Lorain County Community Guide - Aug. 3, 2023

Former Ohio Governor rallies against Issue 1

SHEFFIELD TWP. —

Heavy rain cut an antiIssue 1 rally short July 28, but not before former Gov. Richard Celeste addressed those gathered at the Lorain County Board of Elections.

Stepping out from underneath a canopy and into the pouring rain, Celeste implored voters to vote against Issue 1.

“In India when it rains that is an auspicious sign — so if you get married in the rain it’s going to be a good marriage,” Celeste said. “So if we come out to vote in the rain, it’s going to be a good vote. If we stand here and endure the rain, it’s going to be a good victory.”

Celeste said leading up to the Aug. 8 election there’s been a concerted effort to “reduce your vote,” from eliminating multiple ballot drop boxes to enacting voter ID laws.

“And now what they want to do is let 40 percent of the people decide what is right for the state of Ohio,” he said. “That is wrong.”

He said a vote “no” next month, will allow for later votes for protections on reproductive healthcare, eliminating gerrymandered

districts and raising the state’s minimum wage.

“I want a strong ‘no’ vote on Aug. 8 so we can get the ‘yes’ votes down the line,” he said.

Issue 1 is the only item on an Aug. 8 special election and would amend the Ohio Constitution to boost

Lorain County pitches 911 levy

Lorain County 911 Director Rob Berner presented updated financial numbers July 25 to the county commissioners and said projections indicate the system will be deficit spending if they cannot pass a proposed 0.5-mill levy.

This year, Berner said wages and benefits are $3.5 million with operating expenses standing at $2.8 million. Over the next five years, wages are expected to rise by 3 percent and 2 percent in operating expenses.

Under Lorain County 911’s current revenue structure, the operation would need to borrow from the county’s general fund in 2024 to avoid going into a deficit.

A 0.5-mill levy would raise a projected $4.1 million annually, which Berner says would give the 911 system a surplus balance and enable it to handle the projected growth without additional resources from the general fund. The commissioners did not vote on whether to place the levy on the ballot. They have until Aug. 9 to do so.

Looking at the department’s expenses, Berner said Lorain County 911 provides emergency services that cannot be cut too much without impacting quality of services to the communities that depend on it.

“We’re trying to cut overhead expenses in front of wages by actually using more and more technology. That has a fixed costs as opposed to growing costs,’’

the minimum requirement for subsequent constitutional amendments.

If Issue 1 passes, it would require 60 percent of voters to approve any new

constitutional amendments.

Currently, a constitutional amendment needs a simple majority to pass. It would also eliminate a 10-day cure period for faulty signatures on ballot proposals. A cure period is the period of time candidates or initiative propo-

nents have to collect additional signatures if they fall short of the required number when they submit signatures by an initial deadline.

Other speakers Friday afternoon shared Celeste’s sentiments. Sheffield Village Mayor John Hunter said the issue is not one based on political party, it’s about protecting individual rights.

“If we pass Issue 1, we will be giving 40 percent of the people in the state of Ohio that we all love to have power over the majority — 60 percent or more. If we pass Issue 1 we’re going to be going backwards.”

Elyria Mayor Frank Whitfield and Lorain Mayor Jack Bradley were also on hand to encourage a no-vote on Issue 1. At the corner of North Ridge Road and Clinton Avenue, more than two dozen proponents of Issue 1 gathered before the rain also cut their rally short.

Tomie Patton, President of the Avon/Avon Lake Republican Club, and others had stood out in the pouring rain waving to cars and holding signs. “Legislation should not go through the constitution,” she said, ducking under the edge of an umbrella. “So we’re trying to

Amherst Dems choose candidates for city’s 4th Ward, auditor

AMHERST — The Amherst Democratic Central Committee appointed candidates for City Council Ward 4 and city auditor July 26.

Current Councilman Dave Janik, D-at Large, will throw his hat into the ring for the auditor’s unexpired term this November, after his unanimous approval by the city’s Democratic Central Committee.

Janik has served on Council for the past decade.

He said he understands the legislative side of the budget and would like a better understanding of how the money is spent on the administrative side.

He said if elected he would continue to keep a close working relationship with City Council.

Janik is a college and career program specialist at Lorain County Community College. His nomination to the ballot was necessitated by former city Auditor Derek Pittak’s resignation effective June 5, as he and his family moved to Avon.

With more than two years left of Pittak’s unexpired term, the Amherst Republican Central Committee selected a new interim auditor, Brenda Phillips, on June 13, and also selected her to appear on the November ballot to run for the rest of Pittak’s term.

Janik will face Phillips this November for the

auditor’s seat. If elected, he will have to resign from his Council seat and the Democratic Central Committee will have to appoint a replacement.

If Janik loses his bid for auditor in November, he will retain his council seat for the rest of his regular term.

Incumbent Councilwoman Stephanie Smith, D-4th Ward, withdrew from the ballot, prompting the city’s Democratic Central Committee to replace her in the running this November.

Committee members chose Melissa Brown to replace her on the ballot.

Brown, a single mother

of two young adults, has lived in Lorain County for 40 years, she said, much of that in Amherst after coming back in 2005 to the town she grew up in.

She previously worked at Ziggy’s restaurant and currently works at Cleveland Clinic Lutheran Hospital. She said she is in the process of creating a nonprofit to help single mothers attending college with housing and other barriers.

She also has a background in social work, working at the Faith House and Frontline Services, and has an executive MBA from Cleveland State University.

She said she wanted to run for City Council because she understands the community and wants to see it, and its local businesses, thrive as a safe place for future generations to raise a family.

CARISSA WOYTACH THE COMMUNITY GUIDE

BRUCE BISHOP | The Community Guide

Former Gov. Richard Celeste addresses a crowd against Issue 1 at a rally at the Lorain County Board of Elections on Friday, July 28.

CARISSA WOYTACH THE COMMUNITY GUIDE

DAVE JANIK

MELISSA BROWN

KEVIN MARTIN THE COMMUNITY GUIDE

“ If we stand here and endure the rain, it’s going to be a good victory”

Former Gov. Richard Celeste

Jaime Lynn Kyer

Jaime Lynn Kyer (nee: Meilander), 45, and a resident of Norwalk, passed away Thursday, July 20, 2023, at Stein Hospice.

Arrangement by Hempel Funeral Home.

Joyce Anne Smith

Joyce Anne Smith (nee: Hemminger), 81, and a resident of Lorain, passed away Tuesday, July 25, 2023 at her home.

Hempel Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.

Longtime Oberlin doctors honored

The Mercy Health Foundation

Lorain held a reception to honor Dr. Wuu-Shung Chuang and Dr. Amy Chuang on July 23 at the Mercy Health – Chuang Medical Center in Oberlin. Friends, family and supporters gathered to celebrate the husbandand-wife duo, who have been active in the Oberlin community for nearly 45 years.

Almost four years ago, Mercy Health – Chuang Medical Center was dedicated and named in their honor. The 20,000-square-foot medical office building sits next to Mercy Health – Allen Hospital.

Mercy Health – Chuang Medical Center was made possible by a generous donation from the two doctors, as well as a grant from the Prentiss Foundation, a charitable trust dedicated to the support and advancement of health care.

WUU-SHUNG

Local students innovate at LCCC manufacturing camp

Drs. Wuu-Shung and Amy Chuang were both born in Taipei, Taiwan and came to the United States in 1972. Upon completion of their medical training in Cleveland, Wuu-Shung joined the Oberlin Clinic in 1978 as an internal medicine specialist and Amy as an allergist.

After more than 30 years of medical practice, WuuShung retired from Oberlin Internal Medicine Associates and Amy from the Cleveland Clinic.

Lorain County high school students were welcomed to Lorain County Community College this week for an innovative camp exploring the intersections between nature and manufacturing.

On July 25 a group of students built machines to press flowers collected during a nature walk as part of Dream it, Design it, Manufacture it (D2M2) Camp.

The camp incorporates traditional STEAM principles with a unique focus on nature, emphasizing sustainability and ecological consciousness through creating and making, and comes with support from the Ohio Arts Council Smart Futures Grant.

Dr.

PROVIDED | Mercy Health

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“At Lorain County Community College, we believe that education should extend beyond the walls of the classroom. The D2M2 Camp is a testament to our commitment to providing our youth with immersive, hands-on learning experiences that go beyond theory and textbooks,” says Ryan Corrigan, Fab Lab manager and D2M2 Camp coordinator at Lorain County Community College. College officials said they take pride in the camp’s ties to Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Cleveland, and his role in organizing summer manufacturing camps across the state.

“We are so excited to be able to offer the opportunity to these young students to explore advanced manufacturing applications and career pathways through technology and nature,” said Alecia Gorski, program developer and D2M2 Camp coordinator.

In a statement last week, Brown said the initiative honors the state’s manufacturing history.

“To keep up that tradition, we must get a new generation interested in our changing manufacturing sector. That’s what these camps are all about,” Brown said. “The camps will help students across our state learn about manufacturing jobs right here in Ohio and the proud history of opportunities our manufacturing sector has created for their parents and grandparents.”

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KEVIN MARTIN THE COMMUNITY GUIDE

JEFF BARNES | The Community Guide

Alecia Gorski, left, works with Nik Majors on his project during the Dream It, Design It, Make It, Manufacture It camp on July 25 at Lorain Community College.

Ryan Corrigan, left, works with Sabastian Johns as he cuts wood in the laser machine for his project during the Dream It, Design It, Make It, Manufacture It camp on July 25 at Lorain Community College.

STAFF REPORT

Amy Chuang, left, gave remarks at a reception honoring her and her husband, Dr. WuuShung Chuang at the Mercy Health – Chuang Medical Center in Oberlin on July 23.

CHUANG AMY CHUANG

Amherst boy moves on to top 25 in national Mullet Champ contest

CARISSA WOYTACH THE COMMUNITY GUIDE

AMHERST — An Amherst 6-year-old made it to the top 25 in an ongoing national competition for mullets.

Tucker Jones is the only kid from Ohio to make it through to round three of the 2023 Kid’s Mullet Champ contest.

Voting for the finals runs Aug. 7-11 to determine the top three kids.

Tucker’s mother, Tara Jones, said they were out school shopping when they found out he’d moved on to the next round. Tucker is “losing his mind,” she said.

Tucker’s mullet started as a terrible at-home haircut from his mom during the pandemic. After it was chopped down to a buzz cut, Tucker decided to grow his hair out like his friend and his favorite country singers — HARDY and Billy Ray Cyrus.

Lorain barber Hector Ayala keeps Tucker’s locks in

check every four to six weeks. He entered this year’s Mullet Champ competition as part of more than 1,000 kids across the country. Throughout the competition, he’s been making videos on social media and visiting Amherst businesses to gain votes.

The Mullet Champ com-

petition is also a fundraiser for Jared Allen’s Homes for Wounded Warriors, a national nonprofit that provides veterans with disabilities with handicappedaccessible, mortgage-free homes.

Donations can be made alongside voting for Tucker, but are not required to cast a ballot.

Bruce Bishop | The Community Guide

Proponents of Issue 1 pack up after their rally was cut short by a storm July 28 outside the Lorain County Board of Elections.

ISSUE 1

FROM A1

make it more difficult to change the constitution.”

The Lorain County Republican Party began making a push for voters to say “Yes on Issue 1” when early voting started July 11.

GOP Chairman David Arredondo told The

LEVY

FROM A1

Berner said.

County Administrator

Jeff Armbruster said a levy is needed and should be considered.

“If the levy is not put forward then somehow we’ve got to take this red ink and turn it into at least to zero and to break even,” Armbruster said. “We are the 911 center. It’s not like a city can be a 911 center. We have to do this. This is a requirement.”

With state funding coming to Lorain County for wireless fees, Armbruster

Chronicle-Telegram after casting one of the first ballots earlier this month that several Republican and right-leaning groups in the county had come together to work for Issue 1’s passage. At that time, he said raising the voting thresh-

old and eliminating the “cure” period for signatures would raise the standard to “ensure we don’t have special interest groups from outside the state” making changes like legalizing marijuana or opening borders.

said there are services they are required to provide and they do not want to be in a position where Lorain County will have to consider charging communities additional fees to supply 911 services. Commissioner David Moore noted 911 was kept afloat with about $3 million in federal funding and county officials want to get ahead of a potential deficit.

“Every community has enjoyed the federal government’s ARPA funds and used that money to make

up for some of the lost revenue. And probably next year or the year after is when that wake-up calls,” Moore said. “And the last thing I’d like to see the 34 communities in this county get hit with additional costs when they’re losing the additional revenue that’s not going to be coming in. So I think moving forward today with us and having it on the ballot in November is a fantastic proactive move. So I’d rather be proactive than reactionary.”

JEFF BARNES | The Community Guide Tucker Jones, 6, poses at his Amherst home on July 20.

Exotic birds, birders flock to Lorain County

AVON LAKE — Over the past several weeks, birders from across Lorain County, and far beyond, have flocked to the Kopf Reservation in Avon Lake for a possible once-in-alifetime find.

A limpkin, a bird native to Florida and much of Mexico and South America, was spotted at the Kopf Reservation earlier this month, becoming the first of its species spotted in Lorain County.

The gangly birds can grow to more than 2 feet tall and are a bright brown with white spotting on their heads and upper bodies.

They are a rare find anywhere in the U.S. outside of Florida, but Gina Swindell, secretary of the Black River Audubon Society, said that limpkins are almost never found this far north.

“They are not migratory, so this is pretty bizarre,” Swindell said. “But a few things happen: sometimes they just get caught up in a southerly wind and ride it out of their range. … A lot of the times these birds that get off track are younger birds, so he could be a young bird.”

The limpkin — considered a “lifer” because sighting one is so rare in Ohio — was not the only exotic bird to visit Lorain County this week. American white pelicans were spotted in North Ridgeville.

But it was the limpkin

that drew birders from across the area and the state.

“People are just so excited to be able to see that,” Swindell said. “The people who are ticking off Lorain County birds or Ohio birds, it’s exciting for them even if they’ve seen one. It kind of excites pretty much everybody really.”

Swindell said that she believed this to be the sixth time ever that a limpkin was spotted in Ohio.

Chuck Vinci works for the Lorain County Metroparks at the Kopf Reservation and said people had come from as far away as Texas and Virginia to catch a glimpse.

“I don’t know anything about birding, but I know that it’s very cool that he’s here and I’m happy I got to see him,” Vinci said. Vinci was on vacation last week, during the peak of birders visiting the reservation, but other Metro Parks employees told him the crowds were unlike anything they had ever seen there.

Vinci was up close and personal with the bird on Monday, but said he had not heard about any sightings on Tuesday when a Chronicle reporter was on the hunt.

Swindell said that there had been a limpkin sighting in Cincinnati on July 18, and Ohio birders speculated that it could be the same bird heading back south.

“There are thoughts that it’s likely the same bird,” she said. “Which is really

good news, because if he stayed up here through the winter he wouldn’t survive. That’s the way he should be going, so it isn’t certain but it’s likely him.”

While Swindell, and many others across the county, have been referring to the bird as a “he,” she said there is actually no way to tell from a distance if this bird is male or female, because there is no obvious difference between the sexes of limpkin.

The flock of American white pelicans landed at Sandy Ridge Reservation in North Ridgeville.

“I don’t know if this is the first sighting of white pelicans at Sandy Ridge, I don’t think it is, but they certainly are not there very often,” Swindell said.

Swindell said that though birds like limpkins and pelicans that prefer warmer

climates are still rare sightings in Lorain County, they are becoming more common.

“Our climate is changing and it seems like we are having more and more Florida-type birds come up to Ohio in the last four or five years,” she said. “Even

just five years ago it was rare to have white pelicans up here, but now they seem to be coming out pretty frequently. We’ve had one at the Lorain Impoundment a couple times, and now we have a whole flock at Sandy Ridge.”

PROVIDED | Chuck Vinci

A limpkin, a wading bird native to Florida, Mexico and South America, opens its beak during it’s visit to Avon Lake on Monday, July 17.

JEFF BARNES | The Community Guide On

18, a flock of American White Pelicans made a striking appearance at Sandy Ridge Reservation in North Ridgeville.

Oberlin class of 1990 dedicates ‘Friendship Bench’

are, part of our history, and part of always having friendships at Oberlin City Schools,” Baker said.

On July 29, five members of Oberlin High School’s Class of 1990 dedicated a new bench that will sit outside Oberlin Elementary School as part of festivities with the Oberlin Schools Alumni Association.

Oberlin Elementary School Principal Meisha D. Baker is a member of the class and in a series of conversations with classmate Kurt Russell, an Oberlin High School teacher, they decided to do something to add to the newest school building in the district while honoring the legacy of their 1990 class.

Class members raised more than $1,250 to purchase the bench, which is made from recycled plastic, sits in an area of the school where children are playing and sits under a tree that will provide shade as it grows.

“We purchased this bench in memory of our classmates who are no longer here and our classmates who are here in Oberlin

or in other states but still support what we do here in educating students and being friends,” Baker said. In reflection the bench serves as a dedication to the incredible things the class of 1990 has accomplished with Baker believed to be the first graduate of Ober-

lin High School to serve as principal of an Oberlin Schools building, along with Russell, who was honored as National Teacher of the Year in 2022, and many others.

The Friendship Bench is inscribed with a Ralph Waldo Emerson quote —

“The only way to have a friend is to be one” — with hopes to create a positive for future generations of Oberlin students to learn and grow together. Baker said when she saw it was an Emerson quote it was ironic because of the memories she had reading

Port Authority accepting proposals for Midway Mall redevelopment

ELYRIA — The Lorain County Port Authority requests proposals for the redevelopment of Midway Mall.

The Port Authority Board held a special meeting July 26 to approve the RFP, which seeks proposals from qualified groups to redevelop the property.

Interested parties may request site tours from the Port Authority, and ask questions through Oct. 18. Proposals are due Oct. 25, and the Port Authority will interview selected respondents in early to mid-December, followed by negotiations with a selected project.

Port Authority Director Jim Miller said the RFP had been sent to real estate developers nationwide.

The Port Authority is open to out-of-the-box thinking, Miller said “The more the merrier — we’d rather have more proposals than fewer,” he said.

The authority is open to one proposal for the whole property, or multiple

proposals for portions of it, he said. The crux is creating jobs and bringing something beneficial to the area.

The mall does need remediation of asbestos, he said, mostly concentrated in the former Dillard’s.

Miller has been in contact with the Ohio EPA to try to get grant funding for the remediation, which could cost upwards of $1 million. He said the Dil-

lard’s space is sealed off from the rest of the mall.

Miller said the majority of the remaining businesses are on month-to-month leases and are aware the Port is looking to redevelop the property.

The Port Authority purchased the 58-acre property and former Sears Automotive property in January for just under $14 million, with financial backing from Lorain

County. Linked to the RFP is drone footage from in and around the mall, including aerial footage of both floors of JC Penney, as well as Sears. There is also a virtual tour and an aerial map that allows for measurements. For more information, or to submit questions, contact the Lorain County Port Authority at nfinner ty@loraincounty.us.

his work growing up and attending Oberlin Schools. She added that throughout the years her class has been blessed that many have remained close and watch their own children grow up together and become friends.

“It’s part of who we

Class President Shannon Miller said the bench has brought the class together and is testament to how much they have continued to grow together.

“We’re just beyond proud of Kurt and Meisha and all our classmates and everything that we’ve done,” Miller said. “You hear so many people that don’t want to go to their class reunions. I’ve actually talked to some people recently that said, ‘Our class reunion is coming up, I’m not going, I didn’t like those people then.’

“I love how we stayed together and even people we might not have talked to you then. You go to this class reunion, we’re all grown up now. We all have different relationships with each other and it’s one of the really cool things about here is we’ve all stuck together and I love that we can do this together. I love that this will be here forever. So proud of you guys.”

Acceptance is the heart of ‘Kinky Boots’ at MAD Factory Theatre Company

OBERLIN — The MAD Factory Theatre Company is stepping out with a show that is all heart and sole.

“Kinky Boots” premiere July 28 at the Elyria High School Performing Arts Center, 600 West Ave., Elyria with all of the glitter and glam of the Broadway show.

“‘Kinky Boots’ has a fun, warm message — accept people for who they are,” said Amber Michalak, executive director of the MAD Factory. “So many musicals are really fun, but they don’t have that message. ‘Kinky Boots’ is fun. The music is fun to dance to and there is a good, positive message.”

Based on a true story, “Kinky Boots” is the tale of Charlie Price, a man on a mission to save his family’s shoe factory.

After a harrowing meeting, where Charlie saves her from thugs, he teams up with Lola, a drag queen who helps him discover a new market for his shoe factory: high-heeled boots for drag performers. Charlie and Lola embark on a journey of self-discovery, challenging societal norms and creating a revolution of acceptance and empowerment.

“It’s a really important message, especially right now with all of these bills trying to be passed,” Michalak said. “Let

people be who they are. If it makes someone happy that they wear makeup, it’s not really a big deal. This musical shows that drag queens are not really so horrible or scary.” MAD Factory ensured that the production would be true to life, hiring drag queens as consultants to come in and talk to the actors.

Additionally, the theater company will have LGBTQ+ pamphlets available at the venue.

The actors have been rehearsing five days a week for three hours a day since June for the 34th annual summer community theater show.

“Everyone has worked really hard and is really passionate about having fun and putting on the best show,” Michalak said. “They have been so supportive.”

She encourages the public to come out and support the local arts, which have been suffering since COVID-19.

“We’ve had less audience and everything costs more,” Michalak said. “So, go out on the weekend and support a local theater company. Any amount helps and it all adds up. You’re going to see things, support the arts and maybe see something that scares you out of your comfort zone.”

Performances are 7 p.m. Aug. 4-5 and 2 p.m. Aug. 6. Tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for students and seniors.

CARISSA WOYTACH THE COMMUNITY GUIDE

BARNES | The Community

Amherst sweeps Adrian Abrahamowicz Summer Classic

After

Former Oberlin coach remembered for talent, mentorship

Joe Harris, Jr. will be remembered as a highly successful track coach and assistant for both basketball and football for Oberlin High School. He was also an Oberlin High standout in track, football and basketball, graduating in 1960. Harris’ legacy, however, will be as a coach and a man that truly cared about the well-being of his family, student athletes and friends.

Harris passed away July 16 at age 82. He battled through two strokes and congenital heart failure in his later years.

Harris was the Oberlin High boys and girls track coach from 1974-95 after moving up from the middle school program. His 1985 Oberlin girls team was the Division II state runner-up, one point behind Ravenna Southeast for the title (31-30).

He was the 1986 Division II Northeast District Coach of the Year. Harris guided the Oberlin High boys to a 1985 Olmsted Falls Division II Sectional title and to three straight Lakeland Conference titles from 1984-86. His boys teams had three All-Ohio (top six) performances in relays. Six more boys earned All-Ohio track honors as individuals.

Harris was also quite an athlete himself. A nine-time state track qualifier, Harris earned All-Ohio in 1959 in the 220-yard dash, taking fourth. He was a seven-time Southwestern Conference champion. Harris was inducted into the 2022 Lorain County Track and Cross Country Hall of Fame.

In addition to track and field, Harris was a four-year starter at tight end and safety for varsity football and a three-year starter in basketball for Oberlin High. He earned All-SWC honors for both of those sports.

“He was a competitor to the very end,” said Vonya Harris, Joe’s wife of 25 years. “He was loyal to his people. He helped many that encountered a lot of adversity in their lives. They knew that they could always call on him for some type of advice and a different perspective of life. He gave what he knew best. He always cared.”

Harris coached football as well as boys and girls basketball for Oberlin City Schools from 1965-95 at various levels including varsity boys and girls teams.

“Even when he was sick, my dad said when this stuff all stops playing out I’m going to start coaching again,” said Joe Harris III, Joe Jr.’s son, a 1985 Elyria High graduate. “He just had such a passion for it. I was at many of his practices starting when I was 5 or 6 years old. Early on I had a chance to understand what real sportsmanship was, how to suck up a loss. Unless you first learn how to be a good loser, you can never learn how to win. That’s one thing my dad taught me. He taught me things like ‘hold your head up high, better days are coming.’ It prepared

me for life’s lessons.

“The outpouring of support from his many former student-athletes via phone calls and facebook messages has been phenomenal. I can’t explain how I feel right now. He was also one of my best friends. He’s truly missed. The impact that he had on everyone around him will live forever. He fought until the end. Until the day he passed he made sure to tell me how proud he was of me. He told me to take care of his wife and to be the best dad that you can be.”

A 1986 graduate of Oberlin High, Marnele Jackson was Harris’ most successful track and field athlete. Jackson was a three-time Division II state champ in 1985, winning both the 100- and 200-meter dashes. She also teamed with Aravetta Alston, Crystal Tolbert (Harris’ niece) and Dawn Ross for a state title in the 400-meter relay.

Jackson transferred her junior year to Oberlin High from Elyria West to live with her dad after her parents divorced prior to the start of the 1984-85 school year. Jackson was also 1984 state champ for the Wolverines as a member of the Elyria West 400-meter relay.

“Little did I know that coach Harris was going to become my second dad,” said Jackson, a 2012 inductee of the Lorain County Track and Cross Country HOF. “I was always in trouble in school and my grades were suffering. Coach Harris went to all of my teachers and asked for my homework for the week and had me sit in a classroom with him for a week from the beginning of the school day to the end just doing homework. He was also my track coach, pushing me along with my dad to my greatest potential.”

High school was a tough, difficult stretch in Jackson’s personal life, but Harris guided her through it.

“Coach Harris was always so very encouraging,” said Jackson, five-time All-Ohio. “When I first met him he had a grin on his face. I can still see the grin. That’s the first thing that hit me was how happy he was right then. I was not doing good when I got to my dads. There’s a lot of stuff my dad and my step-mother knew that had happened to me in my life. I had flunked third grade so I was older when I started high school. Coach Harris was like an angel to me.” Track and field kept Jackson’s life in line.

“It was beautiful,” said Jackson. “It’s what I really lived for. I didn’t really feel like I had anything else to live for except for running. People noticed me. I was happy running and he pushed me to be my best.”

A 1975 Oberlin High graduate, Tom Dann ran for Harris in high school then came back in early 1980s to help out for a few years as an assistant.

“While I was blessed with some natural endurance which helped me be fairly successful, it was working more closely with Joe my senior year with a lot of sprint workouts that helped me get faster,” said Dann, now in his 25th year coaching cross country at St. Joseph College in Maine. “I set the mile and two-mile school records within five days of each other senior year and still hold the school two-mile record (9:44.2, 3,200 meters converted) 48 years later.”

Prior to Harris’ tenure, the Oberlin High boys track team hadn’t won a conference title since taking the Southwestern Conference in 1952.

“We could never beat Amherst at the Lakeland Conference meet,” said Dann. “I came back to assist Joe in about ‘83 for a couple of years coaching the distance runners. We finally won the Lakeland title (three times, 1984-86). I remember he and I embracing in a bear hug after the first one. Joe was a very important mentor for me as a lifetime runner and coach, both of which I still do today.”

Joe and his older brother, Roosevelt, coached the Powers and Dawley Hot Stove team in Oberlin back in the late 1960s. A 1974 Oberlin High graduate, Paul Drummond recalled what it was like having Joe for a baseball coach.

“What Joe did for so many people, myself included, was to create a sense of wanting,” said Drummond. “The values that he imparted came from the fact that he was so warm and supportive. It didn’t matter whether you were the best or the worst player on the team or whether you were a great athlete or terribly uncomfortable. He made certain that there were smiles on everybody’s faces that there was laughter but it was always laughing with people as opposed to laughing at people.

“One episode on the field really typified Joe. One of our players ran through a hold sign at second after his single was misplayed in the outfield. The player executed a perfect hook slide at third base but was called out anyway by the umpire.

“Joe, who’s a big strong guy, just reaches out and puts his hands on either side of this guy (his player) and lifts him up to eye level so that the two are a couple inches apart. Joe says to him in a very calm voice, ‘I thought you were safe, too, but he called you out so you’re out.’ He then put him back on the ground. This guy has no response. He slowly walks over towards the bench not knowing quite how to react to it. It’s just so classic Joe. You could have had coaches who would have screamed at the umpire saying you blew that call, my guy was safe or he could have yelled at the player. It was never a case where kids got yelled at. It was

always encouragement.”

Joseph Sr. and Pearlina Harris, parents of Roosevelt and Joe Jr.’s family, moved the family from Alabama to Oberlin prior to Joe starting high school. Roosevelt, already 18 then, immediately went to work to help out the family so that Joe would have a shot at earning an athletic scholarship.

“He was a good man and lovely brother to me,” said Roosevelt Harris, age 86. “Everybody loved him.”

In addition to track and field, he was a four-year starter at tight end and safety for varsity football and a three-year starter in basketball for Oberlin High. He earned All-SWC honors for both of those sports.

Through his older brother’s help, Harris went on to compete one year of track for Cameron Junior College (now Cameron University) in Lawton, Oklahoma. He went on to play varsity football for University of New Mexico (1961-65) where he led the Lobos in rushing yardage his junior and senior years.

UNM has won only four conference championships in football. Harris played on three of these championship teams while playing in the WAC (Western Athletic Conference).

“I had Joe as a gym teacher, football coach and track coach,” said Pat Ives, a 1974 Oberlin High graduate. “He was well-liked, a great guy and never forgot you. You could run into him 30 years later and he pointed out your name. The main thing about him was that he was very good at building young student-athletes and making you feel good and confident about what you were doing. He definitely was someone that really wanted to connect well with everybody.”

After retiring from Oberlin City Schools after 30 years in 1995, Harris went on to serve as a GED (General Educational Development) teacher from 2001-18 for the Lorain Correctional Institution.

Harris’ last season for high school coaching was the 1994-95 season when he served both as varsity boys and girls track coach and varsity boys basketball coach.

“He was a very caring and dedicated man that really cared for all the studentathletes he dealt with over the years,” said former Oberlin assistant Quinn Barbee, a 1985 Oberlin graduate. “He was just a wonderful man to be around. He was our running backs coach when I was a player. He taught me a lot of things. He was like family.

“After I came back from serving in the US Army Joe coached the middle school football team in Oberlin with me in the early 1990s. He still had that genuine care for the kids. He was well-respected by many. That’s just the type of person he was. If he could, he would do anything for you. Even when he was done with coaching, we stayed in touch. He was like an uncle to me.”

PAUL HEYSE FOR THE COMMUNITY GUIDE

JOE HARRIS Jr.

JEFF BARNES | The Community Guide

ABOVE: Cael Charles of Amherst waits for the ball as Nate Taylor of Elyria slides into home for a run during the Amherst Summer Baseball Classic on July 27 at Marion L. Steele High School in Amherst.

RIGHT: Logan Banyas of Amherst pitches against Elyria during the Amherst Summer Baseball Classic.

thunderstorms wiped out play Wednesday, the Comets (3-0) played two Thursday, opening with a 12-3 win over Rocky River. The Comets later bested the Pioneers with a 6-5 walkoff win the same day.

Pittsfield Community Church

Rummage Sale: Today and Friday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. with reduced prices. Household items, books, pictures, puzzles, games, jewelry, Bedding, clothing for adults and children, toys and small furniture will be available.

Pittsfield Township Historical Society

The Pittsfield Township Historical Society will host an ice cream and pie social event from 12-4 p.m. Sept. 10 at 16889 State Route 58. Premium ice cream and homemade pies will be offered by donationg.

There will be games for children and “cow pie squares” with a live cow. Bets on a square are $10 for a chance to win a 50-50 raffle. A basket raffle will be available, with several $50 cash prizes.

There will also be antique cars on display and the 1830s school house will be open for tours, as well as the plans to build a museum. A live band will provide music.

Honor Wreaths

A community group which places wreaths on veterans graves in December is looking for sponsors and volunteers.

Last year the group placed more than 1,000 wreaths in Amherst, Amherst Township and Lorain, with help from Amherst and Clearview students and several scout troops and veteran groups.

BULLETIN BOARD

This year’s event will be Dec. 9.

Donations can be made by providing the name of the veteran, the cemetery where they are buried and location (section number if available). Wreaths are $15 each. Checks can be made payable to the Veterans Mural Association, with “wreaths” in the memo line, and mailed to 6083 Dorwood Dr., Lorain, OH 44053. Please provide an email and phone number. If the veteran is interred in a non-participating cemetery, those requesting a wreath can pick it up themselves.

Participating cemeteries are:

● Amherst: Cleveland Street, Crownhill, St. Joseph

● Amherst Twp.: Kendeigh, Middle Ridge, Ridge Hill

● Lorain: Calvary, Elmwood

● Elyria: Ridgeview Cemetery AMVETS Post 32 will provide the Honor Guard at ceremonies in Amherst, Amherst Township and Lorain. The 103rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry will provide the Honor Guard in Elyria. For more information or to volunteer, email honor wreaths@gmail.com

Amherst Public Library

Registration is required for regular programming by calling (440) 988-4230.

● The Amherst Public Library Board of Trustees will hold a regular meeting at the library on Monday, 5:45 p.m. Aug. 14. The meeting is open to the public.

FRUITS & VEGETABLES

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

● Amherst Library’s 19th annual Scavenger Hunt is now open. Stop by the second floor of the library to pick up a form, then spend the month of August visiting local businesses to look for some of our favorite sweet treats. Match the treats at each location on your own of as part of a team. Each participant will receive a coupon for a free scoop of ice cream from Sugar Buzz. Correct answers will be entered into a prize drawing. Entries must be received by the Youth Services department by 8:30 p.m. Aug. 31.

● Help clean out the craft closet at 2:30 p.m. today or 6:30 p.m. Aug. 28. Attendees can complete a craft project they missed or use supplies to create something new.

● Music and Movement is 11:15 a.m. tomorrow and Aug. 18. It is designed for children ages 2-6 and their caregivers.

● Read to therapy dogs is at 11 a.m. Saturday and 6:30 p.m. Aug. 15.

● Baby playdates are open every Monday through Aug. 28. Ageappropriate toys and books will be available for babies and their caregivers to play and socialize at the library.

● Watercolor pencil workshop is 12:30 p.m. Aug. 7. Students will need a set of watercolor pencils, pink erasers, a no. 8 round Taklon brush, a natural

sponge, a half-inch foam brush, an ultra-fine sharpie or 0.2 Micron pen and 140lb. Watercolor paper. This class is for adults.

● Tai Chi for balance and fall prevention is 10:30 a.m. Thursdays Aug. 17 through Sept. 21.

● Beach Glass 101 is 6:30 p.m. Aug. 17.

1973 Lakeland Conference Championship Football team

Teammates from the Marion L. Steele classes of 1974-76, as well as coaches, trainers, cheerleaders and managers associated with the 1973 football team are invited to join for a celebration of the 50th anniversary on Sept. 15 at the Marion L. Steele vs. Berea-Midpark home game. Attendees will meet at the high school gym lobby, the former senior lounge, at 6 p.m. The team will be recognized at halftime. An informal social gathering will follow at 9 p.m. at Ziggy’s. For information, contact Kris Diaz at (216) 315-0605 or kris. diaz74@gmail.com

Amherst Historical Society

● The Amherst Historical Society is having a 50th anniversary celebration 1-4 p.m. Saturday at Sandstone Village, 763 Milan Ave.

Enterance is free, and the event includes hands-on history and trades displays, baked goods, crafters, animals, balloon artists, face painting, raffle baskets, a 50/50 raffle, shaved ice and tours of the historic buildings.

● The Amherst Historical Society will present “Murder She Rhymed,” a 1920s murder mystery dinner theater this September.

Written by Jack Pachuta and directed by Valerie Farchman, it is set in 1928 Moose Jaw, Sashatchewan, a haven for Al Capone and a place of vice and corruption.

Tickets are $40 per person, $35 for AHS members. Dress for a 1928 party with prizes, a buffet and raffles.

This year’s performances are 6 p.m. Sept 16 and 23 and 2 p.m. Sept. 17 and 24. Reservations are required by Sept. 8. For more information or to reserve tickets, call (440) 988-7255 or email office@amherst historicalsociety.org

● The Amherst Historical Society would like to interview individuals with ties to the sandstone quarry – either those who worked there or had a family member who worked there. Interviews are being planned to begin in September or October. For more information, call (440) 988-7255 or email office@amhersthistorical society.org

Herrick Memorial Library

To register for programs, call the library at (440) 647-2120

● Read to Putter 3:154:30 p.m. Thursdays

in canning green beans using the pressure cooker method. All materials will be provided. This class will be held at the United Church of Huntington, 2667 State Route 58, Huntington Twp. This class is for adults.

● Perseid meteor watch 8:30 p.m. Aug. 12 at Huntington Community Recreation Park, 27711 State Route 58 in Huntington Twp. A telescope will be available for views of Saturn, nebulae and galaxies. Feel free to bring your own observation equipment, chairs or blankets.

Oberlin Community Services

Oberlin Community Services will be temporarily changing its food pantry schedule.

Drive-up hours will remain from 1:30-5 p.m. Mondays.

Drive-up food distributions on Wednesdays will be from 1:30-5 p.m. There will be no morning food pick-up.

Fridays will be reserved for the indoor choice pantry only from 1:30-4 p.m. There will be no drive-up distribution on Fridays.

Ohio Genealogy Program

talk

Mouse to a snake

*Pear or quince, botanically speaking

41. California and Nevada lake

43. Raja’s daughter

44. Uncouth ones

46. Of two minds

47. René Descartes’ “therefore”

48. Make wealthy

50. Use a surgical beam

52. Gingerbread creation

53. *When fruit is ready

55. Red-white-and-blue inits.

57. *”Hot” vegetable-shaped toy

60. *L in BLT

64. 3-D picture in a book

65. U.N. workers’ grp.

67. Owned house or car, e.g.

68. Item on a cell phone bill

69. What’s old is new again, prefix

70. Popular electric car

71. Hair styling products

72. Scottish cap

73. British peers

DOWN

1. Block of concrete, e.g.

2. Pocket bread

3. Baker’s baker

4. Dickens’s Heep

5. Serena’s sport

6. Prefers

7. *Fairytale princess test

8. Virgo’s brightest star

9. Letter opener

10. Ship to Colchis

11. Airhead

12. The loneliest number?

15. Concerning this

20. Nautical “Stop!”

22. College assessment test, acr.

24. Camera’s tiny aperture

25. *Gwyneth Paltrow’s daughter

26. Sing like Tony Bennett

27. Madagascar primate

29. Myanmar currency

31. Bébé’s mother

32. Rooster, in the olden days

33. Polynesian kingdom

38. Lady Grantham of “Downton

Abbey”

42. Follow as a consequence

45. Claw mark

49. “Battleship” exclamation

51. Heir’s concern

54. *At the end of a hot pepper or

many a sweet potato

56. Cruising

57. Prepare to be shot

58. October birthstone

59. What Little Toot does

60. *Fruit of the ____

61. Brezhnev’s domain

62. Jailbird’s home

63. Airline postings

64. Dog breed from China

● How-to water bath canning class 1-5 p.m. Aug 5 and 19. Fran Blank will teach a hands-on class in canning tomatoes using the water-bath method. All materials will be provided. This class will be held at the United Church of Huntington, 2667 State Route 58, Huntington Twp. This class is for adults.

● Library Board meeting 10:30 a.m. Aug. 8

● Clay Leaf Dish 6 p.m. Aug. 8. This is for adults 18-and-older to create a clay leaf dish for various uses in one evening. The library will provide all materials.

● Open Tech Help 1:30-3 p.m. Aug. 9

● How-to pressure canning class 1-5 p.m. Aug. 12 and 26. Fran Blank will teach a hands-on class

The Lorain County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogy Society will present “Railroads of Lorain County” virtually at 7 p.m. Aug. 14. Historian, preservationist, photographer and model railroader Adam Matthews will discuss the companies that have operated in Lorain County over the past 170 years. For more information, or to receive a free, online link to the meeting, email meetings@loraincoogs.org and ask to be added to the list.

Avon/Avon

Lake Republican Club

5 p.m. Aug. 10 at the Knights of Columbus Ragan Hall, 1783 Moore Rd., Avon the Avon-Avon Lake Republican Club will present Dakota Sawyer, a radio host, Ohio House Bill 163 supporter and former candidate for Ohio State Representative. Sawyer will speak on digital currency, and the problems he sees with a potentially cashless society. Members are free, guests are $5.

34. *Layered bulb

36. Giant Himalayan?

66. Grazing ground SOLUTION

An old-fashionedlemonade standmakescents in busy, moderntimes! Few people take the timeto squeeze freshlemonade. Follow our “recipe” for successand start alemonade standofyour own!

Youwillneed to invest alittle cash to get started. Visit or call alocal storetofindout what the things youneed cost.Add up yourcosts to determine your priceand profit. Here is whatthe mathlookslike:

EXPENSES:

12 lemons cost

1 3/4 cups of sugar cost

20 paper cups cost

$1.20 .20 .60

Total cost for 20 cups of lemonade: $2.00

INCOME:

20 cups of lemonade at 50¢ each

PROFIT :

$10.00

(The money you make after covering your expenses) $8.00

On a hot day,inthe right spot, you mightsell 100 cups of lemonade! How much money would you earn?

Kevin and Melaniehaveeverything they need fortheir lemonade stand—except customers.Drawsome customers purchasing lemonade to complete this picture.

Make abig,boldsign to attract people to your stand.IfitisOKwithyourneighbors, put up several colorfulsigns to directpeopleto your stand.

Hereisa recipe formaking 20 cups of freshlemonade.

INGREDIENTS:

13/4 cups whitesugar

8cups water

1 1/2 cupsfresh-squeezed lemon juice

ADULTSUPERVISION REQUIRED!

DIRECTIONS:

Offeryourlemonade in cupsmade out of oranges. To make one, cut the topoff of an orange and scoop outthe insideswith aspoon. Pourinthe lemonade and serve with astraw. Give your lemonade-in-an-orange asnazzy name, like CITRUS TREAT, and charge more!

Remember! Addthe cost of an orange and a straw to your expensestodetermine theprice of your “Citrus Treat.”

Standards Link: Math/Number Sense: Students solve problems by adding, subtracting and multiplying amounts of money

Areyou an eagle-eyed reader? Circle the nine errors in the article below.Then, rewrite it correctly This sumner,Ibilt alemonaid stand. My freind Ricky helped me. We had alot of customers onavery hot day. That daywe makeover$7.00 in profitt! We got thelemons from the lemun tree in my backyard. We madesignsand theneighbors let us put them in there yard Even ourmailcarrier,Molly, stoppedfor akool glassofour delicious lemonade!

In asmall saucepan,combine sugar and 1cup water. Bring to boiland stir to dissolve sugar.Allowtocool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate untilchilled.

Remove seedsfrom lemon juice, butleave pulp.In pitcher,stir together chilled syrup, lemon juice and remaining 7 cups of water.

They’re fun to make and to eat! Threadsomeofyour favorite treats onto astringoflicorice. Hint: Usea toothpick to makea hole if necessary.

Lifesavers

Cereal Minimarshmallows

Raisins

Fruit snacks

Gum drops Jellybeans

Jenny is making an edible necklace witha pattern. Can youfinish her necklace?

Good CentsAdvertising

In ordertoattract customers, abusinessneeds to advertise. Look through thenewspaper at ads that youlike.Thencreateanadfor a business youwould like to own.

A“Weighty”Puzzle

One glass of lemonade weighs thesameasfourbig cookies. If three spoonsweigh thesameas acookieand a half, how much will aglass of lemonade anda spoon weigh?

There aresix lemons in this bag. Can you figureout howtogive one lemon to six different kidsand leaveone in thebag?

PROFIT

Profit is the amount of money made byabusiness that is more than the amount put in at thestart

Because my lemonade stand made a profit, Iwas able to add to my savings account

Use the word profit in a sentence today when talking with your friends, parents or teachers

HowI Earn Money

Helpotherkids by sharing what you do to earnmoney

ideas may inspire others!

1.

2.