Help for the holidays
Owen MacMillan
The Community Guide
ELYRIA — In the fourth year of Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio’s Thanksgiving food distribution, nearly 2,000 Lorain County families received the holiday meal they will gather around today.
The event on Saturday took over several parking lots at Lorain County Community College, as dozens of volunteers in neon vests worked in unison to move thousands of people and cars through their assembly linelike food bank.
In all, Second Harvest President and CEO Julie Chase-Morefield said that the distribution served 1,966 families totaling 8,398 people. She said 61 percent of the families served have children. This year’s distribution saw slightly fewer recipients than the previous two years — the event broke 2,000 families in 2022 and 2023 — but ChaseMorefield said that the need for food among Lorain County families is as great as ever.
“We’ve been talking a lot about how from previous years the need (for food banks) is up about 32 percent, that just is not changing,” Chase-Morefield said. “And one of our big concerns is just not being able to have the food and resources we need to meet the need.”
Lorain-based Second Harvest serves residents in Crawford, Erie, Huron and Lorain counties and began its now annual Thanksgiving food distributions in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sam Flores, Second Harvest’s director of program and partner services, said that Lorain
Carissa Woytach
The Community Guide
Now through Dec. 24, Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio hopes to raise $100,000 to fund food pantries, hot meal programs and food distributions in Lorain, Erie, Huron and Crawford counties.
The Holiday Cheer campaign, in its 41st year, has raised more than $1.6 million since its inception.
Second Harvest President/CEO Julie Chase-Morefield said the Holiday Cheer campaign will help buoy Second Harvest and its partner programs through the end of the year.
“These dollars that come through are going to help our programs, our food pantries especially, to be able to have additional food,” Chase-Morefield said. This year, WOBL/WDLW partnered with Second Harvest to promote the campaign. The Oberlin-based radio stations’ disk jockeys will be traveling throughout Lorain County from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 6 to pick up donations, while on-air staff try to raise $10,000 in one day.
From Dec. 13-15, Ohio Metallurgical, First Federal Savings and Loan, Buckeye Community Bank and Wickens Herzer and Panza will match up to $10,000 in donations.
Chase-Morefield said donations from grocery stores have fallen since the pandemic, forcing Second Harvest to purchase more food than it had in the past. She said while families coming through
Don’t be disconnected; heating help available
The Chronicle-Telegram
Lorain County Community Action Agency’s Winter Crisis Program provides heating assistance for residents without heat or are threatened with disconnection.
The program, which runs through March 31, is available to individuals at or below 175 percent of the federal poverty level — about $52,500 for a family of four — who have had their heat disconnected, received a disconnection notice, need to establish
new service, need to pay to transfer a service, have less than a 10-day supply of bulk fuel like wood, coal, pellets, propane or oil or have defaulted on a percentage of an income payment plan.
Those with a pending disconnection notice should make an appointment at least 48 hours prior to the scheduled disconnection to keep it from happeniong.
In-person, walk-in services are available 8-11 a.m. and 12:30-3:30 p.m. Tuesdays
and Thursdays at Second Baptist Church, 427 Chapman Lane, Elyria.
In-person appointments are available 8-11 a.m. and 12:30-3:30 p.m. Fridays at the Office on Aging Wellington location, 105 Maple St. by calling (440) 731-2640.
Seniors can walk in for appointments from 8-11 a.m. and 12:30-3:30 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays at the Office on Aging, 534 S. Abbe Road, Elyria.
The maximum crisis benefits are: $175
The Avon Lake Public Library transformed into a winter wonderland for its third annual gingerbread house contest.
This year the library partnered with the Lake Erie Crushers to allow the winner in each of the library’s four categories to be on display as part of Christmas Around the
for regulated gas and electric utilities; $750 for unregulated utilities; $1,200 for bulk fuel, propane, heating oil or kerosene; $650 for coal or wood. The program can also fund up to $1,500 for heating unit repairs or replacement.
There is also help for residents without a disconnection notice through another program. For more information, including necessery documentation, or for questions, call (440) 245-1870.
World, a holiday festival at the stadium every weekend from Friday to Dec. 30.
The four categories at the library’s gingerbread contest are adults, families, teens (ages 12-17) and kids (11 and under).
Shea Alltmont, library communications manager, said the 12 participating gingerbread houses brought
fierce competition this year. Alltmont highlighted one contestant who made their gingerbread house with plans to set it outside for birds to enjoy.The decorations on that house were all made of birdseed and nuts. Voting runs through Tuesday. Gingerbread houses will be on display through Dec. 12.
BRUCE BISHOP / COMMUNITY GUIDE
OWEN MACMILLAN / COMMUNITY GUIDE PHOTOS
Brad and Stephany Barhorst volunteer at the Second Harvest Thanksgiving food distribution at Lorain County Community College on Saturday.
$100,000
From A1 mobile distributions complain of high food costs, those same increases hit Second Harvest as well, especially for meats and protein items. She said purchased food now costs about $2 million per year, compared to $500,000 to $600,000 in years past.
The Holiday Cheer campaign comes on the heels of Second Harvest’s Thanksgiving food distributions. In Lorain County, volunteers served just shy of 2,000 families on Saturday at a distribution at Lorain County Community College.
Chase-Morefield said volunteers had spent weeks packaging food boxes before that, and drivers left the organization’s Baumhart Road center around 5:30 a.m. Saturday to bring truckloads of food to the college’s parking lot.
TURKEYS
From A1
County’s distribution is always the largest, thanks in part to buy-in from the community.
“Leading up to the season there’s always a bit of anxiety as far as are we gonna have enough food, are we gonna have enough volunteers,” she said. “But there’s so much support for this one in particular, it’s our largest (distribution) by far. … It’s a daunting figure to say OK, we’re going to bring 2,000 turkeys and distribute them, but the college has been great, the partnership with the city and the police has been really great and we have enough volunteers.”
The largest single group of volunteers on Saturday came from LCCC, which has now hosted the event for three years after the first Thanksgiving distribution was held at the Midway Mall.
Marisa Vernon-White, LCCC vice president of enrollment management and student services, said that the college provided around 50 volunteers for the event.
“We’re central to our community, and we know that,” she said. “Most of the individuals and the families that we serve are from this area, and so events like today help us be in touch with individuals who are actually in our community. And then it’s part of giving back. The community has given a lot to the college, and a lot of support to the college and this is one of the ways that we like to be able to give back to the community and engage with people. It’s a great fit for us.”
Vernon-White added that connecting with parents and families at events like the Thanksgiving food distribution has opened up discussions about how LCCC can help people advance their careers and education.
One of the LCCC volunteers was Stephany Barhorst, an advocacy and
“It helps to make programs feel more confident to meet the need,” she said.
Last year the Holiday Cheer campaign raised about $93,000, according to a news release from Second Harvest. For more information, including how to donate, visit secondharvestfoodbank.org.
Between the four counties it serves, about 3,500 families came to Second Harvest’s Thanksgiving distributions, she said. As the year comes to a close, partner agencies, and the people they serve, are nervous about having enough food to go around, she said.
WOBL and WDLW will be accepting nonperishable food items through Dec. 13. Donations can be dropped off 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday at 45624 U.S. Route 20 in Oberlin. To schedule a donation pickup for the station’s onair campaign Dec. 6, call (440) 774-1320. Needed nonperishable items include canned proteins like tuna, chicken and beans; peanut butter, whole-grain pasta or rice; canned vegetables and fruits, including low-sugar and low-salt items; shelfstable milk and cereals or oatmeal.
Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com.
resource specialist for the college, who was joined by her husband, Brad.
The Barhorsts, of North Ridgeville, have been volunteering for the Thanksgiving food bank for several years.
“We just love doing this every year,” Brad Barhorst said. “It feels good to help and it’s one of our favorite parts of the holiday now.”
Flores said that most of the volunteers who worked on Saturday have come back from previous years, drawn by the fun atmosphere and opportunity to serve and connect with their neighbors.
“We are a people-focused organization, our business is people,” she said. “That goes on lots of different fronts. (There’s) the neighbors we serve, but also the volunteers that we rely on, and not just around the holidays. Where other food banks may be struggling with volunteers, we have lots of volunteers who visit us once and choose to come back, and the same with this distribution. People love coming back. I mean the weather was crappy this morning, people still got out of bed, saw the rain and said ‘OK.’”
Another part of being “people focused” means responding to the needs and wants of the community, Chase-Morefield said. This year, Second Harvest did that by offering not just turkeys but also pork, which is the traditional Thanksgiving main dish for many Latino families. Chase-Morefield said that the new offering was an attempt to better serve Lorain County’s large Latino population.
“Just trying to find something a little different, because we want to be responsive to the communities that we serve,” she said.
Chase-Morefield said that the Thanksgiving distribution is large because of the way it brings people together and serves their family traditions.
on Monday.
‘The
Ohio 4’ rally to raise doubts about convictions
ELYRIA — More than 33 years after the brutal murder of Marsha Blakely in Lorain that put them in prison, the four men convicted of her murder are asking the Lorain County Prosecutor’s Office to help them with their quest to be exonerated.
Alfred Cleveland, Lenworth “Lenny” Edwards, John “Shakim” Edwards and Benson Davis have together served more than 100 years behind bars for the murder, which they maintain they did not commit. Cleveland and Lenny Edwards are free on parole, but John Edwards and Benson Davis remain behind bars.
On Monday, Cleveland and Lenny Edwards were in Elyria for a demonstration at Ely Square. The two men, their attorneys, supporters including exonerees and justice advocates called for “justice!” for the defendants, now being called “The Ohio 4.”
The men and their attorneys are pushing for outgoing Prosecutor J.D. Tomlinson to ask a judge to vacate their convictions and dismiss the charges, as he did in 2022 with the 1990s Head Start child abuse case. That decision freed Joseph Allen from prison and exonerated Nancy Smith.
A message seeking comment was left for Tomlinson on Monday, who leaves office in January.
Star prosecution witness William Avery Jr., who testified that Cleveland, Davis, John Edwards and Lenny Edwards killed Blakely, has since recanted what he said in court. He has said he only said what he said because he was being paid.
“At the trials of Al Monday and those charged with him, I testified
under oath that I was an eyewitness to Alfred Cleveland, who I knew as Monday, along with other people I knew as JR, Will, and Shakim (Mr. Edwards) beat Marsha Blakely at Floyd Epps’ apartment and then murdered her behind Charlie’s Bar in Lorain,” Avery wrote in an affidavit recanting his original trial testimony and posted online at www.FreeThe Ohio4.com.
“All of this was a lie. I never witnessed the murder of Marsha Blakely, was not with her or Al Cleveland the night she was murdered,” he wrote. “I only done it for the money, and everything was not true.”
Attorney Josh Dubin, executive director of the Perlmutter Center for Legal Justice at Yeshiva University’s Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York City, on Monday said there is “overwhelming evidence of innocence” that the four men were wrongfully convicted.
“These four men are innocent,” Dubin told the crowd at Ely Square, who later took their rally to the steps of the Lorain County Justice Center a block away on Court Street.
He said the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati knows it, the Ohio Parole Board knows it, and Tomlinson knows it. With less than two months left as the elected Lorain County Prosecutor, Tomlinson “has an opportunity to say ‘Something was wrong and I helped make it right,’” Dubin said. Since his conviction and imprisonment, multiple witnesses have filed affidavits swearing that Cleveland — also known as “Freddy” or “Monday” — was two states away in New York City at the time and couldn’t have been responsible for Blakely’s murder on Aug. 8, 1991. Blakely, 22, was stabbed, had her throat slit, and was run over by a car. Her body was found behind Westgate Shopping Center in Lorain shortly after 9 a.m. that day. The Lorain Police Department suspected her death was connected to that of her friend, Floyd Epps, whose body was found earlier that same morning, though no one has ever been charged with killing Epps. A longtime police and federal informant, according to court records and media reports, Avery testified the four men killed Blakely. The four Black men all were convicted.
Dave O’Brien
The Community Guide
GARRETT LOOKER / COMMUNITY GUIDE PHOTOS
Derrick Hamilton, center, leads a group of demonstrators as they march toward the Lorain County Justice Center
Alfred Cleveland, center, speaks during a demonstation Monday in Elyria.
BRUCE BISHOP / COMMUNITY GUIDE
Justin McIntosh, 16, places a stuffed animal and says a prayer at the corner of Broadway and Tenney streets in Amherst Township. He said he placed the toy in memory of a child that he didn’t know because it was the right thing to do. Alex Louks, 9, died in the house with his mother last week in a reported murder-suicide.
Sheriff: She shot son, started fire, shot self
Dave O’Brien and Bruce Bishop
The Community Guide
Risa Louks shot her son Alex in the chest Wednesday morning, Nov. 20, before setting their Amherst Township house on fire, according to the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office.
She then shot and killed herself with a handgun investigators later recovered at the scene. That information was included in a news release Thursday updating the public on the investigation a day after the tragedy on Broadway Street.
“This remains an active investigation, and detectives are diligently reviewing the pertinent documents and evidence,” according to a news release provided by sheriff’s Capt. Robert Vansant.
Amherst firefighters found the bodies of Risa Louks, 46, and Alex Louks, 9, in a bedroom in the house while responding to a fire alarm at 320 Broadway St. Lorain County Coroner Dr. Frank Miller said it appeared to be a clear case of murder in the death of Alex Louks, and death by suicide by Risa Louks.
The sheriff’s office said it had no record of ever having contact with the Louks family for law-enforcement purposes. No other information was being released other than what was contained in the news release and an accompanying initial police report, Vansant wrote.
“We ask that the community keep the Amherst community and the staff and students of Amherst Exempted Schools in their thoughts as they navigate
the impact of this tragedy,” he wrote.
The sheriff’s office also provided the initial police report filed on the incident. It revealed that deputies were called to the scene for a reported death.
Amherst firefighters told the arriving deputies that the house was full of smoke. They found Alex Louks in the arms of his mother, under a bedsheet in a first-floor bedroom.
A firefighter attempted first aid on Alex Louks, according to the report, “with negative results.”
Firefighters also found a red gasoline can inside the bedroom where the bodies were found.
A dog that ran up to the first firefighters to enter the house was taken outside.
A neighbor told deputies that she had last had contact with Risa Louks at 11 p.m. Tuesday by text message.
Detectives learned that Risa Louks had recently been served to appear at an emergency custody hearing in an Indiana court after Alex’s father, Guy Louks, filed for emergency temporary custody in Henry County, Indiana.
A hearing was scheduled Monday on Guy Louks’ petition, according to Henry County Circuit Court records.
The custody matter “may have contributed to this unfortunate situation,” Vansant wrote in the news release.
Guy Louks declined comment when reached by The Chronicle-Telegram on Wednesday.
Amherst schools were providing counselors and support for students, staff and the community, Super-
intendent Mike Molnar said in a news release Wednesday.
In a public Facebook post on Thursday, the Amherst Jr. Comets Youth Football Organization said it was “absolutely heartbroken and at a loss for words as we struggle with losing one of our Jr. Comet family” in Alex Louks.
“Our 2022 Spring Camper of the Year and always a bright light for us on any team or activity. We will miss you deeply Alex but you will never be forgotten,” the organization wrote. “You’ll always be a part of our Jr Comet Football Family and prayers to all those who may be grieving in this tough time.”
On Thursday, neighbor Justin McIntosh, 16, showed up outside the Broadway Street scene and laid a teddy bear at a growing memorial set against a utility pole.
He said the stuffed animal had been in his closet for a long time, and he thought he would stop by and lay it against the post.
“I never really knew them, but me being a Christian, I felt like even if I don’t need to I’m going to,” he said when asked why he had visited the scene.
He said the deaths were “horrible” and “not humane.”
“We don’t truly know what went on in that house, but it was a little girl or a boy — it doesn’t matter their gender — it matters that it was a child, you know?” McIntosh said. “We’ll never truly find out who she or he could have become,” he said.
Contact Dave O’Brien at (440) 3297129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com.
Detectives learned that Risa Louks had recently been served to appear at an emergency custody hearing in an Indiana court after Alex’s father, Guy Louks, filed for emergency temporary custody in Henry County, Indiana.
Huge crowd at JVS open house
Programs adapted to ‘where
Ohio is going’ draw 1,400 to check them out
Garrett Looker The Community Guide
PITTSFIELD TWP. — Bright sparks flew into the air as Anthony Castaner’s initials were welded into a piece of metal, his movements guided by the help of Alexander Reese, a welder and fabricator in his senior year at Lorain County Joint Vocational School.
It was Castaner’s first time welding anything, and he hopes to continue on in multiple programs at the vocational school as a junior next year “so I can get the experience I need to start my career early,” he said.
“It was a fun experience, but there’s many more to come in the future,” Castaner said, admitting that he was a little nervous holding the welding torch.
Castaner was one of hundreds of attendees at the Lorain County Joint Vocational School open house Sunday afternoon.
More than 1,400 individuals attended Sunday’s event, according to Cheryl Fridenstine, JVS marketing coordinator.
And that number is on the rise compared to previous years.
“Typically, in years prior, we’ve had anywhere from probably about 900 to about 1,200,” said Mario Codispoti, director of communications at the JVS.
“Lorain County JVS has done a great job of aligning its programs to the regional economy. … It’s our job to make sure our programs reflect high-wage, high-career pathways.”
The growth in attendance can be attributed to the vo-
cational school’s economic impact throughout the community, Codispoti said.
“We’re adapting to where Ohio is going,” Codispoti said. “We’re working across the ecosystem to make sure that what we’re doing in the classroom academically and in the labs reflect the vision of where Ohio’s going.”
The open house showcased the vocational school’s programs, more than 28 in total, including career training in the automotive industry, culinary arts, landscape and greenhouse management and more.
Throughout the entire building, prospective students walked around, learning about things like aquaponics and baking pastries.
They were met by educators and instructors who were hoping to break down barriers for students who may not have even known these types of careers existed.
Tony Tyree, a welding instructor, said he took pride in the fact that he has the chance to expand the worlds of young learners, showing them things they may not have had the opportunity to see or try before.
“I love what I do,” Tyree said. “Getting to see that tangible piece that they did. To me, that’s it.” In many rooms, families were greeted by former students who had completed programs there and moved on to careers in their field. They returned Sunday to show incoming students what advantages the vocational school gave them.
“Opening their eyes to all the different pathways that manufacturing leads to is important to me,” said Emily Graven, an automation engineer and 2021 graduate who returned for Sunday’s event. “I love coming back every year to (the) open house and seeing all the new students and inspiring everyone.”
“This is very beneficial for them, anything to try to get them on board,” said Don Sabella, a 2018 graduate.
Thirteen public school districts are served by the JVS. In 2023, it had a 96 percent four-year graduation rate, a fraction of a percentage point lower than the average of the state’s career-technical planning districts, according to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce.
The JVS achieved a postprogram placement rate of 91.8 percent, well above state standards, according to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. Post-program placement measures the amount of students who were employed, in an apprenticeship, joined the military or moved on to post-secondary education six months after leaving the vocational program.
To Anthony Castaner — the incoming junior who is hoping to join the automotive and welding programs – the whole place is going to change the trajectory of his career.
The vocational school will give him a leg up in his future, he said.
Contact Garrett Looker at glooker@ chroniclet.com.
Guard stepped in not knowing man had knife
Carissa Woytach
The Community Guide
SHEFFIELD LAKE —
When John Merritt tackled Roy Lee Fennell, he did not know the 44-year-old had a knife.
Merritt, a security guard from First Security who was working Monday at the Lorain Public Library Main Branch, said Fennell came into the library that
afternoon and walked past Merritt’s desk to the computer lab before allegedly stabbing a 23-year-old man in the neck and running out of the library.
Merritt said he thought Fennell had punched the
23-year-old, as both men’s backs were to Merritt’s desk near the library’s main entrance. When he saw Fennell swing, he said he stood up and tackled Fennell between the interior and exterior doors of the library.
“I really wasn’t thinking about myself,” Merritt said of his actions in the moment.
Once Fennell was in
Lorain police custody, Merritt said he went back inside the library to help a library patron provide first aid to the 23-year-old, who was taken to Mercy Health - Lorain by LifeCare, then flown to MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland. He is in stable condition, according to Lorain police.
Fennell has since been charged with felonious assault, resisting arrest and
obstructing official business.
At a library Board of Trustees meeting last week, Merritt received a resolution honoring him for his actions.
Reading the resolution, board President Monica Snipes-Martin said Merritt’s actions prevented additional injuries and exemplified his professionalism and humanity.
Christmas Carol’ on through Dec. 22
John Benson
The Community Guide
The Great Lakes Theater’s annual production of “A Christmas Carol,” which returns for its 36th year. is appearing through Dec. 22 in the Mimi Ohio Theatre at Playhouse Square.
One of Northeast Ohio’s most-loved and best-attended holiday events, the production is the creation of former Great
Lakes Theater Artistic Director Gerald Freedman, who in 1989 adapted Charles Dickens’ timeless tale into a heartwarming experience.
“Gerald Friedman left us a great gift with this production,” said Great Lakes Theater Producing Artistic Director Sara Bruner, who once again directs “A Christmas Carol.” “It’s always been a very successful production for us and it’s a beautiful adaptation and he staged it beautifully. He created something that Northeast Ohioans love. They love to see it for the first time and they love to see it for the 10th time.
“I fear sounding like a Scrooge, but it does have financial implications for our company. The fact that this production has done so well for so many years affords us the ability to do other things in our season. It allows us to daydream in other ways, so it’s very meaningful.”
When it comes to daydreaming that includes “A Christmas Carol” with the company continuing to tweak Freedman’s vision.
Audiences this year will meet a new Scrooge. GLT veteran Nick Steen, who has portrayed Bob Cratchit for several seasons, takes on the iconic and beloved curmudgeon role.
“If you’ve come to Great Lakes Theater, you know that having a different actor and have a role really changes the story. The way an actor inhabits a role in the nuance that they bring really changes the way that the dominoes tip in a story.
“So it’s going to be a really special experience this year to see how Nick takes on this role.” Another recent update is the casting of a female actor, Ángela Utrera, in the role of the Ghost of Christmas Past.
“It’s really wonderful to have a more feminine
as one of those ghosts.”
Merritt received similar praise and a resolution from the library’s union, SEIU 1199.
“I would have done it for anybody on the street,” Merritt said, “... Hopefully we don’t have anything else like this but I’m there, I’ll be there as long as you’ll have me.”
Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 3297245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com.
Senior Kirby Herrera welcomes visitors to the Landscaping and Greenhouse Management section of the Lorain County Joint Vocational School during its open house on Sunday.
GARRETT LOOKER / COMMUNITY GUIDE PHOTOS
Senior Alexander Reese, right, who is a welder and fabricator, shows Anthony Castaner how to weld. Castaner hopes to join in the automotive and welding programs at Lorain County JVS as a junior next year.
JVS selling poinsettias The annual Lorain County Joint Vocational School landscape
Merritt
ROGER MASTROIANNI
Ghost of Jacob Marley (actor, David Anthony Smith) makes
appearance in Great Lakes Theater’s production of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.”
Pocket change
Garrett Looker and Bruce Bishop
The Community Guide
Firelands students raised over $6,000 in a “penny war” to support hurricane relief efforts.
It was an impressive feat for the entire district, said Firelands High School Principal Cathy Keener.
“I’m really proud of them,” Keener said. “I’m actually surprised that they were able to raise so much money, and most of it being in coins.”
The funds raised will be donated to the American Red Cross. Multiple student groups helped coordinate the fundraising drive, including the National Honor Society and members of the student council.
“They’ve raised an amazing amount of money here, very impressive, the work that all three of the schools have done,” said Todd James, executive director of the American Red Cross of North Central Ohio.
“That’s going to help us continue the great work that we’re doing down in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, all the states that were affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.”
The fundraising drive featured a competition between grades across the district’s three buildings.
“We turned it into a contest where the students could put coins into the jug for positives toward their grade level and paper money went toward the negative,” Keener explained.
Throughout the school district, the Firelands third grade class raised the most money. The seventh grade class won at the middle school level and the senior class raised the most at the high school, according to Jennifer Butchko, a Firelands Schools public relations and communications official.
“It worked out kind of funny in the high school,” Keener said.
“Most of the groups ended up with a negative total because there was so much competition between the grades. But our senior class is the group that won for the
high school.”
That competition was driven by two main goals: to raise as much money as possible for people affected by the hurricanes and a prize that would be given to the class that raised the most.
“Doughnuts were the prize for the grade that won, which really motivated a lot of people to donate more money,” said Amelia Branco, a Firelands eighth grader.
Donations were organized and counted by
Firelands students. They were helped by district employees and volunteers.
Throughout the collection process, the amount and weight of the donations proved to be an issue. At one point, the middle school alone had accumulated 28,000 pennies, according to Butchko.
“Our community just kept giving and giving and giving,” Butchko said.
James wasn’t even aware that the Firelands
students had been raising the money. He said he was impressed with the initiatives the students took to help others.
“I think that that is fantastic, that the schools are instilling that sense of volunteerism and community and giving back,” James said.
Millions of Americans throughout the southeast were affected by the two hurricanes that made landfall in September and October.
“The recovery process is going to be going on
for a very long time and there are definitely some unique challenges in this situation that we are working to overcome and make sure people have that help,” James said.
“And this donation is going to do a lot to help that.”
More donations can be made at redcross.org, James said.
Contact Garrett Looker at glooker@ chroniclet.com. Contact Bruce Bishop at bbishop@chroniclet.com.
Mom: Donate in son’s memory
Lorain woman calls on ‘Ashton’s Army’ to make Christmas merry for others
Rini Jeffers
The Community Guide
LORAIN — Ashton Taylor was a small boy who cast a giant shadow.
Ashton was only 3 when he died of brain cancer in February 2023. The story of the smiley blond boy diagnosed with cancer just after his first birthday is told by his mother on her Ashton’s Army website that has drawn thousands of views.
For the second year in a row, his family is asking the community — “Ashton’s Army” — to remember him with a toy drive in his honor.
They are asking for donations through Dec. 9 of new, unwrapped toys or small personal items. The Ashton’s Army Toy Drive then delivers those items to children being treated in the oncology department of the Cleveland Clinic and for others who have lost a loved one to childhood cancer.
Ashton’s mother, Tara Taylor, said the idea came from knowing what being in the hospital
and undergoing treatments was like for other families and patients. Tara and her husband, Joe, spent many days there with Ashton. One of the highlights of his visits was picking out toys from a toy chest filled for young patients.
Tara Taylor organizes the drive with her niece, Katelynn Badford.
Last year they didn’t think of the idea until “the last minute,” she said, and they were amazed by the response — 400 new toys.
“People came through, as always, for him,” Taylor said.
During his months of treatment, strangers gathered many times in Ashton’s name: Motorcycle clubs and vintage car enthusiasts and Jeep owners rallied for parades past his house so he could see the “Jeep jeeps” he loved so much.
Last year toy Jeeps and cars were among the hundreds of gifts donated to the Ashton’s Army Toy Drive aimed at kids from ages newborn to 21.
PHOTO PROVIDED
Toys and dogs surround a portrait of Ashton Taylor, a 3-year-old boy who died of brain cancer last year.
Taylor recommends gifts of insulated drinking cups or mugs, which patients can use at the on-site ice machine and drink fountain, and blankets or small travel pillows for older teens. Fidget toys and ball caps are always welcome, she said. Taylor and Badford attach bows and tags that explain Ashton’s story and asking recipients, if they wish, to post
Police say man led them on ‘chase’ in 3-wheeled car
A Lorain man has been charged with drunken driving and felony failure to comply after allegedly leading Elyria police on a slow chase while missing a front tire on his vehicle.
Larry Fisher, 55, of Lorain was arrested after Elyria police officers say they saw him driving north on state Route 57 in a silver Jeep that was missing its front passenger-side tire early Friday morning.
“Fisher was operating the vehicle at slow speeds, while weaving in and out of marked lanes,” said Capt. James Welsh, Elyria patrol commander.
The release said that Fisher led police on a slow speed chase for more than 2 miles before stopping just before the intersection of Route 57 and North Ridge Road.
According to the incident report, Fisher was driving about 5 to 10 mph when police attempted to stop him and never accelerated over 30 mph during the pursuit.
Officers arrested Fisher, who is homeless and lives in Lorain according to court records, without incident just after 1:45 a.m. Friday. The report said that officers observed he had glassy eyes, was unsteady on his feet and slurred his speech.
Fisher was charged with failure to comply, a felony, as well as operating a vehicle under the influence, reckless operation, having an unsafe vehicle and failure to reinstate drivers license, all misdemeanors. He is being held at the Lorain County Jail on $5,000 bond. The vehicle was not registered to Fisher but rather an auto sales company in Lorain.
“Fisher stated that he saw the vehicle in the city of Lorain, got inside, found the keys and started driving,” the report said. “Fisher stated that at some point, the tire blew out and was aware that he had been driving on the rim. Due to Fisher’s intoxicated state, he was unable to provide a clear account of events or specifics of exactly where he took the vehicle from.”
The report said that Elyria police believe Fisher stole the vehicle from Steel City Auto Sales in Lorain. Officers contacted the business and left a message.
“The officers involved in this pursuit should be commended for not only arresting Fisher, but safely preventing any injuries or property damage caused by the impaired driver,” Welsh said in a release.
Oberlin to kick off festivities with ‘Winter Walk’ on Dec. 7 Oberlin’s newest holiday tradition will kick off winter festivities next Saturday.
The city and Oberlin College and Conservancy will host “Walkin’ In a Winter Oberlin” from 6 and 8 p.m. in the downtown area, centered in Tappan Square, according to Diane Ramos, communications manager for the city.
The event will feature a holiday lights parade with decorated vehicles, the Oberlin High School marching band, and Santa Claus on West College Street.
The parade will conclude with the lighting of the holiday tree and fire and ice tower in Tappan Square.
Attendees will be able to enjoy holiday train rides, pictures with Santa Claus, ice sculptures, musical performances, cookies and hot chocolate and more at the holiday festival.
The event is open to the public and most activities are free.
For more information on the event, including a complete list of activities and performance times, as well as parking options, visit cityofoberlin.com/winter-oberlin. — from staff reports
their gift on the Ashton’s Army Facebook page.
“One guy sent me a message of his little boy, holding a toy and holding Ashton’s little card, thanking us and telling us that it made him smile,” she said. Giving comfort to others is one way Ashton’s family copes with their grief. The couple have three older children: Keilee, Austin and Kendall.
BRUCE BISHOP / CHRONICLE PHOTOS
Todd James, executive director of the American Red Cross of North Central Ohio, talks Monday to some of the students involved in the penny challenge held by Firelands Schools to help those impacted by the hurricanes that hit the South this fall.
Firelands students hold a mock check showing how much money their pennies added up to.
Firelands beats Western Reserve, 48-35
Firelands opened the season on the road against Western Reserve. Firelands lead throughout most of the game, in a physical battle. Western Reserve closed the gap several times. However, Firelands was able to make a run in the
a
Send
Wellington beats Rittman, 42-18
Firelands’ Lexi Schrader gets past Western Reserve’s Lilli Jarrett on her way to the basket.
Firelands’ Jordyn Copley looks for help after collecting a rebound while pressured by Western Reserve’s Layken Barnhart and Ally Goebbel (14.)
Firelands’ Kendra Hardwick is fouled on her way to the basket by Western Reserve’s Layken Barnhart.
Firelands’ Stella Frederick and Western Reserve’s Lilly Jarrett battle for a loose ball.
Wellington’s Brooke Lehmkuhl gets two points past Rittman’s Skyla
Wellington’s Brooke Lehmkuhl brings the ball up the court past Rittman’s Meredith
Wellington’s Kalynne Pickering gets two points past Rittman’s Emily Zullo.
Wellington’s Mackenzie Jerousek drives to the basket under pressure by Rittman’s Chavalah Baltzly.
Photos by Russ Gifford The Community Guide
Wellington opened up its season on the road at Rittman. Wellington scored the first 13 points and led 21-4 after the first quarter. Wellington cruised the rest of the game, finishing with a 42-18 win.
fourth quarter to secure
48-35 win.
“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 Dec. 6.
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 needs bell-ringers
It’s that wonderful time of the year when you hear bells ringing as you walk into the stores.
The Oberlin Salvation Army Service Unit has volunteer opportunities to ring the bells at kettle stands to help your neighbors in need.
Locations across Oberlin are indoors at IGA, Walmart and Drug Mart.
Donations can be made out to: The Oberlin Salvation Army at 13 South Main St., Oberlin, Ohio 44074.
Any questions or comments, please call Stephanie at (440)-328-9060.
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. on Dec. 7 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
BULLETIN BOARD
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 Dec. 9 at 5:45 p.m. The meetings are open to the public.
Amherst schools to hold special meeting
The Board of Education will convene a special meeting for the development of taxation policy at Marion L. Steele HS, 450 Washington St., Amherst, at 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 3.
NOACA: Tell us what you need
The Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency is in the process of updating a plan the committee uses to guide its investments in the region.
The current plan long-range plan, called ”eNEO2050+:
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.
The agency said it is holding the meetings in an effort to make its land use, transportation, workforce and infrastructure investments “more equitable and inclusive for everyone.” It is holding a series of public meetings to seek public input on how to accomplish those goals.
Meetings will run from 5:30-7 p.m. and will be held in all five of the counties that NOACA serves: Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain and Medina.
The Lorain County meeting will be on Dec. 9 at the Lorain County Community College Spitzer Conference Center, 1005 N. Abbe Road, Elyria. Community Foundation hands out grants
The Community Foundation of Lorain County is proud to announce the recipients of the latest round of grants, totaling $411,500, to support the growth and development of arts, culture, and community initiatives in Lorain County. These grants reflect the Community Foundation’s ongoing commitment to fostering creativity, connection,
“We are excited to support these outstanding organizations that are making a positive impact in our community,” said Jamie Simoneau, Program Evaluation and Integration Officer of the Community Foundation. “These grants will help them to continue their important work, and we look forward to seeing how these funds will be used to create lasting change.”
The Community Foundation of Lorain County is dedicated to building a vibrant, equitable, and inclusive community. For more information on these grants and other programs, please visit peoplewhocare.org.
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.
Craft shows
Mercy Health Allen
Lorain
Fundraisers
This special Kid Scoop Thanksgiving page is designed for you to do with afriend or family member.Sofind someone to share the fun!
Haveyourpartneruse aRED crayon andyou useaBLUE one. Whichturkey will reach the finish line first? On your mark, getset …GOBBLE!
Whocan ndthe most turkey feathers on this page in 60 seconds?
All of thesewords start with the letters P-I.Read the clues and worktogether to fill in themissing letters.
Aheavymusicalinstrument with keys Asmall cucumber preserved in brine. A meal packed to eat outdoors Aperson whorobsships at sea. Aplatform over water that startsat the shore.
Youcircle everyother thirdletter to revealthe punchlineto yourriddle. Your partner circles every thirdlettertoreveal hisorher punch line.
Standards Links: Life Skills: Share atask with others.
Youuse aBLUEcrayon andyour opponent uses aRED crayon.Take turns connecting two dots each time. The person who completes asquare gets onepoint Asquarewitha footballhelmetinitisworth three points!
Tak (tak)
Gracias (gra-see-us)
Merci (mehr-see)
Kiitos (kee-toas)
Danke (dahn-kah)
Arigato (ahree-gah-tow)
Dziekuje (dsyne-koo-yeh)
Theday after Thanksgiving is usually the busiestU.S.shoppingday of the year. Imagine you have $100tospend. Look through today’s newspaper andlist what you’dbuy.Did your partner chooseany of thesameitems?
Browsethe newspaperfor 10 words that would make good halves of arhyming pair.Then have your partner scourthe newspaper for words thatrhyme with eachofthe ones youchose. Switch roles and tryitagain
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:
Findthe turkey that is different.