing the 19th century.
He will talk about the houses from which the salvaged doors, windows, and other architectural features have been saved.
Grandma’s Attic sale coming up
The Brownhelm Historical Association’s annual sale will be Sept. 26 and 27 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in th Historic Brownhelm School, 1950 North Ridge Road, Vermilion.
All proceeds from this sale will go toward the restoration and maintenance of the Historic Brownhelm School. Everything will be half price on Saturday.
Ohio State poll finds hesitancy on vaccines
With flu season just around the corner and COVID-19 cases on the rise, a new nationwide survey from The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center reveals hesitancy around vaccines this fall.
The new data comes just as this year’s flu shot rolls out and following the FDA’s approval of an updated round of COVID-19 vaccines.
The national poll of 1,006 people found 37 percent have gotten vaccines in the past but do not plan to this year. The same percent of respondents said they
don’t need any of the vaccines surveyed in the poll, including flu, COVID-19, pneumococcal and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
A slight majority (56 percent) of adults have gotten or plan to get the flu shot this fall.
Less than half have gotten or plan to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Adults age 65 and older are the most likely to get recommended vaccines.
Older adults, people with certain chronic medical conditions and those who are pregnant are especially at risk.
Make aPaperPal
Cut the frontpanel o the box. Usethe rulertodrawa grid on the back of the cardboard.
Usethe coin to draw puzzle pieceshapes as shown.
CanYou Guess?
Cereal BoxMatching Game
Carefully cutout the puzzle shapes and see if afamily member canput it together in under twominutes
If the puzzle is tooeasy,have them tryassembling it with the blank cardboardsideup!
arein landfills?
Do landfills have more yardwasteorglass?
Findthreeitems in today’snewspaper that youthink were NOTaround 15 years ago. Whatadvantagesdoeseach offer? What disadvantages?Are there more
