Making Christmas bright
MANHEIM / COMMUNITY GUIDE
Santa with Mrs. Claus and elves arrive with Capt. Ray Mason on the Vermilion River on Saturday. The red boat named “Scarlet” docked near McGarvey’s Landing so Santa could visit kids at the Santa House at East Exchange Park. Santa will return to the Santa House from 5-7 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 14.
Find out what’s going on for Christmas in other towns on the Bulletin Board on A7.
Wreaths honor fallen heroes
The Community Guide
The lives of Lorain County individuals who died while serving in the United States military during the War on Terror and the Vietnam War will be remembered during a ceremony Saturday at the Gold Star Families Memorial Monument at the old Lorain County Courthouse in Elyria. It will immediately follow the Elyria Council of Veterans Pearl Harbor Remembrance Ceremony that will take place at the Washington Street Bridge at 1 p.m.
The wreaths will be placed either at the Gold Star Families Memorial Monument or in cemeteries throughout Lorain and nearby counties.
The ceremony will be led by Kimberly Hazelgrove, a member of the Gold Star Family. In 2004, Hazelgrove’s husband, Brian, died in action in Iraq.
Gold Star Family members should contact Kathryn Kennedy at honorwreaths@gmail. com or (513) 659-4951 for more information.
On A2, the list of those to be honored with wreaths.
Honor Wreaths
Volunteer Joe Burns of Amherst helps assemble wreaths for the Honor Wreaths program run by Wreaths Across America, a national nonprofit whose mission is also to remember fallen soldiers. Honor Wreaths For Veterans was organized to place wreaths on graves of U.S. veterans; maintain U.S. veteran cemetery plots; and provide other veteran charitable needs. The Lorain County Civil Air Patrol teamed up with Wreaths Across America to fill Brookdale Cemetery with wreaths on Dec. 14 at noon. The community is encouraged to attend the ceremony and help place wreaths or sponsor a wreath to be placed on a veteran’s grave for $22. They can be purchased at wreathsacrossamerica.org.
Christina Jolliffe
The Community Guide
Sharing Christmas needs volunteers to help, well, share Christmas.
Donna McKinney, chairwoman of Sharing Christmas, said she has only has 37 of the 250 volunteers needed to deliver meals to people all over Lorain County on Christmas Day.
Drivers are given two to three addresses, typically close to one another, to make deliveries. Those wishing to make more deliveries are able to do so as well.
People can also volunteer to cook or clean up but delivery drivers are what’s really needed. Last year, 719 meals were delivered.
“Whoever calls gets a meal,” McKinney said. “If someone lives alone and they have a caretaker with them that day, we will absolutely give them two meals. We don’t cater family dinners, but if someone says they are going to be alone, we encourage them to invite a neighbor or family member to share a meal with them, and we will provide both meals.”
“We don’t just give food. We give hope. We don’t want anyone to be alone that day.”
Sharing Christmas reaches out to individuals through the Meals on Wheels program, the Lorain Metropolitan Housing Authority and other groups that work with people on low incomes.
Sharing Christmas started with the Salvation Army in Elyria. When they were no longer able to do it, St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church took over.
McKinney began volunteering with Sharing Christmas 35 years ago and when St. Vincent de Paul stopped providing the program, she talked to her minister who told her Fields United Methodist on Lorain Road in North Ridgeville could be its new home base.
Tom’s Country Place in Avon is providing the meat this year. Volunteers cook in two-hour shifts assembling meals of potatoes, dressing, two vegetables, rolls, butter and desserts.
Cooking starts at 8 a.m. at Fields United Methodist Church deliveries begin at noon with the last meal dropped off around 3:30 p.m. Volunteers then clean up after the cooking is all done.
The cost of Sharing Christmas is about $4,000, depending on how many people sign up.
Thanks to several generous donors, this year’s meals are paid for, and there is even some carry over for next year.
“We all get caught up in the lights, Santa Claus, the Christmas trees,” McKinney said.
“Trust me, I’m a big Christmas nut. But that feeling that you’ve done something for a person in need, there are just no words to explain that gratification. We really do what we can to make someone else’s holiday wonderful.”
Contact Christina Jollliffe at ctnews@chroniclet.com.
STEVE
Wreaths
For soldiers killed in combat
Placed at the monument
n Benjamin W. Biskie, Vermilion, Operation Iraqi Freedom
n David R. Hall, Lorain, Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan
n James P. Hunter, Birmingham, Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan
n Robert H. West, Elyria, Operation Iraqi Freedom
n Jospeh R. Giese, Lorain, Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan
n Bruce E. Horner, Lorain , Operation Iraqi Freedom
n William Ken Word, Lorain, Vietnam
n Richard M. Pearl, Lorain, Vietnam
n Andrew J. Toth Jr., Lorain, Vietnam
n Cody A. Balisteri, Sheffield Lake, Vietnam
n Donald R. Bonko, Lorain, Vietnam
n Kenneth Dulley, Grafton, Vietnam
n Richard Vandegeer, Sheffield Lake, Vietnam
n Thomas R. Cowley, Lorain, Vietnam
n Carris M. Francis, Elyria, Vietnam
n Hubert J. Payne, Vermilion, Vietnam
n Freddie L. Daniel, Lorain, Vietnam
n David A. Fowler, Elyria, Vietnam
n Troy T. Threet, Elyria, Vietnam
n Thomas L. Snyder, Amherst, Vietnam
n Richard L. Irvin, Sheffield, Vietnam
n Earl E. Charles, Elyria, Vietnam
n Henry D. Adkins, Lorain, Vietnam
n Jake H. VanMeter, LaGrange, Vietnam
n Paul D. Strahm, Sheffield Lake, Vietnam
n Elbert F. Price Jr., North Eaton, Vietnam
n Jesse L. Ellis, Elyria, Vietnam
n George W. McDaniel, Lorain, Vietnam Wreaths to be placed at gravesites:
n Daniel Shepherd, Elyria, Operation Iraqi Freedom
n Eric Barnes, Lorain, Operation Iraqi Freedom
n Jason Cox, Elyria, Operation Iraqi Freedom
n Louis Torres, Lorain, Operation Enduring Freedom - Afghanistan
n Michael Medders, Elyria, Operation Iraqi Freedom
n Norman Tollett, Elyria, Operation Iraqi Freedom
n Calvin K. Coon, Elyria, Vietnam
n George W. DeJarnett, Elyria, Vietnam
n Raymond M. Enczi, Elyria, Vietnam
n William E. Foster, Elyria, Vietnam
n Norman Jones Jr, Elyria, Vietnam
n William V. Springfield, Elyria, Vietnam
n Robert C. Cameron, Elyria, Vietnam
n Matthew J. Pechaitis, Brownhelm, Vietnam
n Wayne S. Horvath, Amherst, Vietnam
n Joseph G. Ambrosio, Elyria, Vietnam
n Jose H. Ortiz, Lorain, Vietnam
n John D. Arquillo, Lorain , Vietnam
n Earl E. Barnhart Jr, Lorain, Vietnam
n Jose A. Carrion, Lorain, Vietnam
n Eddie N. Corcino, Lorain, Vietnam
n Ricardo Galvan, Lorain, Vietnam
n Raymond Hodorowski, Lorain, Vietnam
n John A. Kocak, Lorain, Vietnam
n Edgardo R. LaTorre, Lorain, Vietnam
n Brian T. Murray, Lorain , Vietnam
n Paul J. Myers, Lorain, Vietnam
n Robert J. Nagy, Lorain, Vietnam
n Raymond E Rupcic, Lorain, Vietnam
n Angel L. Sanchez, Lorain, Vietnam
n Peter W. Shagovac Jr, Lorain, Vietnam
n Richard D. Orlando, Sheffield Lake, Vietnam
n Roger D. Lawson, Columbia Station, Vietnam
n Calvin Jr. Blanton, Lorain, Vietnam
n James P. Delaney, Lorain, Vietnam
n Leo A George, Lorain, Vietnam
n John L. Murphy, Lorain, Vietnam
n Edward R. Tolley, Lorain, Vietnam
n Charles D. Sawyers, Sheffield, Vietnam
n Michael J. Conrady, Sheffield Lake, Vietnam
n Robert J. Barry, Lorain, Vietnam
n Robert W. Witty, South Amherst, Vietnam
n Richard M. Logan, Elyria, Vietnam
n Timothy J. Cottrell, Wellington, Vietnam
n Sidney A. Cottrell, Wellington, Vietnam
n Kenneth C. Marley, Wellington, Vietnam
n Gary W. Perkins, Wellington, Vietnam
n Davis A. Jones, Wellington, Vietnam
n Michael L. Brundage, North Ridgeville, Vietnam
n Dennis P. Bergenstein, Avon Lake, Vietnam
n Walter Ostapchuk, Columbia Station, Vietnam
n James P. Byrne, Sheffield Lake, Vietnam
n John L. Kotora, Vermilion, Vietnam
n Ronald Ralich, Lorain, Vietnam
n Billara Wolford, Sheffield, Vietnam
n Fleming B. Brainerd III, Amherst, Vietnam
n Patrick E. Smith Jr, Avon, Vietnam
n Michael D. Milburn, Elyria, Vietnam
n Glenn M. Schroeder, Elyria, Vietnam
n James D Smith, Elyria, Vietnam
n James C. Whitmore, Elyria, Vietnam
n William J. Anderson Jr, Lorain, Vietnam
n Jack G. Enix, Lorain, Vietnam
n Larry E. Fields, Lorain, Vietnam
n Robert W. Fletcher, Lorain, Vietnam
n Donald T. Laskay, Lorain, Vietnam
n Bruce B. Livingston, Lorain, Vietnam
n Johnnie A. Sheppard, Lorain, Vietnam
n Zeneido Ortiz Jr, Lorain, Vietnam
n Wayne E. Benge, Sheffield Lake, Vietnam
n John H. Snitch, Sheffield Lake, Vietnam
n Charles D. Flood, North Ridgeville, Vietnam
n Gaylord G. Kerr, North Ridgeville, Vietnam
n Dale Gronsky, Henrietta Twp., Vietnam
n John L. Began, Elyria, Vietnam
n David F. Schneider, Avon, Vietnam
n John S. Gentkowski, Elyria, Vietnam
n James T. Taylor, Grafton, Vietnam
n Raymond J. Baldauf, North Ridgeville, Vietnam
n Donnie S. Kegg, Elyria, Vietnam
n Warren T. Scott, Oberlin, Vietnam
n Gene A. White, Oberlin, Vietnam
‘A Christmas Story’ back at Playhouse
Some people lived it, others wished they did
John Benson
The Community Guide
A half-decade has passed since a certain “You’ll shoot your eye out, kid!” show warmed hearts and entertained holiday audiences at Playhouse Square.
Now back by popular demand, Cleveland Play House presents “A Christmas Story” through Dec. 22 in Playhouse Square’s Allen Theatre.
“I have the memory of the movie, obviously, just because it’s such a classic holiday rite of passage,” said director Jackson Gay, a Texas native and New York City resident directing the holiday production for the first time.
“Even though the play is silly, funny and kind of wacky at times, at its core the piece is about — especially just like in today’s divided world — getting back to what’s important, counting your blessings and just looking around and realizing what you do have.”
Based on the 1983 holiday classic movie “A Christmas Story,” which was filmed partially in Cleveland and inspired by
IF YOU GO
WHAT: Cleveland Play House presents “A Christmas Story” WHEN: Through Dec. 22 (times vary) WHERE: Allen Theatre, 1407 Euclid Ave., Cleveland
TICKETS: $40 to $95
INFO: 216-241-6000 or Clevelandplayhouse.com
Jean Shepherd’s book “In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash,” the beloved tale follows 9-year-old Ralphie Parker in his quest for the ultimate Christmas gift — a Red Ryder BB gun.
What’s unique about the story is it represents all things to everyone. Some see their parents or grandparents in Mother, wristsdeep in meatloaf and red cabbage, or the “Old Man” preoccupied with a malfunctioning furnace, the neighbor’s rambunctious dogs and his proud leg lamp.
However, for others, such domesticity may have been elusive growing up, which turned “A Christmas Story” into a fantasy fam-
ily dream of sorts.
That’s the case for Gay, who is channeling her past when directing the show.
“I had a different kind of childhood,” she said. “Basically, the movie is more of what I would’ve wanted to have. When I went on to have a child, I worked really hard for her to have more of this kind of experience, to be a child longer and to not let go of your imagination and the magic of Christmas. I feel like the movie and the story are somewhere between a nostalgic memory and also a fantasy.” The fantasy aspect — with diversity and inclusion in mind — is something Cleveland Play House explores for the first time producing “A Christmas Story.” “We have a multiracial cast, which we did purposely,” she said.
“The narrator of the story says that this is a nostalgic look back but it’s also part fantasy. And in the 1940s, obviously, this kind of family would not have existed in the same way as it does in the story in the 1940s and in our country.
“So we’ve done this purposely to make sure that this story is nostalgic for people, but also welcomes everyone into the fun.”
Considering the area’s connection to the movie, inherently there’s something unique to every production of “A Christmas Story.”
In case you haven’t noticed, Northeast Ohioans are very possessive — to the point of being overzealous — and guarded when it comes to legacy.
That’s something the director is cognizant of but refuses to add any extra pressure. She knows her job is to pick up that Red Ryder and hit a bullseye without any fear of shooting her eye out.
“I am aware of it, but at the same time, I can’t really do anything about it,” she said.
“It’s very clear the ownership of the movie. All of the actors in this production know that, but we just have to do our best work and hope that people love it.”
Reach John Benson at ndiffrence@ att.net
Community members gather at LaGrange Village Hall as the LaGrange Alumni Band performs during the annual Christmas in the Village festival on Sunday. Kim Sturgill, Keystone board of education president, says the festival is how LaGrange sets the tone for the season.
GARRETT LOOKER / COMMUNITY GUIDE
LAGRANGE ALUMNI BAND USHERS IN THE HOLIDAYS
BISHOP / COMMUNITY GUIDE
Ozzie Kinat celebrates his birthday with students from Eastern Heights Middle School. Looking at one of the birthday pictures are fifth graders Dominic Torres, 11, and Koby Hagler, 10. The students learned about 1924 and some stories from Kinat’s life.
Happy 100, ‘Grandpa Ozzie’
The Community Guide
ELYRIA — As dozens of students filtered through a work room at Eastern Heights Middle School on Monday to meet Oswald Kinat, who tried his best to impart a little bit of knowledge on each visitor.
Kinat had a lot of knowledge to dispense, as he was at the school to celebrate his 100th birthday with the students who call him “Grandpa Ozzie.”
“With each one, he wanted to be sure to tell them to get a good education, to pay attention in school, all of these words of wisdom to each and every (student) that walked in,” Dawn Randall-Neely, a fifth grade teacher at the school and Kinat’s granddaughter, said. “And it’s like, ‘Grandpa, there are a lot of kids waiting to meet you. So I don’t think you can have this informal chat with every single one.’”
Randall-Neely said that since her students learned that her grandfather was nearly 100 years old they had become enamored with him.
She said students had taken to calling her their “work grandma” after realizing she had taught some of their parents, as Randall-Neely has been teaching in Elyria for 34 years. She said after she told her students about Kinat and his approaching 100th birthday, they started referring to him as their grandparent as well.
“So they started calling him Grandpa Ozzie when we talked about him,” Randall-Neely said. “And I just thought, ‘Well, gosh, he really is going to be here on his actual 100th birthday,’ so the kids just started getting excited with the possibility of him popping in to see them.”
Randall-Neely didn’t know if he would come from Maryland. But he did.
PHOTO PROVIDED
Ayden Schafer, Callie Finnegan, Lillian Chenoweth and Jocelyn Wyatt.
Firelands FFA earns farm, ag award
Firelands FFA earned first place in the Ohio Farm and Agribusiness Management Career Development Event (CDE) in the spring of 2024, securing the opportunity to represent Ohio at the national contest in October.
Individually, Garrett Schlechter (2024 graduate) placed first in the state, Jocelyn Bednar
Christmas parade, festivities Friday in downtown Amherst
(Class of 2024) placed fifth, Kyleigh Klingshirn (senior) placed ninth, and Grace Tansey (Class of 2024) placed nineteenth out of 1,041 participants. The team’s success reflects their strong understanding of business concepts, including risk management and succession planning. At the national contest held during the National
FFA Convention in Indianapolis in late October, the team performed remarkably, earning 13th place in the nation and a gold team rating. Individually, Jocelyn, Grace, and Kyleigh received gold ratings, while Garrett earned a silver rating.
Advisers are Shanna Finnegan and Shelby McCarty.
Hall.
The Amherst Marching Comets will lead the parade, followed by scouting groups, youth groups, Steele sports teams, cheerleaders and Santa.
Following the parade, people gather at the bandstand while the Madrigals will lead a few Christmas carols and Santa will light the tree. Main Street Amherst is selling tickets for Frosty’s 50/50 Holiday Raffle, and the winner will be drawn following the parade. For information, visit mainstreetamherst.org.
BRUCE
Turkey for everyone!
Volunteers serve Thanksgiving dinner to dogs at county kennel
dogs deserve Thanksgiving.
the
fortunate ones at the Lorain County Dog Kennel.
That’s the message that volunteers wanted to convey as they served its 39 dogs a Thanksgiving meal, made possible by donations.
One of the kennel’s volunteers, Sieglinde Canon, started the tradition when she started volunteering two years ago after seeing a TikTok video.
“I absolutely love it,” said Canon, who joined the kennel as a volunteer in 2022 after her daughter visited to adopt a dog. “It makes my heart full — most of the time.”
The kennel, which has a large social media presence on Facebook, asked county residents to donate turkeys and other Thanksgiving food items. On Wednesday, a team of volunteers filled bowls with turkey, sweet potatoes, green beans and bone broth, and handed them out to the kennel’s grateful and tail-wagging residents.
Tory Mittler, who has been volunteering at the kennel for 11 years, said there were just three small cages open at the kennel. All the others were filled with dogs either waiting for adoption or to be reclaimed.
“Last year was not nearly this full, but the world of rescue has gotten really bad in the last few years,” Mittler said.
There was a lot of public support for the Thanksgiving dinner, she said. One Elyria resident, Amanda Smarr, brought the leftovers from a turkey and stayed to help feed the dogs.
Smarr said she has two Shetland sheepdogs at home. She decided to come help out for the dinner because she follows the kennel avidly on Facebook.
“Being able to contribute positively to the dogs and give them a little bit of comfort and love during the holidays warms my heart and makes it full.”
“They don’t have that sense of security, love and foundation that my dogs have,” Smarr said.
In September, the county broke ground on a $1.4 million project to add 20 more cages to the south side of the building, increasing its capacity to 60 dogs, and an area for volunteers to bathe dogs.
Volunteers at the kennel Lauren Miller, left, Karen Hambly, Tory Mittler, Deborah Clifford, Sieglinde Canon, Amanda Smarr, Teresa Burkhardt and Danielle Sutcliffe pose in front of the meals they prepared for the dogs on Wednesday.
Volunteers prepare bowls each with a healthy helping of turkey, sweet potatoes and vegetables for dogs at the county kennel. The food was all donated.
Grafton clears first hurdle for zoning rewrite
Garrett Looker
The Community Guide
The Grafton Village Council approved the first reading of a study that could be a potential overhaul of the local zoning code at Monday’s special meeting.
The existing code has not been updated since 2001.
It’s an “important step” for Grafton, Village Administrator Andrew Lipian said.
“Being more user-friendly, being more digestible to the public, and being something that, therefore, is more accessible for public use. And that can only be a point of progress for us as a village,” he said.
The zoning study, conducted by Kleinfelder, was presented to the Grafton Planning Commission, which voted unanimously to move forward to the Village Council’s first reading. The Village Council then voted unanimously to move forward, clearing the first hurdle toward the new ordinance being adopted.
“The Joint Planning Commission gave and signaled their blessing of this ordinance,” Lipian said.
“It is now proceeding to Village Council, where it will get its second and third readings. And then it will be adopted in the next month if it proceeds well.”
A large focus of the new zoning code was to make village governmental decisions less opaque and make the document more accessible to Grafton residents, officials said.
The proposed zoning code will add an overlay district in Grafton’s downtown area. Described as a “mixed-use” area, which can feature both commercial and residential space, the overlay district will include architectural design standards to preserve the historic nature of the area,
according to Paul Tecpanecatl, a principal professional with Kleinfelder who presented the study.
Those standards are “to make sure there’s quality construction and there’s some decent design, basically so it looks better,” Tecpanecatl said.
Preserving the historical nature of Grafton’s downtown area was a main reason the village sought to update the zoning code, Grafton Mayor Charles Duke said.
The updated code will allow the village to enact policies and procedures to preserve the downtown, most of which is not protected by the National Register of Historic Places, officials said.
“We like our old-time flavor,” Duke said Communities can be plagued by outdated and inefficient zoning codes and policies, Tecpanecatl said.
“If anything, we cleaned up the code,” Tecpanecatl said. “Because before, it was hard to read. … It allows the general public easier use, and also helps the administration.”
Other concerns addressed in the updated zoning code are standards for drive-through restaurants to prevent traffic build-up, electric vehicle charging stations and residential rental properties like AirBnB. In decades prior, industrial factories and environmental concerns may have been on the minds of village officials. Today, the main concern is preserving the look and feel of the community, Tecpanecatl said.
“Communities are going more toward design,” Tecpanecatl said. “That’s what communities want, aesthetics. But you need to do it in a correct way.” Contact Garrett Looker at glooker@chroniclet.com.
‘O Christmas Tea’ brings Brit comedy to 3 venues
John Benson The Community Guide
Keep calm and laugh.
That’s exactly what audiences can expect when seeing “O Christmas Tea: A British Comedy,” which for the first time comes through Northeast Ohio.
The national touring Canadian production, featuring clown duo James & Jamesy (aka Aaron Malkin and Alastair Knowles), will be performing Dec. 6 at the Lorain Palace Theatre, Dec. 7 at the Agora Theatre in Cleveland and Dec. 14 at the Goodyear Theater in Akron.
“This is our first time around the Lake Erie region,” said Knowles, calling from Toronto. “Our interest is in seeing what kind of new audience we
can attract and where our show will resonate.
“Certainly there’s a love of British comedy, so thought we have to drop down into the states of Ohio, New York, Michigan. There are just tons of people there that are waiting for us to show up.” When prompted to describe the definition of British comedy, Knowles said it’s the juxtaposition of propriety and absurdity.
“Like the British motto ‘Keep calm and carry on,’” he laughed. “How do we in a world that is going crazy hold onto our grasp of reality and how can our grasp of reality shift?
“And in the world of the theater, we’re invited and challenged to enter into a world that is an augmented
reality. We are asked to accept that what is on stage is real for that moment in time. It’s imagination, and our show hammers that on the head of that nail.” In a nutshell, “O Christmas Tea: A British Comedy” boasts the delightful absurdity of Monty Python, the physical comedy of Mr. Bean and the whimsical charm of Dr. Seuss when a Christmas tea party spirals into chaos blending physical comedy, quick-witted wordplay and cleverly crafted interactive elements.
“What happens is one character believes that what’s happening on stage is real and the other character understands that we are in a theatrical context,” he said. “That there is
an audience and what is onstage is make-believe. Those two versions of reality start to butt up against each other.” While not political in any form, the concept does act as a subtle commentary on living in today’s conspiracy theory world.
“It totally is,” he said. “Our show presents it in such a way that everyone has a wall that they are confronted with, whether that’s stepping into another world of imagination in our show or stepping into the world of the audience and the world of conspiracies.
“Our show helps people bridge that gap in some way.” It really sounds like keep calm and laugh is the show’s theme.
Ex-football star indicted on drug charges
Dave O’Brien
The Community Guide
A former North Ridgeville High School football standout who played parts of six seasons for the Ohio State Buckeyes is facing felony drug trafficking, drug possession and other charges in Lorain and Cuyahoga County common pleas courts.
Demario McCall, 27, of Cook Road in North Ridgeville, was indicted Nov. 21 and arrested Tuesday on felony charges of trafficking in cocaine, possession of cocaine, trafficking in a
fentanyl-related compound, possession of a fentanylrelated compound, trafficking in drugs, possession of drugs, receiving stolen property and possession of criminal tools.
Bond set at $200,000 cash. It wasn’t immediately clear in court or Lorain County Jail records if McCall had posted bond as of Friday. No judge has yet been assigned
to the case, and no attorney was listed for McCall in court records. The Chronicle-Telegram requested police reports from the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office.
McCall also was arrested in September by North Olmsted police on felony drug possession and fleeing and eluding charges stemming from a July 29 traffic stop, according to court records.
He was indicted Nov. 4 in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court on felony charges, including two counts of failure to
— 100 block of Jones St., criminal damaging. An officer responded to a report that a 2004 Mercury Sable had been damaged. The incident was under investigation. 11:51 a.m. — 200 block of Heritage Drive, theft. A couple going through a divorce were arguing over the ownership of a handgun. The gun is registered to the wife, and the husband refused to give it back to her. The wife requested charges be brought if the husband didn’t return her property. The husband first told officers the wife gave him the gun and he sold it because he needed money, then later called police and demanded his wife give him $600 if she wanted the gun back. She rejected that offer. The man was given a deadline to return the gun or the Village Prosecutor would review the case for criminal charges. The incident was under investigation. Thursday, Aug. 1 9:13 a.m. — 100 block of S. Mill St., theft. A resident reported being the victim of a theft. The incident was under investigation. 7:47 a.m. — 200 block of Wenner St., theft. A woman reported the theft of $700 from her Ohio Direction Card. The incident was under investigation. Friday, Aug. 2 11:29 p.m. — 700 block of N. Main St., death investigation. A 90-year-old Wellington man died at home. No foul play was suspected. His body was transported to a local funeral home.
comply with the order or signal of a police officer and three counts of drug possession. According to his indictment, McCall was arrested after allegedly failing to stop his vehicle for North Olmsted police.
When he was arrested, McCall had a Ruger LC9 semiautomatic handgun, $191 in cash, fentanyl, between 1 and 5 grams of heroin and the synthetic benzodiazepine bromazolam in his possession, according to his indictment.
He was freed on bond in that case, which is assigned to Judge
Nancy Fuerst’s courtroom. The next scheduled hearing is Thursday, according to court records. A message seeking comment was left attorney Maxwell Martin, who is representing McCall in the Cuyahoga County case. A former North Ridgeville Ranger football star, McCall was a first-team All-Ohio honoree in 2014 who holds the Lorain County record for the most rushing yards in a single game. McCall also helped North Ridgeville reach the playoffs in 2014.
McCall
HINTRINGER PHOTOGRAPHY
Jamesy welcomes the magic of Christmas at his tea party.
Wellington beaten at buzzer
Wellington’s home opener was going well, until a sloppy third quarter, which cost them their lead and they couldn’t recover. Wellington had the last possession but couldn’t get a shot off before the clock ran out to give Mapleton a 37-36 win.
Amherst beats North Olmsted
Amherst and North Olmsted played pretty evenly throughout the game. Amherst led 13-8 after the first quarter and 27-24 at halftime. North Olmsted led 43-42 after the third quarter. The score was tied 49-49 with 35 seconds left in the game. Amherst scored two points to take a 51-49 lead with 7.9 seconds left in the game. North Olmsted missed a three point attempt at the buzzer, but an Amherst foul gave North Olmsted three foul shots with no time left on the clock. North Olmsted missed the first free throw, made the second, but missed the final free throw to give Amherst the 51-50 win.
Midview Girls Basketball vs Vermilion. The Midview Girls Basketball team opened the 24th Annual DiFranco Classic by hosting Vermilion. The teams battled to a 25-25 tie at halftime. Midview gained momentum in the third quarter and opened up an 11 point lead in the fourth quarter behind Leah DiFranco’s hot hand. DiFranco finished the game with 33 points as Midview won 58-44. Midview beats Vermilion
Midview girls win at DiFranco
Wellington’s Mackenzie Jerousek moves the ball under pressure by Mapleton’s Kenzie Hellickson.
Wellington’s Brooke Lehmkuhl brings the ball up the court on a fast break against Mapleton.
Amherst’s Eli Solak gets two points in the paint over North Olmsted’s Juelz
Amherst’s Stanley Robinson finishes a fast break layup for two points.
Amherst’s Ashton Draga gets to the basket over North Olmsted’s Matthew Bloomfield.
Vermilion’s Claire Bartlome gets a basket in the paint over Midview’s Leah DiFranco.
Amherst’s Jack Coleman drives past North Olmsted’s Dylan Susan on his way to the basket.
Photos by Russ Gifford The Community Guide
The Midview Girls Basketball team opened the 24th Annual DiFranco Classic by hosting Vermilion. The teams battled to a 25-25 tie at halftime. Midview gained momentum in the third quarter and opened up an 11 point lead in the fourth quarter behind Leah DiFranco’s hot hand. DiFranco finished the game with 33 points as Midview won 58-44.
“Marines Toys for Tots” drive begins
Join Tom Orlando, the Lorain County Clerk of Court, and his staff in supporting their 10th annual “Marines Toys for Tots” toy drive at all of the Clerk of Courts locations throughout the county.
There are “Toys for Tots” donation boxes in rooms 105, 106, and 108 of the Clerk of Courts’ Legal Division departments located on the first floor of the Lorain County Justice Center in Elyria, and at the Auto Title and Passport Offices in Elyria and Lorain.
Please consider donating unwrapped toys for children ages infant to 17 years. Donated toys will be accepted through Friday.
For more info, visit loraincountyohio.gov/clerk.
North Pointe Ballet to perform ‘Nutcracker’ North Point Ballet will perform “The Nutcracker” Dec. 13-15 at the Lorain Palace Theatre, 617 Broadway Ave, Lorain. Shows will be at 7 p.m. all three days with 2 p.m. matinees on Saturday and Sunday.
The company’s production of the holiday classic is an imaginative staging unlike you’ve ever seen before. For more info, visit northpointeballet.org/nutcracker.
Oberlin Library board to meet
Oberlin Public Library Board of Trustees will hold a regular meeting followed by the 2025 organizational meeting at the library on Dec. 19 at 5 p.m. The meetings are open to the public.
Sandstone Village to hold German Christmas
The Amherst Historical Society will hold its German Christmas Holiday Celebration from 4-8 p.m. Saturday at Sandstone Village, 763 Milan Ave., Amherst.
It is free to attend and free to park and take a shuttle from Amherst Junior High, 548 Milan Ave.
Those who come can:
• Visit the beautifully decorated Village Buildings Shop at The Shops at Sandstone Village Shop local crafters and vendors
• Enjoy hot chocolate
• Meet Santa and Mrs. Claus
• Enjoy kids’ activities
• Buy from food Trucks
For further information, please contact the Amherst Historical Society at (440) 988-7255 or office@amhersthistoricalsociety.org
Amherst Library board to meet
Amherst Public Library Board of Trustees will hold a regular meeting followed by the 2025 organizational meeting at the library on Monday at 5:45 p.m. The meetings are open to the public.
NOACA: Tell us what you need
The Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency is in the process of updating a plan the committee uses to
HAPPY HOLIDAYS
BULLETIN BOARD
guide its investments in the region.
The current plan long-range plan, “An Equitable Future for Northeast Ohio,” is updated every four years and is intended to guide the next 20 years of investment and projects for NOACA.
Meetings will be held in all five counties NOACA serves. The Lorain County meeting will be held from 5:30-7 p.m. Monday at LCCC’s Spitzer Conference Center, 1005 N. Abbe Road, Elyria.
Russia Twp. year-end meeting Dec. 30
The New Russia Township Board of Trustees will conduct its 2024 Year End and the 2025 Organizational meeting on Dec. 30 at 5 p.m. at the township offices, 46300 Butternut Ridge Road, Oberlin.
Vermilion church to hold live nativity event
St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church in Vermilion will hold a live nativity event called the “Breath of Heaven” from 4-8 p.m. on Dec. 14 and 15. Entry is free but non-perishable food items that can be donated to local food pantries are welcome.
Mexican Mutual Christmas Dinner is Dec. 13
LORAIN — Mexican Mutual Society’s Christmas Dinner will be held from 5-7:30 p.m. Dec. 13.
Dinners are $20 and include tamale, tostada, enchilada, pernil, rice and beans.
Doors open at 3:30 p.m., there will be a margarita special and cash bar.
Mexican Mutual Society is at 1820 E. 28th St. For more information, call (440) 277-7375.
Wellington Christmas kickoff is Saturday
The Wellington Community Christmas Kick-off starts at 5:30 p.m. Saturday. There will be a tree lighting at Union School Park, a parade, performances by Janice’s Dance Studio competition team in Village Square and activities and visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus in Town Hall, 115 Willard Memorial Square. For information, visit mainstreetwellington.org.
Oberlin Walkin’ in Winter Saturday
Walkin’ in a Winter Oberlin will usher in the season from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday with a host of activities.
The Holiday Lights Parade will start 6 p.m., with Santa Claus arriving, a tree-lighting ceremony and more. For information, visit cityofoberlin.com.
Hop aboard Amherst Jingle Bell bus
The Jingle Bell Bus will take passengers through Amherst Wednesday to see Christmas lights, sing carols and make new family memories. The bus leaves from the Main Street Amherst building at 255 Park Ave. at 6 p.m. and returns at 7:30 p.m. Space is limited and tickets are $5. To purchase tickets, contact the Main Street office at (440) 984-6709 or visit the website.
Light up Vermilion on Friday
Light Up Vermilion will start the holiday season from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday in downtown historic Vermilion. Santa and his elf arrive at 6 p.m., and the community tree lighting will happen at 6:15 p.m. Shops and restaurants will be open and the streets and storefronts will be decorated.
Holiday on the Ridge(ville) is Saturday
North Ridgeville will host its 24th annual Holiday on the Ridge Saturday.
It’s a chance for visitors to visit holiday open houses throughout the city from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event is sponsored by the North Ridgeville Visitors Bureau. For information, call (440) 327-3737.
Auditions set for ‘Tuck Everlasting’
Workshop Players is holding auditions for “Tuck Everlasting.’’ Auditions at 2 p.m. Sunday and at 7 p.m. Monday at the theater, 44820 Middle Ridge Road, Amherst.
Some parts have been cast but there are still parts available for Constable Joe, Betsy Foster, Hugo and 2 male and 2 female ensemble members. Ages 16 and older. Please prepare 32 bars of a contemporary song, to be sung a cappella.
Amherst ‘Miracle on Main’ is Friday
The Miracle on Main Street holiday extravaganza in Amherst is Friday.
Festivities begin at 5:45 p.m., when the Madrigals of Marion L. Steele High School will perform outside Town Hall, 206 S. Main St.
The Christmas parade will start at 6 p.m. from the parking lot of the high school.
Sheriff promotes one deputy, hires another Sheriff’s Sgt. Gary B. Howell Jr. has been promoted to lieutenant. Howell has been with the Sheriff’s Office since 2014 and was a K-9 officer.
He is a former Monroeville police officer and Ottawa County sheriff’s deputy Sheriff Stammitti also announced that Nicole Jones has been hired full-time.
Jones is a former special enforcement agent with the county Drug Task Force, where she has worked since July 2023.
An Elyria resident, Jones was a Cleveland police officer from 2021 to 2023.
E-ZPass customers with passenger vehicles will continue to save an average of 33 percent on Ohio Turnpike tolls compared to customers who pay by cash or credit card.
The Ohio Turnpike’s tolls will increase on Jan. 1.
In 2025, the full trip toll fare traveling westbound across the 241-mile Ohio Turnpike (from Pennsylvania to Indiana) for:
E-ZPass customers with passenger vehicles (Class 1) will cost $18.50, a $1.50 increase from 2024; and cash/credit card customers will pay $27, up $1.75; and In 2025, the full trip toll fare traveling eastbound across the Ohio Turnpike
(from Indiana to Pennsylvania) for:
E-ZPass customers with passenger vehicles (Class 1) will cost $15.50, a $1.25 increase from 2024; and cash/credit card customers will pay $22.75, up $1.50. Ohio rates still rank among of the lowest in the country.
©2024byVickiWhiting,Editor Je Schinkel,Graphics Vol. 41,No.
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