Sign up for Thanksgiving meals
The Community Guide
Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio is ready to provide 2,300 Thanksgiving meals to families in Lorain County.
The food will be distributed from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23, at Lorain County Community College, 1005 Abbe Road N. in Elyria.
Each Thanksgiving box will include shelf-stable food, a 10- to 14-pound turkey, apples, onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, canned pumpkin and corn muffin mix, totaling about 50 pounds of food.
Home delivery is not available for Thanksgiving food packages, but drivers
may pick up packages for two families but they must be signed up separately.
Families must sign up separately and have their own registration code.
Attendees must have that code visible to enter the distribution line.
Last year, Second Harvest saw a 32 percent increase in families seeking help at its pantries, Julie ChaseMorefield, Second Harvest president said. They have expanded the distribution to meet the increased need, she said.
“Food shouldn’t be out of reach for anyone in our community, especially a holiday meal that holds traditions and memories for families.”
Lorain County Com-
munity College President
Marcia Ballinger said the Thanksgiving mobile pantry is a communitywide effort.
“Today is about much more than providing a meal,” Ballinger said. “It’s about a community that comes together to support our friends and neighbors today and every day.”
Eligibility is based on income and household size. Proof of income is not required, but registrants will be asked to attest to their income.
For example, for a family of four, annual income eligibility is at or below $62,400 per year, or $5,200 per month.
To register, visit second harvestfoodbank.org or call (440) 434-2447.
Kettle campaign kicks off
Carissa Woytach
The Community Guide
For more than a century, red kettles and bell ringers have been a hallmark of the holiday season. And this year in Lorain County will be no different, with the Salvation Army kicking off its Christmas-time fundraiser at the Norton Culinary Center.
Keynote speaker Chase Farris, executive director of Save Our Children and Elyria Catholic High School football coach, said the cause is personal.
He and his sister were raised by a single mother on Elyria’s west side.
“My mother’s hard work made a
very high impression on me. She would go to work every day, sometimes working two or three shifts,” he said. She bought gifts through layaway at Walmart, Kmart and Finish Line, never letting him or his sister feel the weight she carried. And there were Christmases where the Salvation Army stepped in. He remembered years where they picked up gifts and winter clothes from the Angel Tree program, and he suspected the nonprofit helped pay for rent and utility assistance over the years.
“Going through those times, going through those situations and real-
izing whenever she fell short, she leaned on community,” he said. “... it just kind of became a full-circle moment to be able to be one of the kids that received coats, that received shoes.”
He fell silent at the podium, his voice heavy with emotion when he spoke again.
“I’m just a guest at the luncheon, I’m a testament to the impact the Salvation Army work has done, and what it can be. You’re not just giving gifts of clothing, you’re giving hope and reassurance to families that need it the most,” he said.
Also recognized were several
See KETTLE, A2
Invacare sold, staying in Elyria
Owen MacMillan
The Community Guide
Invacare has been purchased by a New Jersey company, but current operations at the company’s Elyria headquarters will continue.
The sale was announced by the Invacare Holdings Corporation and MIGA Holdings LLC, with MIGA acquiring the North American operations of Invacare.
MIGA is itself owned by C+A Global, a manufacturing, marketing and retail company based in Edison, New Jersey.
Invacare is a manufacturer that primarily builds wheelchairs, scooters and other mobility equipment.
A representative for MIGA confirmed that operations at the Invacare global headquarters in Elyria would continue as normal.
The companies said they hope the sale would allow Invacare to expand its market share in health care mobility.
“We are confident that this strategic change will be a benefit to both the North American and European/ Asia Pacific businesses of Invacare,” said Geoff Purtill, president and CEO of Invacare Holdings.
“This transaction not only allows us to concentrate
on our core operations, but also empowers each regional business to focus on the specific needs of the customers in its dedicated regions. With MIGA’s established presence and proven history of success in North America, we expect this acquisition to open new opportunities for growth and improvement in service delivery.”
Operations at Invacare in Elyria will continue under the current leadership of the North American management team, with the additional support of MIGA CEO Chaim Piekarski, a representative said. Invacare has a long and storied history in Elyria. It originated in 1889 as the Worthington Company, which manufactured wheelchairs. It became Colson Company after a merger. Colson left Elyria in 1952 although the wheelchair division, renamed Mobilaid, remained. A few other mergers and name changes occurred over the decades until A. Malachi Mixon, then a vice president, bought what had become known as Invacare in 1979. He grew it from a company with about $19 million in sales to a public company earning $620 million. In the late 1990s, it had more than 4,000 employees.
FILE PHOTO PROVIDED
Second Harvest Food Bank is prepared to feed even more families than it was doing here in 2023 at Lorain County Community College.
BRUCE BISHOP / COMMUNITY GUIDE
Chase Farris, executive director of Save our Children and a former Ohio State football player, speaks during last week’s Salvation Army kettle kickoff event at Norton Culinary Arts Center at Lorain County Community College.
School levies go down, down, down
The Community Guide Schools in Lorain County were far from alone in feeling defeat, with only about half of school tax issues on the ballot in Ohio passing this election cycle.
According to unofficial election results, new levies and bonds failed throughout Lorain County, with the only successful school measure being a renewal levy for Columbia Schools.
The Ohio School Boards Association noted voters approved 51 percent of school tax issues on the ballot, a decrease from last November of a 70 percent passage rate.
Renewals enjoyed more support — with a 71 percent passage rate in the Buckeye state — but that was still down compared to previous years, the organization stated in a news release.
“Last night’s levy results are a tough reminder of the challenges Ohio’s schools are facing,” Jennifer Hogue, Ohio School Boards Association director of legislative services, said in a news release. “These results indicate that many communities are struggling to support local funding for education, likely impacted by the economic pressures felt across the state. School levies provide essential funding for academic programs, student services and school operations. Without these resources, schools are limited in their ability to maintain and expand student opportunities. Districts must make difficult choices without these local funds that could limit those programs and opportunities.”
Lorain County Board of Elections Director Paul Adams said school issues usually push higher voter turnout, even outside a presidential election year.
“I don’t necessarily know that high or low turnout specifically can be targeted toward whether something is going to pass or fail,” he said, adding one of the arguments the state Legislature used to eliminate most special elections was that only supporters showed up to vote in February and August.
Last year, when North Ridgeville Schools passed its $143 million bond issue to fund construction
and renovations in the suburban district, the city had higher turnout than Lorain did, with only a fraction of the number of registered voters compared to the International City.
He suggested voters may feel the pinch of inflation, while others may veto a levy because they are older and no longer have children in the district — or do not send their children to local public schools.
“It’s definitely nothing new. But sometimes it does work,” he said. “What that secret sauce is, I don’t know … Generally these type of issues, school issues in particular, bulk turnout up regardless of if they pass or fail. They can be a very polarizing issue in the community, on both sides.”
Lorain County Auditor Craig Snodgrass said requests for new money are often a bigger hurdle for schools than renewals.
“It’s much more difficult because it’s an additional tax,” he said.
He noted it is not unusual for districts to go back to voters, two, three or four times before an issue is successful.
Possibly compounding voters’ hesitation to approve new money for districts is the 2024 sexennial reappraisal.
The sexennial — every six years — reappraisal is a house-to-house, parcelto-parcel effort to determine the value of 171,000 residential, agricultural, commercial and industrial parcels in the county. The new valuations, which will go into effect for the 2025 tax year, saw an average increase of 31 percent to Lorain County properties.
When the new values were announced this summer, Snodgrass said it did not mean property taxes would jump 31 percent.
“It might be 10 percent, it might be 12 percent,” Snodgrass told The Chronicle-Telegram in July.
“Some will be higher and some will be lower. We’re looking at conditions that may affect the value. Sales are the largest factor, but we look at other things as well.”
After Tuesday’s unofficial election results rolled in, Snodgrass said he did not think reappraisals were the sole factor for the failed tax issues.
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“There’s
times,”
Yule get a kick out of this ‘Christmas Carol’
John Benson The Community Guid
Workshop Players Theatre is doing its part to put Lorain County into the Christmas spirit.
That’s because the local company is staging “1940’s Radio Christmas Carol,” which appears weekends tonight through Nov. 24 at its Amherst venue.
“It’s a super cute, sweet, heartwarming, funny Christmas show,” said “1940’s Radio Christmas Carol” director Kristina Rivera, who lives in Vermillion. “It kind of mirrors things that are happening now. It’s set in 1943 when the war is going on.
“So there’s sort of that same upheaval that kind of mirrors right now. It’s really about finding joy in dark times. It lets you forget what’s going on and just have a good time. Laughter connects people.”
Written by Walton Jones, David Wohl and Faye Greenberg, the musical comedy revovles around the Feddington Players, who are geared up to present their contemporary take on Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.”
However, the result caters more to the following quote from the Dickens classic, “There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor.” The Feddington Players feel pretty good
KETTLE
From A1
partners with the Salvation Army, including sponsors for this year’s kettle campaign.
At the bronze level, sponsoring a kettle for $1,000, were Community Faith United Church of Christ, PartsForSigns.com, Lorain County Visitors Bureau, Beckett Thermal Solutions, Williams Brothers Building Inc. and the Elyria Rotary.
At the silver level, sponsoring a kettle for $2,500
IF YOU GO
WHAT: Workshop Players Theatre presents “1940’s Radio Christmas Carol” WHEN: 7:30 p.m. tonight, Friday, Saturday and Nov. 21, 22 and 23 & 3 p.m. Nov. 17 and 24
WHERE: Workshop Players, 44820 Middle Ridge Road, Amherst TICKETS: $18.50 INFO: (440) 634-0472 or visit Workshopplayers.org
about casting a famous soap opera star to play Scrooge. That’s before a mid-show breakdown turns the show on its head.
Add in the fact the production is airing over the radio, hilarious mayhem ensues.
“One of the things that drew me to it is the radio sound effects were very important,” she said.
“You get to see the sound effects done live on the stage. It just adds an extra layer of interest and comedy to it.” Featuring a cast of 11, the production boasts a slight madcap and wacky feel grounded by the holiday spirit.
More so, it fits perfectly into the Workshop Players Theatre model.
“We’re kind of known for those warm, charming comedies with a little of the wacky and madcap,” she said.
were Murray Ridge Animal Clinic, Bendix and Elyria Charities.
At the gold level, sponsoring a kettle for $5,000 were Kaplan’s Furniture Multi-Link, Nick Abraham Auto Mall, and Lorain Animal Clinic. Shelly Litten, founder of the Angel Tree for Jimmy fundraiser, received the Community Champion award. Litten, a local police officer, started the Angel Tree for Jimmy fundraiser in 2015 in memory of her friend, nurse and paramedic Jimmy Hupp
“Those fit into the realm of what we do and what our audiences really enjoy.” Speaking of which, theatergoers taking in the upcoming show are promised to leave feeling like they’re in the Christmas spirit.
“Absolutely, there’s a lot of Christmas music and Christmas caroling,” she said. “So there’s a lot of warm holiday feelings.”
Reach John Benson at ndiffrence@att.net.
who died suddenly that year.
Paul Sliman, owner of Sliman’s Sales and Service, also received the Community Champion award for his longtime support of the Salvation Army in Lorain, including an annual Thanksgiving dinner at the Amherst auto dealer that provides upwards of 400 meals to those in need.
Gary Thibo received the Volunteer Champion award for his decade-long service to the Salvation Army as a bellringer and active volunteer. He most recently
joined the organization’s advisory board. The Salvation Army’s red kettle drive is one of the organization’s largest fundraisers. Money raised not only benefits the Christmas gifts for children in need, but rental and food assistance for families in Lorain County year-round. For more information about the Salvation Army, including volunteer and donation opportunities, visit easternusa. salvationarmy.org/northeast-ohio/elyria/.
PHOTO PROVIDED
sort of that same upheaval that kind of mirrors right now. It’s really about finding joy in dark
Director Kristina Rivera said about the remade radio version of “A Christmas Carol.”
PHOTO PROVIDED
“We’re kind of known for those warm, charming comedies with a little of the wacky and madcap,” Director Kristina Rivera said about the remade radio version of “A Christmas Carol.”
DECADES OF SWEETNESS
Kiedrowski’s turns 40
Terri and Tim Kiedrowski, owners of the bakery known for its Mardi Gras paczkis, pose for a photo as their son, Michael, head of operations, tastes their wares. The bakery on Cooper Foster Park Road in Amherst opened in 1984. There were extra crowds on hand -- and in line -- including Harper Lovelady, 2, of Elyria, for 50-cent donuts at their anniversary celebration last week.
Intersection to get new lights
66 crashes at Leavitt and Tower move it to ODOT priority list
The Community Guide
There have been a lot of traffic accidents near the Amherst-Lorain border of Tower Boulevard and state Route 58/Leavitt Road since explosive growth in retail and residential areas west of Route 58 began about 10 years ago.
The project, which is to begin in May, includes th addition of new traffic and pedestrian signals, camerabased car detection and new signs.
It is expected to take about seven months to complete. Traffic will be maintained throughout construction, but work will require temporary lane reductions.
cording to the U.S. Dept of Transportation.
An overview of the project states the existing traffic signal is a span wire with poor signal visibility. The improvements will include improved signals with backplates, upgraded vehicle detection and pedestrian accommodations.
Backplates added to a traffic signal head improve the visibility of the illuminated face of the signal by introducing a controlledcontrast background. The improved visibility of a signal head with a backplate is made even more conspicuous by framing it with a 1- to 3-inch yellow retroreflective border, ac-
The intersection was listed as a priority for safety improvements by the Ohio Department of Transportation and Northeast Ohio Area Coordinating Agency due to crash frequency, severity and patterns. Since 2017, there have been 66 crashes in the intersection, with 21 of them resulting in injuries.
AMHERST AREA BRIEFS
‘Aardvark Angels’ story time
Start your Christmas season with a special seasonal story time from 1-3 p.m. Sunday at Brownhelm Station Church, 1355 Claus Road, Vermilion.
The event is hosted by the Brownhelm Historical Association, and BHA member Sandra Lingler will read the whimsical story “Hark! The Aardvark Angels Sing” by Teri Sloat. The magical story tells of “aardvark angels” who show up during the holidays to help mail carriers deliver cards and packages. Refreshments will be offered, and the afternoon will close with a few Christmas carols.
The historic German Reformed Church is decorated for the season and a special table
Signal heads that have backplates equipped with retroreflective borders are more visible and conspicuous in both daytime and nighttime conditions.
The bulk of the project is $437,000 in federal funding, according to engineer Veronica Newsome.
The city is required to provide a 10 percent match, and a 100 percent match to construction engineering/ inspection.
In total, the project will cost about $554,700, with the city paying about $117,700.
Lorain previously received $3.6 million from NOACA for repaving work, including Tower Boulevard between Leavitt Road and Oberlin Avenue.
will be set up for children to write a letter to Santa with stationery provided. Letters will be posted in Santa’s mailbox at the church. Winter necessities drive
The EcoLeague students at Marion L. Steele High School are collecting winter necessities for the clients at Genesis House through Nov. 22. Items requested are: new or gently used scarves, gloves, coats and hats. Donations of underwear, socks and pajamas also are needed, new in package.
The collection bin will be located in the front lobby of the school, 450 Washington St., Amherst. — from staff reports
BRUCE BISHOP / COMMUNITY GUIDE
BRUCE BISHOP / COMMUNITY GUIDE
Driving and walking near Leavitt Road and Tower Boulevard is dangerous.
County postpones vote on Oberlin annexation
City already owns the land in Pittsfield that it wants to annex
Owen MacMillan The Chronicle-Telegram
ELYRIA — The Lorain County Board of Commissioners decided to hold off voting on approval for Oberlin to annex 142 of the 212 acres it owns in Pittsfield Township.
In 2022, Oberlin bought 212 acres of vacant farmland south of U.S. 20 and west of state Route 5 in Pittsfield for $2.4 million from Eric and Lori McConnell.
It is not clear what Oberlin plans to do with the land.
The decision to delay the vote came after several Pittsfield residents and one township trustee voiced their concerns about the proposal and requested it be postponed last week.
According to Oberlin Law Director John Clark and Chief Assistant Lorain County Prosecutor Dan Petticord, the board’s legal counsel, said that because the land sought for annexation is already owned by Oberlin and is contiguous — connected — to the city, the commissioners are legally required to approve the annexation within 30 days receiving the proposal.
“The reality is that the law in the state of Ohio favors incorporated areas at the expense of unincorporated areas,” Petticord said. “We struggle with this, this Board struggles with this, for the 12 years I’ve been here. But the law is brutal … and it does not give you (the Board of Commissioners) a lot of opportunities for options here.”
Pittsfield Township trustee Andrew Lake, who was recently appointed to the post, said that the township administration and residents needed time to understand Oberlin’s plan and how it would impact their community. He requested a 90-day postponement of the vote.
Lake said the postponement was warranted because he and Mark Deidrick were both appointed to serve as trustees during the annexation application process.
“By virtue of the situation, it created a unique circumstance where Pittsfield effectively had no representation in some of those proceedings,” Lake said.
The third trustee, Mark McConnell did not participate in discussions related to the annexation because he has a contract to farm the land.
But, after Pittsfield residents spoke at the commissioners’ meeting on Friday morning and requested the vote be pushed back, commissioners President Jeff Riddell asked Clark if he would consider delaying the reading.
“Do you have the ability to consider an extension, as we’ve heard, to defer past today to allow time of some agreeable time for the Township Trustees to sit down and go over the situation so they can address the concerns of their constituents?” Riddell said.
Clark initially asked the commissioners to proceed with the annexation, as it was just the second of three annexations that would be needed for Oberlin to annex the entire 212 acres it acquired in Pittsfield Township.
“I am not agreeable to a long extension,” Clark said. “If you want to continue it to the next meeting (Tuesday), I would be agreeable to that, if that helps in any way.”
Commissioner Dave Moore, who won reelection earlier this week, said that if the vote were held on Friday he would vote no.
“I’m just saying, I hear they (Pittsfield Township trustees and residents) need some time, I’m hearing you’re gonna go in a week, they
want 90 days, I don’t like what I’m hearing, so I’m not happy with what I have to do today.”
It was finally agreed to delay the vote to its Nov. 19 meeting.
Clark said that the city was willing to work with the township and discuss the possibility of bringing the property under an existing annexation agreement, which could see Pittsfield Township receive a portion of the benefit from the development.
Daniel Clark, a former president of the Pittsfield Township Historical Society, said that he felt the annexation would harm the township’s rural character.
“Oberlin is pushing forward with plans to industrialize and commercialize our peaceful rural community, plans they are describing as agreeable without once sitting down with their neighbors to discuss their intent,” Clark said. “This feels in many ways like an invasion.”
Fellow resident Joyce Snyder shared a similar fear, saying that Oberlin had already annexed and developed other land nearby.
“They are now requesting further annexation with no clear communication on their intentions,” Snyder said. “Rumors suggest that they plan to transform this land into an industrial park, or other developments that would forever alter the peaceful nature of our community.”
Lake said that in talking with residents, he found that most of them were opposed to the proposal, but only, he said, because they did not know what was happening.
“The primary request is time to wrap our brains about what is going on,” Lake said. “We want our voices heard, we want proper representation in the process and we want our community to be protected.”
Contact Owen MacMillan at (440) 329-7123 or omacmillan@chroniclet.com.
A mural, painted by volunteers with the Elyria Arts Council on the side of a shipping container at the Friendship APL of Lorain County in Elyria, was celebrated Saturday with a small ceremony.
Painting paws
Dave O’Brien
The Community Guide
Temple gives to food pantry in Oberlin
The Community Guide
The congregation of the Temple B’Nai Abraham in Elyria has donated its time and more than $2,000 to Oberlin Community Services in the form of food and direct funding.
According to a news release sent Friday, the members of the Jewish temple in Elyria come together twice a year and choose a charity to support, as a part of what they call “tikkun olam,” which in English means “repairing the world.”
This time, the congregants selected Oberlin Community Services, which operates the county’s largest food pantry and also provides emergency funds to residents facing evictions and utility disconnections.
“We felt their programs make a major impact in the community for those who might have nowhere else to turn,” Temple Board Member Dave Steigman said in the release.
“We wanted to help Oberlin Community Services provide food and other services for those in need. The most common situation they face involves families who come one time to get help because of a temporary hardship.”
Temple members raised more than $2,000 for OCS and also spent time at Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio packing boxes of food which were sent out to residents through the nonprofit.
FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS
Oberlin Community Services has provided food or other support to 2,556 households, and put meals in front of 7,691 people.
According to the release, Community Services has provided food or other support to 2,556 households, and put meals in front of 7,691 people.
“Keeping families housed, warm, healthy, and safe is a top priority,” Kathy Burns, client services coordinator for Oberlin Community Services, said in the release.
“The last thing we want is to see people sitting in the dark, or with no running water, or evicted from their homes. No one should have to endure that.”
Community Services Executive Director Margie Flood said the organization is only able to carry out its work because of support from local organizations like B’Nai Abraham.
“We are able to do the work because we have wonderful support from people who truly care about their neighbors,” she said in a release.
“They understand we are all stronger when we help each other.”
The Friendship Animal Protective League of Lorain County on Saturday held a brief ceremony and celebration to thank volunteers from the Elyria Arts Council who transformed an old shipping container into a colorful animal mural and piece of public art.
The 40-foot container, used for storage, sits outside the Friendship APL facility at 8303 Murray Ridge Road. It was a labor of love for volunteers, organizers of the project said.
“This was our heart,” said Anne Jesse, program director at Elyria Arts Council, her voice breaking with emotion.
She recalled how much work was involved: The container first had to be stripped of rust so it could then be primed and painted.
Jesse said as she worked on the project, she thought of beloved animals she had lost.
Twenty-six volunteer painters, many of whom have animals of their own, helped with the project.
Friendship APL Executive Director Greg Willey said in his travels around Northeastern Ohio, he saw graffiti in public places and thought “I would love to have something more artistic” than just the container as it was.
Willey praised the dedication, love, passion and commitment of the volunteer artists for “taking a thing so ugly and making something so beautiful.”
He said that’s just like what Friendship APL does with sick, injured and neglected animals that come to the facility. They come in neglected, “and you take them and make them
Willey said.
Oberlin weekday community meals, 5-5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at 162 S. Main St., Oberlin. Walk-up meals are distributed from the big red building behind the church; drive-thru meals from the Morgan Street parking lot. Free senior lunch bunch, beginning at noon every fourth Tuesday of the month at Cornerstone UMC, 2949 West River Road. N., Elyria. Ely Stadium drive-thru mobile pantry, 4-5:30 p.m. Wednesday at Ely Stadium, 1915 Middle Ave., Elyria. Call (440) 960-2265 for more information.
Well-Help food pantry, 10 a.m. to noon every Monday through Friday, 127 Park Place, Wellington. Call (440) 647-2689. Sandstone Community Church food pantry, 9-10:30 a.m. Monday through Thursday, 201 W. Main St., South Amherst. Call (440) 986-2461. Firelands school district and/or Amherst residents only.
Oberlin Community Services drive-up service, 1:30-4:30 p.m. Wednesdays, 500 E. Lorain St., Oberlin. Indoor choice pantry 1:30-4:30 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays and 1:30-3:30 p.m. each Friday. Call (440) 774-6579.
Brookside High School drivethru mobile pantry, 4:30-6 p.m. Nov. 20 at Brookside High School, 1662 Harris Road, Sheffield. Call (440) 960-2265 for more information.
LCCC Thanksgiving drive-thru mobile pantry, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 23 at Lorain County Community College, 1005 Abbe Road, Elyria. Income-eligible community members must preregister at shfb.link/turkey2024. Info at (440)
PHOTO PROVIDED
Volunteers from the Temple B’Nai Abraham in Elyria pack boxes of donated food for delivery through Oberlin Community Services.
VETERANS DAY 2024
Vets urged to keep serving
ELYRIA — In an intimate Vet-
erans Day ceremony Monday, the American Legion Post 12 in Elyria honored the sacrifices of its own and all who have served.
Guest speaker Jacob Smith, Lorain County Veterans Services Committee executive director, said that though most of those who were present for the ceremony had taken off their uniforms long ago, they could find new ways to continue to serve.
“We can find a charge for our future in that past,” Smith said. “Where we once served in uniform to expand freedom’s frontier, we can continue serving our fellow veterans and our nation by committing ourselves to better our communities and posts.”
He said that an important part of that service was bringing fellow veterans who had drifted away or never joined their local veterans
service organization into their halls and posts.
Smith said membership of the Veterans of Foreign Wars organization had dropped from a high of 2 million in 1992 to just 1.4 million in the present day.
Some of this decrease, he said, was a simple reduction of the number of eligible members, but it was also because many younger veterans saw the posts as simply a social club — a place to “sit in an old bar to drink cheap beer” — rather than a source of crucial support.
“It’s up to us, the members of these VSOs, to ensure that future generations of veterans understand why veterans coming together is needed today more than ever,”
Smith said. That message was getting out in recent years, Smith added, as the membership of the VFW has rebounded by 300,000 members since 2019.
In addition to Smith’s guest speaker appearance, members of the
American Legion also spoke and dedicated the ceremony.
The crowd also somberly listened to “In Flanders Fields,” a poem written by Canadian physician, poet and soldier John McCrae about his experiences fighting in Belgium during World War I.
McCrae wrote the poem after the death of his friend, and it is often read at Veterans Day events across the world, though the day is mostly called Remembrance Day throughout the rest of the English-speaking world.
The date of Veterans Day is set in commemoration of the signing of the armistice which ended the First World War, which was signed at 11:11 a.m. on Nov. 11, 1918. Its name was changed to Veterans Day in the U.S. in 1954 to honor all American veterans.
Contact Owen MacMillan at (440) 3297123 or omacmillan@chroniclet.com.
Owen MacMillan
The Community Guide
Alberts Fresh Market in Grafton will use a village grant to help it build a pharmacy, something the village has been without since the closure of Rite Aid this year.
Grafton Village Council voted last week to approve a $100,000 grant for the project, the maximum amount allowed through the program.
“When this grant was made available, I realized by no means would it pay for all of what we need to
do— we’re talking large sums of money — but this definitely enabled us to move forward and get this accomplished,” Ralph Pence, the owner of Alberts, said on Thursday. Pence, a farmer and businessman, purchased the grocery formerly known as the Grafton Food Center and then Sparkle Market in 2023, with plans to renovate it to better meet the community’s needs.
He said that he decided a full-service pharmacy needed to be a part of that plan when it was an-
nounced that the Grafton Rite Aid would close, leaving the village and surrounding area with no pharmacy.
“I live in our community, our farm is about a mile south of town, why do we have to go to neighboring communities to buy anything?” Pence said.
“We should be able to be self-sufficient in our own community. That’s when I realized that I need to put a pharmacy in our store in some fashion. So I began the hunt and said this has got to happen.”
Firelands talks budget, failure of levy
Its 1,700 students come from Brownhelm, Camden, Florence, Henrietta, New Russia and South Amherst townships
Carissa Woytach The Community Guide
At its first meeting since its income tax levy failed on Nov. 5, Firelands Board of Education members looked toward an uncertain fiscal future for the rural district.
Firelands Schools had hoped voters in Lorain and Erie counties would back a 1 percent earned income tax to fund district operations. Voters rejected the income tax, with more than 62 percent of voters against the issue, compared to about 37 percent in favor, according to unofficial election results.
Firelands Schools has just over 1,700 students dispersed between Brownhelm, Camden, Florence, Henrietta, New Russia and South Amherst townships.
Board members heard an update to the schools’ five-year forecast, which still projected the district to spend against its cash balance through 2029.
Though Firelands Schools is projected to deficit spend during the next five years, it is not projected to totally deplete its cash reserve.
The district has a roughly $23 million budget for the current school year.
Treasurer Keri Angney said fiscal year 2024 ended with the district spending about $170,000 against its cash balance, a vast improvement from the $1.3 million it had projected in its May forecast.
That financial boon, Angney said, was primarily from “unpredictable” revenue sources, like a larger reimbursement from the state for special education costs, and its investments earning more than expected.
The updated forecast still shows Firelands expenses outpacing revenue by as much as $4.9 million by 2029, but she said there are some revenues not included — such as income from the Nexus Pipeline. Those numbers are not yet available, she said.
With the failure of Firelands’ income tax,
The pharmacy will be built from the ground up inside the existing footprint of Alberts, and its construction will be accompanied by a revamp of the entire store including new fridges, cases and a fresh layout.
Pence said that the new pharmacy will provide the same services as a full pharmacy like CVS or Walgreens. It will also have a drive-thru.
“We’ll build this from scratch (and) we will be putting in a new drive-thru to make it as convenient.”
Superintendent Mike Von Gunten said the district has decisions to make. He noted Firelands Schools was far from alone in seeing a levy go down last Tuesday.
Only about 25 percent of the schools that asked for new money in Ohio saw passage this election cycle, he said.
In Lorain County, the only school issue to pass was Columbia’s 2-mill renewal levy.
Board members discussed whether to put an issue to voters on the May primary or wait until next November.
Aside from how the timing may impact voters’ temperaments, Von Gunten noted the campaign fund only has about $5,000. Its push for the income tax saw the campaign — which is separate from school funds — spent about $30,000, he said.
Board President Tom Myers said the numbers in its five-year forecast “are not pretty,” but questioned if voters’ views on the issue would change by May.
Board member Daniel Pycraft agreed, adding homeowners will not see their new property tax costs until January.
Discussion centered largely on how much budget cuts should be, and when they should start.
Board member Myles Bremke suggested $200,000 in cuts starting Jan. 1, then another $1.5 million to $2 million on the table for the 2025-26 school year.
Vice-President Ellen Gundersen agreed at looking at cuts for this year.
“I’m going to tell you, that’s not going to happen,” Von Gunten said. He said the district is already down two teachers, an administrator and an aide — all positions that will remain unfilled — and reminded board members that whatever number they give for him to cut, more than 80 percent will come out of personnel.
BRUCE BISHOP / COMMUNITY GUIDE
Sam Wolfe, the commander of the American Legion Post 12 in Elyria, listens Monday during the Veterans Day event at the Post in Elyria. Memorial wreathes came from various organizations.
Owen MacMillan The Community Guide
BRUCE BISHOP / COMMUNITY GUIDE
Jim Hasko, a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Honor Guard, waves a flag in the parade Monday at Northwood Elementary and Middle School complex in Elyria.
Send sports news to news@lcnewspapers.com. Deadline for all submissions is 10 a.m. each Monday. Printed as space is available.
SHOOTING HOOPS AT THE RENOVATED BOYS & GIRLS CLUB GYM
Autumn Johnson, 10, at left, chases down a ball on the recently renovated court at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio’s Elyria South club gym.
At right, Amar’e Johnson, 5, lines up to take a shot after Friday’s ribbon-cutting for the newly renovated gym at 1821 Middle Ave. in Elyria. Coca-Cola Co., ABARTA Coca-Cola Beverages and Giant Eagle contributed to the renovation, which included a new floor, baskets, striping and logos, according to a news release. The project was coordinated by Boys & Girls Clubs of America and launched in conjunction with the NCAA Women’s Final Four in Cleveland.
Running for a cause
U.S. Army and National Guard veterans Eric Manicsic, of Lorain, and Travis Ackley, of Amherst, wear their packs in the third annual “Race to End Veterans Suicide” on Saturday.
Manicsic and Ackley served together in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kosovo and ran the race together for friends they knew who struggled after returning home from service.
All all-stars play for fun
James Brady
The Community Guide
AVON LAKE — The annual Lorain County Volleyball Coaches Association All-Star Games had a new look Monday night at Avon Lake High School. For the first time, every senior across Lorain County was invited to play, giving fans plenty of action to watch with four matches. Two of the matches featured Divisions I, II and III schools and the others were Divisions IV-VII.
In the first big-school game, Team (Shana) Miocinovic, comprised of players from Avon Lake and North Ridgeville, swept Team (Paige) Pileski, made up of players from Elyria and Lorain, winning 25-11, 2521, 15-9.
Elyria’s Morgan Palos led her team with seven kills and a block-kill, while Avon Lake’s Lilly Rice led everyone with 13 kills and
added a couple of aces for good measure. The second big-school match was an old-fashioned Southwestern Conference showdown.
Team (Kara) Coffman was initially comprised of all six players from Division II state semifinalist Avon, but Avon Lake’s Rachel Meyer, the 2024 Miss Volleyball, filled in for Thea Beran, who was unable to play.
Team Coffman also came up with a sweep, beating Team (Felicia) Sanchez that featured players from Amherst and North Ridgeville 25-23, 25-13, 15-11.
For Avon’s Sam Thomas, it was one last chance to step on the floor and add one more memory to a record-breaking year.
“This was so fun getting to be on the floor for the first time since Thursday night (state semifinal loss to Anthony Wayne) and be with my friends, it was emotional,” said Thomas,
who had a match-high 10 kills. “There was no pressure, no record to worry about. This was a cool experience.”
Amherst’s Victoria Venable echoed many of the sentiments.
“It was a great way to end off the season and our
senior year as teammates,” said Venable, who had a team-high eight kills. “It was such a fun time getting to play with some different girls and against some girls we have seen so many times over the years.”
One of the matches of the smaller schools saw Team
(Laurie) Cogan — made up of Elyria Catholic, Vermilion and Oberlin players — come up with a 25-14, 2519, 15-11 sweep of Team (Kelsey) Genuracos, which was filled with players from Columbia, Firelands and Wellington. The other small-school match was the
BRUCE BISHOP / COMMUNITY GUIDE
only one that wasn’t a sweep. Team (Jeff) Schaef comprised of players from Elyria Catholic, Keystone, Oberlin and Wellington came away with a 22-25, 25-23, 10-3 win over Team (Kim) Lehr, which featured girls from Black River,
Avon’s Ally Urban gets a dig Monday during the Lorain County Volleyball Coaches Association All-Star Games at Avon Lake High School.
DAVID RICHARD / COMMUNITY GUIDE
KRISTIN BAUER / COMMUNITY GUIDE
“Marines Toys for Tots” drive begins
Join Tom Orlando, the Lorain County Clerk of Court, and his staff in supporting their 10th annual “Marines Toys for Tots” toy drive at all of the Clerk of Courts locations throughout the county.
There are “Toys for Tots” donation boxes in rooms 105, 106, and 108 of the Clerk of Courts’ Legal Division departments located on the first floor of the Lorain County Justice Center in Elyria, and at the Auto Title and Passport Offices in Elyria and Lorain.
Please consider donating unwrapped toys for children ages infant to 17 years. Donated toys will be accepted through Dec. 6.
For more info, visit loraincountyohio.gov/clerk.
Brownhelm Station Church to hold open house
Hear a whimsical story, “Hark! The Aardvark Angels Sing” by Teri Sloat, read by Brownhelm Historical member, Sandra Lingler at the old German Reformed Church building that will be decorated for Christmas from 1- 3 p.m. Sunday. “Aardvark angels” are mail carriers who deliver cards and gifts during the busy holiday time.
There will also be a special table for children to use to write letters to Santa, refreshments and Christmas carols. North Pointe Ballet to perform ‘Nutcracker’ North Point Ballet will perform “The Nutcracker” Dec. 13-15 at the Lorain Palace Theatre, 617 Broadway Ave, Lorain. Shows will be at 7 p.m. all three days with 2 p.m. matinees on Saturday and Sunday.
The company’s production of the holiday classic is an imaginative staging unlike you’ve ever seen before. For more info, visit northpointeballet.org/nutcracker.
Workshop Players back to ’40s for Christmas
The year is 1943 and the Feddington Players are geared up to present their contemporary take on Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.”
Performances are today, Friday, Saturday and Nov. 21, 22, 23 at 7:30 p.m. with 3 p.m. matinees on November Sunday and Nov. 24 at 3 p.m. Doors open 45 minutes before show time.
Tickets, which are $18.50, are available at workshopplayers.org or by calling the box office: (440) 634-0472.
Pittsfield church to sell pies; walk in to get You’ve tasted the pies at its dinners.
Now you can have one at your own Thanksgiving dinner but you’ll have to pick it up.
There are no pre-orders.
Assorted pies will be available available from 5-7 p.m. on Nov. 26 at Pittsfield Community Church, 17026 state Route 58, Wellington.
THANKSGIVING
BULLETIN BOARD
Donate toys, food in LaGrange
The Keystone Empowers You (KEY) collaborative is hosting its first ever food and toy drive two days a week at two walk-in locations through Nov. 27.
The food will be donated to Our Lady Queen of Peace church in Grafton. The toys will be donated to the LaGrange Lions Club.
Bring non-perishable food items or new, unwrapped toys Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6-8 p.m. at Keystone Elementary School, 531 Opportunity Way, Lagrange; or Mondays through Thursdays from 9-19:30 a.m. at LaGrange Village Hall, 301 Liberty Street, LaGrange.
Wellington Kiwanis to hear talk on Browns Veteran Cleveland Browns’ beat reporter Fred Greetham will be the featured speaker at Wellington Kiwanis Club’s evening meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Wellington Fire District, 202 Kelly St. Greetham, a Wellington resident, is one of the longest tenured beat reporters covering the Browns, starting in 1982. He left for seven years to teach and coach in Arizona and returned in 1989 to be the editor of Browns News/Illustrated until 1995 when the team moved to Baltimore.
He covered the team when it returned in 1999 for Clevelandbrowns.com and then to Fox Sports Ohio/The Orange and Brown Report in 2002 and has been there since.
Greetham serves as an analyst for WTAM AM 1100, including the Wills and Snyder morning show, the Bloomdaddy Show afternoon drive show and the “Countdown to Kickoff” show prior to Browns’ games.
A social gathering will be held at 5:30 p.m. with refreshments. The meeting is open to the public. Reservations requested; email wellingtonkiwanis@yahoo.com. IX’s ‘Christmas Connection’ next weekend
This year’s Christmas Connection will be Nov. 22-24 at the IX Center, One IX Center Drive, Cleveland. Tickets are $14; kids 12 and under free.
Hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 22; 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 23 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 24.
The seasonal tradition features artisan gifts and décor from more than 550 vendor, a Tinseltown Train area, model trains and SantaLand. More info at jhickin@engageadcom.com or (216) 5749100.
Genealogical research to be meeting topic
Kathleen Webb, MLS, will present a research method in genealogy called One Place Study using research done on the Mustcash area in Erie County.
Kathleen is a member of Firelands Genealogical Society, Sandusky County Genealogical Society and Ohio Genealogical Society.
The Firelands Genealogical Society meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Nov. 25 at 7 p.m. at Laning-Young Research Center, 9 Case Ave., Norwalk. Refreshments will be served.
K of C to present program on suicide
The Knights of Columbus will present the award-winning-author Lori Best Yeager, who founded “The Hope for B.E.S.T = Be the End to Silent Thoughts,” to discuss suicide awareness Thursday at 7 p.m. at Ragan Hall, 1783 Moore Road, Avon.
Best will talk about dealing with the suicide of her triplet brother. Her nonprofit raises awareness about the many mental health struggles that people have and focuses on guiding youth through the complexities of life while suffering alone in the battlefield of daily silent thoughts. She believes that healing begins when silence ends, and one conversation can be the spark that brings hope to someone’s life. The nonprofit conducts events and outreaches to raise mental health awareness, suicide prevention and generate support for school programs.
HIV/AIDS symposium at Allen Art Museum
The Allen Memorial Art Museum at Oberlin College will bring together artists, activists, and historians who expand conventional narratives around Christianity to a symposium Friday and Saturday.
It is being held in conjunction with the exhibition “The Body, the Host: HIV/AIDS and Christianity.” It will feature a newly-commissioned performance by the Oberlin Dance Department as well as musical interludes.
There will be free HIV testing from from 10–5 Saturday provided by the Central Outreach Wellness Center’s mobile testing van. No appointments necessary. Register and get more info at https://amam.oberlin.edu/
FUNDRAISERS
raffle, silent auction and Santa Claus. Call Cathy at (440) 420-7922 for presale tickets and more information.
cookie walk, 10 a.m. to noon Dec. 7 at Community of Faith U.C.C., 9715 East River Road, Elyria. Cookies cost $10 per pound and boxes are provided. Call (440) 322-3781 for more information. Christmas sausage sale, noon to 2 p.m. Dec. 14 at the Community of Faith UCC, 9715 East River Road, Elyria. Order quantities are available in one- or
Greetham
Valuable Headlines
Je Schinkel,Graphics Vol. 40,No. 50
The number code belowassignsa value to everyletterofthe alphabet. Figureout the“value”ofaheadline in the newspaper. Then seeifyou can find another headline with a higher value.
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Canyou findthe lettersthatspell the word SUBSCRIPTIONonone page of the newspaper?Circle each letterthen connect theletters in the order thatspells S-U-B-S-C-R-I-P-T-I-O-N. Colorinthe design made by the lines. Word Game
Just forLaughs
by acting out the comic strips for family and friends
Find Happy
Lookthrough the newspaper forwords and pictures that show what is,in your opinion, an exampleof: •ahappy word •ahappy picture •ahappy person •ahappy group •ahappy occasion
Find thewords by looking up, down, backwards, forwards,
Work with afamily member to put the parts of thisstory in the correct order
Rockstar Reader
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Herstorycaughtthe attention of CarlaHayden, the 14th Librarian of Congress.
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Daliyah with Carla Hayden at the LibraryofCongress