Lorain County Community Guide - Feb. 9, 2023

Ballot set for May primary in Lorain County

The list of candidates and issues are set for the May primary elections in Lorain County after the filing deadline passed at 4 p.m. Wednesday.

Voters in Amherst, Avon Lake, Elyria, Lorain, North Ridgeville and Sheffield Lake have candidates on

the ballot, as do voters in the Avon Lake and Elyria municipal court districts. There are 10 issues on the ballot in May. Lorain County Board of Elections Director Paul Adams said those wishing to vote in the May 2 primary must be registered to vote by April 3.

Early, in-person absentee voting for the May primary begins April 4.

Invacare files for bankruptcy

said Geoff Purtill, Invacare’s president and CEO.

The board of elections will certify petitions and give numbers to ballot issues at a meeting on Feb. 9. Amherst Democrats Becky Harmych and Nicole Janik will face off in the May primary for the Ward 2 City Council seat. The winner will go on to face Republican Jerry Gach in November.

Incumbent Ward 2

Councilman Ed Cowger, a Republican, is not seeking reelection.

He said Wednesday that his job is taking up more and more time and he didn’t think it was fair to Amherst citizens for him to run behind for meetings or not show up on time.

“So if I can’t be 100 percent, I don’t want to be a zero percent,” Cowger said. “I want to be able to

give my all and if I can’t, I want someone else to.”

Cowger, who served 16 or 17 years total on Amherst City Council in two stints, didn’t rule out a future council run.

“If things change at my full-time job and are back under control, I’m not saying you won’t see my name back on there or not,” he said.

Races set to be de-

cided in November are in Ward 1 and Ward 4, with incumbent Councilman Brian Dembinski, D-Ward 1, facing Republican challenger Kevin Delong and incumbent Councilwoman Stephanie Smith Pinskey, D-Ward 4, facing Republican challenger Matthew Nahorn.

The incumbents running unopposed are Mayor

Students buzz through Spelling Bee

ELYRIA — The Invacare Corp. announced Wednesday it has filed for bankruptcy protection in a move that is expected to reduce its net debt by 65 percent.

In a news release from the medical equipment manufacturer and distributor, company officials said they have entered into a restructuring support agreement with its debt holder in a move Invacare says will reduce its debt balance and provide additional cash flow to invest for future growth.

The agreement was filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas and does not impact Invacare’s global operations.

“The actions announced today mark a big step forward for Invacare. Having the full support of our secured term loan lender and a majority of our convertible noteholders will enable the prearranged filings to proceed efficiently,”

“The company expects to emerge with significantly less debt on its balance sheet and will secure additional liquidity to support long-term growth. Global demand is strong, and by increasing our financial flexibility we will be able to focus on continuing to design, manufacture and distribute products that help make life’s experiences possible. We have a clear vision for the future, and we are working expeditiously towards our goals.”

Upon emerging from Chapter 11, the company said it expects to be in a stronger financial position.

“Invacare has the right leadership, vision and the financial commitment from the sponsorship group to succeed, and we are confident that this Chapter 11 process will result in a comprehensive recapitalization transaction that will not only stabilize liquidity but also de-lever the balance sheet and better position Invacare for future

INVACARE PAGE A2

BRUCE BISHOP | Oberlin News-Tribune

TOP: Marcus Ploenzke, who finished third in the Langston Spelling Bee, with the overall winner Hailey Petzak. Hailey, a sixth grader at Langston Middle School, cannot move on to the next round of the countywide spelling bee because participants must be in seventh grade.

RIGHT: Overall Langston Middle School Spelling Bee winner Hailey Petzak with second place finisher Jesse Canterbury as the spelling bee official congratulates her and talks about Hailey’s return next year when she will be eligible to go to the countywide spelling bee.

OBERLIN — Oberlin’s Langston Middle School held its inaugural spelling bee Jan. 31. Langston Middle School English teacher Margo Fox organized the event, which was held to determine which students would move onto the preliminary round of the Lorain County Spelling Bee later this spring.

“We wanted to open our event to all of our middle school students,” Fox said in a news release. “The event is a great opportunity to have our students speak in front of an audience; and it allows them to showcase their knack for spelling words. I am so proud of all the students who took the time and effort to study the words for our very first spelling bee.” The Bee’s overall winner was sixth grader Hailey Petzak. Hailey cannot

move onto the next round because participants in the county-wide bee must be in seventh grade.

Second-place winner Jesse Canterbury will move on, alongside Jayvier Smallwood, Marcus Ploenzke and Sylvia Nisky. The 39th annual Educational Service Center of Lorain County and The Chronicle-Telegram Spelling Bee will be held at 6 p.m. March 9 at Avon Middle School.

DAVE O’BRIEN THE CHRONICLE-TELEGRAM

Forrest E. Williams

September 19, 1945 -

January 28, 2023

Forrest E. Williams ‘Dr. Joe,’ was called home to his Lord and Savior on Saturday, January 28, 2023. He was at home with his family by his side under the excellent care of Hospice services.

Joe touched the lives and hearts of so many throughout his life. He was born in Denver, Colorado and raised in Wellington, the son of Wilbur and Evelyn Williams and was the second of six children.

He graduated from Wellington High School with the class of 1963. After high school, Joe pursued his medical career in the U.S. Air Force, where he met his wife, Marlene Benham. Following 20 years in the service, the family moved to Bingham, Maine where they lived for six years until they moved back to Ludlow, Vermont, where he worked as a Physician’s Assistant at both Chester and Ludlow Family Medicine. Joe was known for his genuine compassion for all of his patients as well as his dedication to his faith, family, and friends.

His passion for the outdoors was prominent and was passed on to all of his grandchildren. If you didn’t see him in the office, you could find him fishing on a lake or sitting on a stump in the woods.

Joe is survived by the love of his life of 56 years, Marlene Williams; two daughters, Jolana Washburn and Julie Hance; two sons-in-law, Scott Washburn and Jeffrey Hance; four grandchildren, Jacob Washburn, Rebekah Washburn, Meekah Hance, and Kagan Hance; two sisters, Annalee (Dick) Vernon and Kay Herrick; three brothers, Dan (Karla) Williams, John (Susie) Williams, and Mark (Carol) Williams; several nieces and nephews, and his brothers and sisters in Christ from Ludlow Baptist Church.

The funeral was at Ludlow Baptist Church on Saturday, February 4, 2023.

Knights of Columbus

AVON — The FBI’s Cybersecurity Program will give a presentation at the Knights of Columbus at 7 p.m. Feb. 16 at Ragan Hall, 1783 Moore Rd, Avon, by Special Agent Jeffery P. Kassouf.

Kassouf has 20 years of experience involving complex financial fraud, counterintelligence and cyber investigations and is in the Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch (CCRSB) Division in the FBI’s Cleveland Field Office. His talk will include the types of cyber investigations the public normally may encounter, along with ways to be aware and protect yourself from a cyber threat from criminal actors.

Please RSVP by Feb. 13 to rudybreglia@gmail.com.

Snacks and refreshments will be served. Public is welcome

PRIMARY

FROM A1

Mark Costilow, a Republican; Law Director Anthony Pecora, a Democrat; and Councilman Jake Wachholz, D-Ward 3.

Ballot issues

Amherst Township: Precinct 3, local option Sunday liquor sales, Whiskeyville Golf Club.

Eaton Township: The township is asking voters to approve a five-year, 2.5-mill replacement levy for fire and EMS service. Mapleton School District: The district, mostly in Ashland County but including a small piece of Rochester Township in southeastern Lorain County, is seeking an additional five-year, 0.75 percent income tax to cover current expenses.

Midview School District: The district is asking for a substitute 10-year, 8.69-mill levy for necessities. Lorain County Board of Developmental Disabilities/ Murray Ridge Center: A five-year, 1.285-mill renewal levy.

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Former state Rep. Dan Ramos dies; remembered for service, advocacy and wit

CARISSA WOYTACH

THE CHRONICLE-TELEGRAM

LORAIN — Former state Rep. Dan Ramos died Saturday. Ramos, 41, was remembered by friends and family Monday as far more than a political pundit, but a man who cared deeply for his city, and the people around him.

The cause of Ramos’ death has not been released.

Lorain County Board of Elections Director Paul Adams had been personal friends with Ramos for nearly 20 years. He said he was overwhelmed when he got a call from Ramos’ father on Saturday.

“He was a true community leader, an advocate for Lorain,” Adams said. “Someone who provided a voice to those people in our community that needed a voice. But most of all, he was my friend, and he was a friend to so many people.”

Ramos started his political career working on his father’s campaigns for the Lorain Board of Education, and from there continued with University Senate at The Ohio State University before moving to statewide roles.

It was through Lorain County Young Democrats that Adams and Ramos met, Adams said. In 2004, Adams took over the presidency of the organization and asked Ramos if he’d like to be vice president.

From there, the pair traveled to state and national meetings, building their friendship along the way.

When Ramos went to Columbus to serve as an aid to state Rep. Joe Koziura, D-Lorain, or a policy analyst in Democratic speaker of the House Armond Budish’s office, they always met up and kept that friendship going.

“He’s one of those friends that … when things get stressful or things get difficult to deal with and you just want to call somebody up and have a beer with them,” Adams said. “That was the kind of person Dan was.”

And when Ramos ran in 2010 to fill Koziura’s state representative seat, Adams, and other friends from Lorain County, supported their longtime friend.

“He was somebody that genuinely understood the intricate workings of the legislature and how to get things done, or how to stop things if he didn’t want them,” Adams said. “But he got that because of all the experience he had before he was even there because he was also a page in the Ohio House. So he had spent a good amount of time learning about the House before he was a state represen-

INVACARE

FROM A1

growth,” said Steven Rosen, CEO of Azurite Management, the largest shareholder of Invacare.

The agreement will be implemented through a reorganization plan that will be filed with the court and provides for a $70 million debtorin-possession term loan financing facility which includes new money funding of $35 million.

Upon approval by the court, the

tative.”

Ramos served as a state representative from 2011 to 2018.

Max Schaefer, executive director of Main Street Lorain, met Ramos about 10 years ago, he said, remembering him as the first local candidate he canvased for in Lorain.

“He was extremely funny,” Schaefer said. “He was probably one of the most quick-witted people I’m friends with. He always had something snappy and perfect if you mentioned something. … If I said something to Paul in a text message thread, Dan would jump right in on it and add to it”

That quick wit often made nods to Ramos’ Puerto Rican and Polish heritage, Schaefer said.

Like Adams, he reminisced on the long weekends their friend group would spend at Put-in-Bay.

Those trips became a staple for a group of young politicians who grew to be an extended family, said Lorain Councilman Cory Shawver, D-at Large.

Those trips started when the Jet Express used to leave out of Lorain, Amherst Councilman Brian Dembinski said.

“He was always making somebody laugh, always acting goofy but in a good way,” Dembinski said.

They’d found a shared interest in “Star Trek,” Dembinski said. Meanwhile, Schaefer remembered going to concerts and comedy shows with Ramos many times.

financing will provide the company with the stability and liquidity needed to continue operations in the ordinary course of business during the reorganization.

Capacity for additional exit financing will be available to the company in the form of two revolving credit facilities with combined availability of up to $70 million.

The company has requested and

Shawver looked back on an annual Risk night every Black Friday, and many a Dyngus Day spent in Gordon Square.

Ramos’ friends remembered his help professionally and personally over the years they’d known him and were still in shock as the news of his passing began circulating through the community.

“I feel like I’m incredibly lucky that he was as close of a personal friend to me,” Schaefer said. “A lot of people know him — you know people from politics because you’re involved … but Paul and Dan are two of my closest friends. And I just feel lucky that I got to spend 10 years with him.”

Lorain County Democratic Chairwoman Sharon Sweda said the entire party was shocked and saddened to hear of Ramos’ passing.

“The party is already feeling that void,” she said.

Ramos’ sister, Diane, said in a statement that her brother “spent his life and career striving to make a difference in the lives of others, and he was truly honored to serve the community he loved.”

She said the family is grateful for the outpouring of support the family has received from those who knew Ramos.

“He was our Danny — caring, smart, funny, lovable Danny,” she said. “He was a part of our world that will never be replaced, and we will love and miss him forever.”

expects the authority to continue payment of employee wages and benefits without interruption, as well as the continued support of its customer programs and product warranties. The company expects operations to continue and to pay its suppliers in the ordinary course of business for all authorized goods delivered and services rendered after the filing date.

BRUCE BISHOP | File

State Representive Dan Ramos talks about the last week of chaos in government during his keynote at the International Festival breakfast at German’s Villa in Vermilion.

SOLUTION TO SUDOKU ON PAGE A

SOLUTION TO CROSSWORD ON PAGE A7

PROVIDED | Amherst News-Times

Taking flight: Amherst’s Haberbusch may change the mini-aircraft game

Mark Haberbusch has always been a dreamer, and his biggest dream is finally taking flight.

Nearly three decades ago, the Case Western Reserve University graduate, who studied fluid and thermal engineering science and designed high-altitude aircraft, had an idea. Haberbusch was cutting his grass at his Amherst home when he stopped and looked up.

“I thought, it would be great to use liquid hydrogen to power small aircrafts and fly out of the Lorain County Regional Airport,” he recalls. “I hoped one day I could do that.”

Today, he is making that dream a reality with the help of local business support organizations, including Lorain County Community College. In 2015, he founded NEOEx, a company combining fuel cell technology and liquid hydrogen to power unmanned aircraft.

Haberbusch had been working on the technology since that day in his yard and thought the time was right.

“It had always been in the back of my mind, but the opportunity never really presented itself until drones became more and more popular,” he said.

On battery power, small drones can typically fly for 60 minutes before needing to recharge, making them less than ideal for commercial applications. But Haberbusch said he knew he could achieve longer flight times with a different power source.

“We could power them with commercial fuel cells, which had started to become more readily available in the marketplace,” he said. “We could combine fuel cells with liquid hydrogen technology and apply it to these aircrafts.”

One year after launching the business, Haberbusch came to the Great Lakes Innovation and Development Enterprise for guidance.

GLIDE helps Northeast

Ohio entrepreneurs wrap sound business practices around great business ideas.

It also runs the Innovation Fund, a pre-seed fund started by the LCCC Foundation that supports local startups to grow the region’s economy and foster job creation.

“GLIDE and the Innovation Fund allowed me to get the prototype started before the customer funding arrived,” Haberbusch said. “I could keep schedule through this critical initial phase.”

Staying on that schedule helped Haberbusch score his first customer – the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – and land his first federal contract. NOAA’s National Weather Service awarded Haberbusch a Small Business Innovation Research grant in 2016 to prove his fuel cell powered flights worked.

The National Weather Service wanted to attach sensors to the aircraft to collect data that would help them produce more accurate forecasts and issue more timely weather warnings.

“They wanted to fly out in front of the hurricane and collect data because that’s really what impacts the models,” Haberbusch said.

“That helps them determine which way the hurricane is going to go and improves the models.”

With NOAA as his customer, Haberbusch conducted hydrogen fuel cell powered flight testing in an aircraft weighing less than 55 pounds, carrying the weather sensing payload. The successful demonstration helped open the door to other potential customers and applications.

“Customers are very interested in staying in the air for a long period of time,” he said. “They want

to do things like package delivery or maybe monitor rip currents.”

Another interest potential customers have had is in the liquid hydrogen that fuels the aircraft — more specifically, where it’s produced and how involved the refueling process is. To answer that question, Haberbusch is working with his second big customer, the United States Air Force.

After proving the need for his technology with the Air Force with a Phase I Small Business Technology Transfer award, Haberbusch is using a $750,000 Phase II award to demonstrate the technology’s refueling capabilities.

“We found a huge gap that the U.S. Air Force identified related to energy distribution,” Haberbusch said. “Now we’re looking forward to the Phase II to do that demonstration and show how we can not only make the fuel locally, but we can actually fly these kinds of missions they are looking for.”

To help him complete the demonstration, Haberbusch hired three Ohio college interns, including an LCCC student who received workbased learning credit for their time.

Haberbusch said he’s starting small – testing the refueling system on aircraft that hold less than a gallon of liquid hydrogen – and then scaling. Even the biggest dreams must start somewhere. A visit to the Wright Brothers National Memorial in North Carolina confirmed that thought.

“When you look at how far they flew in those first couple of flights you think, that’s not very far,” Haberbusch said. “But it was so important to take that first flight. We want to be pioneers when it comes to flying with liquid hydrogen.”

Amherst entrepreneur Mark Haberbusch is using patented liquid hydrogen technology to fuel mini aircraft.

LEIGH KEETON

LORAIN COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE

“It had always been in the back of my mind, but the opportunity never really presented itself until drones became more and more popular.”

MARK HABERBUSCH

Provided photos Amherst fifth-graders performed their 2023 band concert Monday, Jan. 23 at Marion L. Steele High School, showcasing their talents for family and friends. The entire concert can be viewed at www. tinyurl.com/Amherst 5thBand.

Absolute Machine Tools turns to LCCC

LEIGH KEETON LORAIN COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE

ELYRIA — If anyone says manufacturing is a trade of the past, they’ll be met with an emphatic “absolutely not” from David Zunis.

He’s director of service and applications engineering at Absolute Machine Tools in Lorain, which has been importing and selling CNC machinery for 35 years. Recently, the company has been forecasting the future of the industry and ramping up its turnkey automation and robotics departments. And they’re doing so, in part, to fill holes in the workforce.

“We’re pressing more and more toward automation because the people just aren’t there. We’re not replacing jobs, we’re filling vacancies,” Zunis said. “And when you’re into the automation and robotics world, you still need people to fix and program the robots.”

To keep pace with advances in automation and ensure employees have the skillsets needed, Zunis said Absolute Machine Tools has turned to its long-standing training partner, Lorain County Community College.

“We rely on LCCC to bring our workforce up to speed with the skillsets that we need in today’s manufacturing world,” Zunis said. “You need good math skills, good cognitive abilities. You have to understand data.”

The company had a hand in designing the college’s latest automated equipment focused program. Zunis represented Absolute Machine Tools among a host of local employers that helped design the curriculum of LCCC’s bachelor of applied science degree in smart industrial automated systems engineering technology.

LCCC launched the program in Fall 2022 in response to the rapid development of disruptive technologies that are shaping advanced manufacturing in Northeast Ohio. It’s the second bachelor of applied science degree launched by LCCC, and it stacks with LCCC’s associate of applied science degree in automation engineering technology.

“It actually blows my mind that we have a community college offering a four-year degree program within its ranks,” Zunis said.

One of the program’s earliest students is Emily Graven of Lorain. The 19-year-old is an automation engineer at Absolute Machine Tools. She started with the company as an intern while attending the Lorain County JVS and now Zunis sees her as someone who can help drive the company’s future.

“Emily is learning stuff that we are literally in the middle of working on right now with our customers,” Zunis said. “She’s learning exactly what we need her to learn, so it’s immediate payback.”

Graven grew up with an appreciation for the trades and knew from the time she was 10 that she wanted a handson career.

“A lot of my family is in the automotive trade,” Graven said. “I would watch my dad and my brother work on a motor and then put it in a car, and now that car’s running. I thought that was pretty cool.”

After touring the precision machine technology lab at the JVS, Graven said it opened her eyes to the possibilities in machining. She also took part in LCCC’s Career Technical Education Partnership Program with Lorain County JVS and received college credit for two classes. By her junior year, Graven landed her internship with Absolute Machine Tools.

“At that point, I didn’t know that I wanted to do robotics,” Graven recalled. “I didn’t know what automation was.”

But as Graven learned more, she began to see how automation would expand within the company, along with the entire manufacturing industry.

Zunis said the department’s growth over the past four years was a result of its strategic planning.

Wellington Kiwanis Club annual Pancake Day is returning to its normal February timetable and is set for Friday, Feb. 17 at the Wellington Eagles Hal, 631 S. Main St. The past two years the event was held in April due to the pandemic.

The club will serve from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and then reopen from 4 to 7 p.m. Pre-sale tickets are $6 and can be purchased at

Bremke Insurance, 104 S. Main St.; Fifth-Third Bank, 161 E. Herrick Ave., or the Office on Aging on the third floor of the Town Hall. Meals are $4 for children 8 and under. Tickets purchased at the door will be $7. Take-out service will be offered.

Arrangements to purchase tickets can be made by email at wellingtonkiwanis@yahoo.com or at www.wellingtonohkiwan-

is.org.

Proceeds support Wellington Kiwanis’ service leadership programs – the Wellington High School Key Club, McCormick Middle School’s Builders Club and Westwood Elementary School’s K-Kids. It also supports Kiwanis’ scholarship program and the club’s newest effort, raising funds for community playground equipment.

Tickets are also available at the same locations for the sixth annual State

of Wellington breakfast, scheduled for Thursday, March 23 at the Wellington Eagles. Tickets are $15 and available at the same locations as the Pancake Day tickets.

Wellington Kiwanis is celebrating its 99th year. The club currently holds its meetings at 12 p.m. on the first and third Thursdays of the month at the South Lorain County Ambulance District on E. Herrick Ave. A Zoom link is also available through the club’s Facebook page.

“We looked at where we would need to be in terms of selling CNC machine tools and our services,” he said. “We asked what’s going to make us more profitable in the future, what’s going to put us ahead of our competition. And automation was a big part of that.”

Zunis said the company’s automation department might be its smallest, but it’s the most rapidly growing. And it offers Graven another opportunity to flourish, and perhaps become a leader, within a company that’s taught her everything she knows about manufacturing.

“I have learned a lot at work, but the college has opportunities to teach me new things that I can bring back to the job,” Graven said.

Her favorite class so far has been the programmable logic controller course where she learned to write ladder logic. She’s also been fully trained in robotics and has become Mitsubishi Electric Robot Maintenance Technician certified. Now she’s gaining experience with FANUC arc welding robots.

Auditor to change farm tax valuation

WELLINGTON — Lorain County Auditor Craig Snodgrass and a group of representatives from his office announced some major changes and held an open dialogue with many of Lorain County’s farmers during a joint meeting with the Lorain County Farm Bureau.

More than 50 farmers and representatives from the Farm Bureau arrived at a meeting Tuesday night prepared to argue that the auditor had been improperly applying Ohio’s Current Agricultural Use Value (CAUV) program.

But the auditor’s office beat them to the punch, when Marty Rowe, chief deputy of real estate, said during a presentation that the county would change how it draws CAUV maps.

“When I started digging into land uses I said, let’s look at land use and everything else,” Rowe said. “Because we saw a lot of things with the way we administered CAUV that probably could use a little work.”

CAUV is a program that provides a property tax break on some commercial farmland.

Members of the auditor’s office dug into past years, compared its program to other counties and spoke with CAUV experts.

Farm Bureau leaders and members, as well as some nonmember farmers, were concerned that the county was overusing a “residual” designation, which refers to any uncultivated land that could be cultivated and is taxed at a higher rate than other CAUV designations.

The auditor’s office agreed, and starting in the fiscal year 2023, CAUV crop designations will apply to areas like fence lines, waterways, structures and other areas that previously would have been classified as residual.

“We found that our delineation … for land uses has been very conservative,” Rowe said. “And as a result of all the reviews that we did, we decided it needs to be a lot more liberal.”

For most farmers, that change will mean that much more of their land will fall under a use category such as crop, pasture or woodland. All have lower tax rates than the residual designation.

JVS bests marketing

OBERLIN – Lorain County JVS students in the Business and Marketing Academy competed in the Business Professional of America regional competition.

Students who have qualified to compete at the state level are listed below:

Amherst: Yennessa

Otero, Digital Media Arts senior, placed first in the Podcast Production Team event; Valyn Survance, Web and Graphic Design junior, placed first in the Visual Design Team event.

Avon: Peyton Stefanich, Web and Graphic Design senior, placed first in the Broadcast News Production Team event.

Avon Lake: Ambriea Bristow, Marketing and Entrepreneurship junior, placed first in the Human Resource Management event; Jeremy Lee, Marketing and Entrepreneurship senior, placed first in the Broadcast News Production Team event; Robert Simms, Web and Graphic Design senior, placed first in the Extemporaneous Speech event and second in the Advanced Desktop Publishing event.

Clearview: Siddalee Tindale, Web and Graphic Design junior, placed first in the Visual Design Team event; Jason Thomas, Web and Graphic Design senior, placed first in the Advanced Interview Skills event.

Columbia: Calder Jessen, Digital Media Arts junior, placed first in the Digital Media Production event; Gabrielle Kalin, Web and Graphic Design senior, placed first in the Graphic Design Promotion event.

Firelands: Logan Bober, Web and Graphic Design senior, placed first in the Broadcast News Production Team event and second in the Fundamentals of Web Design event.

The auditor’s presentation was given during a meeting hosted by the Farm Bureau. It is the third year such a meeting had been held.

“There was a lot of good feedback and a good back-and-forth discussion,” Snodgrass said. “Every year (these meetings) have gotten bigger and every year they have helped make life better for the farmers and better for us.”

Robert Beekman, president of the Lorain County Farm Bureau, was impressed by the willingness of the auditor to accept feedback from the public and act on it.

“Honestly I thought there was a lot of progress compared to the last couple years,” Beekman said.

“Last year they took some small steps in the right direction, and this year they took a bigger step. It isn’t perfect, but I’m happy with the progress and the direction they’re headed.”

Adele Flynn, of Wellington, is a trustee with the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation and owns a beef company.

She had had issues with the residual designation, which had been applied to a number of structures she used for agricultural production.

Flynn doesn’t think the auditor’s plan is perfect. She argues the “residual” classification should not be used at all and doesn’t appear in the CAUV law, but she was happy with the conversation and that farmers would receive more accurate property designa-

tion.

“It went really well,” she said. “We (the Farm Bureau) thought they did a really good job of explaining everything, and really that is what we wanted.”

The auditor’s office was represented by a team of six employees, several of whom said they were thrilled with how the meeting went.

“It was great,” said Paul Nishanian, chief deputy of real estate. “It was a really good conversation, and I think we made it clear we are working towards the same goal.”

The conversation did not end with the mapping change, as several farmers criticized what they saw as a lack of communication from the auditor’s office.

Farmers provide information and maps on the makeup of their farms, which county appraisers use to guide the maps they draw.

But sometimes, the appraisers disagree with what designations farmers think a specific parcel of land should have.

Brent Ziegler, a farmer with properties in a number of Lorain County townships, said that the county should be required to inform the farmer when there is such a disagreement.

He was echoed by several others present, and the auditor’s office employees seemed to take his criticisms seriously.

Snodgrass said he would explore a notification system, along with ongoing plans that would update the county’s online maps

to make them more accessible.

“These meetings are important because it gets (the auditor’s office) to understand where we are at, and it helps us to understand where they are,” Beekman said.

While not every concern was met with an immediate solution, farmers who had arrived expecting something more adversarial found themselves pleasantly surprised with the dialogue and direction things were moving.

“I was apprehensive about coming here and talking to them,” said Char lie Hook, a retired Wellington farmer. “Somebody said earlier that it seemed like a ‘money grab.’ I don’t feel that way now. They seemed really happy to be working on this.”

Keystone: Gaige Agurkis, Cybersecurity and Networking senior, placed first in the Broadcast News Production Team event; Pietra Parensa, Marketing and Entrepreneurship senior, placed first in the Ethics and Professionalism event; Olivia Rounds, Web

competition

and Graphic Design junior, placed first in the Visual Design Team event.

Midview: Aniya Qualls, Cybersecurity and Networking senior, placed first in the Prepared Speech event and second in the Network Administration Using Cisco event; Lucas Schupp, Marketing and Entrepreneurship junior, placed first in the Small Business Management Team event; Anthony Worthing, Web and Graphic Design senior, placed first in the Fundamental Desktop Publishing event.

North Ridgeville: James Clarke, Digital Media Arts senior, placed first in the Video Production Team event; Anthony March, Cybersecurity and Networking senior, placed first in the Network Administration Using Cisco event; Jack Harrington, Web and Graphic Design senior, placed first in the Fundamentals of Web Design event; Kylie Horne, Marketing and Entrepreneurship junior, placed first in the Small Business Management Team event; Eric Jurina, Cybersecurity and Networking senior placed first in the Linux Operating System Fundamentals event and first in the Python Programming event; Olivia Medina, Marketing and Entrepreneurship junior, placed first in the Small Business Management Team event; Aidan Shumay, Cybersecurity and Networking junior, placed first in the Device Configuration and Troubleshooting event and first in the Small Business Management Team event.

Wellington: Joseph Danesi, Cybersecurity and Networking senior, placed second in the Device Configuration and Troubleshooting event and second in the Computer Security event; Cooper McConnell, Cybersecurity and Networking senior placed first in the Computer Security event; Quintin McKenna, Web and Graphic Design senior, placed first in the Podcast Production Team event; Sadie Willis, Web and Graphic Design senior, placed first in the Advanced Desktop Publishing event.

OWEN MACMILLAN THE CHRONICLE-TELEGRAM

OWEN MacMILLAN | The Chronicle-Telegram

Lorain County Auditor Craig Snodgrass addresses the crowd before his team’s presentation on Ohio’s CAUV program.

OWEN MacMILLAN | The Chronicle-Telegram

Charlie Hook, of Wellington, asks a question during the Farm Bureau meeting.

Comets fall short on Senior Night

Russ Gifford | Amherst News-Times

The Amherst Comets lost 86-68 to the Elyria Catholic Panthers on Senior Night. Amherst Senior Trent Branchen left the game in the first half with an injury and did not return.

ABOVE: Amherst’s Cole Norris brings the ball up the court on a fast break against Elyria Catholic. LEFT: Amherst’s Ryan Yoder gets two points against Elyria Catholic.

Wellington senior signs with Bluffton

Today Wellington High School senior CJ Polen signed his commitment letter to declare his intention to play baseball for Bluffton University. Bluffton University is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, Division III (NCAA III) in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference.

Wellington High School Head Baseball Coach Dan Davison shared, “I’ve had the privilege of coaching CJ since he was five. To see this dream come true for him is amazing, he’s a great young man. I’m proud of him and excited for the opportunity he has at Bluffton.”

His parents Jeff and Melissa Polen were present along with his sister, Haleigh. Full of pride, CJ’s father Jeff said that “he’s

put the work in, and he got to a point where he decided this is what he wants to do, and here we are. He kept his grades up and worked hard.”

CJ said that he likes the Bluffton facility and staff. He’s known the staff for a long time, and it all just clicked.

“I’m going to be majoring in criminal justice,” he said. “I’m excited about the other players I’ve met, they’re welcoming.”

As far as his plans for the upcoming Dukes baseball spring season, CJ shared that he’s “focusing on getting better and ready for the collegiate level. We have a goal to win the conference as a team.” Coach Davison is in his fourth year as head coach. The baseball season starts on March 23 for our Dukes!

Norwayne torches Firelands Kubitz scores 1,0000th

Photo provided

Jeff Polen, Melissa Polen, Haleigh Polen, CJ Polen.

Russ Gifford | Wellington Enterprise

Black River’s Riley Kubitz drives to the lane against Wellington. Kubitz scored her 1,000th career point against the Dukes. The Dukes bested the Pirates 54-30.

Russ Gifford | Oberlin News-Tribune

Firelands’ Christopher Radman moves with the ball under pressure from Norwayne’s Parker Metsker. Firelands lost to the Bobcats 87-47.

NAMI of Lorain County

On Feb. 23 NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) of Lorain County will host its first Health and Wellness event at the Amy Levin Conference Center, 1165 North Ridge Road, Lorain from 6-8 p.m.

The event will feature Seed Yoga, who will provide a free yoga session to all attendees. In addition to yoga, those in attendance will have the opportunity to learn more about NAMI services and volunteer opportunities. There will also be a free raffle and other activities with a Mardi Gras theme. Refreshments will be provided.

Registration is not required but suggested, to register call 440-240-8477

Scholars

CLAUDIA YUHASZ of Amherst helped color 300 placemats through the University of Mount Union’s Regula Center for Public Service for nursing homes and dining sites throughout Alliance.

The placemats are part of monthly take-and-make service projects coordinated by the center. Throughout October, participants were able to pick up coloring sheets, color and return them. The sheets were then mounted on larger paper and will be going to nursing homes throughout Alliance.

KATIE YOCHHEIM of Amherst stands among a distinguished group of students at Baldwin Wallace University who have been inducted into the Dayton C.

THEME: U.S. PRESIDENTS

BULLETIN BOARD

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

Rotary Club of Oberlin

Win up to $1,750 in the Oberlin Rotary Super Bowl Squares Fundraiser to support Scholarships!

Super Bowl LVII: Kansas City Chiefs vs Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, February 12th at 6:30PM on FOX.

You can still get excited about the big game while supporting scholarships for deserving students! AND

Miller Honor Society.

JILL LAPOSKY of Wellington has been named to the president’s list for the Fall 2022 semester at Muskingum University.

GUNNAR BRENNECKE of Oberlin was named to the president’s list for the Fall 2022 semester at Bob Jones University. He is a freshman majoring in biology.

JANAE JOHNSON of Oberlin was named to the dean’s list for the Fall 2022 semester at Westminster College. Johnson is majoring in Spanish.

ADELINE TELLIER of Amherst was named to the dean’s list for the Fall 2022 semester at Slippery Rock

... you don’t even need to know anything about Football or watch the Game! $25 per square. Pick your squares here: https://www.superbowlsquares.org/OberlinRotary

Grid Username: Oberlin

Grid Password: Rotary Numbers will be drawn once all the squares have been purchased. There will be one cash prize winner each quarter!

End of 1st Quarter: $250.00

End of 2nd Quarter:

University.

The following area students have been named to the dean’s list for the Fall 2022 semester at Baldwin Wallace University:

• EMILY NOVAK of Amherst, a graduate of Marion L. Steele High School who is majoring in psychology.

• ROBERT ROSE of Amherst, a graduate of Firelands High School who is majoring in chemistry.

• KATIE YOCHHEIM of Amherst, a graduate of Marion L. Steele High School who is majoring in music education.

• JOHN BACHO of Wellington, a graduate of Black River High School who is majoring in computer science.

$250.00

End of 3rd Quarter:

$250.00

End of Game: $1000.00

Pay for your squares on the Venmo app @Oberlin RotaryClub or mail your check to: Rotary Club of Oberlin, PO Box 123 Oberlin, OH 44074 Question? Please email Shirley@BAS.Rocks or call 440.774.3704.

League of Women Voters

Emerging from the women’s suffrage movement, the League of Women Voters turns 103 on February 14, 2023. To mark those many years of empowering voters and defending democracy, the League of Women Voters of the

ISABEL SOLOWIEJ of Amherst graduated summa cum laude from Ohio Wesleyan University in December with a bachelor of science degree. She majored in chemistry and mathematics.

EMERSON FREAS of Oberlin was named to the dean’s list for the Fall 2022 semester at Ohio Wesleyan University.

MICHAEL REEBEL of Wellington was named to the dean’s list for the Fall 2022 semester at Cedarville University. Reebel is majoring in management.

The following area students have been named to the dean’s list for the Fall 2022 semester at Southern New Hampshire Univer-

Oberlin Area (LWVOA) is hosting a celebration from 5-7 p.m. Feb. 16 at Mill on Main, 95 S Main St, Oberlin. Following refreshments, those attending will engage in discussion about League priorities and decide on advocacy issues and actions going forward. Members, as well as those interested in learning more about the League, are invited to attend.

Lorain Music Theater

LCMT is looking for an experienced Lighting Designer to join our team for GODSPELL (2012 Version). Production Dates: July 27, 28, 29, 30, 2023 at the Lorain Performing Arts Center, located at Lorain

sity: ISAIA STEWART of Amherst, DOMINIC BARTOTO of Wellington, TRACY DANESI of Wellington and MACKENZIE BARTOTO of Wellington.

VICTORIA JACKSON of Oberlin was named to the dean’s list for the Fall 2022 semester at Hiram College.

The following area students have been named to the dean’s list for the Fall 2022 semester at Heidelberg University:

• JACOB FRANKART, a sophomore from Amherst.

• LAUREN GRONSKY, a senior from Wellington.

• MICAYLA PLUTA, a junior from Wellington.

• BRENNAN SCHECK, a senior from Wellington.

JERIEL BYRON-DIXON of Oberlin was named to the dean’s list for the Fall 2022 semester at Berea College.

AMELIA GIOFFREDO of Wakeman, and treasurer for the Amherst Schools, has graduated from Baldwin Wallace University with a master of business administration degree in business analytics.

Gusto 23. Eggy drink

Jig music, pl.

Stashed in a hold

Penniless

Wood turning device

Toll payment, e.g.

Not slouching

Like nay-sayers

Of many years

Malaria symptom

Instagram post

River, in Spanish

Bell-bottoms bottom

Dodge 47. Unexpected 48. The Cat in the Hat’s headgear (2 words) 51. Campbell’s container

52. International Civil Aviation Organization 53. *President Hayes’ first name

60. “Through” in a text?

61. Pelvic bones

62. Plural of #54 Down

63. Andrew Sean Greer’s 2018 Pulitzer Prize winner

64. Reverse action

65. Mother-of-pearl

66. *Lake off Ohio, the state known as “the Mother of Presidents”

67. Baseball’s “The Say Hey Kid”

68. Navigate

DOWN

1. *Present tense of #26 Across

2. Tibetan priest

3. “Singes” in “La Planète des singes”

4. Nearly 5. Apprentice

6. Name on apple cider vinegar

bottle

7. R in R&R

8. Cognizant of

9. “Sophie’s Choice” protagonist

10. *F in JFK

11. Bye, to Emmanuel Macron

12. Relating to Scandinavia

13. Casino bandits

21. Sign of assent

25. *Civil Rights Act of 1957 signer

26. Dueler’s blow

27. Hyperbolic tangent

28. Football great Graham

29. *Executive Mansion, colloquially (2 words)

30. Misrepresent

31. Make over

33. *One of four presidents to have never been elected

35. “Goodness gracious!”

36. “Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me” band, The ____

37. High school student, usually

42. Spermatozoa counterparts

44. Not marathons, pl. (2 words)

46. Central court in domus

47. Certain frat house letters

48. Ownership document

49. Autumn color

50. Zoroaster follower

51. Pandemonium

54. Elbow-wrist connection

55. Not a slob

56. Like certain Stanley

57. A third of thrice

58. Steak choice

59. Whitetail, e.g.

ROBERT ROSE of Amherst has graduated from Baldwin Wallace University with a bachelor of science degree in chemistry. Rose is a graduate of Firelands High School.

BROOKE NOSS of Wellington was named to the dean’s list for the Fall 2022 semester at Miami University. Noss is majoring in business.

High School. The Lighting Designer is responsible for attending production meetings and designer run, hanging/ moving lights, designing lighting plot, and securing any rentals. Must be available for tech the week of 7/22-7/26. Light board operator provided. This is a paid position. Interested parties should email the Producer, Craig Koehler: lcmtshows@ gmail.com

Fish fry There will be a fish fry dinner on Friday, February 24th from 5:00-7:00 p.m. at the Pittsfield Community Church (corner of state route 58 and 303). All dinners are $15.00. All are welcome!

The following Amherst students were named to the dean’s list for the Fall 2022 semester at Miami University:

• ETHAN BELAK, a biology and environmental science major.

• CAEL WALKER, a chemical engineering major.

• ISABELLE DEL TURCO, an English studies major.

• JACOB KRAMER, a marketing and health care sales major.

• JENNA SELENT, a social work major.

• GEORGE GOTSIS, a sports management major.

The following Amherst students were named to the president’s list for the Fall 2022 semester at Miami University:

• JONAH KAMNIKAR, a digital commerce major.

• MATTHEW CLAPPAS, a software engineering major.

• JOHN BELAK, a software engineering major.

JODY BARCO of Wellington was named to the honors list for the Fall 2022 semester at Mercy College of Ohio. Barco is majoring in nursing.

The following Amherst students were named to the Dean’s list for Fall 2022 at Youngstown State University:

BROOKE BRATOVICH, Pre Dental Hygiene major MATTHEW BROWNING, Criminal Justice major

DAWN COLLIER, Allied Health major OLIVIA SALVA, Criminal Justice major SYDNEY WALKER, Psychology major

Like a ghost, the snowy owl glides through the air in soundless flight. This owl is different from most owls because it hunts during the day and at night. Most owls hunt at night. In the arctic region, the summer days and nights are always light. An owl waiting for darkness to hunt would starve before the dark days of winter arrive.

Many animals can blend into their environment. This is called camouflage. There are few trees on the tundra, so the snowy owl’s white plumage blends with the snowy world of the northern arctic.

Connect the dots to draw a snowy owl in ight.

The snowy owl is one of the largest owls, with a height of about 27 inches (69 cm) and a wingspan of up to 60 inches (152 cm). Wingspan is the measurement from wing tip to wing tip, when the wings are fully stretched.

How many of the things in this chart could fit into a snowy owl’s wingspan?

Try these exercises to have fun and exercise the owl way!

Fly like an owl.

In the spring, when the snowy owl makes a nest, the snow has started to melt and the brown earth shows through patches of white snow. The female snowy owl’s soft white feathers are streaked with brown so she cannot be seen as she nests on the ground.

Here are three other animals that blend into their habitats, or homes. Can you unscramble their names?

Stretch your arms wide apart and swoop around outdoors.

Perch like an owl.

Squat down like you are sitting on a tree branch watching for mice on the ground. Fold your arms into wings with your thumbs in your armpits. How long can you stay in this position?

Hop like an owl.

Baby owls are called owlets. Can you help the mother owl nd her way home to her owlets?

All owls have excellent sight so that they can spot creatures like mice that run fast along the ground. Owls’ eyes are not the same as human eyes. We move our eyes in their sockets to see from side to side. The owl must turn his head to see in different directions. Owls also have a third eyelid, which protects the eye. It is a milky white eyelid that comes up from the bottom of the eye. Its purpose is to clean and refresh the owl’s eyes. This third eyelid is called a nictitating membrane

The snowy owls need to eat a huge amount each day— enough to equal their own body weight. They don’t chew their food— they just swallow their prey whole, including fur, claws, teeth and bones. Then they spit out a pellet of all the parts they can’t digest.

The snowy owl has round, yellow eyes. Can you find the pair of eyes that match?

Look through the newspaper and count the number of eyes that you find.

How many are human eyes?

How many are the eyes of other animals?

Measure 60 inches (152 cm) on the floor. Now lie down with your arms outstretched along the line. Measure your outstretched arms. How do you compare? Standards

Then hop to the right, hop to the left, hop forward, hop backward.

Twist and turn.

While sitting in the perched position, turn your head as far to the right as you can. Then turn your head as far left as possible.

TUNDRA

The noun tundra means a treeless plain of arctic regions.

Try to use the

What silly things can you nd on this owl’s dinner plate?

Create Camou age

Choose a picture in the newspaper. Cut out a circle of white paper that fits over one-third of the picture. Color the white circle to match the picture underneath. This is camouflage.