Lorain County Community Guide - Sept. 28, 2023

Sheriff Phil Stammitti won’t seek reelection

Lorain County Sheriff Phil Stammitti will not run for a seventh term as sheriff when his current term ends, the veteran law enforcement officer announced Monday.

Stammitti’s term ends Jan. 5, 2025. He said he made the decision to finish out his current term and not run for another after consulting with his wife and family.

Instead, he is attempting to pass the baton to a subordinate

as former North Ridgeville Police Chief Rick Thomas has thrown his name into consideration in the Democratic primary in March.

Stammitti has been Lorain County’s elected sheriff since 2000, making him the longest-serving sheriff in county history. In total, he has been with the sheriff’s office for 37 years.

Stammitti is the only Lorain County sheriff to serve as presi-

dent of the Buckeye State Sheriffs’ Association, which he did in 2022 after his fellow sheriffs elected him to that role.

Those are honors “I will always cherish,” Stammitti said. Stammitti, who will turn 73 next month, said in a news release that his “recent differences with two Lorain County Commissioners has absolutely nothing to do with this decision of mine.”

“I want to thank all my family, friends and supporters, my longtime treasurer John Malanowski, my wife Mary Jo, and all of the employees of the Lorain County

An antique roadshow

Sheriff’s Office (former and present) that I have worked alongside,” he wrote. “The employees that are here now are tremendous people and hard workers, no matter what division they are in at the sheriff’s office.”

Stammitti also thanked his predecessor “and mentor,” former Sheriff Martin Mahony, who was his partner in the Lorain Police Department Narcotics Bureau.

“I would not be where I am today if it wasn’t for him,” the sheriff said, also thanking his former campaign managers Herbert Jacoby, a former Lorain County

commissioner, and Gary Mead, a businessman “who helped me tremendously in my first campaign back in 2000.”

Stammitti further thanked the residents of Lorain County who supported him and the sheriff’s office.

“I have enjoyed my tenure as Lorain County Sheriff and I want to thank everyone for their support through the years,” Stammitti said. “This job has not always been an easy one, but I have always strived to do my best and the ‘right thing’ by the citizens

County marks National Day of Remembrance

ELYRIA — The families and friends of victims lost to homicide gathered at Ely Square Monday.

In 2007 U.S. Congress designated Sept. 25 as the National Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims. Robert and Charlotte Hollinger of Cincinnati formed Parents of Murdered Children following the Sept. 25, 1978 death of their 19-year-old daughter Lisa.

“The annual National Day of Remembrance gives us all an opportunity to remember those lost to homicide and honor their memories. The purpose of this event is to focus on the impact that these tragic crimes have had on families, the community and as a way to support our survivors,” said Garrett Longacre, lead investigator for the Lorain County Prosecutors Office.

Lexii Champe is the girlfriend of CJ Sayers who was killed while dropping off his daughter at the LaGrange home of his ex-girlfriend’s boyfriend.

“CJ Sayers was shot and murdered by his baby mom’s boyfriend by walking into the house and dropping off his daughter. Chris Pierre did his job. And we are so thankful for him,” Champe said. Sayers perpetrator Cody Rutledge was sentenced to 11-15 years for voluntary manslaughter as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors.

Champe said Chief Lorain County Assistant Prosecutor Chris Pierre had helped guide her and the Sayers family through a difficult process.

“We are so thankful for that. He worked night and day for us, he answered

THOMAS FETCENKO | The Community Guide

TOP: The Wellington home tour and antique transportation show was hosted throughout the city of Wellington on Saturday morning, Sept. 23 where several antique cars were parked on the square for visitors to tour.

LEFT: Lester McCormick, of Columbia Station, speaks about his 1934 Delux Coupe.

ABOVE: Jim Hanobik, of North Olmsted, viewed several of the antique cars parked on the square on at the Wellington home tour and antique transportation show.

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Floyd William Gullett Jr.

Floyd William (Bill) Gullett Jr., 90, of Grafton, Ohio passed away Saturday, September 16, 2023, after a struggle with dementia.

Bill, born to Pauline (Bassett) and Floyd William Gullett Sr., was a welder, machine operator and mechanic. He was a proud Air Force veteran who served during the Korean War at Fort Benning in Georgia.

Bill worked for many years as a bus mechanic at Midview Schools and as the maintenance supervisor for Columbia Schools.

Animals were always a huge part of Bill’s life.

Throughout his years, he owned many horses, dogs, and cats, as well as a multitude of other animals. As a 4-H advisor for over 30 years, Bill loaned his horses to several children so they could participate in 4-H horse clubs. He was a member of the Ohio Horseman’s Council for 15 years. Bill rode close to 20,000 trail miles and was ranked as one of the top ten trail riders in Ohio for seven years in a row.

Bill is survived by his daughter, Brenda (Phil) Huebner; sons, Jeff (Laura) Gullett, and Michael Gullett; sister, Shirley Fyffe; and a brother, Robert Gullett; five grandchildren; and eleven great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and his brother, George Gullett.

Military graveside services were held on Tuesday, September 26, 2023, at Greenwood Cemetery in Wellington with military honors.

Donations in Bill’s memory can be made to Friendship Animal Protective League, Humane Society of Delaware County, or any animal welfare organization of your choice. Arrangements have been entrusted to NortonEastman Funeral Home and online condolences may be expressed at www.norton-eastmanfuneralhome.com.

Robert E. Anderson

Robert E. ‘Andy’ Anderson, 85, of New London died Wednesday, September 20, 2023, at University Hospital, Cleveland. He was born December 7, 1937, in Wellington to the late Pauline (Kolbe) and Earl Anderson.

Robert was a 1958 graduate of Wellington High School and served in the U.S. Army. He worked at Forest City Technologies for over 30 years. He was a member of the Wellington Eagles and American Legion. Although Robert did not play baseball, he was a true baseball enthusiast. He coached, umpired and watched baseball on TV; he loved tracking the stats of each game. Robert loved bowling and was on a bowling league for over 30 years. He enjoyed doing jigsaw puzzles and would much rather have sweets than a meal. Robert was a quiet and private man who was dearly loved by his family and friends.

Robert is survived by his sister, Carol Anderson of Wellington; niece, Kristine (Tony) Primm of Myerstown, Pennsylvania; nephew, William (Pam) Shank of Woodstock, Georgia; great-nieces, Heather (Brian) Sekely and Meghan (Brian) Milici, Emily (Eric) Anderson and Eliza Shank; and close friend and care giver, Michelle (Randy) Parr of New London.

He was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Nancy Anderson; and brother, William Anderson.

Friends will be received at the Eastman Funeral Home, 200 W Main St. New London, Friday, September 29, 2023, from 10 a.m. until the time of the 11 a.m. Memorial Service with Pastor Doug Lang officiating. At the conclusion of the memorial service, Military honors will be conducted. A luncheon will be held at the New London American Legion, following the service.

Memorial Contributions may be directed to the New London American Legion, 185 N. Main St. New London, OH 44851. Online condolences may be made at www. eastmanfuneralhome.com.

Our condolences go out to families that have suffered the loss of a loved one. To place an obituary or death notice in the Community Guide, call (440) 329-7000.

State asks residents for help in tracking spotted Lanternfly

Many Elyrians noticed a small and strange new neighbor this summer: the invasive spotted lanternfly.

Known for their bright red wings, lanternflies are not harmful to humans but can wreak havoc on native plants and they are spreading rapidly in Ohio. The state Department of Agriculture is asking residents to help it track and control spotted lanternfly populations.

“We want those reports; that’s important to us to know where populations are located,” Department of Agriculture plant health supervisor Jonathon Shields said. “But after someone snaps a picture we encourage them to go ahead and kill (the lanternfly). Just squash them with extreme prejudice.”

Shields is part of a team that tracks the spread of the invasive bug in Ohio and seeks to control the population where it can.

He said that the department was aware of a lanternfly infestation in Amherst last summer, but this summer that population grew and his team became aware of another infestation in Elyria.

Since they like to lay their eggs on metal, particularly weathered metal, like on trains and bridges, Shields said they primarily follow transportation corridors.

“We’re finding almost all the infestations are related to either highways or rail lines. That means that most major urban areas are infested. In

Elyria and Amherst and nearby in Sandusky, we’ve found infestations along the rail lines.”

According to the Ohio State University Extension, the spotted lanternfly is native to China and was first found in the U.S. in 2014. The bugs grow to about an inch in length and are brown or tan with black dots on their wings. More strikingly, and easier to identify at a glance, they have a second pair of wings underneath the first, which are vibrant red.

Shields said that both juvenile and adult SLFs (spotted lanternflies), as the Department of Agriculture calls them, feed off the sap of plants, favoring grapevines and the tree-ofheaven plant.

This process itself can have a negative impact on the plants, but more devastatingly creates a sugary waste that leads to the growth of sooty mold.

“If that sooty mold grows on the fruit it makes it unusable for consumption,” Shields said. “So it becomes a problem with production in vineries (and) fruit orchards.”

The fall is a critical period for the lanternfly because that is when the species is reproductively active and lays its eggs.

Spotted lanternfly eggs are laid in a variety of locations and appear in neat rows covered in a waxy coating that Shields compared to silly putty or mud.

He said that residents should report and destroy the eggs as well as the bugs.

While the end of summer and the fall is a crucial time of year for the

spotted lanternfly, Shields said it is also a crucial time for the department’s data collection because it is when the bugs are at their most identifiable.

All of the infestations in Ohio, including the one this spring in Elyria, were discovered by reports from the public, Shields said.

“It’s the folks outside who are seeing them that are really alerting us because we can’t be everywhere at once. It’s mostly down to public reporting and the fact that the spotted lanternfly is a very unique looking insect.”

Shields said that squishing eggs or individual spotted lanternflies is helpful but the most important thing to do after spotting one of the invaders is to snap a picture and report the sighting to the Department of Agriculture.

Shields said the spotted lanternfly has been studied in the U.S. for less than a decade, so data collection is critical in developing programs for controlling them.

“People can do their part to knock the populations down,” he said.

“What we’re really hoping to do is slow the spread and give science a chance to get a really good tool in place that we can use to move towards an eradication strategy, rather than just slowing the spread.”

More information on spotted lanternflies is available on the websites of the Ohio Department of Agriculture and the Ohio State University extension and to report a spotted lanternfly sighting visit agri.ohio. gov/SLF.

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A spotted lanternfly was found at The Chronicle-Telegram on Monday, September 18. The spotted lanternfly species is invasive and harmful to Ohio’s environment. Those who find a spotted lanternfly are directed to report the sighting and to kill the lanternfly so it cannot lay eggs and further spread.

Norfolk Southern brings derailment training to Lorain

LORAIN — A train and several cars parked at a Norfolk Southern railyard in Lorain were the site of training for local fire departments last week.

Norfolk Southern’s Operation Awareness and Response team hosted the training, both classroom and hands-on work, for firefighters to better understand how to respond to a derailment or other hazards on a Norfolk Southern line.

The OAR train travels Norfolk Southern’s line each year, stopping 12 to 15 times in communities along the way to provide training to local first responders, spokesman Connor Spielmaker said.

In Lorain, Sept. 20’s training saw responders from several Lorain and Cuyahoga County fire departments.

Training started with “Railroad 101,” Spielmaker said, giving firefighters a glimpse into what they may encounter when responding to an incident on the railroad. From there, firefighters can see the types of valves on different tankers — as often hazardous material calls are caused by a loose or leaking valve, he said.

Lorain County has seen two major derailments in the past five years — one in Wellington and one in Amherst.

In May 2019 a CSX train

derailed in Wellington east of the Lorain County Fairgrounds, with two engines and 22 cars off the tracks. Sparks ignited spilled diesel fuel.

In December 2020, 10 Norfolk Southern cars derailed in the midst of a winter storm just after the Route 58 underpass in Amherst. No hazardous materials spilled and the cars narrowly missed the city’s main electrical feed.

Not all derailments are on such a scale, Spielmaker said, as just a wheel off the track counts as a derailment and requires Norfolk Southern’s response, but some do call for local first responders’ intervention.

The issue has gained national attention more recently after a 50-car Norfolk Southern derailment caused fires and evacuations in East Palestine earlier this year, but the OAR train has been in operation since 2016, Spielmaker said.

Lorain Assistant Fire Chief Jonathon George said the incident in East Palestine is fresh on everyone’s minds, but getting the information Wednesday will help LFD be better prepared if it has to respond to something similar.

“It’s just getting information so we’re better prepared if we do have an incident similar to that, and giving us all the tools that we need to be able to handle an emergency that happens with the railways — honestly we don’t get

many calls like that, so it’s better to get this (training) than go to a scene where you’ve never even looked at these before other than in the emergency response guidebook.”

The Lorain Fire Department has its own hazardous materials response team, and when it responds to a call it can be a scary and slow process, George said, with firefighters taking additional precautions and setting up safety zones.

He said prior to Wednesday’s training, several Lorain firefighters also took an eight-hour course with Norfolk Southern on how its trains are put together and how best to access different equipment.

The information crews gained Wednesday will help with those responses, he said. By the end of the OAR training, the vast majority of Lorain firefighters will have taken the course and be better prepared to respond if a derailment or leak happens in the city.

“After (today) it’s safe to say there won’t be a duty day after this where we won’t have people that have had this training,” George said. “... It’s all part of continuing education, which we’re always trying to find opportunities to learn more and make sure we can protect the citizens with as much information as we can get.”

The training is provided for free to fire departments across the country.

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Firefighters climb a tank car on a special train designed to train firefighters how to handle derailings and other emergencies. The Norfolk Southern team brought in departments from numerous departments from around the region to the Norfolk Southern yard in Lorain.

STORAGE CONTENTS AUCTION! Pursuant to the requirements of the ORC, section 5322.02. Notice is given to Shawn Eyring-Smith, last known address 612 N. Center St., LaGrange, OH 44050 that contents of storage unit 7, of Wellington Self-Storage, 512 S. Main St., Wellington, OH 44090 will be offered at auction on October 7, 2023. Time of auction will be 9:00 a.m. The following is summary of those items to be auctioned: Office desk, tables, chairs, vacuum.

STORAGE CONTENTS AUCTION! Pursuant to the requirements of the ORC, section 5322.02. Notice is given to Shawn Eyring-Smith, last known address 612 N. Center St., LaGrange, OH 44050 that contents of storage unit 9, of Wellington Self-Storage, 512 S. Main St., Wellington, OH 44090 will be offered at auction on October 7, 2023. Time of auction will be 9:00 a.m. The following is summary of those items to be auctioned: Rockers, luggage, tool box, totes, boxes.

STORAGE CONTENTS AUCTION! Pursuant to the requirements of the ORC, section 5322.02. Notice is given to Shawn Eyring-Smith, last known address 612 N. Center St., LaGrange, OH 44050 that contents of storage unit 30, of Wellington Self-Storage, 512 S. Main St., Wellington, OH 44090 will be offered at auction on October 7, 2023. Time of auction will be 9:00 a.m. The following is summary of those items to be auctioned: Toys, Radio Flyer wagon, gas stove, plastic table, flower pots, baby carriage, bubble gum machines.

STORAGE CONTENTS AUCTION! Pursuant to the requirements of the ORC, section 5322.02. Notice is given to Shawn Eyring-Smith, last known address 612 N. Center St., LaGrange, OH 44050 that contents of storage unit 94, of Wellington Self-Storage, 512 S. Main St., Wellington, OH 44090 will be offered at auction on October 7, 2023. Time of auction will be 9:00 a.m. The following is summary of those items to be auctioned: Shelves, mattresses, fan, wicker chair, step stool, totes, boxes.

STORAGE CONTENTS AUCTION! Pursuant to the requirements of the ORC, section 5322.02.

Notice is given to Victoria Bauer/Lynda Bauer, last known address 1013 Van Dyke Ave., Wheelersburg, OH 45694 that contents of storage unit 8, of Wellington Self-Storage, 512 S. Main St., Wellington, OH 44090 will be offered at auction on October 7, 2023. Time of auction will be 9:00 a.m. The following is summary of those items to be auctioned: Mattresses, leather recliner, cabinets, tables, chairs.

STORAGE CONTENTS AUCTION! Pursuant to the requirements of the ORC, section 5322.02.

Notice is given to Jack Groesser, last known address 104 Pike Ct., LaGrange, OH 44050 that contents of storage unit 73, of Wellington Self-Storage, 512 S. Main St., Wellington, OH 44090 will be offered at auction on October 7, 2023. Time of auction will be 9:00 a.m. The following is summary of those items to be auctioned: Amana dryer, coolers, electric spray painter, chest freezer, tools, canoe, chain saw, shop vac, air hoses.

STORAGE CONTENTS AUCTION! Pursuant to the requirements of the ORC, section 5322.02. Notice is given to Bethany Albrecht, last known address 103 Brown St., Rear, Wellington, OH 44090 that contents of storage unit 104, of Wellington Self-Storage, 512 S. Main St., Wellington, OH 44090 will be offered at auction on October 7, 2023. Time of auction will be 9:00 a.m. The following is summary of those items to be auctioned: Mattresses, lamps, mirror, furniture, cat playground.

STORAGE CONTENTS AUCTION! Pursuant to the requirements of the ORC, section 5322.02. Notice is given to Bethany Albrecht, last known address 103 Brown St., Rear, Wellington, OH 44090 that contents of storage unit 105, of Wellington Self-Storage, 512 S. Main St., Wellington, OH 44090 will be offered at auction on October 7, 2023. Time of auction will be 9:00 a.m. The following is summary of those items to be auctioned: Baby equipment, toys, crockpot, microwave, totes.

STORAGE CONTENTS AUCTION! Pursuant to the requirements of the ORC, section 5322.02. Notice is given to Alyssa Sako, last known address 46760 St. Rt. 18, Wellington, OH 44090 that contents of storage unit 107, of Wellington Self-Storage, 512 S. Main St., Wellington, OH 44090 will be offered at auction on October 7, 2023. Time of auction will be 9:00 a.m. The following is summary of those items to be auctioned: Mattress, games, headboard, shelves, totes, boxes.

STORAGE CONTENTS AUCTION! Pursuant to the requirements of the ORC, section 5322.02. Notice is given to Linda Gott, last known address 22200 Hawley Rd., Wellington, OH 44090 that contents of storage unit 116, of Wellington Self-Storage, 512 S. Main St., Wellington, OH 44090 will be offered at auction on October 7, 2023. Time of auction will be 9:00 a.m. The following is summary of those items to be auctioned: Level, umbrellas, walker, sewing items, canning jars, canner, lamps, shredder, filing cabinet, totes, boxes.

Second Harvest hosts 18th annual Generous Helpings fundraiser

LORAIN – Hundreds gathered at the Baumhart Road warehouse of the Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio for the 18th annual Generous Helpings fundraiser on Sunday.

The event is a major funding source for Second Harvest, which provides food services to residents in Lorain and neighboring counties.

“This event helps to wrap up hunger action month for us and we are trying to raise awareness for the issue of hunger,” Second Harvest President and CEO Julie Chase-Morefield said. “Coming out of COVID we still see much, much higher numbers of people seeking assistance.”

Chase-Morefield said additional adversity like the flooding that hit much of Lorain County last month have only

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and the employees. Thank you for letting me serve as your sheriff.”

The sheriff’s recent tenure has been marked by disagreements with other elected county officials.

Stammitti has sparred over his budget with Lorain County commissioners David Moore and Jeff Riddell since January. The sheriff has claimed that the commissioners were “weaponizing” his budget against him, while the commissioners claimed the sheriff was playing politics.

Between June 2022 and January this year, he and Prosecutor J.D. Tomlinson were at odds over Tomlinson’s investigators being sworn in as constables so they could receive arrest powers.

Stammitti had refused to grant special deputy commissions to the investigators including his former subordinate Rich Resendez, who has since declared his candidacy for Lorain County sheriff and gotten Tomlinson’s backing for the job.

The Ohio Attorney General’s Office had to step in and issue a legal opinion declaring that Tomlinson acted improperly when he had his investigators sworn in as constables.

The association representing Stammitti’s road deputies thanked him for his years of

further exacerbated the need.

The Generous Helpings fundraiser and banquet is one of Second Harvest’s key fundraising events every year, but it also helps show the community what the organization really does, Chase-Morefield said.

“So many people are so connected to our work,” she said. “A lot of our volunteers are here, and people we’ve worked with in the commu -

service.

The Lorain County Deputies Association “would like to thank Sheriff Stammitti for his years of hard work and dedication to the citizens of Lorain County and the sheriff’s office,” its president, Adam Shaw, wrote in a statement to The Chronicle-Telegram. “We wish Sheriff Stammitti the best in his retirement and hope he can spend it with his family and friends.”

“We hope the upcoming election remains a professional race and free of controversy,” the LCDA said. “We certainly look forward to meeting with all the candidates in the near future to discuss their views and ideas for The Lorain County Sheriff’s Office.”

Thomas announces

Thomas announced he was running for sheriff as a Democrat the same day Stammitti announced he was not seeking reelection, and Stammitti has endorsed Thomas, director of law enforcement for the sheriff’s office, as his replacement.

“I’ve spent my career preparing for this role,” Thomas said in a news release Monday. “Whether serving on patrol, as chief, or training young officers, I’ve continuously looked

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The Community Guide

Second Harvest President and CEO Julie ChaseMorefield holds up raffle tickets for Tim Alcorn to select a winner Sunday, Sept. 24.

the Bev Lizanich Innovation Award which was given to Beyond The Walls Church of Elyria.

nity, it’s really cool to see them connected. We have more volunteers than we’ve ever had and it’s great to see them all together celebrating our work and raising funds so we can keep doing it.”

Cleveland Cavaliers radio announcer Tim Alcorn hosted the event, which had live music, food from over a dozen local vendors and numerous raffles. The evening also featured

for new innovations to balance community safety with justice.

I’d bring that same spirit to the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office.”

Thomas spent nearly 32 years with the North Ridgeville Police Department and was a founding member of the Lorain County Drug Task Force. He was chief in North Ridgeville for almost 10 years, and managed a budget of more than $5 million, a force of 40 sworn officers with a full-service dispatch operation, a city jail, a police explorer program and an auxiliary police unit, according to his campaign announcement.

Thomas also created a community policing program that put officers in North Ridgeville schools and started its citizens police academy.

He has been commander of the Lorain County Community College Police Academy since 2019, a police training program that Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost named a STAR Academy in 2022 for meeting standards of excellence including high graduation placement rates.

Thoms also has served as a consultant to the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police and two terms as president and another as vice president of the Lorain County Police Chiefs Association.

He was an investigator with

Chase-Morefield said one of her favorite parts of the Generous Helpings event was that it was held at Second Harvest’s main warehouse in Lorain.

“We do it here on purpose, so you are in our warehouse and you see what we do,” she said.

“We’ve transformed it, it looks beautiful, but behind all that you can still see the food up on the racks. And tomorrow morning the trucks are rolling … they’re moving food out because that’s what we do.”

Lorain County Prosecutor’s Office, probing homicides and gambling operations, and is a veteran of the U.S. Army.

Thomas graduated from Myers College, the FBI National Academy, the Police Executive Leadership College and is a Certified Law Enforcement Executive. He is a long-term member of the Fraternal Order of Police and a state-certified police instructor and lives in North Ridgeville with his wife Deborah, a retired registered nurse.

More information can be found on his campaign Facebook page, “Rick Thomas for Sheriff.”

Thomas and Resendez, a former sheriff’s captain under Stammitti, will face off in the March Democratic primary.

Resendez retired from the Lorain Police Department as a lieutenant after a 26-year career. He spent eight years as a captain in the sheriff’s office until Stammitti laid him off over budget concerns in 2010. Resendez announced plans to run against Stammitti in 2011, but instead ran for county commissioner as a Democrat and lost.

The only declared Republican candidate for sheriff in 2024 is Jack Hall, a veteran Lorain County law enforcement officer.

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every phone call we had, every question we had and we’re an extra family. He will tell you that to this day,” Champe said. Lorain County Prosecutor J.D. Tomlinson said the work of prosecutors and Lorain County Victim’s Advocates in helping families is truly a

calling.

Lynette Burgess is the daughter of Dorothy Spencer.

“My mother was murdered in 1976. Her murder was unsolved until 2015. It took us all that time. They knew who it was, they just couldn’t prove it. It’s my understanding that my mother’s case was

the longest cold case there was in Lorain County. And if it wasn’t for the victim’s advocates I don’t think I could have made it. And I want to thank the Lorain County Prosecutor’s (Office) and all their attorneys for everything they’ve done for me and my family. And prayer does help,” Burgess said.

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From left: Alexis Champe, of Amherst, CJ Sayer’s girlfriend, and his sister, Alyssa Sayers, remember their loved one during the National Day of Remembrance on Monday, Sept. 25.

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Artist nears completion of landmarks mural

The city of Oberlin will have new artistic representation as local artist Jared Mitchell nears completion of his mural at the corner of West Vine Street and Main Street.

This is the latest mural commissioned by the Oberlin Community Mural Project, which tapped Mitchell to paint a wall in the style of a giant Oberlin postcard.

“My name kind of came to the table where I was able to start helping with the design and proposals,” Mitchell said. “And from there we just kind of started some of those iconic landmarks throughout (Oberlin) that we could kind of highlight in the painting.”

The mural features giant block letters reading “Oberlin” and each letter has a popular landmark in the city inside of it.

Mitchell is based out of Amherst Township and in addition to his art he runs Mitchell’s Mechanics, a home repair business.

Being an artist growing up in Lorain County, Mitchell said he had an affinity for Oberlin long before this project.

“Growing up around the area, it was a common thing for me to make a short trip to Oberlin for a cup of coffee and to experience their creative culture,” Mitchell said. “So through that I was able to gain some appreciation for its landmarks and that of course went into my study of the subjects.”

The mural project was established by Oberlin photographer Tanya RosenJones, and Mitchell said that it was Rosen-Jones who brought him on board for this project.

He said that the process of working with the city and mural committee allowed him to combine their idea of Oberlin with his own to form the spirit and style of the painting.

“It’s a way to make an impression of some of the things we see and experi-

ence in Oberlin,” Mitchell said. “I had a lot of confidence going in because I really love Oberlin… And then of course some of the locals helped through the process and through that we were able to give me ideas of what to include and what really highlighted the city.”

Mitchell will be back at the site today to put some finishing touches on the mural and it will then be covered in a clear coat. It will be finished by the end of the week.

He said he was happy to be a name people in the county think of when they need a mural painted, and hopes he can keep expanding his footprint as an artist.

“I’m super grateful that I’ve built my name enough in this area to have the friends and connections that I’ve built so far,” Mitchell said. “This one is pretty huge, it’s a 10 (foot) by 50 wall so it’s a pretty big project to be able to work with the city and kind of help pave the way for what they’re looking to do in the future with murals.”

Semiconductor Summit at LCCC highlights challenges, opportunities for Ohio

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More than 300 attendees took part in Team NEO’s first Semiconductor Summit on Thursday at Lorain County Community College with industry and higher education leaders listening and learning as they look to embrace advanced manufacturing as part of Ohio’s manufacturing renaissance.

The summit featured two panel discussions addressing industry and workforce needs in the semiconductor space. It follows the recent release of Team NEO’s quarterly economic review citing Ohio’s position and its role with the highest employment concentration among 16 of the top 20 industries supplying the semiconductor industry.

The report comes as Intel’s first Ohio facility is under construction in Licking County with a $20 billion investment and 3,000 direct jobs. Ohio’s higher education institutions have been working to quickly develop programs and networks to build the talent pipeline for the company.

“So we have an extremely high concentration of all of the things that go into making semiconductors. And I think that just goes to show you know the strength and

the opportunity here,” said Mike Lalich, Team NEO’s director of business development, technology.

The supply chain is here, and Ohio’s workforce development, Lalich noted, puts the state in a good position to grow quickly with the products and services necessary to create Intel’s chips already in existence.

The Team NEO report cites raw materials, electronic parts, sheet metal work, engineering services and electric power distribution among industries that could supply the semiconductor industry.

In 2022 the semiconductor industry purchased more than $180 billion in goods and services in these industries.

Over the next five years, the semiconductor industry is expected to grow substantially. In the Northeast Ohio region, the semiconductor and other electronic components sector is projected to grow 34 percent and the plastic product manufacturing sector is projected to grow 16 percent.

With the recent passage of the federal CHIPS Act infusing $52 billion to encourage companies to

invest in the United States along with other domestic and geopolitical factors, the industry is poised to bring forward opportunities.

An estimated 70 percent of positions at Intel are expected to require a community college credential with a heavy focus on technicians.

Kevin Hoggatt, Intel’s director of state government affairs, called the Ohio One plant the most exciting project in his lifetime, changing Ohio’s trajectory and flipping the script of Ohio’s story in embracing a new industry.

“So there’s just so much exciting stuff going on in Ohio right now. And it’s really Ohio’s time to shine. And I love being a part of what Intel is doing here because we are bringing the renaissance of advanced manufacturing and it’s not just us. It’s the 30 or 40 suppliers who will come to Ohio to help support what we’re doing. We like to say we’re building the silicon heartland and it’s truly a statewide project,” Hoggatt said.

Team NEO President William Koehler said after hearing directly from sup-

pliers and higher education leaders in panel discussions that Ohio has more assets than many people realized. The challenge that remains is to harness these assets, enabling Ohio to pivot quickly.

“I said at the beginning this is about sharing what we know, learning well together what we don’t necessarily yet know, what we can do and also imagining what is possible. I learned a bunch today. It’s gratifying to hear that we have so many more suppliers here in Ohio already,” Koehler said.

OWEN MACMILLAN THE COMMUNITY GUIDE

BRUCE BISHOP | The Community Guide South Amherst artist Jared Mitchell working on the new Oberlin Mural at South Main and East Vine Streets in Oberlin.

Falcons claw out win against ‘Cats

Comets, Blue Streaks tie

LEFT: Black River’s Blake Hopkins drags down a Keystone running back for a loss. Black River won its homecoming game against Keystone on Sept. 22. ABOVE: Black River crowned Zoe Bungard Queen and Blake Hopkins King for Homecoming.

Amherst Rotary

The Amherst Garden Club presented the Rotary Club with an Awesome Garden Award Sign on Sept. 25. Each summer, the garden club looks for local gardens that are worthy of receiving an Awesome Garden Award sign for planting and maintaining a beautiful garden. Only 6 gardens are awarded each summer. Garden club members saw the Rotary Garden, located in front of the Amherst Hospital, and can be easily viewed along Cleveland Street. All garden recipients will be honored at our November pot luck dinner, where honorees will receive a plaque and many thanks for their garden efforts.

Brownhelm Historical Association

The fourth annual Clambake is 5 p.m. Oct. 21 at the Historic Brownhelm School, 1950 North Ridge Rd., Vermilion. The clambake will be a drive-thru again this year to pick up your order. It will be catered by Pogie’s Catering in Amherst. For $45, each dinner consists of 1 dozen clams, 1/2 dozen mussels, lemon chicken breast, corn on the cob, red skin potatoes, coleslaw, clam chowder, melted butter, and dinner roll.

You may also order an extra dozen clams if you’d like for $15.

If you would like to use a credit card, order online at https://bit.ly/BHAClambake2023. If you want to pay by check, please send a note with your

THE 2000s

BULLETIN BOARD

order and a check payable to Brownhelm Historical Association to: Brownhelm Historical Association

Attn: Clambake Order 1950 N. Ridge Road Vermilion, OH 44089

Due date for purchase is Oct. 14. Once you’ve placed your order, just drive on down to the Historic Brownhelm School on Oct. 21 to pick it up curbside.

Amherst Historical Society

For more information or to register for programs, call (440) 988-7255 or email office@amhersthistoricalsociety.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.

● Acrylic Painting is 2-4 p.m. Oct. 7. It will be led by Brian Mickey at The Grange, 763 Milan Ave. It is $10 a person, ages 14-and-over. It is limited to 20 people.

Attendees must bring wo 16x20 stretched canvases, three acrylic brushes, acrylic paints (black, white, blue, red, yellow, brown, green, orange and purple), a wide palette knife and an optional apron and easel. Water, cups, palettes and paper towels will be provided.

● By My Lantern’s Light is 3-5 p.m. Oct. 21 and 22 at the Cleveland Avenue Cemetery. Tours will start every 15 minutes. Tours are $5 with ages 5 and under free and are paid the day of

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

at the cemetery. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Please join us at Cleveland Avenue Cemetery 590 Cleveland Avenue, Amherst Ohio 44001. Additional parking is at St. Paul Lutheran Church 115 Central Drive, Amherst, OH 44001.

Avon/Avon Lake Republican Club

The Avon/Avon Lake Republican Club will host Bernie Marino, Republican candidate for U.S. Congress. The meeting is 5 p.m. Oct. 12 at Father Ragan Knights of Columbus Hall, 1783 Moore Rd., Avon. Guests cost $5.

CROP Walk

The Amherst Area

C.R.O.P. Walk will be Sunday, October 8th,2023, at the 5 Points in Down Town Amherst... anyone who wants to join the walk, please come and join us. Twenty-five percent of the monies raised stay in Amherst at the Food Pantry at Good Sheperd Church.

Lorain County Democrats

The Lorain County Democratic Women’s Club will attend joint meetings of the Lorain County Democratic Executive and Central

Committees from 6-7 p.m. Oct. 3 at the UAW Local 2000, 3151 Abbe Road North.

Pittsfield Township Historical Society

Local historian Matt Nahorn, of Amherst, will present information about the “prehistory of Northern Ohio” at 7 p.m. Oct. 12 at the Pittsfield Township Hall, corner of routes 58 and 303. The free program is open to the public.

Herrick Memorial Library

Call the library at 440647-2120 to register or for more information.

● READ to PUTTER: Thursdays @ 3:15 to 4:30 p.m. - Putter, our friendly therapy dog, will visit the Herrick Memorial Library every Thursday to listen to your child read. This is a wonderful way for children to practice their reading skills. Please call the Library to sign up your child for a 15-minute time slot to read to Putter.

● Lorain County Public Health Vaccine Clinic; 2-6 p.m. Oct. 4 - All ages are welcome to a monthly vaccine clinic on the first Wednesday of each month at the Herrick Memorial

Library.

The clinic hours will be

2 to 6 p.m. in the Library’s Community Room on the ground floor. Vaccines for all ages will be available to protect from common diseases, including and not limited to COVID-19, flu, pneumonia, shingles, measles, and whooping cough. Appointments are required. Call 440-2843206 to schedule an appointment or to talk to a public health nurse about vaccination needs. Walk-ins are welcome. Please bring a current photo ID and your insurance information.

Vaccine appointments are available through LCPH:

► The first Wednesday of each month, 2 to 6 p.m. at Herrick Memorial Library - 101 Willard Memorial Square, Wellington

► Monday-Friday from 8:30 am to 4 p.m. at Lorain County Public Health9880 Murray Ridge Rd, Elyria Request a record of past vaccines - no cost - at bit.ly/ vaccinerecordrequest

● Fiber Arts Group

1-3 p.m. the first Tuesday of each month. Do you enjoy knitting/crocheting/needlepoint/embroidery? Join this newly formed group at the Herrick Memorial Library and work on your projects in the company of fellow fiber enthusiasts. Not interested in fiber arts but still want to come for the company? We’ll also have coloring sheets available to occupy your time.

● STORY TIMES

September 18 to October 26: Registration opens September 5. There is still time to register your child for the Herrick Memorial Library’s story times. Introduce your child to the love of books and reading by attending one of our story programs. Join us for stories, songs and other activities designed to develop language, literacy and social skills your child needs for school success.

► Baby Story Times: ages birth to 2-yrs.with an adult

► Wednesdays at 10:30

► Family Story Times: ages 2-1/2 to 5-yrs. with an adult. Mondays: 6:00 PM, Tuesdays: 10:30 AM, Wednesdays: 11:30 AM

● Afternoon Book Group 2-3 p.m. Sept. 28

The Afternoon Book Group will hold their first book discussion after their summer break. The Group will be discussing the book Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Adults wishing

to join the discussion can borrow a copy of the book at the library.

● Nora the Explorer 1:30-3 p.m. Oct. 7

In this fun family program Nora will bring animals from all walks of life. Learn about, get close and even touch some remarkable creatures.

● Library Board Meeting

Tuesday, October 10 is the next Herrick Memorial Library’s Board meeting. The Board will meet in the Library’s Board Room at 10:30 a.m. This meeting is open to the public and all are welcome.

● Partial Solar Eclipse 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Oct. 14. Join Herrick Memorial Library staff member Nick Blank at Union Park (old McCormick School site) for a program and viewing of the October partial eclipse; weather permitting. The Library will provide a limited number of special eclipse glasses to protect your eyes. These same glasses can be used for the April 8, 2024 full solar eclipse, so don’t throw them away.

Oberlin Heritage Center

● Every Good Story Has a Plot is 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Saturday. Business owners, families and con artists have all walked Oberlin’s Main Street. The Oberlin Heritage Center will highlight some familiar faces in its Main Street Memories program on Sept. 30. Attendees will walk through Westwood Cemetery for an hour, and talk to reenactors portraying individuals from Oberlin’s past. Reservations are required, space is limited to 20 people per time slot. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for members and $5 for children.

● An introduction to historical redlining in Oberlin is 6:30 p.m. Oct. 17. Redlining is the discriminatory practice in which services, often financial services like loans, are withheld from neighborhoods often occupied by minorities, low-income, or otherwise marginalized groups. It is also a term used to describe many forms of housing segregation.

● OHC will present this new program at the Oberlin Public Library in the Community Room on Oct. 17 at 6:30 p.m. This program is free and registration is not required.

44. Apartments, e.g. 46. *Friendster or Facebook, e.g. 47. 5,280 feet 48. Metal detector, e.g. 50. Goose egg 52. Cry of horror in comics 53. Made a basket 55. *Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee or Nemo and Dory, e.g.

57. *Name for 2000s

60. *Popular social network of the 2000s 64. K-pop country 65. Woody creeper 67. Teletype machine, for short 68. Picture within a picture, e.g.

69. *”____ Smart” (2008)

70. Make a canyon, e.g.

71. Furniture wood 72. Utmost degree

73. Financing values

DOWN

1. Horse prod

2. *Popular DVR device

3. All over again

4. Eucalyptus-eating marsupial

5. Store in a silo

6. Mountain goat terrain

7. *Xbox competitor

8. Libraryful

9. Dignified manner

10. *”The Da Vinci ____,” best selling book of the 2000s

11. A-bomb particle

12. Levy

15. Like “something new” boutique

20. Beginning of sleeping disorder

22. Feline sound

24. Put to work

25. *Toyota Hybrid introduced worldwide in 2000

26. 1,000 kilograms

27. Play a part (2 words)

29. *2002-2004 zoonotic epidemic cause, acr.

31. Rich soil

32. China grass

33. Handy

SOLUTION

34. *First ever recipient of Oscar for Best Animated Feature

36. Chronic drinkers

38. Post-it slip

42. Like #59 Down

45. *Pink’s 2008 hit (2 words)

49. Break down

51. Dismissal or ejection

54. “Peace” with fingers

56. “Madame Butterfly”, e.g.

57. First rate (2 words)

58. Sky’s Major one

59. *Like Best Buy’s Squad

60. Urban legend

61. Tons (2 words)

62. Relinquish, as in property

63. *Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt, after 2005

64. *American Girl ____ Kittredge

66. Doctor Dolittle, e.g.

Areyou curious? Do you like to ask questions? Then you mightwanttobeareporter!

Belowisasilly news storywritten by an imaginaryreporternamed I.B Curious.It’sanews report thatcould have happened in this fairytale:

What’saReporter?

Reporters, also calledjournalists, gatherfacts to tellpeople what is happening

Some reporters work for newspapers. Some workfor online news. Some workfor television news or radio newsThereare

news There are many waystobeareporter

Captain Turretrevealed that Prince Kevin IIIdiscovered asingleglass slipper on thestaircase moments later.

Thepictures belowtell asilly story, but they’reout of order. Canyou number them to showthe correct order? On another sheet of paper, writethe storyinwords

FAIRYLANDPALACE –Justafter midnightlast night, the Prince of Fairylandfound a glassslipper on the grandstairway outsidethe palace entrance, according to Captain Turret of the Palace Guard.

“PrinceKevin IIImet a young woman lasteveningatthe Royal Ball,”saidCaptain Turret.“Hismajesty wished to ask her out onadate. Butthe young woman suddenlyran off, justasthe clockstruckmidnight.”

Several guests reported seeingthe mysterious woman speedingoff in a beautiful, golden coach pulled by a team of white horses.Dozens of witnessessaidthatshe appeared to be wearing only one sparklingshoe.

Your News Re ort

STEP 1

“His majesty has declared thathewill lead thesearchtofind theyoung woman, visiting every house in the kingdomtofind the womanwhose foot fitsthis tinyshoe,”said Turret.

An offical announcement fromthe Prince’s assistant requested that anyonewith any information about theidentity or location of the unknown woman contact the nearest Palace guard immediately

Followthe steps belowtowriteanews report about an eventinyour classroom, at your school,orin your neighborhood.

Pick something to reportabout.Itshouldbeabout an upcoming event. Answer each of the following questions about theevent

What is happening?

When will it happen?

Where will it happen?

Why will it happen?

Fact Check

5. Who is involved?

STEP 2

Ask people aboutthisevent.Write down whatthey say.You might nda way to include a quotefromone or more in yournewsreport.

STEP 3

Useyour notestowrite areportabout the event. Fill in the blanks or writeitonanother piece of paper.

WHO

WHAT

6. Addadditional facts or details

Matching Glass Slippers

WHERE

WHEN (DAY OR DATE) WHO QUOTE SHOULD BE ABOUT WHY THE EVENT IS HAPPENING

STEP 4

Drawapicture or take apicture

Belowthe picture, writeacaption tellingwho or whatisinthe picture.

Can you match each pair of glass slippers in undertwo minutes?

ANSWER:

With hundreds of topics,every KidScoop printable activity pack features six-to-seven pages of high-interest extra learning activities forhomeand school! Getyour free sample today at:

1.