Lorain County Community Guide - May 25, 2023

Oberlin College celebrates Class of 2023

OBERLIN — What Richard Powers remembers from college, he can fit on a single sheet of paper.

Looking out at Oberlin College and Conservatory’s Class of 2023 on May 22, he said he hoped they’d scribble a few notes in the margin of their own college memories.

Powers, who received an honorary doctorate in humanities from the college Monday morning, is a Pulitzer Prizewinning novelist known for works that blend science, technology and the human experience.

But looking at the soon-to-be Oberlin College alumni — some of whom had traded their standard black mortarboards for bright yellow hard hats — he told them a synopsis of his life in college and just

after graduation.

That included following his high school crush to the University of Illinois. She’d applied to Oberlin’s Conservatory but was rejected. If she’d have come to the Ohio school, he’d have followed her there just the same, he said.

But instead, he went to the University of Illinois as a physics major, following in his father’s footsteps.

“My girlfriend and I lived in the same dorm,” he said. “Working hard, but often wondering why.”

It was the late 1960s and the country was tearing itself apart, he said. But the real threat he saw was not in the doomsday clock of the atomic bomb, but the environmental havoc humans had created that he learned about in a physical chemistry lecture.

“It was in that weird mix of daily discovery, intellectual awakening (and) steady

Joe Womack, Africatown leader and activist watches as Tommie Smith raises his fist in the air, the gesture was made famous when Smith raised his black-gloved fist during the playing of the National Anthem at the 1968 Summer Olympics. Patting him on the back is Richard Powers, a Pulitzer Prize winner. The three men were all awarded honorary degrees from Oberlin College.

BRUCE BISHOP | The Community Guide

Escaped cockatiel reunited with owner

WELLINGTON — Archie had quite the adventure, not to mention the scare he gave his owner.

The 7-month-old cockatiel got out during a cookout May 12, much to owner Kevin Wilson’s dismay, and spent the next four days exploring Wellington.

“That’s my baby,” Wilson said. “I love all my animals, but that is my baby.”

Normally, the small gray and yellow bird can be found on the back of

Wilson’s gaming chair in the living room of his Wellington home, or riding contently on his shoulder. Wilson and his significant other have had Archie for the past five months — getting the fledgling cockatiel from The Bird Loft in Amherst after the couple won money using some free bets after sports betting became legal in Ohio.

And in that time, Wilson and Archie have developed a deep bond and routine, learning each other’s personalities.

But instead of his usual routine on Saturday, Archie seized an unexpected opportunity of an open door and

distracted humans and flew straight into a tree in the backyard.

At first, Archie would have nothing to do with Wilson and the other friends and neighbors trying to get him inside, Wilson said, so they tried to give him space for a couple of hours to see if he would come back down on his own.

“The issue with cockatiels is they can’t really fly down, they’re not very good at just dropping straight down,” Wilson said. “They have to kind of glide and work their way — especially because he’s an indoor, younger (bird), he’s not used to flying from

Lorain

County JVS celebrates grads

LORAIN — More than 400 graduates in the 2023 class of the Lorain County Joint Vocational School were celebrated May 18 at Black River Landing as they crossed the stage and plotted the next phase of their lives.

Students received diplomas in multiple disciplines from the school, which serves 13 districts across Lorain County offering career technical education for students in grades nine through 12 and adult learners.

Principal Tina Pelto offered a few lessons to graduates.

“Students, what a difference a day makes,” Pelto said. “Yesterday you were high school seniors grateful to get out of school 10 minutes early. And today you are high school graduates. Today is a day of celebration. But I’m here to talk to you about tomorrow. Because tomorrow you start all over again.”

She encouraged graduates to not be afraid to start something new, to find and surround themselves with people who build them up and to learn to let go of the little things in life, saving their energy for the true battles in life to come.

“As a freshman in adulthood, this is your moment to shine once again,” Pelto said. “In your time with us, you have shown us your brilliance, your tenacity, your talent and your creativity. Now it’s time for you to go out and show the world. Congratulations Class of 2023.”

Graduating senior Aniya Qualls (Midview) spoke on behalf of the Class of 2023, reflecting on her time at JVS and the lessons she has learned along the way. Qualls is the outstanding senior in JVS’ cybersecurity and networking program and is heading to Baldwin Wallace University in the fall, where she hopes to pursue a career as a cyberthreat analyst.

Qualls said JVS is unlike other public high schools, providing the space to discover and plot your own future with the long list of programs and the opportunity to grow with students from the 13 interconnected schools that make up JVS.

“We’re not in high school anymore, which is relieving but also scary,” she said. “It’s all a big mystery. There’s so much unknown about the future. Things can change in an instant. Whether you go about life with a plan or

CARISSA WOYTACH THE COMMUNITY GUIDE

JEFF BARNES | The Community Guide

Kevin Wilson pets his cockatiel, Archie, after retrieving him May 16. Archie spent the weekend outside, after escaping Wilson’s Wellington home during a cookout.

KEVIN MARTIN THE COMMUNITY GUIDE

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CARISSA WOYTACH THE COMMUNITY GUIDE

Thelma J. Morris

Thelma J. Morris, 90, of Oberlin, Ohio died Thursday, May 11, 2023, at Kendal at Oberlin. She was born June 4, 1932, in Evanston, Illinois to Raymond Philip Morris and Jean Louise Kelly.

Shortly after she was born, the family moved to New Haven, Connecticut where she was a graduate of Hillhouse High School.

Thelma was a 1954 graduate of Oberlin College and received a MS in Library Science from Simmons College, Boston in 1956. After college, she was employed in the reference department of the Harvard Business School Library. She worked as assistant librarian of the University Of Washington Business School in Seattle which coincided with the Seattle World’s Fair where she worked in the library exhibit, featuring early use of computer technology for library applications.

She also spent a year in the research library of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. In 1964, she joined the Cleveland Public Library where she worked in the Social Sciences department for over 29 years. In 1978 she became department head and retired in 1993. Thelma was a member of the Case Western Reserve University’s department of continuing education’s poetry workshop for many years and was a published poet and an avid essayist. Extensive travel took her to Iran, Egypt, Greece, Turkey, France, Italy, England and elsewhere in Europe and the United States. Writing, reading, music, theater and art were long-term avocations. She was an early supporter of the Cleveland Opera as well as Lyric Opera Cleveland.

Thelma moved from Shaker Heights to Kendal at Oberlin in 2005. At Kendal, she was active in Publicity Plugs, a group dedicated to writing news articles for the city schools, a member of the EUREKA literary magazine, various other committees and wrote book reviews for the Kendal newsletter. She was a member of First Church in Oberlin and a volunteer at Hospice of the Western Reserve, where she visited patients and edited the Bereavement Center’s newsletter.

Thelma is survived by a brother, R. Philip (Karen) Morris of High Point, North Carolina; nieces, Dr. Lynn C. Zeidan (Boutros) of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and Leslie E. Johnston of Alta Loma, California; and two grandnephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents and a sister, Marcia Johnston.

A memorial service at Kendal will take place at a later date. Burial will be in Garnett Cemetery, Garnett, Kansas.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Oberlin College Library or the Cleveland Public Library.

Arrangements are in the care of Dicken Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Elyria, OH.

For online condolences, visit www.dickenfuneralhome. com

Jymmie Ray Wetherbee

Jymmie Ray Wetherbee, 59, a lifelong Wellington resident, died Thursday, November 17, 2022.

A Celebration of Life will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. with a service beginning at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, May 28, 2023 at the Wellington American Legion outdoor pavilion, 518 South Main Street.

Please come casual and bring a lawn chair to celebrate Jymmie’s life with his family and friends.

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dread, I took a course on how to read fiction,” he said.

After a story left him in tears, he hid the news from his father that he wasn’t going to be a scientist, but instead wanted to study literature.

When he finally told his father, the man took the news hard but gave no objections. Before he could see Powers could graduate, his father would be dead from complications of colon cancer.

The girlfriend he’d followed to Urbana, Illinois, had gone on to Oxford. And the pair eventually broke up via aerogram, he said, the messages taking two weeks to get between one another.

And on breaking up with her, shortly after graduation he made his way to Boston, Massachusetts, to date her best friend.

But after paring his life down to a suitcase, some traveler’s checks and a guitar, the 55-hour Greyhound bus ride was for naught — this new girlfriend was involved with a trumpet player.

So stranded in Boston, staying in a boarding house he described as a mix of H.P. Lovecraft and David Lynch, with a literature degree and no connections, his life had jumped the track.

Standing out on the Harvard Bridge looking at the nearby city of 700,000 people, the disastrous turn of events became clarifying.

“I tell you all this by way of saying you have no idea in creation what is about to happen to you,” he said. “It won’t be what you want, it may feel like a catastrophe. And yet it may also be the most clarifying thing if you can step back and read it as part of a story that is much more than yours.”

Strong community

Student speaker Sadie Owens said what drew her to Oberlin College was the community.

She remembered watching recruitment videos at 16, struck by the way the students spoke about the college, and one another, in the clip.

When she stepped foot in Oberlin her freshman year, it was just as she’d imagined. At least it was until 2020,

which sent everyone back to studying in childhood bedrooms, isolated and alone.

After taking a semester off, she came back to campus in fall 2021 as a peer adviser.

“Was I equipped, I wondered, to usher them into an Oberlin that felt so familiar and so different all at once? So many of us have stories like this — of rebuilding ourselves in the context of all that we have endured,” she said.

Still, she found her uneasiness melting away. The connectivity that had brought her to Oberlin thrived, even during the pandemic.

“There is a quote That I love by bell hooks that defines the journey for me: ‘Knowing how to be solitary is central to the art of loving. When we can be alone, we can be with others without using them as a means of escape.’” She said the Class of 2023 is wellequipped to move into a world that needs community, healing and love for the sake of loving more than ever. Its members are adaptable, patient and pursuant of unity — with the opportunity and obligation to pass those traits along.

“The world that we’re graduating into may feel different, too,” she said. “Our day-to-day lives may come to seem separate from those unprecedented times, for some more than others. I implore you to remember the hard work that was done by faculty, staff and your fellow students … to come back together again.”

Honorary degrees

The college conferred five honorary doctoral degrees, including Powers’ honorary doctor of humanities.

The other recipients were Christl Donnelly, Oberlin College Class of 1988, for a doctorate of science; Natasha Katz, Oberlin College Class of 1981, for an honorary doctorate of fine arts; Tommie Smith for an honorary doctorate of humanities; and Joe Womack for an honorary doctorate of humanities.

Donnelly is the head of the Department of Statistics at the University of Oxford and former deputy director

for the World Health Organization’s Collaborating Centre for Infectious Disease Modelling at Imperial College London. Her work includes statistical and biomathematical analysis of COVID-19, SARS, MERS, Ebola and influenza.

Katz, Oberlin College Class of 1981, is a Tony Award-winning lighting designer working on Broadway and in dance, opera, concerts and films. She has designed five Broadway productions with Disney Theatrical, including “Beauty and the Beast.” She was unable to attend Monday’s ceremony.

Smith received an honorary Doctor of Humanities. The Olympic gold medalist is the only man in track and field history to hold 11 world records simultaneously and won gold in the 200-meter sprint in the 1968 Olympics. The image of him and his teammate John Carlos bowing their heads and raising their gloved fists in the air during the national anthem when accepting their medals became iconic and kickstarted Smith’s career as a human rights activist. He was inducted into the Olympic Hall of Fame, among others, and served as track coach at Oberlin College and assistant athletic director until he was denied tenure in 1978.

Retired Marine Corps Major Joe Womack, co-founder of the Africatown Heritage Preservation Foundation, also received an honorary doctorate of humanities. Womack, who grew up in Africatown, Alabama, leads a community organization called CHESS (Clean, Health, Educated, Safe and Sustainable) in his hometown and works to address the environmental and economic concerns there. He has also mentored numerous Oberlin College students.

The college also awarded Cynthia Brown, Class of 1974, with the Alumni Medal, for her work with fellow Oberlin College alumni.

Eugene Matthews received the Distinguished Service to the Community award, recognizing his work as an electrician at the college. Matthews rose to the director of the physical plant, before leaving in 1998 to become director of facilities services at Case Western Reserve University.

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BRUCE BISHOP | The Community Guide

Soon-to-be Oberlin College alumni watch the commencement speakers on May 22 at Tappan Square during the College’s 190th commencement ceremony.

Workshop Players mark 75th anniversary

RINI JEFFERS THE COMMUNITY GUIDE

They say high school love can last a lifetime. But who could have known that the love a few high school students back in 1948 felt for their drama club would turn into a 75year storied history?

That was the reason behind Saturday night’s Diamond Jubilee gala marking Workshop Players’ remarkable 75th anniversary, held at German’s Villa in Vermilion. Dozens of alumni actors, directors, board members and those associated with the historic one-room schoolhouse in Amherst attended the cabaret event, dubbed “Share the Love for Workshop Players.”

There were musical performances and sing-a-longs with those attending and a memorial slideshow presentation for a few of the “backbone founders” who were integral to Workshop staying together through the years, including Valerie Jenkins Gerstenberger, who was the drama teacher at Clearview High School that student Duane Hinds

that high.”

Archie did try to fly down toward the house, Wilson said, but it didn’t go well and instead, Archie headed up the street to another tree.

Wilson sat under that tree for hours, with the neighbors trying to help coax Archie down, but instead, the little bird took off and flew even farther away.

And from there, Archie led Wilson on a neighborhood-wide search, as he flew from tree to tree over the next couple of days. Community members joined in the effort, commenting on Archie’s whereabouts on Wilson’s Facebook posts, and trying to coax the bird down.

By the second day, Wilson had lost sight of Archie after Wilson had to go home for the night to take care of his other pets — more small birds, cats and dogs.

So Wilson used a YouTube video of cockatiel flock calls, hoping to hear Archie respond.

When he finally found Archie again, he was high up in another tree in the middle of a field. The Wellington Fire Department couldn’t help without tearing up the property, Wilson said, so it was once again up to Wilson and the com-

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no plan at all. There’s still no set path. Luckily, we all got a head start here at JVS. To all the seniors, congratulations.

You should be very proud of yourselves. All of your hard work has finally paid off.”

Superintendent Glenn Faircloth thanked JVS

first approached back in 1948 and asked to consider starting up a theater outside of the school so students could continue to perform.

They performed in private residences or church basements and then the Amherst Grange Hall, calling themselves the County Workshop Players.

In 1952 the one-room schoolhouse on Middle Ridge Road closed down and the group moved to its unusual theater-in-theround home.

Other founders who were honored passed away in recent years but couldn’t receive the send-off the theater community would have liked to extend, given COVID restrictions at the time. Many of its longtime volunteers spent decades volunteering on one side of the stage or the other - and often, both.

“When you think this little theater has been in operation for 75 years, isn’t that amazing?” said board member Pat Price. “Here’s a chance to go to an intimate theater here and see good, live theater, up close.”

The gala also kicked off a new fund raising cam-

munity to try to get Archie down.

All the while, Archie was having a grand adventure. Wilson said Archie didn’t seem scared — though Wilson had other feelings — but was sitting on branches, stripping them of their leaves and cleaning himself.

On that third night, Wilson ended up sleeping outside under the tree

Archie had chosen so his pet wouldn’t be alone.

When the sound of a lawnmower startled Archie into flying off into another tree on the fourth day, Wilson again used the YouTube flock calls to track his beloved pet down.

“I probably walked for four or five hours and then at first I thought I was going crazy, like it was just my mind hoping I heard something — but I kept hearing a faint (call back) … to me it was just a miracle but I was able to track him down using the flock calls.”

Archie was then low enough on a garage that Wilson was able to jump up there, but Archie flew to another tree on Vine Street near state Route 58 — several blocks away from their home. But by that point, Archie was seemingly tired and hungry and done with

families for trusting the school with their kids.

“This is one of our most celebrated programs because we get to hand them back off to the world. We simply thank you all as parents, guardians, aunties, grandparents, friends, cousins, just to allow us to help them for four to two to

paign called “Raise the Curtain,” a push to raise at least $25,000 by the end of August to help the theater move back into sustainability.

Before COVID the theater had sustained itself for years — but when the state shut down, the coffers plunged to nearly nothing, Price said. Without shows, no income was coming in, yet the utilities and bills still came due. The building and property require upkeep.

“The utilities cost $800 to $900 a month whether we do a show or not. The parking lot has big holes in it. There are some places you can practically lose a car. We have to resurface it,” she said.

The gala also worked to recruit more volunteers to build sets, to sell season tickets and get the word out about the new season of shows coming in.

“We’ve got a solid season coming in, we’ve got a new website coming in, all new technology, easier ways to order tickets and see what’s going on. It’s exciting. We’re calling it a renaissance. A reboot,” Price said.

his adventure.

When Wilson put his arms out — the signal he usually uses for Archie to come sit on his shoulder when they’re at home — Archie glided to a branch above Wilson and one of Wilson’s neighbors threw him a towel to quickly wrap Archie in and bundle him home.

“Everyone keeps making comments like ‘Oh, be careful. He’s got that taste of freedom.’ I don’t think he liked it,” Wilson said. “When I had him wrapped in the towel he just rested against me so peacefully — I think he was happy to be home.”

And by Tuesday afternoon, mere hours after Archie got home, he was acting like nothing happened — sitting back on Wilson’s shoulder, grooming himself.

Wilson said he’ll be scheduling a grooming appointment to get Archie’s wings clipped again, as they’d just grown back when he got out, and plans to work on harness training him to be able to go outside without causing such a panic.

“I’m just happy to have him back,” Wilson said. “He’s a part of our family, he’s not just an animal.”

three years. We hope that we’ve done you proud,” Faircloth said.

To the graduates, Faircloth said: “You have all the tools that you need to succeed. All you need to do is reach in that toolbox and use them.”

Woman biking 100 miles for OCS fundraiser

OBERLIN — A Kendal at Oberlin resident will bike 100 miles on June 3 to raise funds for Oberlin Community Services’ renovations to its Cooper Community Resource Center, 500 E. Lorain St.

Charlotte McGowan, 72, was undaunted by the triple-digit mileage she plans to bike in just a couple of weeks. She said she tries to put about 100 miles in each week, and it’s nothing for her to bike 40 to 60 miles in a day.

“It’s kind of a goal every year to do 100 miles, and it just was natural to do it as a fundraiser for OCS,” she said. “I’ve recently gone on the (OCS) board and we give what we can but I’m not wealthy like some of the big donors. But one thing I can do is ride my bike and seek pledges.”

McGowan began longdistance cycling in 2002, when her aunt invited her to traverse the Katy trail, a 237-mile trail stretching most of Missouri.

At that time, McGowan didn’t even have a bike and quickly bought one — making the nearly 300-mile trip on a bike the wrong size, she said. But by the last day, she knew she was in love with the sport.

In the two decades since, McGowan estimated she’s done about 25 different trail tours.

McGowan is also a member of the Silver Wheels Bike Club, and some of her fellow cyclists will join McGowan on and off during her June 3 trek, she said.

From about 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. McGowan will rack up the miles, traversing country and local roads and Lorain County Metro Parks trails. She plans to cross the finish line at Kendal at Oberlin that evening.

Supporters can pledge amounts per-mile, or a flat donation to support OCS and McGowan’s ride.

They can email McGowan at OCS bikeride230422@gmail. com.

After the ride, checks fulfilling those pledges can be sent to Oberlin Community

Oberlin College parking expansion passes Planning

houses in 2020, and its plan to put in parking in their stead, to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Services, 285 S. Professor St., Oberlin, OH 44074, with “Cooper Center” in the memo field.

Donations can also be made via PayPal, Venmo or DonorView at oberlincom munityservices.org.

While McGowan has no formal goal for the funds the bike ride will raise, she hopes to see about $100,000 come in to help fund renovations to the Cooper Community Resource Center.

OCS purchased the former National Association of College Stores’ building last summer through a $1 million donation from Fran and Roger Cooper — giving the building its new namesake, the Cooper Community Resource Center.

The building will eventually house the nonprofit’s choice food pantry and other programs, and plans to have phase I of its renovations done in August.

OCS Executive Director Margie Flood said the funds McGowan raises will help OCS better serve residents of southern Lorain County struggling to make ends meet.

Oberlin Council again talks affordable housing

were rent-to-own, as he viewed it as an opportunity for families to lease, then purchase, the properties.

OBERLIN — Oberlin College will be able to expand its parking behind the Mudd Library in anticipation of a new dorm building.

The city’s Planning Commission unanimously approved site plans for a new parking lot at 186 W. College St. and to add another seven parking spaces to the existing lot behind the Mudd Library.

The parking lot changes will be on the Planning Commission’s June agenda.

Oberlin Director of Planning and Development Carrie Porter said the new dorm would displace about 145 parking spots and the College is accommodating that loss.

The move comes after Oberlin College demolished several houses it owned in early 2020, including one at 186 W. College St.

Resident Aliza Weidenbaum expressed her dismay at the proposal and the impact more housing and parking lots could have on the environment.

She compared the college’s demolition of the

“Just because you blew it up doesn’t mean you get to do what you want,” she told commission members and Oberlin College representatives.

The Planning Commission did not share Weidenbaum’s view.

Member Deb Barman, who joined the meeting via Zoom, said she was in favor of the proposal, noting off-street parking is a city and college issue.

“If I could have my druthers, I’d love to see the two parties meet with local residents and look at police reports and collectively create a new way of managing this ongoing problem,” she said.

City Councilman Ray English questioned if the college was looking at changing its regulations to mitigate students who bring a car on campus but aren’t willing to pay the $200 registration fee, from taking up residential street parking nearby.

He said City Council recently approved an ordinance allowing the city manager to restrict parking on residential streets.

OBERLIN — The owner of a housing development company discussed his proposal for eight in-fill homes, structures to be built on vacant lots in Oberlin, during a City Council work session.

On May 15, Revitalization Strategies Group principal Michael Bowen gave an overview of the proposed development, which would bring affordable homes to several cityowned lots, if approved by Council.

The two- and three-bedroom, ranch-style homes would cost about $287,000 to build, with the total project estimated at $2.3 million.

What would make the properties affordable would be grant funds to offset the total project costs, Bowen explained, hoping to bring the mortgaged costs down to about $1.2 million.

The homes would be short-term, lease-to-own, with families receiving financial counseling and other supports to be able to enter into standard mortgages after living in the homes for five years.

The homes would be

considered “workforce housing,” aimed at families making between 50 percent and 120 percent area median income, Bowen said. The rent charged for the first five years — about $800 a month — would be considered affordable for those at the low end of the bracket.

According to Fannie Mae’s online area median income lookup, Lorain County’s area median income, or AMI, is $85,400.

The project’s financing, including whether or not Oberlin would give it financial backing or tax abatements, was not etched in stone, Bowen said after several questions from Council members.

His proposal listed a $160,000 investment from the city, as well as deed restrictions on the eight properties.

Council member Kelley Singleton questioned whether the properties

Bowen disagreed. He said rent payments made by tenants would reduce the overall mortgage held on the project by a small amount, lowering the eventual homeowners’ mortgage obligation.

Bryan Burgess questioned the $160,000 loan proposed from the city, asking when Oberlin could expect to see those funds paid back.

Bowen said the loan isn’t repaid during the project’s operation, but said it is considered a loan and not a grant because a loan gives the city additional rights — such as proposed deed restrictions to make sure if a tenant-turned-homeowner sells a property that the new homeowner would meet affordable housing requirements.

Burgess questioned why the city needed to enter into a long-term relationship with Bowen’s company that puts the city as a partner in the project.

“These houses are going to get built and families are going to move into them … that doesn’t require the city look over their shoulder and examine their transactions for the next 15 years,” Burgess said.

Resident Phyllis Harber Hogan said she wanted to know what the cost of the homes would be, and what the deed restrictions would mean for the families residing in them, questioning if they would be able to be passed down to future generations.

“I want people to be able to own their house and pass it on to their children without anybody telling them how much they have to sell it for,” she said.

Bowen said there will be community, and Council, input in those decisions, and said the properties he’s been involved in normally have five to 10-year restrictions.

‘You are exactly where you need to be’

Wellington graduates share a positive message

OWEN MACMILLAN THE COMMUNITY GUIDE

On May 21, 82 seniors graduated during the 147th Wellington High School commencement.

As senior class president, Maya Feron spoke to her fellow Wellington High School graduates, their teachers and their families she read them a poem; “The Man in the Glass” by Peter Dale Wimbrow Sr. The poem asks the reader to focus not on how others view them, but instead to ensure that they are doing things that will make them proud of the person they see in the mirror, and Feron echoed this sentiment throughout her opening remarks.

“You will never find your success and happiness if you are worried about that of others,” she said. “Because Mr. Wimbrow is right. At the end of the day, you will not see your former classmate who seems to have it all figured out, your coworker who does everything better or even your sibling with the perfect GPA in the mirror, it will be you.”

Feron encouraged her classmates to go after their dreams and goals, but to always remember to work on loving and appreciating who they already were.

We must learn to be happy with ourselves, our abilities and our accomplishments because ultimately, no one can take those away from us,” she said. “Be proud of that person in the mirror. Be kind to them as they evolve because that person is your constant companion

throughout life.”

The seven students who graduated summa cum laude with a GPA of 4.0 or higher, were: Feron, Violet Haas, Kennedy Jerousek, Brayonna Lieby, Madison Mickey, Marshall Mull and Heather Reininger. Haas spoke in front of the Class of 2023 as well, reminding her fellow graduates to be kind to themselves as they moved beyond high school and tried to adjust to adult life.

“It is important to remember to always put in your best effort possible, no matter what you end up doing,” Haas said. “I have also learned that kindness towards both yourself and others goes a long way. Even though this advice is ‘standard,’ life catches up to us and we seem to forget these little things that are so important.”

Lieby was a vocational honors student, and when she spoke at the commencement she reminisced about some of the antics her class got up to in their younger years.

“For as long as I can remember we were never one of the favorite classes, especially in middle school,” Lieby said. “We went against the rules, we were loud, we didn’t have a filter (and) we hardly ever followed directions. The list goes on. As terrible as that makes us sound, I feel the need to remind everyone that quiet people who always follow the rules never change the world, and they hardly ever make history.”

At the end of her speech, Lieby also shared some of the self-positivity that was a feature for several of the

THOMAS FETCENKO |

The Community Guide ABOVE: Wellington’s class of 2023 had their graduation ceremony on Sunday, May 21 at the high school.

RIGHT: Wellington graduates Mikayla Standen and Joshua Wright share a laugh as they walked into their graduation ceremony together on Sunday, May 21 at Wellington High School.

student speakers for Wellington’s Class of 2023.

“I want you to remember that we only get to live this life once,” she said. “So take risks, have fun and don’t spend all your time worrying about the future. You are exactly where you need to be.”

The ceremony can be viewed on the district’s Facebook page.

Columbia grads remember classmate, look to the future

COLUMBIA TOWN-

SHIP — On May 21, 71 seniors graduated from Columbia High School, but the hearts of those in attendance were with the 72nd student who could not be there: Jacob Wasko.

Wasko, who would have been a senior this year, died in a single-car crash in Valley City last July and during the commencement there was an empty chair draped with a graduation gown where he would have sat.

Class President Vincent Berardi recalled to his fellow graduates how wonderful their summer had been shaping up, as they prepared for their final year of high school.

“Then there was a day in July where the whole world felt like it stopped, the moment where we found out we would not be continuing our senior year with Jacob Wasko,” Berardi said. “Although he was not physically there for all of our senior activities, I know that part of him will always be here with us, and he is smiling down and is proud of everything we have accomplished.”

Berardi reminisced about the time during a fourthgrade football game that Wasko intercepted a pass, but took off in the wrong direction straight towards his own end zone.

Wasko’s own teammates had to tackle him to prevent him from scoring for the other team.

“As the play ended, Wasko looks up at us and he goes ‘Dude, I was about to score, why did you tackle

me’ and our response was in unison ‘You were running the wrong way Wasko, ’” Berardi said.

“He immediately burst out into hysterical laughter, and his laugh has always been highly contagious, which caused us to laugh even harder.”

In his address to the Class of 2023, Superintendent Graig Bansek also recalled Wasko’s humor.

“Jacob was a smart, funny and hilarious young man,” Bansek said. “A day has not passed this year where we have not thought of him. Jacob is here in spirit and watching over all of us today, especially the Class of 2023 and his family.”

Jacob Wasko’s parents, Scott and Heidi Wasko and sister, Jordan Wasko, were present at the commencement, receiving an honorary diploma on his behalf to a standing ovation from the Class of 2023.

The second student reflection came from Class

Vice President Natalie Sikorski who congratulated her classmates on everything they had overcome.

“From our freshman year when COVID struck the world and kept us at home, to being in our senior year where we experienced quite a bit of chaos,” Sikorski said. “We started this year off by enduring the hardship of losing our beloved classmate Jacob, and things would never be quite the same, as we miss him dearly and are taking him with us right now to graduate.”

Perhaps informed by dealing with such challenges as a high schooler, Sikorski offered some wise advice to her classmates.

“In life, you are going to have your weak moments, you’re going to have those days where everything feels like way too much,” she said. “Many of you know what these moments are like already. It is the way that we work through those difficult moments, how we persevere and keep working towards our goals… that will make your accomplishments feel even more worth it.”

Berardi also shared advice with his classmates, asking them not to delay or wait in telling those around them how important they are.

“Far too often the majority of people, including myself, do not let people know how much they appreciate them,” Berardi said. “If it were to all end right now, some people would not know the impact you had on them, and that would leave a void that is not able to be filled. I encourage everyone here

to do a better job on giving a true thank you to the people that you hold close to you in your life.”

He then led by example, sharing his thanks to his parents, siblings, teachers, coaches and classmates who made him the person “I am becoming,” he said.

Sikorski asked the Class of 2023 to remember to reflect on their time at Columbia High before going on to whatever lay in store for them.

“To my classmates, I want to tell you to take in these final moments of being a high schooler,” Sikorski said. “Because you are about to take a quick look at the past, and then jump right into the future.”

A brief look at the past shows a lot of academic success at Columbia High School, as Bansek shared that despite a class size of only 71, the Class of 2023 had amassed over $1 million in college and trade school scholarships.

The overall GPA for the Class of 2023 was 3.35 and 23 students graduated with an Honors Academic Diploma.

One student, Kelsey Pettegrew, graduated with a Honors Diploma in STEM.

Alyssa Beach and Serena Smith graduated Summa Cum Laude, having a cumulative GPA of 4.5 or higher through seven semesters.

Nine students graduated Magna Cum Laude. Also recognized during the commencement were Hayden Garrow and Colton Wolcott, who will be joining the military following graduation.

OWEN MACMILLAN THE COMMUNITY GUIDE

ANGELA JULIANI | The Community Guide ABOVE: Smiles for the graduates of Columbia High School class of 2023 after receiving their diplomas. The commencement took place on Sunday, May 21 at Southwest General Stadium.

RIGHT: Graduate Anthony Fatica celebrates as he departs from the commencement ceremony held on Sunday May 21 at Southwest General Stadium.

Pirates advance to district semifinals

All photos RUSS GIFFORD | The Community Guide Black River bested Northwestern to win the Creston DIII Sectional Final 3-2 on May 17, securing a place in the district semifinals against Chagrin Falls at Norwayne.

Black River’s Jayce Hopek applies the tag to Northwestern’s James Cassady for the final out of the game.

LEFT: Black River’s Noah Hopek sends the ball to the plate against Northwestern.

ABOVE: Black River coach Jake O’Connor congratulates Travis Dean on his throw to home plate for the out against Northwestern.

ABOVE: Black River’s Tyler Mrakuzic slides safely into second base before Northwestern’s James Cassady can apply the tag.

RIGHT: Black River’s Travis Dean makes the throw to home to get the final out and preserve the Black River win..

Memorial Day events

● Amherst’s Memorial Day Parade and program will be on May 29. Lineup is at 9 a.m., with step off at 10 a.m. on Washington Street. The memorial service at Amherst City Hall will follow the parade.

● 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.

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.

● Oberlin’s Memorial Day ceremony will be at 11 a.m. May 29 at Wright Memorial Park. In case of inclement weather, it will be inside the Oberlin Elementary School Gym. Keynote speaker is Rev. Duane Anderson, United States Airforce.

● South Amherst’s Memorial Day parade will line up at 9:30 a.m., step off at 10 a.m. May 29.

● Wellington’s Memorial Day service will be 10:30 a.m. May 29 at Wellington Town Hall.

Amherst Steele Leo Club

The Amherst Steele Leo

BULLETIN BOARD

Club donated a bench to the Amherst Public Library on May 22. The bench is the sixth the group has donated through its Bags-toBenches program, a reclucing program offered by the Trex Company.

The Leo Club earns a Trex manufactured bench for every 500 pounds of used plastic shopping bags and packaging film collected within a sixmonth period.

South Amherst Alumni Banquet

The South Amherst alumni banquest is July 15 at the New Russia Township Hall. The class of 1973 will be honored. Invitations have been sent out and must be returned by July 1. t. If you haven’t received one, please call Jerry Bozicevich at 440-773-5546. Any senior who’s parents or grandparents have graduated from South Amherst is eligible to apply for a $500.00 scholarship. Please call Jerry for an application. Donations for the scholarship fund are always welcome. For more information, call Raynelle Bozicevich (440) 242-1283, raynelle187@oh.rr.com or Jerry Bozicevich (440) 773-5546.

Herrick Memorial Library

● Afternoon book discussion: 2-3 p.m. today. Attendees will be discussing “The Falcon Thief: A true tale of adventure, treachery and the hunt for

THEME: OUTDOOR FUN

The Lorain County Community Guide Bulletin Board is for local nonprofit and not-for-profit events. Items are published on a space-available basis and will be edited for style, length, and clarity. Send your items to news@lcnewspapers.com

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: 1:30-3 p.m. June 14

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

● 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.

Amherst Historical Society

● 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 Am -

herst 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.

C.S. Lewis and Friends

C.S. Lewis & Friends Book Group will meet at the Amherst Library at 7 p.m. June 13. We will begin discussing Lewis’s book, “The Great Divorce.” It is a short book so please try to read at least half of it for the gathering. Contact Marcia Geary at 440988-9803 or mgeary@ gearylawllc.com with any questions you may have about the group.

Oberlin Heritage Center

● The Oberlin Heritage

Center will offer its ‘Freedom’s Friends: Abolition and the Underground Railroad’ history walk in June.

Prior to the Civil War, as many as 3,000 African Americans passed through or lived in Oberlin after escaping from slavery. The town was said to be second only to Canada as an asylum for freedom seekers. Guests on this history walk are guided by a docent from OHC who discusses the historic decisions that shaped Oberlin’s growth as a station on the Underground Railroad and the individuals and events that marked Oberlin as one of the most active stations.

Tours are 11 a.m. Saturdays, June 3, 10, 17 and 24. The group meets on the front steps of First Church at the corner of routes 8 and 511.

Registration is recommended. Participants can register online at oberlinheritagecenter.org or by calling (440) 774-1700.

History Walk Fees: $6/ adult

Children/students/members: Free

● 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 re -

quired 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 specializes in seasonal fresh farm produce, fruit, farm raised meats, natural sweeteners, an assortment of baked goods, such as pies, breads, cookies, flowers, plants, jams, sauces, crafts and more. 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.

Avon-Avon

Lake Republican Club

Avon-Avon Lake Republican Club Friends’

Breakfast from 8-9 a.m. June 7 will feature Nick Jarmoszuk’s Vision for the upcoming opening of “Racing in Lorain” at the 430-acre River Park Motorplex along the Black River. The motorsports facility will focus on go-karting, including both public “arrive and drive” indoor-outdoor tracks and a high-speed, 2-mile competition track. Additionally, a spectator stand, marina, hotel and restaurants are planned. Breakfast is at the Sugar Creek Restaurant, corner of Detroit-Abbe Roads, Sheffield Village Plaza. Attendees are responsible for their meals.

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. Location is Westwood Cemetery, 455 Morgan St, Oberlin.

43. Rotisserie skewer 44. Indianapolis team 46. Underwater “nose” 47. Color of a bruise 48. Trying experience

“The Breakfast ____”

p in mph 53. Ranee’s husband

____ de plume

*Gather berries, e.g. 60. *Water slaloming 63. Soft single in baseball 64. *Sun “kiss” 66. Beau’s and Jeff’s acting dad 68. Cut-down sailing sheep 69. How many “if by sea?”

Have effect

Gibbons, e.g.

10. Get bacon? 11. H.S. math class 12. All Nippon Airways, acr. 15. Rattled on

Writer Asimov 22. Like icee

24. Not an original

25. *Call to Polo

26. Opposite of adore

27. Triangular road sign

29. *Capture it!

31. Speech defect

32. Drink like a cat (2 words)

33. Chilled (2 words)

34. *Balloon filler

36. U.K. art gallery

38. Place for a house plant

42. Get an F 45. Serape, alt. sp.

49. Jet follower

51. Water-heating apparatus

54. Bulwark

56. Hundred Acre Wood creator

57. Wing motion

58. Exude

59. Fish eggs, pl.

60. Winter precipitation

61. Person, place or thing

62. Swirling vortex

63. *Part of a bikini

65. Leave speechless

67. Morning condensation

atalkgiven to an audience monumenttothe dead along establishedcustom forspecial or future use

emorial Day was called Decoration Day when it started as a day to honor the nation’s Civil Wardead by decorating their graves.

After the Civil War, people across America started atradition of setting one dayayear aside to decorate the graves of fallen soldiers.

On May 30, 1868, General James Garfield made aspeech at Arlington National Cemetery.After the speech, thousands of people who came to hear him decorated the graves of more than 20,000 Union and

AGREATCLASSROOM

CRAFT:Paint terra-cotta flower pots, coffee cans,jars and other containers in stars and stripes. Then, plantsome flowersinthem and deliver them to alocalveterans hospital or to neighbors who have lost afamily member serving our country

Confederate soldiers buried there.

After World WarI, Decoration Day was expanded to remember those who had died in all American wars.

In 1971, Congress declared Memorial Day a national holiday to be celebrated thelast Monday in May

odayaflag is placed on each grave at Arlington National Cemetery.The president or the vice president gives aspeech and lays awreath at theTombof the Unknown Soldier

nal restingplaces to retain an idea in the memory ground wheredead areburied someone whoservesinthe military the rst dayofthe working week to makesomethingmore attractive greatrespectand admiration aday set aside sometimes to commemorate something

Color the twoflagsatright. Cut along thedotted line.

Foldthe little flag around the top of yourpencil and use glue to fasten thefoldedflag.

Paperpoppies are madebyunemployed and disabledveterans and soldtoraise moneyfor veterans and theirwidows,widowers and orphans. Lookateachrow of poppies.Draw the one that should comenexttocontinueeachpattern

Standards

Where is your ad?

Whatcategoriesofads (other than classified) appearin only one section of the newspaper? Chart thead categories and sections. Whydo youthink this is?Ifyou were advertising toys, in what section would you place yourad?

Standards Link: Students identify the different kinds of advertising in anewspaper and use categories to oranize data.

Look through today’snewspaper for symbols that represent our country.How many can you find?

Standards Link: Research: Use the newspaper to locate information.

Do the math to discover which emblem represents each branch of the U.S. military 25 = United States Coast Guard 32 =

w 2 3 2 3

Department of the Air Force

Department of the Navy 27 =

Department of the Army 35 = United States Marine Corps 29 =

What willyou remember mostfrom this school year?

1.

2.

3.