Lorain County Community Guide - Friday, Nov. 24

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Friday, Nov. 24, 2023

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Volume 10, Issue 46

Residents demand JVS ban ‘erotic’ book OWEN MACMILLAN THE COMMUNITY GUIDE

THOM FETCENKO | The Community Guide

ABOVE: Luis Cardenas, of Painesville, directs traffic through the drive-through line during the Second Harvest Thanksgiving distribution at Lorain County Community College on Nov. 18. Cardenas began volunteering with Second Harvest after working with them during the pandemic with the Ohio National Guard.

BELOW: Jessica Goble, of LaGrange, and Jamie Poiner, of Elyria, load food into vehicles during the Second Harvest Thanksgiving distribution.

Second Harvest sees largest distribution ahead of Thanksgiving CARISSA WOYTACH THE COMMUNITY GUIDE

Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio hosted its largest single food distribution to date on Nov. 18.

Less than a week out from the Thanksgiving holiday, Second Harvest staff and volunteers loaded boxes of food into the vehicles of 2,070 households – providing food for more than 8,600 people, President and CEO Julie ChaseMorefield said.

The distribution, which took over parking lots and roadways at Lorain County Community College for several hours Saturday, saw more families pass through the line than any mobile pantry FOOD BANK PAGE A3

PITTSFIELD TWP. — More than 30 residents attended the Lorain County Joint Vocational School board meeting Nov. 16 to demand the school ban a book they called “erotic” and “immoral.”

The book, “Looking for Alaska” by John Green, angers Amherst resident Diane Kerecz, whose daughter is a ninth grader at the JVS. The book was required reading in ninth-grade English this year.

“Looking for Alaska” won the 2005 American Library Association Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in young adult literature. Kerecz said she read it for herself after her daughter expressed discomfort with it. She said it was highly inappropriate for 15-year-olds and that the school should have informed parents.

A number of parents and other communities rallied around Kerecz, upset about some of the book’s content relating to sexuality, substance abuse and suicide.

“Dealing with pain? Drown your sorrows in alcohol, cigarettes and weed and don’t tell anyone that can actually help you,” Kerecz said to the board. “I don’t think this is a message I want for our teens.

Not to mention how sex is so carefree. You know, French, feel, finger, f**k. That’s apparently what we’re all supposed to learn in third grade BOOK BAN PAGE A5

Port Authority considers 4 proposals for Midway Mall DAVE O’BRIEN THE COMMUNITY GUIDE

The Lorain County Port Authority has received four proposals after putting out requests on how to redevelop the Midway Mall property in Elyria.

The proposals came from Industrial Commercial Partners of Cleveland, which already has a land lease on the former Best Buy property at Midway Mall; The Center for Food Innovation; and developers Scannell Properties and DiGeronimo Development.

No purchase prices were mentioned, and much of the negotiating of a lease or deal probably will be done behind closed doors as permitted by Ohio sunshine law.

Port Authority Director Jim Miller said his board has questions for the interested developers and will be meeting with each of them, probably after the first of the year, to narrow the field to two proposals.

He said the two chosen proposals will then be presented at public forums. Miller said he also wants to involve Elyria and mayor-elect Kevin Brubaker

in the discussions of what will become of Midway Mall.

“I don’t know what it’s going to take to narrow it to two, but my marching orders were to do just that,” he said.

The county Port Authority purchased the nearly-58 acre mall property on Elyria’s north side for $13.9 million in January, with the Lorain County Board of Commissioners providing the money. Requests for proposals, known as RFPs, were sent out to real estate developers nationwide in July.

The deadline for the proposals was Oct. 25.

The four proposals — or really five, as ICP provided the port authority with two options in its proposal — describe different plans for the mall property.

Industrial Commercial Partners

The company wants to partner with with the port authority on the entire 57.86-acre site, using ICP’s “extensive experience with the property and institutional knowledge about buildings/ site/market,” and the “decisive advantage with the institutional knowledge it has assembled over

the past few years owning the former Sears and Dillard’s properties,” it wrote.

ICP said its lengthy study of the site and regional market gives it the best chance to redevelop the mall site in the “fastest possible time frame,” according to its proposal.

Its Option 1A is a multitenant business park redevelopment within the existing mall building.

This is “perhaps ICP’s greatest strength as we’re uniquely positioned with development/ construction/leasing professionals in-house that have completed MALL PAGE A4

INSIDE THIS WEEK Amherst

Oberlin

Wellington

Student art exhibit ● A3

District eyes new school ● A5

Police station now open ● A4

OBITUARIES A2 • CLASSIFIEDS A4 • CROSSWORD A7 • SUDOKU A7 • KID SCOOP A8

Page A2

Friday, Nov. 24, 2023

Lorain County Community Guide

OBITUARIES Charles ‘Chuck’ E. Haumann

Martha earned a staff position as the junior high Martha Anne Willey Farago Honors English teacher the following school year,

Charles ‘Chuck’ E. Haumann, 74, of Oberlin, died Monday, September 25, 2023 after a series of brief but complicated medical problems. He was born April 3, 1949 in Boston, moving to Ohio at a young age, but never quite losing his accent.

He was a graduate of Lorain High School. From 1968-1972, Chuck proudly served in the U.S. Navy on aircraft carriers and fondly remembered his travels during this time; visiting the Acropolis in Greece, traveling through the Bermuda Triangle and serving while stationed in Iceland and the Azores. After his service, Chuck worked at the Ford Motor Plant in Lorain for over 30 years. He was proud to be able to provide a happy and comfortable home for his wife and daughter.

In his spare time, Chuck enjoyed woodworking, ‘puttering around’ in the yard, reading numerous library books and living ‘small town life’ just outside of Oberlin on three acres. In his early days in Oberlin, he and Pat operated a homestead and enjoyed the company of goats, chickens, rabbits and their large vegetable garden. Chuck always had a book about World War II lying around, and enjoyed watching Sci-Fi, such as the Twilight Zone, as well as action and mobster movies.

Chuck is survived by his wife of 45 years, Patricia A.; daughter, Jacqueline (Andrew) Schwab; and a granddaughter, Charlotte Louise. He is also survived by his sister, Nora Young and many nieces, nephews and other relatives.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Edward and Mary (nee Groves) Haumann.

Services are private.

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

For online condolences, visit www.dickenfuneralhome. com.

Martha Anne Willey Farago passed away Tuesday, November 14, 2023, at the age of 80, in the company of her family at Lorain Mercy Hospital. Martha was born in Fremont on October 19, 1943, to Robert and Mildred Willey. She was the second of four children, including older brother, Robert Willey and sisters, Susan Hoffbauer and Beth Lewis.

She was preceded in death by her parents and siblings, and was the last surviving member of her immediate family. A survivor she truly was, having lived through an emergency tracheotomy as a baby, a bout of polio as a three-year-old, and bacterial pneumonia in 2009 that led to a neardeath experience. She truly was like a cat with nine lives. She often referred to these last 14 years of her life as her ‘bonus years,’ and we were truly blessed to have that additional time with her.

Martha graduated with honors from Fremont Ross High School in 1961, and her presence was felt in those halls long after her graduation, thanks to the colorful murals that she painted outside the school’s science classrooms. That love of art, biology, and education guided her to Bowling Green State University, where she would achieve a double major in English and Biology, graduating with honors in 1965. Drawing inspiration from her teachers at Fremont Ross, Martha earned her teaching certificate upon graduation from Bowling Green. In 1965, she was accepted into the Peace Corps and was offered a position in Africa.

She was also offered a teaching job in Los Angeles, near the site of that summer’s Watts Uprising, but she made the last-minute decision during the last working hour on a Friday in August to apply for the position of English teacher at Oberlin High School. Her father, Robert, drove her to the interview, as Martha had not yet obtained her driver’s license. A successful interview led to an immediate job offer, and Martha began her teaching career the following week.

With her first paycheck, Martha moved to Oberlin and put a down payment on a cherry red Mustang, knowing that she would find time to earn her driver’s license soon enough. The first-year teacher shared an apartment with Paulette Gossard, and she and Martha would become close friends with several other local teachers, including Josephine and Helen Farago of Wellington.

Less than two years into her teaching career, on New Year’s Eve, Josephine invited Martha to visit her family’s house in Wellington, where she introduced Martha to her brother, Tony, who was having a cup of coffee at his mother’s kitchen table. Josephine pulled him aside and suggested that he invite Martha to the New Year’s party at Wellington’s Eagles lodge that night. Tony was skeptical, but Martha, trusting Josephine’s judgment, took him up on the last-minute invitation and they never looked back. A whirlwind courtship followed, and Tony and Martha eloped and were married in Michigan on June 14, 1968. Friends, Josephine and Helen became her sisters-in-law, as would Paulette a few years later when she married Tony’s brother, Carl.

Over the next 11 years, Martha and Tony welcomed five children, Lisa, David, Michael, Andrew, and Christopher. As Tony often told his children, ‘your mother was the best thing that ever happened to me,’ a statement that all of them have taken to heart. With the birth of her daughter, Martha took a self-described ‘20-year maternity leave’ to raise her five children.

When the youngest, Christopher, entered first grade, Martha renewed her teaching certificate and resumed her educational career in January 1986 as a substitute teacher at McCormick Middle School in Wellington.

and she soon found herself splitting her time between McCormick and Wellington High School, teaching sophomore and senior English. In 1994, she earned her Master’s Degree in Gifted and Talented Education from Ashland University. Martha would teach full time at Wellington High School as the sophomore and senior Honors English and AP English teacher until her retirement in 2010.

Martha’s understated brilliance shone through in her detailed paintings, drawings, and home renovation projects. She had an amazing sense of color and design, and together with her husband, Tony, painstakingly transformed the house on 439 South Main Street, room by room. The only room in the house that had not been finished was the kitchen, and to that she smiled and shrugged it off with a breezy ‘whatever,’ a tongue-in-cheek turn of phrase very familiar to her friends and immediate family.

Martha loved her flowers and her garden, and had a talent for landscaping, and neighbors could mark the passage of the seasons through her springtime planting, summertime blooms, and the fall harvest.

She was fiercely private, never wanting to be the center of attention, and was content to sit off to the side as she enjoyed the company of her family, although she was always quick with a pointed one-liner or well-timed eyeroll as the perfect complement to tales told by her husband or children in the family dining room. As her high school yearbook so perfectly described her in 1961, ‘she is gentle and shy, but has mischief in her eye,’ a statement as true in 2023 as it was back then.

That quick, dry wit served her well in the final month of her life, after a series of illnesses led to her hospitalization and round-the-clock medical treatment. Despite her weakened condition, with each family visit, she expressed concern for her husband and children, and wanted reassurance that everyone was eating well and taking care of their own health.

She found comfort in writing notes that documented her own recovery process and schedule, and provided notes to Tony to ensure that his ‘to-do list’ was always full.

Martha continued to amuse and delight her family even in her final hours at Lorain Mercy Hospital.

When she was informed that Tony and her children were present at her bedside, she smiled and said, ‘Whee! It’s party time!’ cutting the tension and bringing some classic Mom levity to the proceedings.

Martha is survived by her husband, Tony, to whom she was married for 55 years; daughter, Lisa Farago and husband, Drew Dumsch; sons, David Farago and wife, Shaay Ford Farago, Michael and Amelia Workman Farago, Andrew Farago and wife, Shaenon Garrity, Christopher Farago and his partner, Katherine Ruckle; grandchildren, Tierney, Nico, Sophie, Hera, Marcello, and Robin; and many, many, many sisters and brothers-in-law, nieces, and nephews, all of whom dearly loved her.

A visitation will be held Tuesday, November 21, 2023 in the Norton-Eastman Funeral Home, 370 South Main Street, in Wellington, from 2 to 4 p.m., with services to follow.

In lieu of flowers, her family asks that you plant a flower this spring in your garden at home in memory of Martha.

Expressions of sympathy may be shared online at www.norton-eastmanfuneralhome.com.

SOLUTION TO CROSSWORD ON PAGE A7

SOLUTION TO SUDOKU ON PAGE A7

Ruth Ann Greiffenhagen Ruth Ann Greiffenhagen (nee Kettlewell) was born December 1, 1934, at Powhatan Point, Ohio. She was one of nine children born to Robert Simon Kettlewell (deceased) and Neva Lenore Kettlewell (nee Caldwell, deceased).

She was preceded in death by her first husband, Kenneth O. Triplett; second husband, Wolf W. Greiffenhagen; youngest daughter, Wendy S. Triplett; brothers, Paul Kettlewell, Robert Kettlewell, Albert Kettlewell, Charles Kettlewell; and sisters, Infant Kettlewell, Alice Egy, and Edna Giamamarco.

She is survived by her daughters, Juyne V. Triplett (Robert K. Riordan) and Julie A. Simonson (Bradley L. Kennedy); granddaughter, Stephanie M. Simonson; grandson, Stephen W. Simonson; and sister, Edith Orkis.

Ruth graduated from St. Clairsville High School, Ohio, in 1952. In 1974, she graduated with honors from the Lorain County Community College Nursing Program with an Associates Degree in Applied Science.

During her life Ruth worked in a variety of positions, an office secretary, a medical terminologist at the Oberlin Clinic, an RN at Oberlin’s Allen Memorial Hospital, and a legal secretary at the Sarringhaus and Dougan law firm in Oberlin.

A primary focus throughout Ruth’s life was her role as a mother. She was a loving and supportive mother to her three daughters. She was especially dedicated to, and a staunch advocate for, her youngest daughter, Wendy, who was physically disabled. Later she enjoyed being a grandmother, and her grandchildren meant the world to her. She loved spending time with them, attending their sporting events, introducing them to the theatre, and taking them on vacation.

Ruth was a poet and writer. In midlife she started a new venture when she began to write an opinion piece for the Oberlin News Tribune entitled Grin and Bare It. She was a voracious reader, and loved to crochet, dance, sing, listen to music, and travel. She enjoyed both domestic and international travel, and especially cruising.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, December 2, 2023 at 11:30 a.m. in the Norton-Eastman Funeral Home, 370 South Main Street, Wellington.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests a memorial tribute to either the Friends of Murray Ridge (support for area residents with developmental needs), 1091 Infirmary Road, Elyria, Ohio 44035, or The American Heart Association at heart.org/Ohio.

Fond memories and condolences may be shared online at www.norton-eastmanfuneralhome.com

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Friday, Nov. 24, 2023

Lorain County Community Guide

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Historical Society hosts ‘Hooverville’ reenactment CARISSA WOYTACH THE COMMUNITY GUIDE

AMHERST — Kenton Siers, and a collection of others, set up an encampment near the railroad tracks in Amherst.

The makeshift structures of plywood and sheet metal, filled with blankets and pillows, sat around an open fire on the bright November day.

As Siers nailed the front page of a Saturday Evening Post to the outside of his structure, a train quickly rolled by.

On Nov. 18 Amherst Historical Society’s Sandstone Village took a step back in time to the Great Depression, with Siers and other reenactors setting up a “Hooverville” encampment, while others played music or visited the nearby soup kitchen operated out of Grange Hall.

An amateur historian CARISSA WOYTACH | The Community Guide from Parma, Siers said he Kenton Siers, of Parma, nails a reproduction of a Saturday Evening Post onto the side of a shack as part of Amherst Historical Society’s Hooverville was always interested in reenactment at Sandstone Village on Nov. 18. steam engines and the time

period around their heyday, but the idea to re-create a shanty town in Amherst was a chance to bring a dying history back to life.

“We all grew up hearing stories about hobos from older folks and always thought it would be really cool to do an impression of this (time period),” he said. “It’s dying history. …

We’re trying to get those stories remembered.”

Siers relatives may never have rode the rails, he said, but one of his ancestors was did work security for the railroad in Cleveland — meaning he would have been on the other side of the homeless men’s plight.

“Hooverville” became a term for homeless encampments during the Great Depression, so named for President Herbert Hoover who was in office during the economic crisis that left millions without jobs, and often shortly thereafter, homeless.

Siers and others took visitors back in time, discussing what life would have

been like for men hopping trainsfor migrant farm work, or riding the rails for adventure or to escape what they may have lost after the stock market crashed.

He touched on the different roles in encampments, from older men who could no longer hop trains, to those who conned children into begging on their behalf.

Amherst Historical Society director Sandy Kaiser said Amherst would have been a stop for many taking trains to find work, given the way the railroad cut through the town. She said several of her volunteers shared family stories of their grandmothers and others opening their homes to the men who went from town to town looking for work.

The event also featured showings of 16 mm films in Grange Hall, and soup and chili for a donation from the soup kitchen.

Siers said he hopes to make the reenactment an annual event.

Amherst high school expands suicide awareness, screening program LAUREN HOFFMAN THE COMMUNITY GUIDE

Marion L. Steele High School has expanded a program to help bring suicide awareness to students.

Partnering with OhioGuidestone, a faith-based agency providing a range of mental health and substance-use disorder services, the Signs of Suicide, or SOS, screenings and awareness program is the school’s newest way of reaching out.

“We used to do screenings for just the ninth graders and then offer it as a choice for older students on one day, but we wanted to be able to expand the offering to cover all of our students this year,” said Sarah Rigda, a guidance counselor with Amherst schools.

The original program was introduced by former Amherst psychologist Mary Ann Teitelbaum 10 years ago and has been carried on since her retirement.

“We start with a class lesson on suicide, depression and anxiety awareness put on by counselors from OhioGuidestone before moving into the screening process,” she said. “And it’s all streamlined where we go classroom by classroom so no one is left out.”

This change, Rigda said, is one of the most important to the program.

“Before we would just do ninth graders in health class and we found that we were missing many students that needed the screenings as well,” she

said. “With House Bill 123 now in effect, it mandates that we cover suicide, social inclusion and violence prevention every year so all of our students are being screened.”

Following the screening, regardless of the student’s score, they debrief with a counselor and social worker to get an idea of where they are at mentally.

“While the name of the program may be signs of suicide, the tests also look for toxic relationships and substance abuse,” Rigda said. “And that’s what’s really great about it,” she said.

“It opens that conversation for students to come forward about other issues they may be having and connect with the resources they need.”

As for parents who might not want their kids to participate, the option exists.

“Before we can begin anything, we send out a passive permission slip announcing that the screenings will be beginning soon and that if any parents don’t feel comfortable with it, they can have their kids opt out,” Rigda said.

“But it has been very well received by our parents and students alike.

Schools interested in picking up on the screenings can do so easily, Rigda said.

“We worked with Mental Health, Addiction and Recovery Services of Lorain County or MHARS to get it set up,” Rigda said.

“For other schools interested in doing the same, I would suggest contacting them.”

PROVIDED

Students that participated in the Inclusion program are Payton Adams, Fernando Amador, Tyler Baker, Jadon Dotson, Grace Fitzpatrick, Jordyn Jencak, Kieley Keiffer, Conner Kinter, Sean Matos, Courtney Melendez, Clark Tansey, Aviana Taylor and Dennis Urig.

Marion L. Steele teacher encourages artist exploration “Now more than ever, art is essential to the growth and development of our youth,” Tony Trunzo, an artist and educator at Steele, said about his students’ participation in the Lorain County High School Art Show.

This is the first year that special needs students were included.

“I encouraged them to explore freely,” Trunzo said. “And the results were fascinating — every student showcased their distinctive style and unique approach.”

And according to Trunzo, the teaching went both ways.

“This was the first time I really was teaching students with special needs

in such a large group like that and what was really refreshing was once I learned some of their limitations, they absolutely flourished in each of the projects I gave them,” he said. “I really learned how to teach again and how to express myself through art from these kids.”

Trunzo’s teaching method revealed the diverse talents of his students and underscored the significance of art as a means of personal and collective expression. Trunzo, who has been teaching art for 26 years, expressed gratitude for the supportive administration, school board and conducive environment that allowed his students to “be themselves and find

themselves.

“Every project was unique and we want to encourage that more in all of my art classes,” he said.

“What was ‘art projects’ became ‘pieces of art’ through these kids.”

The 41st annual Lorain County High School Art Show featured some of the students’ works alongside other exceptional pieces from students across Lorain County.

The show was presented by the Educational Service Center of Lorain County and encourages the community to celebrate the artistic achievements of local high school students as well as to recognize the importance of art programs in our schools.

“I feel like we’re waiting for things to slow down and now we’re just seeing it ramp up again.”

Chase-Morefield didn’t have a definitive reason for the increase in families coming to Saturday’s distribution but noted many were completely new to the agency since it started its current tracking system in 2018. And the staff received calls to sign up for the wait list right up until Friday.

“People are really struggling right now,” she said.

“We’ve seen that at all of our distributions the last few months — the numbers are up, the frequency

of visits to food pantries is up which usually indicates that there’s more need.

For households in need unable to attend Saturday’s distribution, ChaseMorefiled suggested using freshtrak.com to find other upcoming distributions.

Second Harvest Food Bank’s mobile distributions will return to its normal schedule Nov. 27, with a drive-thru pantry from 4-5:30 p.m. at Ely Stadium, 1915 Middle Ave., Elyria.

LAUREN HOFFMAN THE COMMUNITY GUIDE

One of the things that is imbued in us from childhood is the desire to create art. Whether armed with crayons or a pair of scissors, we express ourselves on this journey, unburdened by the concerns of style, technique or presentation.

As time goes on, however, the art we display is often reserved for the open-minded as judgments around composition and style haunt us.

For 13 artists from Marion L. Steele High School in Amherst, judgments were not feared. They let their creativity shine.

FOOD BANK FROM A1

the nonprofit has held before, including those during the pandemic.

“I feel like we’re waiting for things to slow down and now we’re just seeing it ramp up again,” she said.

In June the agency reported a 50 percent increase in need for food assistance compared to pre-pandemic levels. The findings from that study showed the majority of Ohio food bank clients had to choose between buying food or paying for essential expenses like housing,

medicine or utilities.

As she directed a seemingly never-ending line of cars into individual distribution lines, ChaseMorefield said this year feels different. The nonprofit preregistered 2,000 families for its Thanksgiving distribution, and that list filled up faster than ever before. It placed an additional 430 households on its wait list.

“You can just tell from the phone calls and the conversations overheard, there’s a real concern

Julie Chase-Morefield,

Second Harvest Food Bank Executive Director

(from clients) about having enough food,” she said.

The sharp increase in services was also at the Brookside High School distribution on Wednesday, she said, with that mobile pantry seeing “off the chart” numbers.

Earlier this year, Supplemental Nutrition Assis-

tance Program, or SNAP, benefits returned to near where they were pre-pandemic.

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

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Friday, Nov. 24, 2023

Lorain County Community Guide

Wellington Police open new station for tours CARISSA WOYTACH THE COMMUNITY GUIDE

WELLINGTON – After years of work and false starts, the Wellington Police Department opened the doors of its new police station to show the public what it had supported.

On Nov. 18 dozens of residents filed through the East Herrick Avenue station to see the fruits of a 2018 income tax hike passed to fund the new station and right the village’s finances, according to previous reporting.

The about $3 million project traded the department’s space of the past 80 years at the Town Hall for the new East Herrick space — tripling the size of the station.

It is a roughly $190,000 annual debt service payment, Chief James McPike said.

McPike has spent the past year learning to be a police chief, while also handling an ongoing con-

struction project, including purchasing new furniture and technology for his officers and dispatchers.

The extra space allows for men’s and women’s locker rooms for officers, an expanded on-site temporary jail facility, interview rooms and private office space for the chief, lieutenant and sergeants.

For some, it is the little creature comforts that are most exciting about the new station. McPike noted the new space has a fullsize refrigerator with ice — as the previous station only had room for dorm-sized refrigerators.

The police department gutted the East Herrick building and added a twostory addition to house its sally port and jail facilities.

During a tour of the facility, Officer Sam Goodrich noted the interview rooms, both for suspects upstairs outside the handicapped-accessible jail facility, and a softer room downstairs for families or victims.

CARISSA WOYTACH | The Community Guide

Wellington Police Chief James McPike speaks during an open house of the new police station on Nov. 18.

“This will probably be one of the top three rooms ulitized here because it’s just a nice place to talk to people,” Goodrich said.

The room also has coloring books and other items for children to make them more comfortable.

The second floor will

also house a gym for officers and dispatchers, something Goodrich said he looked forward to once in place.

Currently, the space is empty — the lowest priority room in getting the building up and running — but will soon be full

of workout equipment for officers, much of it paid for out of donations.

“Officers using public gyms can be great,” he said, “But it also does pose a risk for us, because you’re kind of vulnerable while you’re working out.”

The added space also

port authority and the state.

The entire mall, associated utilities and parking areas would be demolished, with main water, electric and sewer feeds probably requiring relocation. An estimated 400 to 500 jobs would be created as with Option 1A, contingent on a lease with ICP’s potential client.

ICP noted that it has acquired abandoned or distressed malls in Northeast Ohio in the past and worked with Amazon to build fulfillment centers for product delivery in the region.

transformed into the business, demonstration and education headquarters for this regional transformation,” the Center wrote in its proposal.

“The Garden,” as it will be known, “is a signature destination that highlights and leverages the county’s strength in agriculture and manufacturing and positions it as a national leader in the rapidly expanding controlled environment agriculture (CEA) and biotech industry attracting new-age farmers, visitors, students, researchers and reporters by showcasing the various CEA farm methodologies; informing them about the circular building system employed to make it energy independent and waste neutral; and educating them in nutrition and healthy living.”

The focus of the for-profit farms will be specialty crops, or all those found in the produce section at a local grocery store.

Cold storage and food processing companies, research, workforce development and commercial food startup incubators, a local food market and restaurants, mixed-income residential property for workers, senior citizens, veterans and students will co-exist alongside one another, with surrounding asphalt parking lots and urban spaces being “transformed into lush, walkable green space thoughtfully connecting the adjacent residential neighborhoods and Metro Parks,” according to the proposal.

The former Sears and JC Penney buildings are “ideal for vertical farm produc-

tion,” while the former Dillard’s will be torn down and replaced with two fivestory towers.

Power will be provided by solar panels, a geothermic energy system and an anaerobic digester, with water capture for reuse in the CEA farms, according to the proposal.

Financial backing would come from The Gateway Group, developers of Cleveland’s Gateway District, Progressive Field and Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. It is led by Tom Chema, former chairman of the Ohio Lottery Commission and Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, and former president of Hiram College.

In the proposal, Panzica Construction estimated that 800 to 1,000 workers will be needed, providing $1.5 million to $2.5 million in income tax for the construction portion of the project alone to the city of Elyria.

An estimated $5 million in sales tax annually from the restaurant, retail and food market spaces is expected. Eventual property taxes were not estimated, but will be paid by any for-profit businesses that become tenants.

allows for briefing and training rooms on site, Goodrich said.

Wellington Police employs about 15 officers, a mix of full- and parttime members, alongside several dispatchers and auxiliary members.

The department moved into the station at the end of October.

With the previous station lasting the past eight decades, McPike hopes the new space will serve the department for at least the next 50 years.

“Everything in here is brand new, the technology, the wiring, it’s adaptable,” he said. “…. To me, this is not only an investment in today but the future as well.”

MALL FROM A1

eight regional mall repositions — with two other retail to business park conversions underway,” the company wrote.

“Our successful approach elsewhere can be replicated at Midway Mall to take advantage of the structural assets of the current building, and the expansive parking fields around the perimeter of the site,” ICP wrote.

ICP would preserve “any viable retail/restaurant spaces that might be a continued asset to the community” while gutting the interior of the mall to its structural framework to provide flexibility when leasing to light industrial tenants or manufacturers, it wrote.

Outside, ICP “would introduce new building materials, tenant entrances and more window openings to transform the appearance from a retail mall into a mixed-use business park,” and add additional landscaping for aesthetic purposes, it wrote.

By overhauling the building before it gets new tenants or any signed leases “we can change the narrative of this dead mall and completely change the marketability of the building and surrounding properties,” ICP wrote.

“This is by far the most sustainable and productive reuse of the property — as it will preserve the majority of the infrastructure, keeping the lion’s share of building materials out of

landfills — and introducing energy efficient technologies,” ICP wrote.

The total investment of approximately $30 million “would generate significant jobs and payroll for the community” — estimated at 400 to 500 jobs with a payroll of $18 million to $22 million among a diverse group of companies, ICP wrote.

The “economic ripple” of the redevelopment “would be immense on the surrounding properties” and spur new uses and opportunities. The company said it was confident this approach would succeed in Elyria.

“The geographical location and highway positioning is clearly a strength that can be sold to end-users to attract them with the right incentives for long-term occupancy,” ICP wrote.

Option 1B is a ground-up new development involving the demolition of the existing mall and the building of up to 1.4 million square feet of new usable space.

ICP already has a potential client for the site “that would transform the property into a brand new, state-of-the-art industrial building that would be built to specific-tenant standards to maximize productivity and efficiency,” it wrote.

That investment would be more than $100 million and use economic incentives or assistance as part of a private/public partnership with the city, county,

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The nonprofit expressed interest in buying the mall buildings and land to redevelop into a mixeduse facility for indoor “Controlled Environment Agriculture” farms — both indoor vertical farms and outdoor greenhouse farms, cold storage, food processing and distribution businesses, according to its proposal.

The Food Innovation Institute, a collaboration of Northeast Ohio higher education institutions, will develop an agricultural workforce and research center there, next door to retail and residential space.

“The Center for Food Innovation is NOT redeveloping the Midway Mall.

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Scannell Properties

Scannell, based in Wayzata, Minnesota, and Indianapolis, offered $10,000 per acre of usable area.

Multiplied by the mall’s 57.86 acres, that would be $578,600.

Its proposed vision for Midway Mall is a mixeduse industrial development of 783,000 total square feet for manufacturing, logistics, data centers and distribution to “attract a diverse range of companies, fostering a thriving business ecosystem that not only adds to the tax base but generates a significant number of jobs.”

Scannell calls it “Midway Center,” a “state-of-the-

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art industrial park” with “aesthetically pleasing” multitenant buildings.

One building of 221,000 square feet, two of 208,000 square feet and a fourth of 156,000 square feet would be built on the mall site following demolition of the existing buildings.

Scannell has developed light industrial, manufacturing or warehouse space in North Ridgeville, Brook Park, Strongsville, Valley View, Bedford Heights, Walton Hills, Twinsburg and Aurora, according to its proposal.

It redeveloped a 167-acre former Chrysler plant in Twinsburg into more than 1.7 million square feet of office and industrial space on a 10-year schedule as part of a $300 million project. Tenants in that project include Amazon, FedEx Ground, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Watco Companies, Avantor, Frito Lay and others.

It also is redeveloping the former Ford site in Brook Park into the Forward Innovation Center, according to its proposal.

DiGeronimo Development

The least specific of the proposals was DiGeronimo’s. Though it contained fewer details such as a purchase price or artistic/ engineering renderings of what the property might look like when redeveloped, it proposed to buy the property and existing 950,000 square feet of building space at a price to be determined later.

DiGeronimo would then do all the demolition after closing the deal, “with all environmental remediation costs remaining the obligation” of the port authority, according to its proposal.

The port authority would secure industrial zoning for the entire site; get approvals of neighboring tenants like Johnny K’s Powersports, ICP and Namdar for demolition and redevelopment of the site for industrial use; establish a 30year, 75/25 percent school tax increment financing or TIF plan where the developer would pay 25 percent of incremental taxes to the school district in lieu of property taxes; and build a deceleration lane and curb cut-out off state Route 57 on the western edge of the property.

Friday, Nov. 24, 2023

Lorain County Community Guide

Page A5

Oberlin eyes plans for new school LAUREN HOFFMAN THE COMMUNITY GUIDE

Oberlin Schools plans to add a new middle school on the Pleasant Street campus, near Oberlin Elementary and Oberlin High schools.

Designed by the same companies behind the new Oberlin Elementary School, the middle school is set to house students grades six through eight as a replacement for the aging Langston Middle School.

“We are still in the very beginning stages of this process but the board has identified that we would benefit more from a new sixth to eighth grade building rather than a sixth through 12th building,” said Superintendent David Hall.

The district has already had meetings with both Brad Gellert of ThenDesign Architecture, a firm based in Willoughby and Jeff Tuckerman, vice president of Hammond Construction in Akron.

“What we are looking at for the district in this building is it will help solve a lot of the issues that they are currently facing in terms of size,” Gellert said. “Langston is currently bigger than it needs to be for the grades it is serving and the building is also very old.”

The proposed 55,000-square-foot building would fit directly behind the existing high school with plans for a walkway to connect the two schools. Additionally, the district wants to expand a road and add parking lot spaces.

“This site will allow us to downsize while still having

a beautiful learning environment for our students and helps limit the amount of moving we would have to do with our students that a brand new six to 12 building takes,” Gellert said.

The total cost for the new project comes in at just above $28 million; $25.7 of that is the cost of the building. While the state will help cover some of the cost, the district also said it plans to introduce a bond issue on the November ballot next year.

“We don’t have an exact cost for the bond yet, but we want to keep it under 3 mills,” Treasurer Robert Rinehart said. “With this bond, however, the district will have the money to build the school on our own if needed.”

Once the sixth to eighth grade building, known as phase one, is complete, phase two of the project is to build a new high school onto the building while using the auditorium and gym from the current high school. The plan also allows for the option to place a stadium on the campus, but no official plans have been made for one due to costs.

“We currently have a good partnership with the college to play on their fields and while we would love to have our own stadium, the cost starting out is $10 million,” Hall said.

“But the space is there if the opportunity arises.”

If the bond issue passes, planning for the new building can officially begin.

The first part of the building is expected to be completed in four years and the project finished in 10 years.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY OBERLIN CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT

Lorain County Howard Hanna Realtor and Wee Care Closet co-founder Ms. Tammy Koleski (second from left) drops off $4,439 worth of donations for Oberlin City School District students on Monday, Nov. 20, 2023. Also photographed are OCSD Director of Student and Family Support Mr. Jay Nimene (left); OCSD Director of Curriculum Ms. Meisha Baker; OCDS Director of Building Operations Mr. Jim Eibel; and Director of Student Pupil Services Ms. Sue Alig.

Wee Care Closet donates to Oberlin Schools MELISSA LINEBRINK OBERLIN SCHOOLS

OBERLIN — A donation from Lorain County Howard Hanna Realtor and Wee Care Closet cofounder Tammy Koleski will once again warm the students at Oberlin Schools.

On Nov. 20 Koleski dropped off bags of new clothing that included new shoes, pillows, sweatshirts, coats and toys. She also added feminine hygiene products to her donation. The total contribution was $4,439 worth of goods.

The items were purchased with monetary donations from the Wee

Care Closet, a nonprofit spearheaded by Koleski, her sister Pam Richards and family friend Mary Felton.

“Wee Care Closet was spearheaded to make a difference in the lives of Lorain County children with the donations of goods and services for daily activities, special deeds and special needs,” Koleski said.

A plan to distribute items to the students is being organized by Oberlin Schools Director of Student and Family Support Services Jay Nimene.

“We will hold on to these items and any time a student comes to us, or a guardian, asking if we have a coat, pair of shoes or extra clothing,

we have it on hand,” Nimene said.

“We are so fortunate to have the kindness of the Wee Care Closet as it allows us to help students make sure their needs are being met.”

Oberlin Schools Director of Curriculum Meisha Baker called the donation “a wonderful gift” for the students.

“Clothing donations contribute to the community well-being by providing essential items to those in need and foster a sense of shared support,” Ms. Baker said.

If anyone would like to make a donation to the Wee Care Closet, please contact Koleski at (440) 935-4910 or follow it on Facebook at www. facebook.com/weecarecloset.

BOOK BAN FROM A1

according to the book.”

Attendees who spoke were particularly upset about one scene in the book, starting on page 126 of the 2005 book, which describes oral sex between two underage characters.

Chris Chumita of Elyria read an excerpt from the scene and railed against anyone who felt the book was appropriate for ninth graders.

“This material is clearly inappropriate for students and anyone who believes otherwise, I would not feel safe having (them) around my children,” Chumita said.

The vast majority of those in attendance were vocal opponents of the book, but Grant Humphreys of Wellington spoke up in favor of keeping an open mind.

“I think all these people come from a good place, they wish to protect innocence,” Humphreys said. “I don’t know if this book is good or bad, but I do know

“I don’t know if this book is good or bad, but I do know that protecting innocence is a very important thing but it can also be a very bad thing. Protecting innocence can also be expanding innocence into other’s lives.”

Grant Humphreys,

Wellington resident

that protecting innocence is a very important thing but it can also be a very bad thing. Protecting innocence can also be expanding innocence into other’s lives.”

Humphreys spoke about his own evangelical Christian upbringing, and said being sheltered by it led to him having his “innocence taken away at a very young age.”

Christian belief was the reason that many of the speakers gave for their opposition to the book, including Chumita.

“If you’re pushing pornographic books like this on children, you’ll have to account to God for what you’re doing,” he said.

Other attendees applauded

and shouted “Amen.”

Lisa Brown of Lorain said she was also opposed to the book because of her religion.

“To me, as a Christian, that book is not for anybody,” Brown said. “And if you read the Bible, if you call yourself a Christian, you hate what God hates.

And I hate sexual immorality.”

Brown said that she was a police dispatcher and blamed “sexual immorality” for things she sees at work, such as pregnant teenagers and runaways.

Brown is employed by the Lorain Police Department, but did not specify her department when speaking at the meeting.

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“(We need to) stand up for what’s right, and put Satan to bed, where he belongs,” she said. “Satan rules this world today, and people are falling for it with homosexuality, sexual immorality. Those who don’t turn away from it will live in hell.”

The idea that “Looking for Alaska” is erotic or pornographic was repeated often, with Tim York of North Ridgeville comparing it to child pornography.

York, who said he homeschooled all three of his own children, asked those who had read the book and were in favor of ninth graders reading it to raise their hands.

“If you approve of it,

shame on you,” he said.

“You’re sick, very sick.”

Community members spoke to members of the board for over a half hour, and board President Rex Engle thanked them for appearing before the board.

“We have heard you loud and clear,” Engle said.

“And this board will take this all under advisement and decide what we are going to do.”

At the end of the meeting, Engle confirmed that the reading of the book would be concluded by the start of winter break, though some shouted from the audience that it needed to be removed immediately.

Superintendent Glenn Faircloth said the district’s curriculum committee would discuss whether to keep the book in the district’s English curriculum and its recommendation would be brought back before the board.

State Highway Patrol academy graduates assigned to Elyria post STAFF REPORT

The State Highway Patrol’s 172nd academy class graduated Nov. 17 after 30 weeks of training, and three of the new graduates have been assigned to patrol Lorain County’s highways and state routes out of the Elyria post.

New troopers working out of the Elyria post include Steven Bishop of North Ridgeville, Darell Cacho of Cleveland and Tyler Wellman of West Salem.

Trooper Kyle Erickson of Columbia Township was assigned to the Milan post on the Ohio Turnpike in the Highway Patrol’s Bucyrus district, while Trooper Joseph Zickes of Westlake was assigned to the Hiram post on the Ohio Turnpike.

85 SOUTH MAIN STREET OBERLIN OHIO 44074 NOVEMBER 23, 2023 BOARD AND COMMISSION MEETING DATES ALL MEETINGS WILL BE Live Streamed @ http://oberlinoh.swagit.com/live NOVEMBER 23-24, 2023 ...Offices Closed in Observance of Thanksgiving NOVEMBER 27, 2023 ...CITY COUNCIL BUDGET SESSION - 1:30 P.M. 36 S. PROSPECT ST. NOVEMBER 27, 2023 ...RESOURCE CONSERVATION & RECOVERY - 5:00 P.M. NOVEMBER 28, 2023 ...CITY COUNCIL BUDGET SESSION - 1:30 P.M. 36 S. PROSPECT ST. NOVEMBER 28, 2023 ...OPEN SPACE COMMISSION - 5:00 P.M. DECEMBER 1, 2023 .....COMPREHENSIVE PLAN STEERING COMMITTEE 8:00 A.M. - 36 S. PROSPECT ST. NOTICE: DISABLED MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY WHO MAY NEED ASSISTANCE, PLEASE CALL 775-7203 OR E-MAIL: banderson@cityofoberlin.com NOTICE REQUIRED: TWO (2) WORKING DAYS IN ADVANCE OF MEETING (48 HOURS) CLERK OF COUNCIL’S OFFICE.

Page A6

SPORTS

Friday, Nov. 24, 2023

Lorain County Community Guide

Send sports news to news@lcnewspapers.com. Deadline for all submissions is 10 a.m. each Monday. Printed as space is available.

All-Star boys soccer: Away team cinches win

THOMAS FETCENKO | The Community Guide

ABOVE: Amherst’s Jacob Jesko kicks the ball down the field on Nov. 18 during the Lorain County All-Star soccer match hosted at Ely Stadium.

LEFT: Vermilion’s Alex Werth and Oberlin’s Grant Squires battle for control of the ball on Nov. 18 during the Lorain County All-Star soccer match.

The Away all-stars clinched the win 4-3

Local news

LORCI celebrates new food service graduates MASON JONES THE COMMUNITY GUIDE

GRAFTON — The Lorain Correctional Institution celebrated its newly graduated food service class at the facility Nov. 16.

The In2Work program graduates were celebrated

by LCI and the Aramark food service company, with graduates receiving their service certificates after passing the Serve Safe exam.

“The courses last for a few months at a time,” Lorain Correctional Food Service Director Lisa Jackson said. “We go through instruction books, learn kitchen basics, food management and when they pass the Serve Safe exam, they receive a certificate that lasts for five years.”

Jackson also said the certificate the graduates receive will help them land a career in the service industry when the individuals are released from the facility.

“It’s amazing to see these guys have a passion about what they’re doing,” Jackson said. “They come to these classes and they want to learn, they want to participate, they want to ask questions.

They want to do good and have pride in what they’re doing.”

The graduates, all incarcerated inmates, including Dax Murray, Jeremy Wolfeus and Shalamar Williams, completed the program to prepare for futures outside of the facility.

Williams said he has always been involved with cooking and is striving to one day own his own restaurant.

“I try to do my best every day,” Williams said.

“I want to try and outdo myself every day and

always get better with my skills.”

Murray is more interested in the corporate aspect of the industry.

Wolfeus has plans to continue working with Aramark. He hopes to contact Aramark and obtain the opportunity to work locally.

“Food is the way to people’s hearts,” Wolfeus said, “So that was a way for me to kind of strive to make better and do better and stuff like that because I know it’s going to please people, and It’s not just about myself.”

The In2Work program graduated four this session. Previous graduates and others helped serve the dinner.

ROGER SOMMER | The Community Guide

ABOVE: Previous In2Work graduate Marquise Jones, of Geauga, prepares the In2Work graduation dinner at Lorain Correctional Institution in Grafton on Nov. 16.

RIGHT: In2Work graduate Jeremy Rolfes, of Cleveland, talks at the graduation dinner at Lorain Correctional Institution.

First donation in the books for this year’s Not-Forgotten Box toy drive It’s hard to believe, but it’s nearly that time of year again.

The Lorain County Chamber of Commerce, by way of the area businesses involved with its Safety Council, on Nov. 15 donated 185 toys to The Not-Forgotten Box, the annual toy collection run

by The Chronicle-Telegram in tandem with the Elyria Salvation Army.

The toy drive officially hasn’t started, but the chamber’s donation traditionally is the first of each year. The Safety Council has prioritized collecting toys from its membership for the last 16 years.

“This is the generosity of the businesses that belong to the Safety Council,’’ said Tony Gallo, president and CEO of the Lorain County Chamber.

Gallo said he generally finds a favorite among the donations. This year?

“How do you not love a Nerf gun? That’s just fun in a box,’’ he said, laughing.

The kickoff of the drive will be Nov. 27, and it will end Dec. 15. People can drop off new, unwrapped toys, clothes, food, checks and cash from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at The Chronicle, 225 East Ave., Elyria. The entrance is off of Third Street.

There also will be a Saturday drop-off from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 9 at The Chronicle.

The Not-Forgotten Box food and toy drive has been conducted in partnership with the Salvation Army since 1958.

When toy donations begin to pour into The Chronicle lobby — 8,801 toys were delivered in 2022 — the impact is felt.

The donations helped 1,284 children in 579 households last year alone, providing a joyful Christmas to Lorain County families who were struggling.

Friday, Nov. 24, 2023

Lorain County Community Guide

Page A7

BULLETIN BOARD Brownhelm Historical Association

Brownhelm Historical’s Christmas Tree Lighting is Sunday evening. Attendees are invied to gather at the Historic Brownhelm School and Museum, 1950 N. Ridge Rd., Vermilion, at 5 p.m., with the tree lighting at 6:30 p.m.

Enjoy hot chocolate and cookies, plus a visit from Santa Claus at 6 p.m..

Please join us for a festive evening to begin the holiday season. Sponsored by the Brownhelm Historical Association. Parking is available behind the school building.

North Pointe Ballet

North Pointe Ballet’s annual production of “The Nutcracker” returns to the Lorain Palace Theatre and Berea-Midpark High School Performing Arts Center in December.

Between Dec. 1-3 and 16 -17, audience members will see NPB professional artists perform alongside youth from local dance studios. Participants from NPB’s A Chance to Dance program for dancers with disabilities will join the cast during a special Sensory-Friendly matinee on Dec. 3 and Dec. 17 in partnership with Beyond Words: Music & Dance Center. NPB’s SensoryFriendly performances provide accommodations to reduce loud sounds and adjust dramatic lights, provide a space for taking a sensory break, and allow for a relaxed theater environment.

Featured in this perfor-

mance are two youth actors to help narrate the story of The Nutcracker, courtesy of The MAD* Factory Theatre Co. in Oberlin.

NPB’s performances will be held at the historic Lorain Palace Theatre, 617 Broadway, Lorain December 1-3 and the Berea-Midpark High School Performing Arts Center, 165 E Bagley Rd, Berea, December 16-17.

For showtimes and tickets, visit northpointeballet.org/ nutcracker.

Firelands Genealogical Society

Firelands Genealogical Society will host Peggy Clemens Lauritzen at 7 p.m. Monday. Lauritzen’s program, “Genealogy on the Go” suggests leaving the internet to travel for family history studies. Lauritzen is a nationally known lecturer and fellow of the Ohio Genealogical Society.

She, alongside her husband, Kerry, are directors of the LDS Family History Center in Mansfield.

The free public meeting is at the Laning-Young Research Library, 9 Case Ave., Norwalk.

Kettle campaign

Volunteers are needed at multiple locations to ring bells for the Oberlin Salvation Army’s upcoming kettle campaign.

Volunteers are needed at indoor and outdoor locations: Oberlin IGA, Drug Mart, and Walmart.

Any sports team, or business or organization can get $500 for ringing col-

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. lectively over the holiday season of 124 hours. You can adopt a kettle and give any amount. The Oberlin Facebook page has a QR Code and a link for any donations.

All donations made out to The Oberlin Salvation Army and/or put in the kettle, stays in the Oberlin area.

Craft show

Mercy Health Allen Auxiliary holiday craft show is 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 1 at Mercy Allen Hospital in Oberlin. Free admission, silent raffle and 50/50 raffle.

5k fundraiser

A 5k run and 1-mile fun walk benefiting Blessing House is 9 a.m. Dec. 24.

The Jingle All The Way 5K is $20 for adults or $5 for children. Prices increase after Dec. 1 to $25 for adults.

Registration includes a tshirt or mug and jungle bell for each runner or walker to wear during the race.

The race, sponsored by Community Congregational united Church of Christ, starts and ends at 379 S. Main Street, Amherst, and loops through downtown.

Amherst Historical Society For more information or to register for a program, call (440) 988-7255 or

email office@amhersthistoricalsociety.org. ● Amherst Historical Society’s German Christmas Holiday Celebration is 6-9 p.m. Dec. 2 at Sandstone Village, 763 Milan Ave., Amherst. Parking and shuttle service is at the Amherst Junior High School, 548 Milan Ave. The event is free to attend.

Meet Santa and Mrs. Clause, visit decorated village buildings and blacksmith shop, shop at The Shops at Sandstone Village and items made by the blacksmith, as well as a bake sale and hot chocolate for donation.

Amherst Library

Registration is required for most events. Visit AmherstPublicLibrary.org or cal (440) 988-4230 for more information. ● The Tokusatsu Club meets 6 p.m. Nov. 26. The group is for ages 15-andolder to watch and discuss Japanese Tokusatsu films and television shows like Ultraman, Godzilla, Super Sentai and Kamen Rider.

The group meetings the fourth Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m. It will be on hiatus for December and return in January. ● Yoga Flow is 1 p.m. every Friday in December.

Learn breathing techniques to clear the mind and be present in the moment as

Outside Circle Theater Project

THE 1980s ACROSS 1. *”Heaven’s on Fire” band 5. *Setting of “Cheers” TV show 8. Derive 13. “I’m ____ you!”

14. Gas station brand 15. Affirmatives 16. Image in Orthodox Church 17. *Robert Wagner or Stephanie Powers, on TV 18. *Vote for H.W. Bush, e.g.

19. *Weird Al’s last name 21. Forum, pl.

22. Dog-____ book 23. Clingy plant 24. Spiky succulent 27. Accumulates (2 words) 31. Turkish military leader 32. Consequence 35. *Wintour of Vogue 36. Zoroaster follower 38. E in B.C.E. 39. #53 Down, third person singular 40. Do like exhaust pipe 41. Hertz’ offering 43. Extra cost 44. Expert, in U.K. (2 words) 46. *Ricky Martin’s boy band 48. Arrival time acronym 49. *Piano player Lee Curreri on “Fame” 51. *Baltimore player 53. *Mikhail Gorbachev’s policy 56. Recipient of money 57. *Umberto Eco’s “The ____ of the Rose” 58. Oration station 60. Some tournaments 61. In the thick of 62. Place, in French 63. Not at all good 64. Bitty 65. Other than what is DOWN 1. Ornamental pond dweller 2. Deep black 3. Greek promenade 4. Shakespeare’s output 5. * Lou Reed’s “Home of the ____” 6. Like thick smoke 7. Campus military org.

8. Attractive to look at 9. *”Back to the Future” car

instructor Cindy Miller leads attendees through movements to stretch and strengthen muscles and joints. Classes are suitable for all ages and experience levels. Attendees should wear comfortable clothing and bring water to stay hydrated. ● Canine Reading Buddies are back the first Saturday and third Tuesday of the month.

Licensed therapy dogs will be on hand for all ages to read to them at 11 a.m.

Dec. 2 and 6:30 p.m. Dec. 19. ● Merry Grinchmas is 11 a.m. Dec. 10. Enjoy crafts, snacks and themed entertainment while keeping an eye out for the Grinch sneaking around the library. Attendees are encouraged to dress up like residents of Whoville in ugly holiday sweaters and comfy pajamas. ● Adult craft is 6:30 p.m. Dec. 11. Registered attendees will receive the supplies needed to create two holiday decoupage coasters. ● Music and Movement storytime is 11:15 a.m.

Dec. 8 and 22. For children 2-6 and their caregivers. ● Cookie decorating storytime is Dec. 11-14.

Holiday Cookie Storytime for Toddlers (ages 2 – 3) Monday, December 11 at 10:30am. Holiday Cookie Storytime for Preschoolers (ages 3 – 5) Monday, December 11 at 11:15am. Holiday Cookie Storytime for Waddlers (up to 24m) – Wednesday, December 13 at 11:15am. Afternoon Holiday Cookie Storytime (ages 2 – 6) – Thursday, December 14 at 1:15pm

The Outside Circle Theater Project will sponsor a poetry slam for local poets, spoken word artists and monologuists to raise funds for its March 2024 production of “The Downside” by Molly McFadden.

The poetry slam is 6-9 p.m. Dec. 7 at Broadway Mary’s, 939 Broadway, Lorain. In addition to performing, attendees can submit works for a chance to be published in the upcoming production’s playbill.

The entry fee is $10 via CashApp, Venmo or cash at the door. For more information email outsidecircle theaterproject@gmail.com

10. One on drugs 11. Cecum, pl.

12. Is, in Paris 14. “A horse is ____ ____, of course, of course” 20. Resin-producing tree 23. Took the bait 24. *Christopher Reeve’s sartorial style in “Superman II” 25. Old World lizard 26. Indigenous person from Suriname or Guyana 27. Surveyor’s map 28. Mix-up 29. Not married 30. Promenade in Spain 33. Tournament ranking 34. Remains container 37. *Washington’s volcano Mount

or call (440) 258-0704.

South Amherst Tree Lighting The Village of South Amherst will host its annual tree lighting at 6:30 p.m.

Dec. 7. The Firelands TriM members will sing carols and a reception at the fire station will immdiately follow the tree lighting.

The South Amherst Fire Association and Village officials will provide hot chocolate and donuts and the ladies of Sandstone Commuity Church will share homemade cookies.

Toys for Tots will be collecting new, unwrapped toys for children in need.

The event is free and open to the public.

Board of Trustees

● The Oberlin Public Library Board of Trustees will hold a regular meeting followed by the 2024 Organizational meeting at the library at 5 p.m. Dec.14.

The meetings are open to the public. ● The Amherst Public Library Board of Trustees will hold a regular meeting followed by the 2024 Organizational meeting at the library at 5:45 p.m. Dec. 11. The meetings are open to the public.

Black River Audubon Society

The Black River Audubon Society will host local naturalist Tyler McClain and his program “What’s Happening at Sandy Ridge?” at 7 p.m. Dec. 5 at Sandy Ridge Reservation, 6195 Otten Road, North Ridgeville.

Tyler McClain, an avid and accomplished birder, herper (reptile and amphibian enthusiast), and naturalist, is the newest land steward at Sandy Ridge.

He will present an update on what is happening at the reservation. Learn about the latest ongoing conservation efforts, including eliminating invasive species and reverting to native species. Discover ways you can create green spaces in your community and your very own backyard.

This program is free to the public. For more information on volunteering, programs or becoming a member, please visit www. blackriveraudubon.org and remember to like it on Facebook.

____ ____ 39. *Close of “The Big Chill” 41. Genetic initials 42. Entertained 45. Affirm to be true 47. Cavatappi or udon, sing.

49. Scapegoat’s due 50. Fiber crop variety 51. Head of family 52. Deed hearing 53. Chew on 54. Schooner canvas 55. *TV’s “Family ____” 56. Sound of explosion 59. *”Peggy ____ Got Married”

SOLUTION CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE A2

SOLUTION CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE A2

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Friday, Nov. 24, 2023

Lorain County Community Guide

© 2023 byVickiWhiting, Editor Jeff Schinkel, Graphics Vol. 39, No. 51

Find yourway throughthe cranberry vines.

Ingredients:

With the help of an adult, chop each of the following: • 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries • 1 red bell pepper • 1 green bell pepper • 1 chili pepper • ½ red onion • 1 clove of garlic

mericans eat aboout 400 million pooundds of cranberries a yeaar!

Many are eaten at Thanksgi nksgiiving, ving but there are lots of ways to eat these littlee red red, tangy berries all year round.

Mix the following in a bowl: • ½ tsp parsley • ½ tsp ground cumin • 1⁄8 tsp black pepper • Zest of small orange • 6 oz frozen orange juice concentrate

Cranberries are native to North America. Native Americans used them for both food and medicine.

MILLIONS OF BARRELS

Cranberry Chart Use the chart to answer the questions!

5 4 3

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Store in the refrigerator until all ingredients are chilled and flavors are well combined.

Which stategrowsthe most cranberries?

About how many millionsof barrelsofcranberries doesNew Jersey grow?

Eat with tortilla chips or put on a sandwich!

Abouthow manymore millionsof barrelsof cranberrieswould Massachusettsneed togrow to catchup withWisconsin?

Thank you to the US Cranberries organization for the idea for this recipe. There are many more great cranberry recipes at uscranberries.com

2 NOTE: 1barrel equals 100poundsof berries.

1 WISCONSIN

Work with an adult to make this delicious recipe together!

MASSACHUSETTS

OREGON

NEW JERSEY

SOURCE: USDAEconomicResearch ServiceandUSDANational AgriculturalStatisticsService

Standards Link: Number Sense: Interpret data from charts and graphs.

Healthy Berries

Cranberries are high in Vitamin C. Long ago, sailors and pirates took barrels of cranberries on long voyages.

Eating the berries prevented a disease called scurvy.

Growingand Harvesting Cranberries

Number the pictures in order.

1. Cranberry vines are planted in sandy soil.

2. They grow into long vines that crawl along the ground.

3. When the cranberries are ripe, the farmers flood the field.

4. Cranberries have little air pockets inside that cause them to float to the top of the water.

5. Farmers wearing rubber “waders” walk through the floating cranberries and push them into a big vacuum in the center of the field.

6. The berries are sucked out of the water and end up in a big truck.

See how many words you can make using the letters in

CRANBERRIES

Cranberryplants canliveand growfor 100years!

LivingThings Scavenger Hunt Bee Power

Cran Cranberry farmers need bees.. The bees pollinate the plantt’s blossoms, so they turn into i berries.

Standards Link: Reading Comprehension: Sequence events in the correcct order.

Ways to Eat Cranberries Some people like the tart _________ of cranberries. Others _____________ them with sugar, maple syrup, or honey.

While they are tart, cranberries can be eaten ______ or chopped raw into salsa, salads, and other dishes. Most cranberries are used to make _________, sauce and craisins. Craisins® are dried cranberries that look like reddish __________.

Canned cranberry sauce is a popular Thanksgiving side _________. It can also be enjoyed on turkey sandwiches.

Craisins® is a trademark of Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc.

Look through the newspaper for: 5 things that are alive 4 things to eat 3 things made from something alive 2 things people need to survive 1 thing that you like to eat

Standards Link: Language Arts: Follow written directions.

BEES CRANBERRY EAT L Y G N A T C J S M FARMERS G R F L O O D B T E FIELD F R E A R E T A W D FLOAT FLOOD I E O D R D Z P V I FOOD E B A W T M Q R I C GROW L N E T F V E W N I MEDICINE D A U E E P I R E N RED RIPE M R J F S Y Q C S E TANGY B C T A O L F O O D VINES Standards Link: Letter sequencing. Recognize identical WATER words. Skim and scan reading. Recall spelling patterns.

This week’s word:

WADERS

The noun waders means high waterproof boots or waterproof pants with attached boots that are used for wading in water.

My mother wears waders when she harvests cranberries or goes fishing.

Try to use the word waders in a sentence today when talking with your friends and family members.

What’s your opinion?

PutThings in Order

Read a newspaper article and write down the main things that are reported. Number the things that happened in order: first, second, third. Is the order of your list the same or different from the article? Why could that be?

ANSWER: Cold-slaw.

Standards Link: Analyze passages to sequence events.

Withhundredsoftopics,every Kid Scoop printableactivitypack featuressix-to-sevenpagesof high-interestextralearning activitiesforhomeand school!Getyourfree sampletodayat:

Do you like cranberries?

Why or why not?