Lorain County Community Guide - May 18, 2023

LCCC graduates

more than 2,000

ELYRIA — Lorain County Community College saw more than 2,000 graduates walk across the stage at Ewing Field House on May 13.

President Marcia Ballinger recognized the class of 2023 for its perseverance and optimism.

The college saw more than 1,800 students earn Lorain County Community College degrees and certificates, and another 344 graduates earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees through its University Partnership program. Ten students earned one of LCCC’s two bachelor’s of applied science degrees.

2023 also marked LCCC’s largest number of dual enrollment students, with 160 graduates from 16 local high schools earning an associate degree or certificate at the same time they completed high school.

Those high school students included 60 graduates from LCCC’s Early College High School program — a partnership between Elyria and Lorain schools that places students at LCCC for all four years of their high school career. This year marked the 15th graduating class for the Early College High School program. Looking out at the mass of graduates in their black robes and mortarboards — many decorated with lights,

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OBERLIN — For 40 years, Christ Church has opened its doors for daily meals.

In that time, the faces coming through the parish hall have changed — both those seeking meals and the volunteers and staff cooking them — but the need has been consistent over the decades.

During the pandemic, the church went from serving a faithful two dozen visitors a day to handing out about 80 meals daily in its drive-thru.

The Rev. Andy McQuery said Oberlin doesn’t have much of a street population, but the small college town does have individuals and families facing food insecurity.

“We’re averaging over 80 meals a day that go out the door. Five days a week, year-round. That doesn’t mean we necessarily get 80 people. … One of the things we pride ourselves on is we don’t ask questions. … We know people have families at home,” McQuery said. While the cost of food has risen — and may be driving some of the individuals coming to the parish hall each week — he said there is also

dignity in the drive-thru model that may be bringing more individuals to the church.

It allows neighbors to pick up hot meals for the elderly or disabled at Lorain Metropolitan Housing Authority’s John Frederick Oberlin Homes, on top of the approximately 30 meals church volunteers routinely deliver to nearby Concord Manor, an affordable housing complex about a block and a half away.

And families with children or Oberlin College students can quickly and quietly pick up a hot meal to take home without scrutiny.

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Rollback of SNAP expansion fuels food insecurity

Nonprofits and other service providers knew the expanded federal food benefits weren’t permanent.

But that didn’t make the rollback any easier.

In 2020, Congress boosted food benefits in response to the coronavirus pandemic, giving individuals and families the maximum allotment on their electronic benefits cards each month.

Last summer, service providers such as Second Harvest Food Bank and Oberlin Community Services waited on pins and needles for that expansion to end.

And on March 1, it did.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or

SNAP, benefits returned to near where they were prepandemic. Statewide, the 738,000 households relying on SNAP benefits saw an average of $172 per month less in benefits available to them.

Dan Henderson, 64, of Amherst, went from receiving about $200 a month during the expanded allotment back to about $20 a month.

When the expanded benefits began, he thought it was a mistake, he told The Chronicle-Telegram in July 2022. But once he was sure the funds were his to spend, he was able to purchase more food at once rather than buying weekto-week.

“Everything’s a gift, I want to make sure that’s clear,” Henderson said. “But since the changes,

I spend cash … I change what I buy.”

The U.S. Census Bureau estimated a quarter of households receiving SNAP benefits reported “sometimes” or “often” not having enough to eat since the March 1 policy change.

Data from its Household

Pulse Survey showed, according to a Census Bureau news release, the states that opted out of the expanded SNAP allotment early saw higher levels of households facing food scarcity earlier. But as the allotment ended, the difference between states that partici-

pated in the expanded allotment and those that didn’t ended. Across the board, households reported food insecurity at similar levels.

In Lorain County, Oberlin Community Services saw an increase in households coming to its drivethru and choice pantries the

last week of April, nowformer Food Programs Coordinator Liv Hanson said.

At the time of publication, Hanson had since taken a position with the Greater Cleveland Food Bank.

“We served more people the last week of April than we had in one week since before COVID — over 310 households,” Hanson said.

She said many of those coming to the pantry tell staffers they’re thankful for the option since their SNAP benefits decreased, because groceries have gotten so expensive, or both.

Kathy Burns, client services coordinator for Oberlin Community Services, agreed.

“Everybody I’ve talked to has made some mention

JEFF BARNES | The Community Guide

Tabatha Watson, the kitchen manager and cook at Oberlin’s Christ Episcopal Church, prepares meals for the parish’s weekday meal program on May 10.

‘We’re doing all we can with what we’ve got’

CARISSA WOYTACH THE COMMUNITY GUIDE

CARISSA WOYTACH THE COMMUNITY GUIDE

CARISSA WOYTACH THE COMMUNITY GUIDE

JEFF BARNES | The Community Guide

Second Harvest Mobile Pantry on May 11 at Black River Landing in Lorain.

JEFF BARNES | The Community Guide Lorain County Community College Commencement was held at the Ewing Field House at LCCC on May 13.

Marilyn Ruth Lamprecht

Marilyn Ruth Lamprecht (nee VanNiel), 83, a lifelong resident of Amherst, entered into eternal rest with our Lord on Monday, May 8, 2023 after suffering a three-year illness. She was born September 24, 1939 in Amherst.

Hempel Funeral Home is privileged to take care of the Lamprecht family during this time of need.

Local arts programs get state funding

Three Lorain County arts organizations are among 139 in Ohio that received a total of $23 million in support in the first round of Ohio Arts Economic Relief Grant Program awards announced Friday.

The Lorain Palace Civic Center Committee Inc., Lorain, received $54,861.

The Northern Ohio Youth Orchestra in Oberlin received $19,201, and the Oberlin Choristers in Oberlin received $14,317, according to a news release.

Gov. Mike DeWine, Lt. Gov. Jon Husted and Ohio Department of Development Director Lydia Mihalik announced the grants Friday.

“Ohio’s arts communities are an integral part of why Ohio stands out as a great place to live and a great place to visit,” DeWine said. “These grants will help ensure that communities continue to have access to the programming and learning experiences Ohioans love.”

Funding can be used to help pay for employee compensation,

excluding bonuses; employee recruitment, rehiring and training expenses; rent or mortgage payments; and operating costs.

More than 400 organizations applied for funding by the March 31 deadline. Applicants had to meet one of the conditions below:

• Be a performing arts organization that produces or presents performance in music, comedy, the performing arts or related fields.

• Be a cultural arts museum with the primary purpose of exhibiting property for artistic or aesthetic purposes, including painting, drawing, design, sculpturemaking, ceramic-making, printmaking, photography, video and filmmaking, graphic design, architecture, textiles, performing arts or preserving and interpreting the history, art, and culture of popular music and multidisciplinary art forms.

The program is funded as part of the American Rescue Plan Act, and awards were calculated based on organizations’ loss in revenue from 2019 to 2020 and 2021 and their 2022 operating budget.

CLASSIFIEDS

Fallen police officers remembered at service

ELYRIA — Lorain County honored the memories of law enforcement officers who died on duty at the annual Lorain County Police Memorial ceremony May 11.

Lorain County Commissioner Jeff Riddell proclaimed May 11 as Police Officer Memorial Day and noted Sunday to May 20 is National Police Week, remembering the 24 individuals who died while serving their communities.

The Lorain County Hon-

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flowers or celebratory quotes — Ballinger reminded graduates of their achievements thus far.

“It took bravery for you to make it this far,” she said. “In order to be successful, you had to make tough choices. You had to lean into who you are and who you want to be. Brene Brown (wrote) in her bestselling book on leadership, ‘Dare to Lead,’ ‘The courage to be vulnerable is not about winning or losing. It’s about the courage to show

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or Guard placed a wreath in front of the memorial, as fallen officers were remembered with a red rose symbolizing each of them.

Lorain County Prosecutor J.D. Tomlinson began his remarks with a moment of silence and recognizing the 286 police officers killed in the line of duty in the past 17 months in the United States, saying that law enforcement agencies are being challenged with difficulties filling open positions, leaving departments short-staffed and barely able to fill a shift or allow for vacations or days off.

up when you can’t predict or control the outcome.’”

She said many students juggled full-time jobs, being a caretaker for children or aging parents or the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Looking to Matthew McConaughey’s memoir “Greenlights,” Ballinger said graduates have persevered through challenges and barriers and are now stronger for it.

“‘We cannot fully appreciate the light without

“Why is this? I will tell you why. It’s because we don’t spend enough time doing what we are doing right here, right now, showing our appreciation for what police officers do for us,” Tomlinson said.

Communities can show their appreciation by paying what they’re worth, providing law enforcement with the equipment they need and honoring them as the heroes they are, Tomlinson said.

As a former defense attorney, Tomlinson said the best friends he has made have been police officers,

the shadows. We have to be thrown off balance to find our footing. It’s better to jump than fall,’” Ballinger said, quoting McConaughey’s memoir.

Saturday’s commencement ceremony took LCCC one step closer to completing its commitment to see 10,000 degrees or credentials conferred by 2025.

LCCC is now 91 percent of the way there, nearly two years ahead of schedule.

Since 1963, LCCC has seen more than 50,000

and he encouraged the community to keep officers in their thoughts every day.

“I will say to each of you: You are the people that made me want to enforce the law with you, and for that I will be forever grateful. You have enriched my life and have always had my back,” Tomlinson said. And I promise each of you this: As we accept the challenges that face us in the future of law enforcement, I will have your backs, and I will do everything in my power to build a community that has your backs too. We owe that to you.”

graduates walk across its stage, she said. In closing, Ballinger urged graduates to go forward with confidence and a degree that will open opportunities.

“Graduates, my wish for each of you is that you continue to reach for your dreams and have the courage to help others along the way,” she said. “May you continue to have optimism and high hopes for your future — the best is yet to come!”

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Police honor guard members salute after pllacing the wreat at the Lorain County Law Eforcement Fire-EMS Service Memorial on May 11.

12-year-old wins big at Talladega

CHRISTINA JOLLIFFE THE COMMUNITY GUIDE

AMHERST — At Talladega SuperSpeedway, “If you ain’t first, you’re last.”

Twelve-year-old Keegan

Weese, a seventh grader at Amherst Junior High School, definitely wasn’t last.

Keegan took home the second national win of his career last month at the NASCAR Youth Series season opener at Talladega SuperSpeedway, marking the first time for quarter midgets to race at the track. Racing since he was 4, Keegan said Talledega was a highlight for him.

“You’re adrenaline is pumping and you’re just really excited thinking you’re going to win,” he said. “You’re racing against your friends and it’s really fun.” He doesn’t get too confident until the checkered flag waves.

“I wait until the end,” Keegan said. “If I’m going fast and I feel like the car is running good, then I think I’m probably going to win, but there is a lot of passing.”

As one of the most iconic tracks in NASCAR, known for it’s high-banked turns and long straightaways, drivers can reach speeds of up to 200 mph on the 2.66mile track, which isn’t exactly where Keegan raced. His race took place in the Fanzone of the famed raceway, where a special track was built just for the quarter midget cars — but it was still at Talladega.

Keegan got into the sport through his dad’s love of racing.

“I grew up around racing,” Justin Weese said. “My best friend’s son raced quarter midgets and when Keegan was 4, I got him a car.”

Keegan’s first time behind the wheel was a memorable one.

“My dad took me to a parking lot and I almost hit a pole,” Keegan recounts.

“The next day, he took me to the track and I didn’t do bad.”

Keegan’s car doesn’t quite get up to 200 mph, hovering more in the 40 to 60 mph range, but he plans to go bigger. “I want to race different cars until I get noticed and asked to fill in,” Keegan said of his goals. “I hope to get a (NASCAR) car of my own one day.”

For now, Keegan is competing in four more national races this year, as well as regional and local races at his home track in Maumee.

Keegan’s brother, Kase, 4, just got his first car, and

Keegan is trying to coach him along.

“I’m trying to teach him what is the gas and the brake,” he said.

Kase can learn a lot from his brother.

After his first national win two years ago, B’Laster products of Cleveland offered to sponsor the young race car driver.

“He tried basketball and didn’t like it,” Justin Weese said. “He tried soccer and didn’t like it. He tried wrestling and didn’t like it. He always ends up coming back to racing. And if you find something you are good at, you stick with it.”

Keegan is the son of Jamie and Justin Weese.

Nathan Perry Chapter NSDAR hosts benefit to help end ‘period poverty’

AMHERST — A local civic group raised more than $1,000 to help end “period poverty” in Lorain County.

Women from the Nathan Perry Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution gathered May 13 at the Amherst Historical Society for a fashion show and brunch.

Boutiques Tiffany’s Flowers, Main Street Threads and Etc. Boutique and Gifts provided items for the fashion show and to decorate the hall.

Robbie Brown, Nathan Perry Chapter regent, said one of the chapter’s goals is to support kids in the community, and after meeting with Path and Green founder Sarah Yoder over lunch and hearing about the nonprofit’s cause, they knew they had to help.

Path and Green began collecting and supplying hygiene products to schools in 2022, after Yoder saw a need during her time as a teacher, administrator and school volunteer.

Yoder’s partnership started with Clearview High School, packaging orders for items including feminine hygiene prod-

ucts like sanitary pads and tampons, along with hair care, deodorant, body wash, toothbrushes and other requests, while she raised her three children as a stay-athome mom.

Since then, the nonprofit has added seven more school districts to its roster: Amherst, Lorain, Midview, North Ridgeville, Oberlin, Wellington and Vermilion.

Since its inception, it has served 435 high school students; 270 eighth grade students; 600 sixth grade students and 405 fifth grade

students at the eight districts,

Yoder’s goal is to tackle “period poverty” countywide — when a student has to miss days of school because they’re on their menstrual cycle and lack supplies.

To donate items or funds toward Path and Green’s care packages, visit its Facebook page @pathand green. For more information about the Nathan Perry Chapter NSDAR, contact nathanperrynsdar@gmail. com.

PHOTO PROVIDED

Keegan Weese took home the second national win of his career last month at the NASCAR Youth Series season opener at Talladega SuperSpeedway, marking the first time for quarter midgets to race at the track.

Yoder said.

STAFF REPORT

JEFF BARNES | The Community Guide Amber Troyer walks the runway during the Nathan Perry Chapter National Society Daughters of the American Revolution Fashion Show Benefit for Path and Green nonprofit on May 13 at the Amherst Historical Society.

Wellington gets $10,000 state grant to protect water supply

The Wellington Public Water System has received a $10,000 grant from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to purchase equipment to protect its water supply.

The grant, through Gov. Mike DeWine’s H2Ohio Initiative, was announced Wednesday. DeWine launched H2Ohio in 2019 as a water quality effort to provide clean and safe water to Ohio.

The National Association of Letter carriers Cascade Branch 196 would like to thank the residents of Elyria, North Ridgeville, Oberlin, Wellington, Grafton, and New London. On May 13 the National Association of Letter Carriers held its 31st annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive across the country.

Letter carriers, assisted by clerks, rural letter carriers, retirees, and members of their families collected an astonishing amount of food for the tables of families in need in our area, according to local 196 Secretary/Treasurer William L. Rolfe.

All donations were distributed to local food pantries in the city that they were collected:

● Elyria: 9,500 Pounds

● Grafton: 2,850 pounds

● North Ridgeville: 3,000 pounds

● Oberlin: 1,850 pounds

of how expensive things are,” she said. “I talked to a lot of people who didn’t qualify for food stamps to begin with, so that has been a constant, constant struggle putting food on the table.”

Burns said she’s heard from clients that they’re balancing bills, co-pays for medication and food costs.

“It’s a very emotional experience for somebody to come to a pantry for the first time,” she said.

“Whether it be drive-up or coming inside, the emotions, they’re raw. Their eyes are starting to well up — ‘I’ve never had to do this before, I’ve never been to a pantry but things have just gotten so expensive I can’t continue on.’”

Some of the individuals coming to Burns are being referred by local utility companies.

Others have been coming to the pantry every week since the 1990s, Hanson said.

Hanson said OCS is

Wellington purchased a Hydrant Buddy valve exerciser used to flush hydrants, a digital leak detector and metal detector.

“They will all be used to assist in locating main lines and hydrant valves along with main line leaks and assist in annual valve exercising programs,” according to the Ohio EPA.

More than 100 Ohio communities were awarded a total of $1 million in grants.

● Wellington: 1,500 pounds

● New London: 1,500 pounds

Elyria Salvation Army Program Director Dale Jones said the food collected Saturday will sustain the nonprofit’s pantry for about three months.

The Salvation Army operates a choice pantry, with the bulk of the food it supplies coming from donations and Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio. Jones said the pantry has seen an increase in need, with about 15 to 20 families coming in daily, Monday through Thursday.

Volunteers from the Lorain County Job and Family Services, Lorain County Children Services and juvenile court helped unload food and stock the nearly bare shelves in the Salvation Army’s pantry.

Lorain Correctional names 2023 employees of the year

GRAFTON — Lorain Correctional Institution named two longtime employees its officer and employee of the year for 2023.

James Dunn was named correction officer of the year, and Sgt. Billy Nottingham was named its employee of the year.

Dunn, of Elyria, has worked for LORCI for 33 years, while Nottingham, of Medina has been there 22 years.

Both men said their nominations came as a humbling surprise. Both nominations came from their peers and prison administration.

Dunn was selected in part due to his response to an incident in the prison’s special management unit, which reportedly saved a co-worker from serious harm, according to a LORCI news release.

Dunn began his career in corrections in Florida, before coming to LORCI in March 1990. He had served as a staff sergeant in the Air Force from 1976 to 1980 as a military police officer.

“It just all clicks, you learn from everybody and you end up with a family-type atmosphere where everybody’s important,” Dunn said. “You do have your successes when you see something that happens with the inmates — unfortunately not enough — but it’s something we’re working on.”

Nottingham began his career as a corrections officer in November 2000. He was promoted to sergeant in 2018.

He said he was working at a factory job when he saw signs about

job openings at the prison. It wasn’t something he expected to spend more than 20 years of his life doing, he said.

“I didn’t put a whole lot of thought into it, until that first time when we walked through the crash gate and for whatever reason when I was locked in the institution it was like ‘Wow, what am I doing here?’ But you just keep plugging along and try to learn from the better people around you and mold you into your career.”

During a virtual ceremony to recognize statewide corrections officer of the year candidates, Ohio

Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections Director Annette Chamber-Smith said the men and women honored Friday were responsible, fair mentors who improved their departments, prisons and communities.

Gov. Mike DeWine agreed with Chamber-Smith, noting the employees are the best of their prisons. Each year a statewide Correction Officer of the Year is selected for the Ronald C. Marshall Award from the pool of correction officers of the year from facilities across the state. This year’s statewide Correction Office of the Year was Mansfield Correctional Institution’s Terry Burke.

trying to order more food where it can to help meet the growing need.

“Every week there is something that I would like to give out that I consider a staple that I cannot get from them because supply chains are the way they are, because everywhere is seeing an increased need they have to put limits on things,” Hanson said. “If I got as much as I wanted, nobody else would get any, because I need all of what they have.”

In South Lorain, El Centro de Servicios Sociales Executive Director Victor Leandry is seeing the psychological toll the rollback has had.

People needed the additional allotments before the pandemic, he said, but came to rely on those extra funds for three years straight — easing some stress during an uncertain time.

Now, those families are back to square one.

“So the pandemic is

stressful, they’re receiving this relief and they’re cut a break and they’re able to help the family a little more,” he said. “But now, we’re taking that away. So it’s another challenge for people to figure out.”

There has been some movement to raise monthly issuances — in 2019, a single person’s maximum allotment was $194 a month, based in part on their income. That amount has been steadily increased, to $281 in 2023.

But that hasn’t changed the need El Centro and other nonprofits are seeing since the rollback.

Thelma Cruz, director of Community Health and Supportive Services, said caseworkers are seeing more people come to El Centro in need of help.

She said they’ve seen an increase in individuals requesting food boxes, and clients tell them the cost of food is making it hard to make ends meet.

“Somehow with everybody working together, we try to figure out the best way to help our community meet those needs that they have,” she said.

Oberlin Community Services and El Centro receive

the bulk of their food from Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio.

Its executive director, Julie Chase-Morefield, said it’s too early to tell the full impact of the rollback.

Second Harvest’s food distribution numbers have stayed consistently about 30 percent higher than pre-pandemic levels, she said. And for the first four months of 2023, it has seen an about 18 percent uptick from the year prior.

“To see the numbers go up tells us things are changing, that they’re unsettled. So you think ‘Is it the SNAP emergency allotment, was it the end of universal free breakfast and lunch, is it inflation?’ … it’s hard to pin it to one thing yet,” she said.

In talking to food banks in states that ended the expansion early, she’s hearing a 30 percent to 40 percent increase about two months after the expansion ended.

For now, she and other nonprofits wait and try to stockpile where they can.

“We’ve purchased a lot of food, additional food. We have a budget, which we need to stay within our budget, but we’ve purchased a lot of food

earlier. So we’ve been trying to front-load food in our warehouse,” she said.

“We’re really advocating at the state level for additional funding for state food … we know things are going to get tight if we don’t see more food come in and we continue to see these numbers go up, we just aren’t going to have the food to provide to the pantries.”

Chase-Morefield said one bright spot was permanent summer EBT allotments for families with children who receive free/reduced lunches. Households will receive up to $120 per eligible child.

While anticipating that spike in need, ChaseMorefield and others are lobbying to prevent a cut in SNAP benefits currently part of a Republican bill to lift the debt ceiling and cut spending.

The U.S. House passed a bill in late April that would claw back unobligated COVID-19 relief funds, and expand work requirements for SNAP recipients, among other measures.

Currently, able-bodied adults under 50 years old and without dependents must spend 20 hours a week in work-related activities. The bill would expand those requirements up to age 56.

The bill would also apply work requirements to

adults without dependents on Medicaid.

If an individual receiving benefits stops working or doesn’t work enough hours a week for three consecutive months, they lose their benefits.

She said the person most often at Second Harvest’s pantry is a single parent with two children — so it’s not as simple as “just go back to work,” she said. A lack of child care slots since the pandemic, and transportation, have compounded the issue.

“There’s a theory that if you cut the benefits, this will force people to go back to work. That’s not a fair comparison,” ChaseMorefield said. “And by and large the people who receive benefits are people with children, are people who are retirement age … or disabled. So these are very vulnerable populations.”

For SNAP recipients like Henderson, it’s a balancing act.

He budgets carefully and plans to sign up for a senior food box to help stretch his Social Security benefits every month.

“I’m balancing it,” he said. “It’s just different — takes a little more time, a little more planning.”

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

CARISSA WOYTACH THE COMMUNITY GUIDE

PHOTO PROVIDED

Lorain Correctional Institution’s 2023 employees of the year pose with the prison’s warden. From left, Sgt. Billy Nottingham, Warden Jennifer Gillece Black and corrections officer James Dunn pose together.

Stamp Out Hunger collects food for local pantries

Oberlin talks mixed-income housing development

OBERLIN — Oberlin City Council will consider a proposed 260-unit development in June that will combine mixed-income multifamily rentals, town houses, recovery housing and commercial property on state Route 58 north of Walmart.

On May 10, representatives from developers Omega Health Services LLC hosted a meeting at the Oberlin Public Library pitching their plan to the community that they said will help address the housing shortage aligned with Oberlin’s commitment to social equity.

The Elyria-based company purchased the property in 2017 with initial plans for a recovery home, and managing partner Brian Wade said after talking with community stakeholders, the company put together a team to address community needs for housing.

“Last year I was standing

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Food for weekday meals comes from Second Harvest Food Bank, The Episcopal Diocese of Ohio’s Bellwether Farm, and purchases from restaurant supply stores, McQuery said.

Head cook Luis Allende Sr. and kitchen manager Tabatha Watson make the most of what they receive from Second Harvest. Main courses are based on the meats and staples from the Food Bank, and are supplemented with purchased items if needed.

And nothing is served straight from the can or bag.

The pair pride themselves on making sure each meal has a home-cooked spin, often including Allende’s Spanish roots.

“We make magic out of it,” Allende said.

Watson agreed.

She looks up recipes online — like the corned beef breakfast scramble they tried Thursday evening — and she stockpiles vegetables and fruits when she can. Volunteers from the parish pick up Watson’s orders from Second Harvest or grocery stores.

Everyone who comes to the church will leave with a meal — whether it’s what’s on the menu for the day or a last-minute supplement when she and Allende run out.

“We just make it work and keep on pushing,” she said.

McQuery wants to see the program partner with other community gardens or local sourcing options as it continues to grow.

But as it continues to grow, it continues to eat a larger piece of the parish’s budgetary pie.

“Oberlin Weekday Community Meals is a muchloved institution,” he said. “It’s really had an impact for a lot of people, either because they’ve depended on it at least at some point in their lives, or they’ve volunteered here.

We have people who donate directly to the program. We get various grants, and I know there’s more money out there so I want to ramp that up. But then the balance comes from the operating fund of the church.”

The community meals’

on the property and realized that we have about 34 acres that are not being used for anything. And we just started talking about what can we do that would benefit the community and the people that live here and the people that want to live here. There’s a housing shortage everywhere, but especially here in your community, there has been a lot of new development that’s happening,” Wade said.

The complex on four parcels would include lowincome housing with one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments as well as units at market rate, and multifamily town houses. The group will bring its proposal to Oberlin City Council in June to request a rezoning of the land with potential construction in 2024 and 2025.

A 12-acre parcel will be developed into low-income housing funded through tax credits, with a 15-acre parcel for town houses and 10 acres for potential commercial development.

A portion of the prop-

budget is about $150,000, McQuery said, which includes Allende and Waton’s three-quarter-time salaries and benefits, and an allocation for a new part-time program manager who has yet to be hired.

“The parish has the money to keep it going as it is,” he said. “From my perspective, it’s a larger percentage of parish resources than I would like to see in the mix … which is not at all to minimize the importance of community meals. I think we’re just missing some other opportunities.”

The hope in hiring a program manager is to see the community meals become more self-sustaining — relying on grants or outside funding to free up funding for other programs like daycare, preschool or crisis transitional housing.

It is also looking toward a future of relocating kitchen operations to Oberlin Community Services’ new building on Professor Street. OCS purchased the former National Association of College Stores’ space in 2022 through a $1 million donation, naming it the Cooper Community Resource Center.

The building needs work but will eventually house a commercial kitchen on its first floor with the weekday community meal program as its primary user.

Eventually moving to OCS will hopefully allow the community meals to become a resource for the

erty would be set aside for sober living facilities.

Michael Shea of Tober Building Co. said Oberlin is the right community for a project of this kind and the excitement has grown the more their conversations with the city and stakeholders developed.

“So this is the right community. This is a community that has done a lot of firsts. And this is the way we approach it. I mean, not only was it on our initial vision where we talked about how can we make a strong physical connection to the central business district, a strong physical connection to parks. How can we also provide not just a space to live for folks of all income levels, but a way for them to stay on their site and do meaningful work,” Shea said.

Historically, Shea said, people of different income levels were purposely separated in communities whether through highways, railroad tracks or other means, a strategy that has not worked very well and created a lot of animosity.

In the last 20 years or so, Shea said there has been a concerted effort to bring people of all income levels together, sharing space and the results have scientifically been more positive.

“I love when folks are living in a community with different types of people, different backgrounds and different income levels. They find their lives to be more enriched,” Shea said.

Lee Partee, organizational development director for Omega, said construction on the low-income housing portion of the project would take 12 to 16 months with the potential to break ground in the spring or summer of 2025.

Lorain Metropolitan Housing Authority will provide voucher credits for residents.

Partee said the concept gets back to the way communities used to be with people who care about their neighbors and look out for each other.

Moving forward, Partee and the developers want community feedback as the project continues to evolve.

Lorain County JVS students earn $39,500 in scholarships

Students at the Lorain County Joint Vocational School received $39,500 in scholarships during a special ceremony Wednesday.

The money, primarily given by local sponsors, was divided among 32 seniors in a variety of areas of study.

“In total, because of many generous Lorain County citizens and groups who believe in our school and its students, the Lorain County JVS has been able to award $39,500 tonight,” JVS School Counselor Shannon Meadows said in a news release. “Students, I know you must feel extremely grateful to have received these scholarships. Congratulations, and all the best for a very bright future.”

The top scholarship recipient was Aniya Qualls, a senior cybersecurity and networking student from Midview Schools.

Qualls received $8,000 in scholarships, with $1,000 coming from the JVS PTA Scholarship and $7,000 from the William R. Burton Memorial Scholarship.

Oberlin Community Services receivies $15,000 grant for pop-up produce pantries

OBERLIN — Oberlin Community Services received $15,000 from the Cleveland Clinic for pop-up produce pantries in southern Lorain County.

The grant will help fund pantries where residents can get carrots, cabbage, potatoes, onions, salad kits, fruit and other items throughout the summer.

“Cleveland Clinic’s grant will help a lot of families afford nutritious food,” said Assistant Food Programs Coordinator Eli Butler, who runs OCS’ produce pop-ups. “Most of the households we serve at pop-up pantries have kids, and many have seniors who live with them.”

Dates will be announced on OCS’ social media.

thru option and looking to bring back in-person dining, the parish itself is also in the midst of redefining itself coming out of the pandemic.

Christ Church is a wellresourced parish, he said, and has a reputation of being invested in the community around it, something that will not change. But there is a chance for the congregation to redefine the space at its disposal.

For example, the church itself has no bathrooms in it, and the bathrooms in the nearby parish hall require steps, or using a “terrifying contraption” posing as an elevator to access. Paired with an aging congregation or families with children, it makes it difficult for some to access the church campus as a whole.

Whatever Christ Church decides, its congregation must be behind it, McQuery said. And weekday community meals will always be a part of that service.

“It’s troublesome for us that there’s that much need, but we will do what we can to meet the need and then on parallel tracks do what we can to affect meaningful social change. … If we don’t practice what we preach then what is the point? There need to be boots on the ground.”

whole county, McQuery said. “Within both the urban and rural communities of

Lorain County, there’s a lot of hungry people,” he said. “Right now we’re doing all we can with what

we’ve got.”

While the longstanding meal program is in a flux of maintaining its drive-

To volunteer with, or donate to, weekday community meals, call (440) 775-2501 or email christ episcopaloberlin@gmail. com for more information.

JEFF BARNES | The Community Guide Christ Episcopal Church, head cook Luis Allende Sr. adds condiments to food boxes being prepared for the church’s weekday community meals on May 10.

ANIYA QUALLS

LCL sees Fireland girls’ first win since 1999

Oberlin, Black River, also had reasons to celebrate

all photos by RUSS GIFFORD | The Community Guide

LEFT: Firelands’ Hailey Urban heads for the finish to give the Falcons the win in the 4x100 meter relay.

ABOVE: The Firelands’ Girls Track team takes a victory lap after winning the Lorain County League Conference Meet on May 11. The Falcons girls won their first league title since 1999, finishing with 167 points, 42 ahead of second-place Brookside.

ABOVE: Black River’s Olivia Todd clears the final hurdle on her way to a win in the Girls 100 meter hurdles. She went on to take third in the 300 meter hurdles that same day.

BELOW: Firelands’ James Berry finishes first in the Boys 110 meter hurdles. He also won the 300 meter hurdles.

Oberlin’s Evan Hudson races to the finish ahead of Keystone’s Alex Nagle in the 100 meter dash. Hudson swept the sprints winning the 200 and 400 -- coming close to a personal record in the 400.

Memorial Day events

● Wellington’s Memorial Day service will be 10:30 a.m. at Wellington Town Hall.

● Brownhelm Memorial Day parade is 1:30 p.m. May 28 at the intersection of Claus and North Ridge roads, to Brownhelm Cemetery. Participants line up by 1:30 p.m., with the parade leaving at 1:45 p.m. to head to the cemetery. A short ceremony honoring veterans will follow.

● On Memorial Day weekend the Friends of Westwood Cemetery and Oberlin Heritage Center will be hosting a table to assist visitors in locating gravesites. The table will be inside the enterance gates and available 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 27-29, weather permitting.

Carlisle Township Veterans Memorial

A dedication ceremony for Carlisle Township’s Veterans Memorial is 1 p.m. Saturday Free parking will be at First Baptist Church, 11400 LaGrange Rd. and shuttle buses will transport attendees to and from the ceremony.

Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, if possible.

American Legion

The American Legion Lorain County Council will host a spaghetti lunch fundraiser 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday at the American Legion Post 12, 393 Ohio St., Elyria.

THEME:

Lunch is $10 and includes spaghetti, meatballs, salad and garlic bread. Lunch is open to the public and tickets are available at the door. For more information, call and leave a message at (440) 288-0333.

Oberlin High School

Students from Langston Middle School and Oberlin High School will perform in the spring musical, “High School Musical, Jr.” at the High School auditorium. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. tonight, Friday and Saturday. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for students and senior citizens.

Herrick Memorial Library

● Afternoon book discussion: 2-3 p.m. May 25. Attendees will be discussing “The Falcon Thief: A true tale of adventure, treachery and the hunt for the perfect bird” by Joshua Hammer. Books are available at the library’s circulation desk.

● Summer Reading Program: June 1 to July 31. Partcipants can win prizes in their age category. Regustration starts June 1 and the more books read or listened to, the higher chances of winning prizes.

● Sidewalk Chalk Art: June 1

● Library Board Meeting: 10:30 a.m. June 6

● Lorain County Public Health vaccine clinic: 2-6 p.m. June 7

● Open Tech Help: 1:303 p.m. June 14

● Read to Putter the therapy dog: 3:15-4:30 p.m. Thursdays

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● Acrylic Hearts 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. June 5. Children ages 5-and-older can decorate an acrylic heart with tissue paper and ModPodge.

Firelands Genealogical Society

Firelands Geneaological Society’s May meeting is 7 p.m. Monday at the Laning-Young Research Center, 9 Case Ave., Norwalk. Christina Yetzer Drain will speak about using deeds, maps, city directories, census records and newspapers to construct a house history or record of farm ownership or a timeline of a business. Drain is the president of the RichlandShelby Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society.

Amherst Historical Society

● Michael Gramly will present the Lower Blue Licks Sled story from 6:308:30 p.m. Friday at the Grange Hall at Sandstone Village. The free program is sponsored by the Sandusky Bay Chapter of the Archaeological Society of Ohio and the Amherst Historical Society. Gramly and Denny Vesper identified ivory sled runners and uncovered an artifact similar to an Old World Gravettiian culture head band artifact from

33,000 to 21,000 BC. The uncovered artifact has been dated to 29,000 years ago. Gramly’s artifact was recovered from a farm near Mansfield.

● Afternoon Tea is 1-3 p.m. May 21 at The Grange Hall in Sandstone Village. Please join us for tea and refreshments, enjoy beautiful wedding dresses on display, and tour the Village gardens maintained by the Amherst Garden Club. Tickets are $20 per person, $15 for members. Please RSVP by May 15 to (440) 988-7255 or office@ amhersthistoricalsociety. org. Payments can be made by cash, check or card. You can also register and pay by card using https://form.jotform. com/230463915767161

● Amherst Historical’s BBQ fundraiser is 5 p.m. May 26. Doors open at 5 p.m. and food, from Pogie’s Catering, will be served from 5:30-7 p.m. Tickets are $30 each, $25 for Amherst Historical Society members and are available by visiting pogies.loraincounty.com/e/ YWV, or by calling (440) 864-4654. Tickets are pre-order only by May 19. Amherst Historical Society members should order through the Society at (440) 988-7255. Music will be by Linda Howell.

● The Sandstone Village Car and Bike Show will be June 4 with registration

from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. and the Car Show from 12-4 p.m. There will be a photo area, Village building tours, garage sales, a blessing of the cars and bikes, raffles, DJ, food court, and more! Spectator parking will be at Amherst Junior High School with shuttle service to Sandstone Village.

● The Historical Society’s night with the Crushers is at 6:05 p.m. June 10. Tickets are $13, with a portion of sales benefiting the Amherst Historical Society.

For more information, or help purchasing tickets, contact Tanner Carlson at (440) 934-8233 or tcarlson@lakeeriecrushers.com

● The Taste of History Military Living History event is 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 17 at The Sandstone Village, 763 Milan Ave. The event will have samples of military food and rations, displays, kids’ activities and more.

Oberlin Heritage Center

For Oberlin College’s commencement weekend, the Oberlin Heritage Center will be offering several exciting public tour options that will explore diverse topics such as Abolitionism, Women’s History and Civil Rights.

Guided Tours:

● Friday, May 19

Jewett House Tour – 2:00 p.m.

Small Downtown; Big Stories – 4:00 p.m.

● Saturday, May 20

Freedom’s Friends (Oberlin Abolitionism) –10:30 a.m.

Civil War to Civil Rights – 1:30 p.m.

Architecture Tour – 4:00 p.m.

● Sunday, May 21

Civil War to Civil Rights – 10:30 a.m.

Freedom’s Friends (Oberlin Abolitionism) –1:30 p.m.

Plus, self-guided tablet tours are available Friday and Saturday from 10am3pm. Advance registration is required for history walks. Visit www.oberlinheritagecenter.org for more information, tour start locations, and pricing.

The Heritage Center’s summer camp registration is now open.

● Architecture Camp is 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 7-11. It is for children ages 8 to 13.

Members (including children and grandchildren

of members) $110

Non-members $125

● Atronomy and antiquity camp is 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 14-18. It is for children ages 10-15.

Members (including children and grandchildren of members) $110

Non-members $125

For more information, please email our Museum Education and Tour Manager at tourinfo@oberlinheritage.org or register online at oberlinheritagecenter.org

● An exploration of historical flutes is 7 p.m. June 8. Oberlin Conservatory Prof. Michael Lynn will present an introduction to the development of the flute, using his personal collection of instruments. Flutes will range from 1760 to 1900 and are all in playable condition. The program will be in the parlor of the Community Music School of the Oberlin Conservatory at the historic Burrell-King House, 315 E. College St. The program is free but advance registration is required due to limited seating. Please register online at oberlinheritagecenter. org, email Liz Schultz at director@oberlinheritage. org, or call 440-774-1700.

Oberlin Farmers Market

The market season will run on Saturdays, May 20 through to Oct. 14, starting at 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. The market is located in the parking lot of Oberlin Public Library and Oberlin City Hall across from the post office at 69-85 South Main Street, Oberlin, OH 44074.

Westwood Cemetery

Stone cleaning at Westwood will be 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. the first Saturday of the month, May through October.

Cleaning techniques are easy and supplies are provided. Please bring any small gardening tools, gloves, and/or brooms to help remove debris. Please note that all participants will complete a volunteer form which will be provided once you arrive. Cleaning sessions depend on the weather; check our Facebook page for updates. Everyone is welcome. Location is Westwood Cemetery, 455 Morgan St, Oberlin.

Greek muse’s strings

Santa ____ winds, CA

*TV show with Central Perk

Find

tenant

1. *“____ Breaky Heart” by Billy Ray Cyrus 2. Highlands

Kill” and “Nick

38. Don’t go

Pertaining to the ear

Pertaining to reign

Motion of assent

Bewitch

Port city in Japan 56. *Christian Dior’s “J’____” 57. Mass of particles 58. Of low density 59. Pupil controller

December 24 and 31

Bald eagle’s nest 62. Two-fold

Same as island

*TV show “Empty ____”

*“____ and Juice” by Snoop Dogg

That ’s the Tooth

Aporcupine’steeth keep growing every day, so they needto gnaw and gnaw on things to keeptheir teeth fromgettingtoo big. Circle every other lettertoreveal asurprising fact about porcupine teeth

porcupine is apeaceful andpokey animal.The word pokeyhas two meanings.Itcan meanslow. Or it can mean somethingsharp thatcan poke or jab.

Porcupines have sharp, pokey quills

These are howaporcupine protects itself from predators. They canalsomakea porcupine look larger andmorescary

MakingaPoint

Writedownthe numbersyou nd along the correctpaththrough the maze to learnhow manyquills there areona porcupine

Don’tStick Around!

If aporcupine is attacked, itsprickly quills come out and poke intothe faceorbody of theattacker.Porcupines do notshoottheir quills like arrows. But the quills come out easilywhentouched.

At the endofeach quill is a tiny hook, like afishhook, which makes the quill puncture andstickinto skin of apredator

Porcupines have soft fur mixedwith sharpquills. The quillslie flat until a porcupine is threatened.

Whoa, Baby!

Babyporcupines are called porcupettes They areborn covered in soft,bendable quills thathardenafew days afterthey areborn.

When attacked, aporcupine rollsupinto aball. Imagine aspiky ball!

TheTreeLife

Porcupineseat leaves, twigs and fruit. No many live in trees!

Replace the missing words!

Theyhavelong tailsthattheycan around branches to helpthem_ up trees. But if they can’tfindagood sleeping spot in atree, they will sleep on the ground or in a_ log.

Porcupines are _________________. This means they like to sleep during the day and stayupatnight.

Read each statement to afamily member.Ask them to decide if eachstatement is aFACT or an OPINION. Then,dothe math undereachstatement. If the answer is an even number, it is aFACT.Ifitisan odd number,it’sanOPINION.

Porcupines aremammals

18 +2 =

Porcupines canclimb trees.

12 +12=

Porcupines arecute. 6+3=

Porcupines aremembers of the rodentfamily.

11 +5 =

Porcupines arescary

14 +7 =

Draw aPorcupine!

week’sword:

The verb protect means to keep something safe.

Iclosedthe cooler to protect our lunch from seagulls.

Tryto use the word protect in asentence today when talking with your friends and family members.

What are three signsofspring in your community?Write abouthow they makeyou feel.