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AMHERST NEWS-TIMES • OBERLIN NEWS-TRIBUNE • WELLINGTON ENTERPRISE Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021
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OBERLIN STUDENTS RETURN
Volume 8, Issue 4
Primary races brewing as local candidates file JASON HAWK EDITOR
Photos by Kristin Bauer | Chronicle
Langston Middle School seventh-grader Mackenzie Brooks, 12, speaks about her experience using technology for distanced-based learning during the coronavirus shutdown, and what returning to school was like.
After nine months, school reopening hailed as a relief JASON HAWK EDITOR
Langston Middle School students in teacher Alison Smith's class get to work on their first day inside the building in nine months.
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OBERLIN — For Jordan Parker, learning online from home wasn't easy. His phone was always right there, pulling his attention away from school work. There were too many distractions, the Oberlin High School sophomore said, and he missed having teachers nearby to keep him focused. "I feel like it was a little
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RELIEF PAGE A3
CANDIDATES PAGE A3
Health dept.: Vaccine used as leverage by scam callers Scammers are reportedly pressuring local senior citizens for personal Medicare information, saying either cough it up or go without a COVID-19 vaccine. "These are criminals posing as Lorain County Public Health," said a release Friday from agency spokeswoman Katie Bevan. LCPH — the local health department — will never call to ask residents for money, health insurance, Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security information in order to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Another scam was reported to the Lorain County Office on Aging on Friday afternoon, involving a caller who claimed to be from a Discount Drug Mart pharmacy. The caller asked to go to the victim's house to "verify" personal information, Bevan said. LCPH alerted the company's corporate offices to the scam, and was reassured no pharmacist will ever ask to visit a customer's house. If you receive a suspicious phone call, report it to your local police department or the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office.
Former Lorain Schools employee, now in Oberlin, faces sexual harassment suit CARISSA WOYTACH THE CHRONICLE-TELEGRAM
A high school teacher is suing a former Lorain Schools employee and the district’s school board for alleged sexual harassment. The woman, who filed the suit as Jane Doe to protect her identity, is seeking compensation for lost wages and mental anguish after alleged sexual harassment by former Director of Student and Family Outreach Jrayene "Jay" Nimene.
Her filing alleges Nimene began a pattern of sexual harassment against her in January 2019, including attempting to expose her breasts and kiss her while in her classroom. She said in the suit that she told a security guard about the matter, seeking his advice. The security guard allegedly sent Nimene a text message telling him to stop, according to the lawsuit. Despite that, Nimene reportedly continued to visit the woman’s classroom and started to FaceTime her, demanding nude videos of her, she alleged in the suit.
The woman also said in the suit that Nimene threatened that if she did not remain silent, his friend, former CEO David Hardy Jr., would protect him and she could face disciplinary actions. Fearing retaliation, she did not report Nimene while Hardy was CEO, according to the filing. In July 2019, Doe applied for dean of academics. Nimene reportedly offered to help her prepare for an interview and came to her home. The filing alleges Nimene began touching LAWSUIT PAGE A3
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rocky, because if you got behind it was difficult to catch back up," Parker said. So he was relieved last Wednesday, Jan. 20, when Oberlin City Schools students returned to classes in person for the first time since last March. They are the last of Lorain County's public school students to shift into hybrid mode, after taking some of the most drastic precautions against the spread of
There may be a new president in the Oval Office, but the election cycle hasn't stopped. Candidates are already filing for the next round of races, which include several local city council and municipal court seats. The Ohio 2021 primary election will be held May 4. The deadline for declarations of candidacy in partisan races is 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 3. Amherst Councilman Brian Dembinski (D-Ward 1) was among the very first to file. He said he started gathering signatures to run in October, and found it more difficult than ever because of the pandemic. Some residents didn't want to open their doors, and others didn't want to get close enough to sign. "I've been lucky so far," Dembinski said. "I haven't gotten COVID — but if I did, I wouldn't be able to go to the Board of Elections to file. So I decided to get it done early." Amherst's three at-large and four ward seats are up
Amherst
Oberlin
Wellington
Cooper Foster gets sewer for children’s hospital • B1
Spring sports canceled at Oberlin College • B1
Schools entertain idea of demolishing buildings • B1
OBITUARIES A2 • CROSSWORD A4 • SUDOKU A4 • CLASSIFIEDS A5 • KID SCOOP B6
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Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021
Lorain County Community Guide
OBITUARIES Judith Halverson Sheldon
Judith Halverson Sheldon passed away in her sleep on Sunday, Jan. 17, 2021, at the age of 97. Judy was born Feb. 20, 1923, in Minneapolis, Minnesota to Henry and Dorothy Halverson. Early in Judy's life the family relocated to Carthage, Texas. It was there that Judy grew up during the Great Depression. Writing about those times, she described them as filled with the everyday childhood activities of reading books about animals and adventures, writing stories and poems, drawing, singing, playing outside with friends and exploring in the woods and along creek beds where she lived. She also wrote of her mother's resourcefulness in making their clothes and even stretching meals to help strangers in need. “What we gain from adversity and hard times is not to be underestimated.” In Judy's teenage years, during World War II, the family moved back to Minneapolis, where she was gratefully able to attend the Minneapolis School of Art. During the same time, she worked at Art Instruction, Inc. teaching art students who were taking correspondence courses through the mail. The group of fellow instructors became lifelong friends and her years working with them were some of her fondest, and most amusing, memories. An introduction from an acquaintance led to a whirlwind romance with her husband-to-be, Warren, and then to a marriage three months later in Georgia, where Warren was starting his medical school internship. The couple (and their collie) relocated to the San Francisco Bay area, where they explored the West Coast's natural beauty during their free time. Judy returned to Minneapolis during the Korean War while Warren was stationed in Japan. The couple with three children moved from Minneapolis to Oberlin in 1955 and then added two more children to the family. Certainly raising five children was an exhausting full-time activity. However, Judy was able to put her creativity and wit to excellent use in that endeavor. Art, reading, music, and nature were integral components of her children's lives. So, too, were humor and a sense of playfulness. Her love of reading and language permeated the household and led to bedtime stories, word games and the frequent command to “Look it up.” Judy's friends will confirm that she was rarely without her New York Times
Sunday crossword puzzle. She modeled the importance of empathy, responsibility, and giving, as she was an avid supporter of numerous organizations devoted to conservation and social justice issues. Living in Oberlin for the past 66 years provided the ideal environment for Judy to pursue her many interests. Judy enjoyed connecting with local artists as she continued to work throughout her life creating numerous paintings, sketches and commissioned portraits of community members and their children. Many a city tennis tournament found Judy, an avid tennis player, in its participant roster and sometimes also as a doubles finalist or champion. She and Warren loved living in Oberlin because of the easy access to classical music concerts and museum visits in town and the surrounding Cleveland area. Judy was also a dedicated bird watcher. Through bird watching Judy cultivated a network of friends, especially a group of fellow birders whose enduring, sustaining friendships she cherished. With these intrepid Oberlin women she travelled the globe to experience the world of birds, nature, the art and music of different cultures and most importantly, adventure. We treasure these memories brought to life in Judy's poetically written journals, seen through the eyes of the artist, that document her appreciation of the humorous encounters and mishaps that inevitably occur during such adventures. Judy often remarked at how fortunate she was and recognized the importance of balancing ones personal interests with the responsibility of service to others. She was involved in many community organizations including Meals on Wheels, the PTA, League of Women Voters, and Friends of the Public Library. She also served three terms on the Oberlin City Council. Judy is survived by her sons, Mark, Doug (Dorothy) and Steve (Deanna); daughter, Jane (Bob); sister, Joyce; three grandchildren; one great-grandchild and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband of 70 years, Warren; daughter, Ann; sister, Ruth and a brother, David. There are no services planned at this time due to COVID restrictions. In lieu of flowers, the family would welcome contributions to the Nature Conservancy, Audubon Society or Oberlin community Services. The family thanks everyone at Kendal At Home, SeniorBridge, FirstChoice, and Mercy New Life Hospice. Arrangements were in the care of Dicken Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Elyria. Friends are encouraged to share remembrances in the online guest book at www.dickenfuneralhome.com.
SHARON O'NEAL (nee White), 76, of Lorain, passed away Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021, at Amherst Manor Nursing. Hempel Funeral Home is handling arrangements.
SHARON MARIE MULLINS (nee Matheny), 70, of Grafton, passed away Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021, at Kingston of Vermilion following a lengthy battle with dementia. Hempel Funeral Home is handing arrangements.
RICHARD “RICH” ROY COLLINS passed away MICHAEL W. LOVEJOY, 60, of Elyria, passed away Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, after a long battle with mulFriday, Jan. 22, 2021, at UH Elyria Medical Center, foltiple illnesses. Rich was born Oct. 22, 1959, in Elyria to lowing a sudden illness. Hempel Funeral Home is hanRichard C. Collins and Sandra J. Eddy (nee McVeigh). He dling arrangements. lived and worked his entire life in the Lorain County area. Hempel Funeral Home is handling arrangements.
LETTERS Letters to the editor should be: • Written to the editor. We do not allow open letters or those to specific residents, politicians, or groups. • Concise. There is a limit of 350 words on letters. • Polite. Letters that use crude language or show poor taste will be rejected. • Opinions. We reserve space for letters that share a unique perspective. Press releases are not letters and will be considered for publication in other parts of the paper. • Free of advertising, product or service endorsements or complaints, poetry, language that could raise legal problems, or claims that are measurably false. • Signed. Include your name, address, and daytime telephone number for our records. Up to two signatures. • The deadline to submit letters is 10 a.m. each Tuesday. They are used on a space-available basis. We reserve the right to edit any submission for length, grammar, spelling, and clarity, or to reject any submission.
Audubon program
"Fifty Years of Conservation" will be presented by Stanley Searles, founder and director of Global Conservation Connections, at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 2. In his role as curator of birds and aquatics at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Searles collaborated with the Ohio Division of Wildlife in the reintroduction of the trumpeter swan to Ohio. Later, he partnered with Bioandina, a Venezuelan conservation organization, in reintroducing Andean condors back into the wild. Since his retirement, he has been involved with conservation programs on a local and international level with Global Conservation Connections. The presentation will be given via Zoom. Register at www.blackriveraudubon.org to receive the meeting link by email.
Amherst library meeting
The Amherst Public Library board will meet at 6 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 8 at the library. The meeting is open to the public.
Todd Grier Thompson
Todd Grier Thompson, 68, of Winchester, Virginia, passed away Friday, Jan. 15, 2021. He was born in Cleveland on July 19, 1952, son of Paul M. and Eleanor G. Thompson and grew up in Amherst where he had very fond memories of playing in the quarries, raising the family's Irish Setters and “parties at Thompson's.” Following graduation from Lake Ridge Academy (North Ridgeville) as member of their first graduating Class of 1970, he went on to attend “a little football school,” The Ohio State University, graduating from the School of Agriculture in 1975. He cherished his time at OSU, forming many lifelong friendships, watching the great Archie Griffin play and going to Skull Sessions for The Best Damn Band in the Land. Todd began his career with Massey Ferguson in Bowling Green, Ohio, as General Manager and moved to Winchester, Virginia in 1984 to become General Manager at John Deere Apple Tractor Company. Shortly after, he decided to put his business knowledge to work for himself and founded imPRESSions Plus Printing & Copying in 1985. As an entrepreneur, Todd experienced first-hand many of his favorite sayings (including: “Being a small business owner is great! You only have to work half days — sometimes, you even get to pick which 12 hours!”) and became enmeshed in the small town he loved. Extremely generous with his time, caring nature and, sometimes unfortunately, his abundance of Dad jokes, Todd was an active, venerable champion of the community, though so humble most people are probably not aware of the vast accolades he received throughout his many years of service. Very proud of the business he built, he was honored to receive the Winchester-Frederick County Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year Award in 1993 for imPRESSions Plus. His love for sports and community converged at Shenandoah University, where he sat on their athletic board and was recognized by the athletic association with Honorary Lifetime membership in 2000. Due to his involvement in numerous organizations, including United Way, Kiwanis, First Night Winchester, the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival and so many more, Todd received the very first American Red Cross Humanitarian Award in 2001 in recognition of his selfless contributions to the community. In 2005, the Winchester-Frederick County Chamber of Commerce honored him with their Citizen of the Year award and he was named the 2009 United Way Volunteer of the Year. His work with United Way continued and as a direct result of his participation, particularly through Rubbermaid sales, raised over $2M for the organization. A baseball fan, Todd became involved with the Winchester Royals, the collegiate summer-league baseball team, at an integral moment in their history. As president and majority owner of the Royals from 1996 - 2004, Todd oversaw not only very successful years on the field but was responsible for incorporating the team as a non-profit so it would belong to the community rather than to a group of private individuals. In 2005, he was recognized by the Royals in honor of his service and commitment to excellence and served as the Valley Baseball League's Vice President until 2009. He remained actively involved with the Royals, returning to a number of positions on the Royals' board until the time of his death. Shifting career paths several years ago, Todd combined his interest and education to become a licensed broker, specializing in Commercial and Agricultural Real Estate. Most recently, he was proud to be a part of the team at Greenfield & Craun. Always proud of his family, Todd married Cathy Weiss Thompson in 1979, with whom he had children, Suzanne (John Iannazzo) Thompson of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina and Leah (Tony) Baker, of Winchester, Virginia. In addition to his children and former wife, he leaves long-time partner, Colleen Woods and siblings, Cathy Kuhn of Lakewood, Barb Brucker, Grant Thompson and Nancy Dennison, all of Amherst and Lissi Greeneisen of Columbus. 'Toddu' adored his recent role of grandfather to grandson, Jack, as well as to Colleen's grandchildren. Whether you knew him as Todd, 'Big T...little odd', Mr. T, Toddu, Dad, a mentor, friend, colleague, or just a welcoming face, his strength of character and friendly, jolly demeanor will be sorely missed. His girls will even miss his Dad jokes. Memorial contributions may be made to the United Way of the Northern Shenandoah Valley (Winchester, Virginia). A celebration of life will be held at a later date. Finally, the words Todd would most want to end on: “O-H-__-__!” JANET R. SLACK (nee Urig), 87, of Brownhelm Township, passed away Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021, at the Cleveland Clinic in Avon following a full and meaningful life. Hempel Funeral home is handling the arrangements. GEORGE EDWARD BRICKER, 85, resident of Kipton, passed away Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021, at his home following a brief illness. Hempel Funeral Home is handling arrangements.
SOLUTION TO CROSSWORD ON PAGE A4
SOLUTION TO SUDOKU ON PAGE A4
Our condolences go out to families that have suffered the loss of a loved one. For information about placing an obituary or death notice in the Community Guide, call 440-329-7000.
ABOUT THE COMMUNITY GUIDE LORAIN COUNTY COMMUNITY GUIDE (USPS 673-960) is published every Thursday, 52 weeks per year by Lorain County Printing & Publishing Company, 225 East Ave., Elyria OH 44035.
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Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021
Lorain County Community Guide
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Provided photo
Edna Hall, 80, of Elyria, is vaccinated against COVID-19 on Tuesday, Jan. 19.
First COVID shots given to Ohio’s senior citizens STAFF REPORT
SHAKER HEIGHTS — Edna Hall, 80, was the first patient to receive the COVID-19 vaccine from University Hospitals. The Elyria resident is the mother of six and has 12 grandchildren. Her son, Joseph, drove from Independence to take her to an 8 a.m. appointment on Tuesday, Jan. 19 at the UH Management Services Center in Shaker Heights. “It’s just that important,” he said. Hospitals all over Ohio started giving shots early that morning to residents ages 80 and up, who are among the most vulnerable to the coronavirus. UH lined up 530 patients on the first day, and announced plans to increase the number of shots given in the following days, by appointment only. Several Ohioans were vaccinated live on camera in an afternoon press conference with Gov. Mike DeWine. The first, at Kettering Medical Center in Jamestown, was 101 years old. "We know that age is a big, big determi-
nation," in how people weather COVID, DeWine said. He said his first goal in rolling out the vaccine are to save lives. Half of the state's COVID deaths have been in nursing homes, and 53 percent have been among the 80-plus population. DeWine said the vaccine will also protect health care workers — hospitals have finished staff inoculations — and he believes will get K-12 students back in schools by March 1. Achieving those aims will rely on supply of vaccines, which for now is slow. Pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and Moderna have not been able to keep pace with demand. DeWine said a competing vaccine from Johnson & Johnson may be approved as early as March, and would be the next "major break" in supplying Ohio. That vaccine would only require a single shot, compared to the two needed to boost Pfizer and Moderna's versions to above 90 percent effectiveness. Ohio's vaccination plan calls for shots to be made available this week to residents ages 75 to 79. DeWine admitted that's unlikely, however, since there weren't nearly enough doses for ages 80 and up last week.
CANDIDATES
FROM A1 for grabs this year, along with the president of council, auditor and treasurer positions. As of Monday, David Janik (D-at large) has filed to seek re-election to his seat, as have Jake Wachholz (D-Ward 4), former Councilman Chuck Winiarski (R) and Council President Jennifer Wasilk (R). Treasurer Richard Ramsey (R) has also filed. Three Avon Lake at-large seats will be on the ballot. There will also be special elections for the Ward 1 seat vacated by Rob James, who resigned after moving, and the Ward 3 seat held by the late Gary Izo. An Avon Lake Board of Municipal Utilities seat will also be open. Eight Elyria City Council seats will have primaries if contested. So far, Democrats Thomas Callahan, Judith Keys, Kenny Oswald, Donna Mitchell and Jack Cerra have all announced candidacy, as has Republican Marcio Tolentino. Nine Lorain City Council seats will be available, as well as president of council. As of Monday, only Joshua Thornsberry
(D-Ward 8) has filed to seek re-election. Lorain Treasurer Terri Soto (D) has also filed to run for another term in office. What appears to be an intense contest is brewing in North Ridgeville, where five candidates have already submitted paperwork to vie for three open City Council at-large seats. They include Democrat Paul Wolanski and incumbent Republicans Georgia Awig, Martin DeVries, Jason Jacobs and James Maleski. Sheffield Lake City Council's four ward seats are up for election, and Vermilion Mayor Jim Forthofer has filed to make a re-election bid in his city, without party declaration. This cycle also includes two Elyria Municipal Court seat — Republicans Gary Bennett and Robert White have filed — and one Lorain Municipal Court judge seats, which each have six-year terms. Write-in candidates must file declarations of intent by Feb. 22. The deadline to register to vote in the spring primary is April 5.
Oberlin High School teacher Claire Esposito goes over a lesson with newly-returned students.
RELIEF
FROM A1
COVID-19. It's not a full return to business as usual. Kids are attending just two or three days a week, depending on grade level, and the district is ready to jump back online if cases cause large quarantines. Classmate Audrey Halstead said her experience with remote learning was a little less stressful than Parker's. "My grades were pretty good," she said, "and I got help from teachers when I needed it." But being back inside the walls of OHS still took a heavy weight off her shoulders. Halstead said seeing friends again — though not all decided to return to in-person school — was exactly the boost she needed after long months of COVID restrictions. "My social life is definitely back a little bit, and I think my grades will be better," she said. Oberlin high-schoolers are taking the pandemic seriously, said Halstead. She's a little worried about the risk of exposure, but said with the right precautions and a whole lot of hand sanitizer, she feels safe. OHS Principal Chris Frank pointed out sanitizer stations all over his building, socially-distanced desks in classrooms and assigned seats in the cafeteria. The return to in-person education means "sadly distancing ourselves from the human element in some ways to be safe," he said. Frank said he misses some aspects of the school day, once taken for granted, that simply can't return yet — hallway high fives, shooting baskets with teens during lunch periods and working in small groups. Mackenzie Brooks, a seventh-grader at Langston Middle School, was just happy to return to any degree of normal learning. Like her older peers, she said online learning "wasn't the best, because sometimes our teachers couldn't help us like they normally would," and felt her grades will improve throughout the spring. Brooks said technology wasn't the issue.
She enjoyed learning on her computer all day. But she felt disconnected from the personal touch teachers bring to a physical classroom, and from the friends who make school easier. Robin Diedrick, a sixth grade teacher at Langston, said the pandemic has shown just how important face-to-face contact with students is. She wore both a mask and a plastic face shield last Wednesday morning, and was preparing to teach two virtual classes followed by five in person. Shifting back and forth between those models will be challenging, Diedrick said. She is looking forward to widespread vaccinations against the virus, so full-time school can resume. "This is not school as it has been. We're going to make sure we're safe. That's the most important thing to us right now," she said. Langston Principal Sheila Hicks wore a smile as she welcomed students back into her school, including sixth-graders who were stepping foot inside for the first time. She spent the early morning hours poking her head into classrooms and watching middle-schoolers acclimate. "They energize us all. They motivate us all. They are what brings the building alive," Hicks said. Virtual learning, she said, worked very well, considering the barriers Oberlin and other districts had to overcome in the past year. Hicks said some students even thrived in the online environment. Diedrick agreed: "There's some kids, I think, that it takes out a lot of distractions," she said. "As far as behavior issues, it's helped. And it's also helped for those kids who are shy." But for the majority, there is nothing that can replace the support teachers can deliver in person, both academically and emotionally, Hicks said. "There is just something different about being in person that you don't get from the virtual learning experience," she said.
LAWSUIT
FROM A1 her and later asked to use the bathroom but claimed he was unable to find it. She got up to show him where the bathroom was and as she returned to the couch where they were sitting, he allegedly grabbed her from behind and began masturbating behind her, according to the lawsuit. She yelled at him to let her go and he ejaculated on her dress and lower back, according to the filing. During the interview for the dean of academics position that next day, Doe said in the suit that Nimene intimidated her by leering at her as she responded to a panel’s questions, resulting in her poor performance during the interview which she states cost her the job. He later attempted to grope her while traveling home from a seminar, she said in the suit. After Hardy’s resignation, Doe reported Nimene’s conduct to the district’s human resources department on Dec. 23, 2019. An investigation found she had been sexually harassed, according to the filing. School board President Mark Ballard declined to comment on the case. Nimene could not be reached for comment Friday evening.
Nimene resigned from Lorain Schools, effective May 1. He now works as student and family support coordinator at the Oberlin City Schools. Oberlin Superintendent David Hall did not return a call seeking comment. District spokeswoman Melissa Linebrink released a statement Sunday, saying the district had been made aware of the lawsuit. “This is a very serious matter. Oberlin City Schools is looking into the alleged allegations brought against Mr. Nimene,” Hall wrote. “The District will investigate all of the alleged allegations presented in the lawsuit.” Nimene intends to file a defamation suit, the statement said. The statement said that since being hired in March 2020, Nimene has implemented a summer social-emotional support program for students, organized Oberlin's Virtual Learning Center for parents, worked with the school attendance program, secured grant funding for the district, collaborated with local and county organizations, worked with several faith-based groups for support and developed a food and clothing bank for families.
Oberlin High School sophomore students Jordan Parker (RIGHT) and Audrey Halstead (LEFT) speak about what returning to in-person learning is like for the first time since last spring.
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Lorain County Community Guide
Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021
Jewish and Muslim co-op says it’s Rabin fellowship lost Oberlin College dining area to spur history of Jews in the South JASON HAWK EDITOR
OBERLIN — Jewish and Muslim students are worried for the future of the Kosher-Halal dining cooperative at Oberlin College, which has been left without a space to rent. For more than 40 years, the student-run co-op has catered to the needs of students with religious dietary needs. In December, after 18 months of negotiations, the college signed a five-year lease with the Oberlin Student Cooperative Association, which Kosher-Halal left in 2013. That left Muslims and Jews who came together to share meals and holidays without a facility, according to senior Paige Reinstein, who hails from Chicago and is involved in the religious cooperative. "I can't imagine an Oberlin College where the co-op doesn't exist. I'm trying to wrap my brain around it," she said Monday. The co-op was a place free from the tensions and strife the two religious groups have struggled with over the centuries, said Reinstein. About 35 students put aside their differences and focused on what they have in common as they studied, prepared food and talked about the challenges they face. Every year, Jewish students supported Muslim brothers and sisters by cooking special Ramadan meals during fast days. Muslim students in turn agreed to keep Shabbat by not cooking or cleaning in shared spaces from Friday night to Saturday night, and helped with extensive cleaning to prepare for Passover.
"I was surprised to see how similar the Jewish and the Muslim traditions were," said Reinstein. "There's so much time spent talking about the conflicts the two have together, but at the end of the day, both are just trying to become the best versions of themselves possible." Reinstein said students are lucky, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, to be able to attend classes in Oberlin this year. But there have also been complaints about food service provided by the college's vendor, AVI Foodsystems, according to a press release from the Kosher-Halal co-op. "Kosher-keeping students believe they were misled into eating food that was labeled Kosher and was not Kosher," it said. "In one instance, students witnessed a yogurt sauce being offered on chicken. One of the basic rules of Kashrut (or keeping Kosher) is to not mix meat and milk products. This blatant violation raised red flags among the students. Upon further investigation, students realized that there was no mashgiach (Kosher supervisor) nor Kosher training on the basic rules of Kashrut despite the dining hall marketing itself as Kosher." Muslim students were offered Halal food on campus, the press release said, but the food was also not clearly labeled to determine whether it contained forbidden ingredients: "Students have no clue if the meat they are eating was certified Halal." As a result of changes this semester, 19 students said they had to either ignore their religious dietary needs or spend extra money each week to buy foods that fall in line
with religious law. Oberlin College students pay $8,734 per year for a dining hall program that's billed as "inclusive," the cooperative said. More than 500 alumni have signed a petition saying they will no longer donate to Oberlin College if it doesn't rectify the situation, according to the cooperative. Students admit the college has proposed providing food through a Kosher kitchen at Talcott Hall and Halal at a separate dining hall. The cooperative said the plan would break up the community. Oberlin College has directed the Kosher-Halal Co-op to negotiate with the OSCA for space. Scott Wargo, director of media relations for the college, said the co-op is not an independent organization and cannot operate its own kitchen. The college said it must deal with the OSCA, which is "a legal, independent entity." "The College does offer Halal options and the heritage kitchen is Kosher inspired and follows Kosher guidelines," he said. "Students who need assistance with religious dietary needs may make individual requests to campus dining services." "To better serve students who prefer Kosher and Halal diets, the College is developing plans to offer Kosher and Halal dining from facilities that could serve hundreds of students. We are consulting with Chabad and Hillel rabbis, as well as the College's Muslim life affiliate. We anticipate offering this option beginning in the fall, in partnership with AVI, our dining services provider," said Wargo.
Carlisle veterans memorial
Former Carlisle Township Fire Chief Ray Hildebrandt, who retired in 1996 after 38 years, has taken on a new challenge — building a veterans memorial next to the old fire station at 11969 LaGrange Rd. A committee was formed and granted nonprofit status to help with fundraising, but Hildebrandt said the pandemic has put a damper on those efforts. However, the committee is still able to sell memorial bricks honoring area veterans. You can honor a loved one who served in the armed forces by purchasing a memorial brick that will be engraved with your sentiments. For more information, visit www.carlisletownshipveteransmemorial.org or call (440) 458-5814.
VALENTINE’S DAY ACROSS 1. “You’re the ____!” 5. Horse color 8. Interesting person, acr. 11. *Feeling of the heart 12. Nevada city 13. City in Belgium 15. Use a whisk 16. Greek H’s 17. *Popular Valentine’s Day delivery, pl. 18. *”Love means never having to say you’re sorry” movie 20. Ballpark calls 21. Strong adhesive 22. Greek letter N, pl. 23. Lord’s subordinate 26. Given to drinking 30. Ovine mom 31. Old storage medium 34. Fairy-tale beginning 35. Politician Pelosi 37. Tokyo, once 38. Bone hollows 39. Sky bear 40. Fitted with a name tag, e.g. 42. “Ever” to a poet 43. With more seeds 45. Attic 47. Summer sandwich? 48. Fraternity letter 50. Medieval headdress 52. *Only day more popular than Valentine’s for card giving 56. Like blue sky 57. Walk the Pacific Crest Trail, e.g. 58. Samoan money 59. *Dionysus’ pipe-playing companion 60. Affirm 61. Give off 62. Plays for pay 63. *Color of Valentine’s Day 64. *Lovers’ reunion DOWN 1. Cry like a baby 2. Canyon sound 3. Convict’s weapon 4. Conical dwellings 5. Get on juice diet, e.g. 6. Opposite of binary 7. Like a gossipmonger 8. Exterminator’s target
9. Change for a five 10. Part of T.G.I.F. 12. Like an abridged classic 13. Tiler’s paste 14. *”I Will Always Love You” singer 19. Stupefied 22. Us, in Mexico 23. *Cupid’s mother 24. In the know 25. Common thing? 26. Smoke plus fog 27. Lay to rest 28. Rocks at mountain base 29. *Symbol of Valentine’s Day 32. Infantry’s last row 33. Roulette bet 36. *Chocolatier, pioneer of the
AMANDA NAGY OBERLIN COLLEGE COMMUNICATIONS
OBERLIN — Shari Rabin, assistant professor of Jewish studies and religion at Oberlin College, has received a fellowship from the National Endowment for Humanities to pursue research and writing leading to publication of a book narrating the history of Jewish people in the American South, from 1669 to the present day. The project builds on Photo by Rabin’s first book, "Jews on Tanya Rosen-Jones Shari Rabin, assistant the Frontier: Religion and professor of Jewish Mobility in Nineteenth-censtudies and religion tury America," which traced at Oberlin College, the development of Ameriis working on a book can Judaism in the period of westward expansion, focusing about the history of on how ordinary Jews created Jewish people in the religious lives in new places. American South. “Now I am working on a particular region and expanding the timespan, tracing how shifting local conditions shaped the status of Jews and the development of Jewish religious life,” said Rabin, who recently published an article dealing with Judaism in the U.S. South in The Immanent Frame, and co-authored a piece forthcoming in the Journal of Southern History. This new book project will tell a more expansive history across four centuries. Rabin said that much of her scholarly work has been interested in understanding how Jewish religious life develops in places where people might be surprised to find it. “This can probably be traced to my own upbringing in Wisconsin and my family's move to Georgia when I was 13, which felt like a very abrupt culture shock at the time,” she said. “I left after high school, but my mother still lives in Atlanta, and before coming to Oberlin I lived and taught for four years in Charleston, South Carolina. Moving in and out of the South, I have been struck by how southern Jews have developed a strong sense of regional identity, even as their history highlights broader — if sometimes underappreciated —themes in Jewish, southern, and American histories. In particular, studying Jews in the South centers important questions about race, religion, and how they operate and intersect in different contexts.” With the fellowship, Rabin will undertake research trips to the National Archives in Washington, D.C., the American Jewish Archives in Cincinnati, and various archives throughout the South (pending COVID-19 travel safety protocols). Rabin noted that while there are “quite a few Jewish community histories focused on particular southern cities,” as well as a number of edited volumes and more focused monographs, this project is the first attempt at a single-authored scholarly narrative. “The closest antecedent is Eli Evans’ 'The Provincials,' published in 1973, which is a mix of memoir, travel writing, and history, and which initiated the field of scholarship that I am now drawing and building upon.” Rabin’s interest in southern Jewish history has found its way into the courses she teaches, including "Introduction to Jewish Studies: Sacred Spaces and Promised Lands" and "American Religious Traditions.” Her scholarly work will also be incorporated in “Judaism in the U.S.: State, Synagogue, and Beyond" this spring. “I love introducing students to Charleston's fascinating Jewish history — it is home to the second oldest extant synagogue building in the U.S. — and to material on southern Jewish foodways," she said. "In the future, I would also love to work with students in some capacity on regional Jewish histories and cultures of the Midwest. I find that taking a more localized approach can be a really powerful way to understand the complexities and layers of human experience, and focusing on Jews in particular offers a different perspective on places we think we know.”
heart-shaped box 38. ____ apple 40. Risk something 41. Between eggy and eggiest 44. Feeling worse than before 46. Gave away 48. Thin piece 49. Annoyed 50. Russia’s alternative to caesar 51. Aries or Taurus, e.g. 52. Burn to a crisp 53. MADD member, colloquially 54. Climbed down, as from a carriage 55. Fill beyond full 56. Pharaoh’s cobra
SOLUTION CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE A2
SOLUTION CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE A2
Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021
Lorain County Community Guide
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Sirocky named Senior of December County purges more than 2,000 inactive voters The Oberlin Rotary Club honors a high school senior each month during the school year. These young people are recognized for character and positive attitudes. The Oberlin Rotary Club will donate $25 to a charity or project of the student’s choosing in their name. SARAH COLSON OBERLIN HIGH SCHOOL
The Oberlin High School senior honored for the month of December is Jacquelyn Sirocky. She has played the alto saxophone in marching band throughout her high school career, and served as band librarian for two years and field captain for
her senior year. Sirocky also played violin in the OHS orchestra for a year. Sirocky said learning both instruments taught her much about different kinds of music and says that it was an honor to play in both ensembles. She has also enjoyed the Jobs for Ohio Graduates program at OHS. Sirocky believes this class has helped her to explore career options, make college plans and think about job opportunities. Through JOGS, she participated in the Youth Career Olympics, a competition with other schools to show career readiness. Last year she placed second in the employment test. This category tests a student’s
Jacquelyn Sirocky ability to perform math calculations, prepare for an interview and be able to think on their feet in responding to unexpected questions and situations. Now Sirocky is preparing for this year’s competition in the spring. Sirocky loves being
part of a large family and spends lots of time with her siblings, niece and nephews. She has three pet turtles, loves taking long walks and is an amateur photographer. Sirocky said she has always been fascinated by the ocean and hopes to study marine biology. Having pet turtles and learning more and more about them led to her interest in oceans and all creatures that live there. She has spent many summer hours moving turtles off local roadways so they wouldn’t be hit by cars. Sirocky has applied to several colleges, including Wittenberg University and the University of New Hampshire.
County gets $2.9M in casino revenue Gaming income down due to pandemic’s toll DAVE O’BRIEN THE CHRONICLE-TELEGRAM
ELYRIA — State gaming revenue was reduced by the pandemic, but Lorain County still received more than $2.9 million from its share of casino and racino revenue in 2020, Lorain County Auditor Craig Snodgrass said last week. Snodgrass said the county's share of casino revenue in 2020 was $2,95 million, which is down from the previous
year due to pandemic closures lasting about two-and-a-half months. Ohio's casinos were closed in April and May due to the COVID-19 pandemic and reopened in June. That resulted in a loss of about $821,500, or slightly less than the county's quarterly share. Snodgrass said normal estimates are that the county will receive about $900,000 every quarter, for a total of about $3.6 million a year. In 2019, Lorain County received $3.77 million from its share of casino revenues, Snodgrass said. That was an increase in collections over the original estimate of $3.5 million in receipts, county officials said in April 2020.
"We were not off as much as we normally were or could have been, because we had a strong fourth quarter," which included casino revenue from July, August and September, Snodgrass said. The county should be back on track to receive about $900,000 in revenue based on what the 11 casinos and racinos in Ohio took in during October, November and December last year, Snodgrass said. "They were strong," he said. "Obviously we can't control when they're not open, but in light of that we still did pretty good. It was a good number considering they were closed a couple months."
$1M in grants go to county nonprofits AMHERST TWP. — The Community Foundation of Lorain County gave more than $1 million in grants to 31 nonprofits to the end of the most challenging year in recent memory. “Many organizations have seen an increase in services. We will continue to be responsive and support our community," said President and CEO Cindy Andrews. December grantees include: • ACES Program: Achievement through Community Education and Support — $35,000 • Avon/Avon Lake Community Resource Services — $5,000 • Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lorain County — $50,000 • Blessing House — $75,000 • Business Volunteers Unlimited — $25,000 • Coalition for the Uninsured of Lorain County — $38,700 • Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio — $5,000
• Effective Leadership Academy — $24,900 • El Centro de Servicios Sociales — $55,000 • Elyria Arts Council — $29,800 • Firelands Association for the Visual Arts — $10,000 • Hospice of the Western Reserve — $25,400 • Humility of Mary Housing — $35,000 • Ideastream — $10,000 • Karen P. Nakon Breast Cancer Foundation — $20,000 • Lorain Civic Center Committee — $50,000 • The LCADA Way — $50,400 • Lorain County Historical Society — $25,000 • Lorain County LGBTQ+ and Allies Task Force — $20,200 • Lorain County Office on Aging — $25,400 • Lorain Public Library System — $20,000 • Oberlin Business Partnership —
$7,500 • Main Street Vermilion — $7,500 • Mercy Foundation of Lorain County — $55,000 • National Inventors Hall of Fame — $40,000 • North Pointe Ballet — $7,600 • North Ridgeville Community Care — $10,000 • Oberlin Choristers — $10,000 • Oberlin Heritage Center — $25,000 • Passages, Inc. — $25,000 • Prevent Blindness, Northeast Ohio Chapter — $7,000 • RePlay for Kids — $14,100 • Road To Hope House — $50,000 • Salvation Army — $30,000 • Save Our Children — $35,000 • Scholastic Games of Lorain County — $6,000 • Tech Corps — $20,000 • Youth Challenge — $22,000 • Youth Opportunities Unlimited — $10,000
Wellington challenged to winter step competition The Keystone Empowers You collaborative has challenged THRIVE! Southern Lorain County to a "Winter Warm Up Challenge." Residents in the Keystone school district will compete against residents of the Wellington Schools to see which group walks the most steps. Participants may also earn steps with other physical activities, such as housework, shoveling snow or stretching. How to join: • Set up a free account on Lorain County Walks at walks.loraincounty-
health.com. • Click the “My Challenges” tab, then click “Join Public Challenge” and choose the Winter Warm Up Keystone V. Wellington Challenge. • Enter your steps every day of the challenge through Feb. 14. The mission of the challenge is to encourage people to stay or get active during the cold weather months. Everyday activities can help you keep fit and increase your number of steps without having to go to a gym. Keeping active reduces the risk of chronic diseases, such as diabetes,
heart disease and obesity. It also has a positive impact on mental health and mood. The team with the highest daily average of steps will receive recognition and bragging rights. The mayor of the losing team will spend a day of shame wearing the opponent’s school gear. Individual winners will receive recognition and prizes in categories for most tracked steps, participation and spirit. The person on both teams with the highest number of tracked steps will receive a gift certificate from a local business.
CARISSA WOYTACH THE CHRONICLE-TELEGRAM
SHEFFIELD TWP. — More than 2,000 Lorain County voters were removed from the county’s Board of Elections’ rolls during a routine purge earlier this month. The process has been in the works since an initial list of voters who could be purged was released in August, Board of Elections director Paul Adams said. “There were a number of administrative things that needed to be done kind of behind the scenes to make sure that the purge list was proper and that both here locally as well as at the state (level) that it was confirmed that those individuals had not had any voter activity and were properly on the purge list,” Adams said. According to the list provided by the Board of Elections, 2,039 Lorain County residents were de-registered earlier this month, stretching from every city and township in the county. Since the list was released in the fall, last-chance notices were sent out ahead of the General Election in November. Some chose to vote in that election, Adams said, removing them from the de-registration list. “I think it was a good move on the Secretary of State's part because I think there are some people that unfortunately think we only vote every four years and they might think 'Oh, I'm going to miss this one, but I'll get the next one in four years.' Well, no, there's typically two elections per year. So I think that that notice was important to send out to voters. I don't know the exact numbers but I'm sure that reduced the number of people that would have otherwise been purged in Lorain County and Ohio.'' Those from that list who did not vote in November, and had no other activity, were removed Jan. 4. Some had no voter activity in more than 15 years. The most recent any individual on the list would have voted is the 2016 primary, Adams said, then missed every election thereafter, eliminating their party affiliation. “In Ohio, the way you determine party affiliation is by which party ballot you voted within the last two years,” Adams said. “So since none of these people have even voted in the last four, in many cases even more than that — none of them have party affiliation because whatever they did have no longer is tracked because they don't have any activity within the last two years.” Statewide, more than 97,000 Ohioans were purged from voter registration rolls. All 88 counties in Ohio went through the same process to purge abandoned voter registrations, Adams said. Voter rolls are purged regularly in Ohio, at the directive of the Secretary of State. Those who allow their registration to lapse can re-register at any time.
'Take and make' crafts
Visit the Amherst Public Library for "take and make" craft kits for both kids and adults. Each kit contains almost everything you need to make a fun craft — all you’ll need to add are basic supplies like glue and scissors. Beginning Monday, Feb. 1, kids can pick up a puppy love magnet kit, and adults can pick up a custom pendant necklaces kit. Kits are available in the library or via curbside pickup service, while supplies last.
School board meeting dates
The Wellington Board of Education has set the following dates for public meetings in 2021, with session starting at 6 p.m.: • Tuesday, Feb. 2 via Zoom • Tuesday, Feb. 16 via Zoom • Tuesday, March 2 via Zoom • Tuesday, March 16 via Zoom • Tuesday, April 6 via Zoom • Tuesday, April 20 via Zoom • Tuesday, May 4 via Zoom • Tuesday, May 18 via Zoom • Tuesday, June 1 via Zoom • Tuesday, June 29 via Zoom • Tuesday, July 6 at Westwood • Tuesday, July 20 at Westwood • August board retreat, TBD • Tuesday, Aug. 17 at Westwood • Tuesday, Sept. 7 at Westwood • Tuesday, Sept. 21 at McCormick • Tuesday, Oct. 5 at Westwood • Tuesday, Oct. 19 at Wellington High School • Monday, Nov. 1 at Westwood • Tuesday, Nov. 16 at Westwood • Tuesday, Dec. 7 at Westwood • Tuesday, Dec. 21 at McCormick
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LEGAL NOTICE In the Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division, 225 Court Street, Elyria, Lorain County, Ohio, 44035. Case No. 20DR088644. Natasha TownsendSeymour, 2342 East 35th Street, Lorain, OH 44055, Plaintiff vs. Irving Seymour,
Defendant. Irving Seymour, whose last known address 340 Cornell Avenue, Elyria, OH 44035 but whose address other than as set forth is unknown and cannot with the exercise of reasonable diligence be ascertained, and upon whom service of summons cannot be had in the State of Ohio, will take notice that on December 17, 2020, Natasha TownsendSeymour, as Plaintiff, filed her complaint against him in the Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division, of Lorain County, Ohio, being Case No. 20DR088644, requesting a divorce from Defendant, that the Court make a fair and equitable distribution of the parities’ property and debt, and an award of a reasonable sum for any costs,
expenses, and attorney’s fees in this action, and for such other relief as shall be proper and necessary, based upon the grounds that the parties are incompatible, and for other grounds under RC § 3105.01 Said above named defendant will further take notice that he is required to answer the complaint on or before the 4th day of March, 2021. NATASHA TOWNSENDSEYMOUR, Plaintiff By: CHRISTOPHER P. REWAK, (#0085957), 300 Fourth Street, Elyria, OH 44035, Attorney for Plaintiff L.C.C.G. 12/31/20; 1/7-14-2128; 2/4/21 20675680
LEGAL NOTICE DATE: February 3rd, 2021 TIME: 9:00 A.M. PLACE: Council Chambers ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS AGENDA Disposition of minutes from previous Zoning Board of Appeals and Planning Commission Meetings. C.U.P. #2-2020 Conditional Use Permit requested, to allow salvage facility at P.P.N. #03-00-103-108-026 and 0300-103-108-017 Elyria Ave. south of E. 36th St. west side of road. Held in abeyance from November 4th, 2020 meeting. Joseph Burda, applicant. B.A. #3-2021 1800 Livingston Ave. Variance requested to allow Residential Social Service Facility within 1,200 feet of another such facility. Section
1131.08 (B-3) No Residential Social Service Facility is permitted within 1,200 feet of another. R-2 and I-1 Zoning Ben Fligner, applicant. PLANNING COMMISSION Disposition of minutes from previous Zoning Board of Appeals and Planning Commission Meetings. Z.C.A. #10-2020 Submission for Planning Commission’s recommendation to Lorain City Council, for the rezoning of PPN # 03-00-103-111-004, (005), (006), (007), (008) and (009) Elyria Ave. South of 36th St. and East side of Elyria Ave, from R-3 Residential to B-2 Business. Joseph Burda, applicant. Held in abeyance from October 7th, 2020 meeting. Z.C.A. #1-2021 Submission
for Planning Commission’s recommendation to Lorain City Council, for the rezoning of property located at 760 Oberlin Ave. from R-2 Residential to B-1 General Business to allow for a restaurant. Jorge Chavez, applicant. Z.C.A. #2-2021 1800 Livingston Ave. Submission for Planning Commissions recommendation to Lorain City Council for the rezoning of properties P.P.N. #02-01-003-155-001, (002), (003), (004), (005), (006) and (014) from R-2 Residential to I-3; Industrial Park District to allow for Residential Social Service. R-2 Zoning Ben Fligner, applicant. Z.C.A. #3-2021 1800 Livingston Ave. Submission for Planning Commissions recommendation to Lorain City Council for the rezoning of property
P.P.N. #02-01-003-155-031, (018) from I-1 Industrial to I-3 Industrial Park District to allow for Residential Social Service facility. Submission for Planning Commissions review of lot split at 3000 Leavitt Rd. Chris Mulvaney, applicant. Submission for Planning Commissions recommendation to Lorain City Coucil, for the final development plan of Sandy Springs Development, located on Oak Point Rd. north of Bitar Mercy Medical Center. RPUD Zoning Thomas Oster, applicant. Richard G. Klinar, ACTING SECRETARY, LORAIN CITY PLANNING COMMISSION AND ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS IF APPLICANT IS
UNABLE TO ATTEND, PLEASE CALL (440) 204-2034
L.C.C.G. 1/28/21 20676812
PUBLIC NOTICE OF SSO AND WIB REPORT The 2020 Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSO) and Water in Basement (WIB) Annual Report for the City of Lorain is complete and can be viewed online at www.cityoflorain. org or at the City of Lorain’s; Utility Department, 1106 W. 1st Street, Lorain, OH 44052. Viewing times are from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm Monday thru Friday, or by appointment by calling 440-204-2505. This notice is pursuant to
requirements set forth in the Ohio EPA Permits to Discharge issued to the City of Lorain for the Black River and PQM Wastewater Treatment Plants. L.C.C.G. 1/28/21 20676748
LEGAL NOTICE The 2020 Annual Financial Report for the South Lorain County Ambulance District is completed and available for public review at the District Board Office, 179 East Herrick Avenue, Wellington, OH. Amy Szmania, Clerk South Lorain County Ambulance District L.C.C.G. 1/28/21 20676678
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Lorain County Community Guide
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Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies
"This is democracy's day, a day of history and hope, of renewal and resolve," said President Joe Biden after taking the oath of office Jan. 20. "Through a crucible for the ages, America has been tested a new and America has risen to the challenge. Today we celebrate the triumph not of a candidate but of a cause, a cause of democracy."
County Democrats cheer as Biden sworn into office JASON HAWK EDITOR
In an instant, years of tension drained from Lorain County Democrats as Joe Biden took the oath of office Wednesday, becoming the 46th president of the United States. "Our four-year national nightmare is over," said Steven Volk, professor emeritus of history at Oberlin College. He was part of a small group of Democrats who gathered online to watch the inauguration. They welcomed not only Biden, but also Vice President Kamala Harris, the first woman, African-American and AsianAmerican to hold the office. "I see an administration that looks like America and a president and vice president who feel the weight of the work ahead, but who are focused on a singular goal of healing this nation," said Maureen Simen, co-leader of the grassroots political group Lorain County Rising. In large part, the watch party was a sendoff for former President Donald Trump, for whom they had no kind words. Biden was sworn in outside the U.S. Capitol, where just two weeks prior an angry mob of Trump supporters rioted, attacking police and surging into the building, forcing Congress to evacuate. His inaugural speech called for unity in the face of political division, domestic terrorism and the COVID-19 pandemic: "My whole soul is in this, bringing America together, uniting our people, uniting our nation," Biden said. "And I ask every American to join me in this cause, uniting to fight the foes we face — anger, resentment and hatred, extremism, lawlessness, violence, disease, joblessness and hopelessness." The biggest reaction from Lorain County Democrats came when Biden spoke of ending "lies told for power and for profit" and "this uncivil war that pits red against blue, rural versus urban, conservative versus liberal." Oberlin City Councilwoman Kristin Peterson said she has attended three inaugurations, but Biden's was the most emotional. Following the breach at the Capitol, it shows "what America is to me, and America truly for We the People," she said. Peterson said her family includes members who are Black, Hispanic, Thai, Aus-
tralian, South African, Native American, straight, gay, Catholic, Protestant, Methodist, Jewish and Jehovah's Witnesses. "What we have lived through these last four years has torn this country apart," she said. Lorain County Republicans take an opposite view. In a written statement, local party Chairman David Arredondo said Trump's administration led the nation through "an unprecedented period of world peace and economic success." He said lower taxes and deregulation of businesses and industries pushed the economy to new heights. Arredondo also praised Trump for appointing three conservative judges to the U.S. Supreme Court and more than 200 judges to the federal judiciary. "President Biden, Vice president Kamala Harris and their administration have big shoes to fill in order to build on these successes and I hope they are just as successful over the next four years," he wrote. "Good luck." Jennifer Wasilk, head of the Amherst Republican Party and county GOP central committee chair, said she noted Biden's emphasis on unity and hopes he lives up to it. That means listening to and respecting differing points of view, she said: "I wish him the very best bringing unity to the country." Listening and respect were not hallmarks of the Trump administration, said Lorain County Rising founder Lili Sandler. She said she is is glad the Trump era, marked by "mean-spirited, bullying" behavior, is over. But a Biden presidency does not mean calls for reform will end, she said. The next fight will be over redrawing Ohio's congressional districts, local Democrats said. The American Civil Liberties Union won a 2018 lawsuit over the state's election map, which a federal court said was unconstitutionally drawn to benefit Republican candidates. The gerrymandered system has resulted in Republicans winning 75 percent of the state's seats since 2012, even though they earned just 55 percent of votes. The court at first ordered a new map to be drawn before the 2020 election, but the deadline was pushed back to use new census data.
What they're saying Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) “I extend my congratulations to President and Dr. Biden, as well as Vice President Harris and Mr. Emhoff, on today’s historic inauguration. I had the honor of attending, and I look forward to working with the new administration on areas where we agree in order to make a difference in the lives of Ohioans and all Americans. When we disagree, I will do so respectfully. Public service is a noble calling and anyone who serves deserves the respect of the American people, regardless of political affiliation.” Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) "American workers will finally have someone on their side in the White House, and millions of girls — especially Black and brown girls — all over the country are seeing that there is no limit to their dreams, and they belong in every room where decisions are made. I look forward to working with President Biden, Vice President Harris and my colleagues to rise to meet the challenges before us, bring our country together and continue our fight for the dignity of work.” Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) "The inauguration of President Joe Biden as our 46th President and Vice President Kamala Harris, the first woman and person of color in history to be elected to the office, is cause for so much hope. The American people sought a new course for our country, a helping hand as they struggle to regain their footing from a worldwide pandemic. With their swearing in, President Biden and Vice President Harris bring anew to the capital the hopes and dreams of all Americans that our great nation may meet its full promise." Editor’s note: Charles Curtis, who served under President Herbert Hoover, was a member of the Kaw Nation and the first vice president of color.
B
OUR TOWNS
Lorain County Community Guide • Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021
Demolition options go in front of Wellington BOE JASON HAWK EDITOR
WELLINGTON — Demolition is on the table for Westwood Elementary, Wellington High School or both as the Board of Education wrestles with questions about its aging buildings. Steve Roka of the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission pitched ideas last week for massive renovations that could
Spring sports axed at Oberlin College
reduce the district to just two schools or even consolidate all Wellington students on a single campus. Estimates run close to $22.5 million for the most expensive plan, which would entail adding on to McCormick Middle School and making it a prekindergarten through 12th grade campus. The Wellington Schools would have to raise a $17.75 million local share to go that route. Another option is to convert
McCormick to a prekindergarten through sixth grade building, renovate Wellington High for grades Steve Roka seven to 12 and raze Westwood. The total cost there would be about $16.15 million,
and local taxpayers would have to foot $11.45 million. The final idea, said Roka, is to use McCormick for grades six to 12, renovate Westwood Elementary for prekindergarten to fifth grade and demolish the high school. The price tag would be about $17 million, with local residents responsible for a $12.3 million share. Roka said WHS is in slightly better shape than Westwood, "but
TRAGEDY IN BIRMINGHAM
DEMOLITION PAGE B2
Cooper Foster closed for kids’ center sewer line JASON HAWK EDITOR
AMHERST — Cooper Foster Park Road has closed for the installation of a sewer line servicing the new Akron Children's Hospital facility under construction along Route 2. Amherst Mayor Mark Costilow said the closure should last less than a week. "If everyone pays attention to the signs, keep the workers safe, it will come and go before you know it," he said. Hollstein Drive is accessible from North Lake Street. Residents leaving Hollstein Drive have to turn west, according to information provided by City Council President Jennifer Wasilk. Access to residences on the east side of the construction site is from North Main Street. Residents to the east of the bend where the children's hospital is being built have to go east. Shoppers heading to Deerfield Town Center, which includes Target and Lowe's Home Improvement along with other businesses, must find an alternate route, Costilow said. Akron Children's Hospital broke ground this fall on a $7.5 million, 23,000-square-foot medical center. It's intended to improve access to pediatric care on
JASON HAWK EDITOR
OBERLIN — Spring sports have been canceled at Oberlin College well ahead of the start of the season, and more than 100 people have signed a petition asking for the decision to be reversed. "I can appreciate how disappointing this decision is," President Carmen Twillie Ambar said in a statement last week. "This is the second spring season that the pandemic has impacted dramatically. But as we face the new, more contagious strains of the novel coronavirus, it is critical that we maintain our commitment to safety." Ambar said she hopes that distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine and improved testing methods will allow Yeomen and Yeowomen sports to resume later this year. For now, no conferencesponsored competitions with outside schools will be played, but Oberlin's varsity teams will be able to practice and train. Natalie Winkelfoos, associate vice president for athletics advancement, said the decision wasn't made lightly. "Athletics is an important piece of the campus experience for so many, and I recognize the enormous sacrifices athletes and their coaches continue to make," she said. As of Friday afternoon, 123 people had signed a Change.org petition calling for the college to reinstate the spring season. Jim Patchen, who started the petition, accused the college of acting without input from student athletes. "The risk to the community of reinstating outdoor team sports is low, as per latest study data," Patchen's petition said. "The NCAA does not classify any spring sport as high risk. Outdoor activities and quick contact, as in the case of Oberlin spring sports, reduces the risk even further." The petition says being barred from competition places students on "a dangerous pathway" when it comes to mental and physical health. It references a July report from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health that shows 68 percent of SPRING PAGE B2
not by much" based on the way the state evaluates the cost of upgrades. Questioned about what the renovations would actually look like, Roka passed the buck. The layout and way students would fit into the new design would be up to an architect, he said. He said the state may cover about 30 percent of the cost of any of the three plans.
COOPER FOSTER PAGE B2
Wastewater plant up for annexation JASON HAWK EDITOR
Kristin Bauer | Chronicle
A fire broke out in a barn at Miller Orchards, located in Brownhelm Township, on Tuesday, Jan. 19. No one was in the barn at the time of the blaze, and the cause is still under investigation.
Miller Orchards barn burns down DYLAN REYNOLDS THE CHRONICLE-TELEGRAM
BROWNHELM TWP. — A barn at the Miller Orchards property on Vermilion Road burned last Tuesday evening, causing extensive damage but not spreading to two adjacent buildings. Firefighters were able to contain the blaze before the flames could spread to a home to the south or a red seasonal store building to the north of the barn. There was nobody in the building when it started and there were no reported injuries. The losses were substantial. Equipment used for processing and storing apples was inside the structure when it caught fire. Roger Miller, one of the owners of the orchards, could only watch as firefighters from several departments attacked the flames with water from a nearby hydrant in addition to water shuttles and dump tanks. He said the upstairs of the barn was cleaned out a couple of winters ago, with some old wooden apple crates left behind. But Miller said an important piece of
equipment was downstairs. “We call it a big apple grater. It’s a sorter, washer,” he said. “That barn actually is fairly empty this time of year. The cold storage is empty.” South Amherst Assistant Fire Chief Dennis Hevener said that when the first crews arrived, they found the barn fully engulfed and began a defensive attack to protect the nearby buildings. Water supply turned out to be an issue in the early going. “But now we’ve got a water supply established, and we’re just (in) defensive mode trying to put the fire out,” Hevener said, keeping an eye on the tower truck dousing the barn from above. He noted that the crates in the upper level of the barn added fuel to the fire. Miller Orchards had been closed for the season since late November, according to its website. The intersection of Middle Ridge and Vermilion roads was closed while firefighters were on scene. Departments providing mutual aid to the South Amherst Fire Department included Vermilion, Vermilion Township, Florence Township, Amherst, Camden Township and Wakeman.
OBERLIN — Believe it or not, the 46 acres where Oberlin's wastewater treatment plant sits on State Route 511 aren't actually inside the city limits. That may change in coming weeks, as City Council considers annexing the land from New Russia Township. There are two notable advantage to annexation, Oberlin Law Director Jon Clark said last week. First, six employees of the plant would be required to start paying income taxes to the city, he said. They don't pay any to New Russia, because state law bars townships from collecting income tax. Making the treatment plant part of Oberlin would also make all adjoining properties eligible to do so, Clark said. The Lorain County landfill operated by Republic Services borders two sides of the acreage, though Clark said he doesn't see the company filing a request to become part of Oberlin. ANNEXATION PAGE B2 1960-2021
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Page B2
Mia Bay book discussion
The League of Women Voters of the Oberlin Area will hold a discussion of the book "To Tell the Truth Freely: The Life of Ida B. Wells" by Mia Bay at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 23. Wells was a fearless anti-lynching crusader, women's rights activist and journalist. Bay vividly captures her legacy and life from her childhood in Mississippi to her early career in late 19th century Memphis and her later life in Progressve-era Chicago. The presentation will be held via Zoom at www. tinyurl.com/LeagueIdaWells. All are welcome. No preregistration is required.
Kindergarten registration
Registration packets for students entering kindergarten at Westwood Elementary in Wellington can be picked up at the school office starting Monday, Feb. 8. Screenings will be held March 15 and 16 by appointment, scheduled when you pick up your registration packet. Students must be five years old on or before Aug. 1, 2021, to register. For more information, call Westwood at (440) 647-3636.
Championship banners
New banners were recently installed at the Amherst Steele High School gymnasium, celebrating the Comets’ conference championship wins over the years. Banners were purchased by the Comet Athletic Boosters. Working with the athletic department, they made sure the banners reflect Steele’s history in the Northern Ohio, Lakeland and Southwestern conferences.
DEMOLITION
FROM B1 If Wellington wants to cash in on the offer, it would have to cast a vote by May to move ahead with restructuring the school district. Then the Board of Education would have until August 2022 to find financing, whether through a levy or a new revenue stream. Convincing voters to back any such plan could be difficult. They didn't buy into several levy attempts to raise millions of dollars to fix failing school boilers, leaky roofs and crumbling parking lots in recent years. The most recent, in November 2019, failed by a nearly 17 percent margin. If voters do an about-face and approve a tax hike, there's a risk state cash still won't be available for years. Roka said there are other districts in line ahead of Wellington to get facilities commission money, and warned there might not be enough to go around. Some are ready to go right now, using oil and natural gas pipeline taxes to fund construction. There are about 20 other districts in the same situation as Wellington, looking at their options and planning possible requests for facilities commission cash, said Roka. He warned that costs could also grow significantly over the coming year. Inflation and other effects of the COVID-19 crisis could take a big toll. School board member Ayers Ratliff said there could be benefits to moving fast, such as taking advantage of low interest rates. "There's a lot to think about, a lot to wade through," said school board President Brett Murner.
COOPER FOSTER
FROM B1 the west side of Cleveland through a partnership with Mercy Health. The Amherst location will offer primary care, radiology, laboratory services and specialties such as cardiology and gastroenterology, according to Brian Lapolla, vice president of facilities, planning, construction and public safety for Akron Children's Hospital.
ANNEXATION
FROM B1 But there are a handful of homes nearby homes, and their owners could one day file petitions to be annexed, he said. "We have the opportunity to expand, to some extent, our tax base," he said. Annexation requests go to the Lorain County commissioners for consideration. If the paperwork is properly prepared, Clark said they'll be obligated to rubber-stamp the request since it's filed by the city under an expedited process. There is an oddity to this particular case. Due to some legalities, the property will belong to both Oberlin and New Russia Township, Clark said. Technically, that means people who live there could be taxed by both entities, and they'd be eligible to vote in both locations — but there are no residents at the wastewater treatment plant. That same situation would not apply to neighboring properties that may later be annexed, Clark said. Council cast a preliminary vote Jan. 19, and the proposal will be up for another reading Feb. 1.
SPRING
FROM B1 high school — not college — athletes polled said they experienced some degree of depression because of pandemic-related sports cancellations. Oberlin College is a member of the North Coast Athletic Conference. In October, the entire NCAC canceled winter sports competitions, and it's unclear how many will compete in the spring. Patchen said Lorain County high schools have reinstated winter sports and plan to play in the spring. "Why are Oberlin students being held to a much more rigid standard in this community?" he said. "We ask for fairness and equality. The local (Oberlin) high school is playing indoor sports this winter home and away."
Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021
Lorain County Community Guide
College ramps up spring semester safety JASON HAWK EDITOR
OBERLIN — Green passes will be needed to access dining halls during the spring semester at Oberlin College, and they may eventually be used to regulate entry to other areas. The college announced last week that it will expand the use of Full Measure, a smart phone survey app. Students, staff and faculty must field daily questions about their health — and based on their answers, they'll get either green access or a gray restriction. "Downloading your access pass demonstrates a commitment to public health and the health of your fellow Obies, as well as a commitment to your own health by self-assessing how you feel each day," said a message posted by the college communications office. The Full Measure app has been used this academic year, but the dining hall rule is new for the spring semester. College housing reopened Monday and classes begin Feb. 1. Compared to other higher education institutions, Oberlin kept a tight lid on COVID-19 cases through the fall. It administered 11,135 tests for the virus throughout the first semester, and found 28 positives.
Testing has already resumed before students return. As of Jan. 11, another 1,149 tests had been run in 2021, the most recent data released as of this writing, resulting in eight new positives cases. Tests are done by Mercy Health Allen Hospital staff and sent to Tempus in Chicago for processing. Through the fall, a quarter of the campus population was tested each week. Katie Gravens, Oberlin's COVID-19 campus health coordinator, made the case Tuesday for contact tracing when students test positive for COVID. Students are expected to provide the college with their cell phone numbers and receive calls from unknown numbers, since they could be important medical calls. Those who are moved to isolation should expect calls from unknown numbers and answer, according to a campus bulletin. "Talk to the contact tracer when they call," Gravens wrote. "We know that we might call you at times that are inconvenient, but we are making every effort to control the spread of the virus." It's unclear when college professors and other employees will get access to the COVID vaccine. Unlike K-12 staff, they aren't included in Ohio's February
rollout. Oberlin College is in the process of applying to be a distribution center for students, faculty and staff, according to information provided by Director of Media Relations Scott Wargo. The college hasn't determined whether the vaccine will be mandatory for students once it becomes available, though it did require them to get flu shots in the fall. Employees will be strongly encouraged to be vaccinated. Eddie Gisemba, director of health promotion for students, noted Tuesday that it would be incorrect to assume the entire public will be receptive to getting the COVID vaccine. Many American families are skipping vaccinations these days, which has led to outbreaks of diseases like the measles, he said. Some have incorrectly linked increases in autism and asthma to childhood vaccinations. What will motivation people to be vaccinated against COVID? Gisemba said how susceptible people feel they are to the virus will play a big role. "Do we know people that have had COVID-19? If so, how bad was it?" he said. "We must contend with the myth that vaccines cause the disease they are meant to prevent, as well as some public distrust of the health care infrastructure."
POLICE REPORTS AMHERST
• Jan. 3, time undisclosed: Joseph Terry, 26, of Lorain, was served with a warrant through the Amherst Police Department for failure to appear in court. The original charge was driving under suspension. • Jan. 4 at 10:26 a.m.: Police responded to a harassment complaint between two boys at Steele High School. • Jan. 4 at 10:54 a.m.: Spare change was reportedly taken overnight from an unlocked vehicle on North Ridge Road. • Jan. 5 at 8:48 a.m.: An identity theft complaint involving COVID-19 unemployment funds was filed. • Jan. 5 at 4:48 p.m.: Ramsey DeJesus Jr., 24, of Lorain, was arrested on a warrant through Oberlin Municipal Court for failure to appear. The original charge was driving without a license. • Jan. 5 at 6:15 p.m.: Officers responded to a domestic dispute on Terra Lane. While investigating, police found marijuana growing in the basement. • Jan. 7 at 11:47 a.m.: A license plate was reported lost or stolen. • Jan. 8 at 7:39 a.m.: A woman said friends stole all her personal belongings while they were staying at Motel 6 on Route 58. • Jan. 8 at 12:15 p.m.: A fraud complaint involving the Facebook Marketplace was filed. • Jan. 8 at 7:49 p.m.: Gilberto Peguero, 59, of Lorain, was charged with misuse of 911 and disorderly conduct by intoxication. Police said he habitually called 911 without any emergency while staying at Motel 6 on Route 58. • Jan. 9 at 12:32 a.m.: Jose Rivera, 29, of Lorain, was arrested on a warrant through the Lorain County Sheriff's Office for contempt of court. The original charge was possession of dangerous drugs. • Jan. 11 at 9:36 a.m.: A woman said someone fraudulently attempted to open a bank account in her name to collect unemployment benefits. • Jan. 11 at 1:28 p.m.: An unresponsive 72-year-old man was taken from the Aldi parking lot on Kresge Drive to the hospital. • Jan. 11 at 1:37 p.m.: A West Martin Avenue man in full arrest couldn't be saved, and was taken to Dovin Reber Jones Funeral Home. • Jan. 12 at 11:17 p.m.: Paul Santiago, 44, of Amherst, was charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated and failure to control. Police said he drove his Ford pickup into a mailbox on Rome Beauty Drive. • Jan. 13 at 3:39 a.m.: Trynell Davis, 28, of Elyria, was arrested on a warrant through the Amherst Police Department for failure to report to jail on an original traffic offense conviction. • Jan. 13 at 3:55 a.m.: Jose Torres, 28, of Lorain, was arrested on a warrant through the Amherst Police Department for failure to appear in court on an original charge of larceny. • Jan. 14 at 9:22 p.m.: Police attempted to stop a driver for an alleged traffic offense on Pyle South
Amherst Road and Middle Ridge Road. Before the officer was able to catch up, the suspect Ford Escape was involved in a crash at South Main Street and Elyria Avenue, and the driver fled the scene. Police were unable to find the vehicle. • Jan. 14 at 9:44 p.m.: A woman said she was sexually assaulted by a man staying at Motel 6 on Route 58. She was taken to the hospital. • Jan. 15 at 7:55 a.m.: A 16-yearold called Amherst police and said she had been reported missing from Elyria. She was turned over to Elyria officers. • Jan. 15 at 11:03 a.m.: A woman said someone filed for unemployment benefits using her personal information. • Jan. 15 at 2:28 p.m.: John Donald, 42, of Lorain, was arrested on a warrant through the Erie County Sheriff's Office for failure to appear in court on an original charge of theft. • Jan. 15 at 4:57 p.m.: Officers responded to Red Tailed Lane, where an unresponsive male allegedly overdosed on an unknown illegal drug. He regained consciousness and was taken to Mercy Health Lorain Hospital. • Jan. 16 at 11:26 a.m.: A man filed a fraud complaint, saying he had a computer issue and was told he had to purchase eBay cards to get it fixed.
OBERLIN
• Jan. 6 at 10:41 a.m.: Dashawn Martin was arrested on a warrant through the Ohio Adult Parole Authority. • Jan. 7 at 5:27 p.m.: Valerie Villanueva turned herself in on a warrant through Oberlin Municipal Court for failure to appear in court. She was also wanted by the Lorain County Sheriff's Office. • Jan. 8 at 12:21 a.m.: Justin Thomas was arrested on a warrant through Oberlin Municipal Court for contempt of court. • Jan. 8 at 11:23 a.m.: A 14-year-old girl who was having suicidal thoughts was taken to the hospital. • Jan. 9 at 1:44 a.m.: Kaitlyn Rose was charged with underage consumption of alcohol after police responded to a complaint of a female who was intoxicated and kicking cars on West College Street. • Jan. 9 at 9:28 p.m.: A theft was reported by security at Walmart on US Route 20. • Jan. 9 at 9:52 p.m.: Joshua Henly was charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated, OVI refusal, open container in a motor vehicle and disorderly conduct while intoxicated. • Jan. 10 at 5:32 p.m.: Randall Taylor was charged with domestic violence, obstructing official business and resisting arrest. • Jan. 12 at 10:58 a.m.: Isaiah Savage was arrested on a warrant through the Lorain County Sheriff's Office, and was also charged with drug trafficking, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana paraphernalia and possession of marijuana. • Jan. 14 at 2:39 p.m.: A Publishers
Clearing House scam that exhausted a local woman's savings of $173,000 was reported to police. • Jan. 15 at 12:52 p.m.: A woman said her personal information was used to file a fraudulent unemployment claim. • Jan. 16 at 5:26 p.m.: A woman said her wallet was stolen from her cart while shopping at Walmart on US Route 20. • Jan. 17 at 3:15 p.m.: A welfare check revealed an East College Street resident had died in his apartment. • Jan. 18 at 5:45 p.m.: A woman said her boyfriend took a bottle of sleeping pills and cut himself. He was taken to the hospital.
WELLINGTON
• Jan. 2 at 5:22 p.m.: Officers spoke with McCormick Middle School Principal Nathan Baxendale about an alleged telecommunication harassment incident between students. • Jan. 4 at 12:05 a.m.: Matthew Boroway, 23, of Sheffield Lake, was arrested on a warrant through the Lorain County Sheriff's Office. The original charges were domestic violence and criminal damaging. • Jan. 5 at 3:32 p.m.: A Wellington man ordered to wear a GPS monitoring device allegedly went to Tappan Square in Oberlin, setting off alarms. A warrant was issued for Matthew Kaminoski, 27. • Jan. 5 at 6:21 p.m.: A 39-yearold Lorain man was lying in a North Main Street parking lot, possibly overdosing on drugs. He died at the scene. While investigating, police arrested Cody Langdon, 22, of Wellington, who was wanted on a warrant through the Wellington Police Department for failure to report to jail. • Jan. 5 at 10:21 p.m.: A 13-yearold girl was taken to the hospital. Police said she appeared to be intoxicated by an unknown substance. • Jan. 10 at 11:14 a.m.: Officers responded to Erie Street to look into a suspected scam. • Jan. 11 at 12:54 p.m.: James Moore, 39, of Wellington, was charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated. • Jan. 11 at 11:02 p.m.: A woman believed to have overdosed was revived with naloxone on West Herick Avenue. • Jan. 12 at 11:18 a.m.: A juvenile was recommended for unruliness charges. • Jan. 13 at 1:37 a.m.: Nicholas Plato, 28, of Wellington, was served with a warrant through the Wellington Police Department for violating a temporary protection order. • Jan. 14 at 2:45 p.m.: David Conley Jr., 18, of Wellington, was charged with criminal trespass following a complaint at Apples on East Herrick Avenue. • Jan. 14 at 4:52 p.m.: A man told police he received mail from U.S. Bank about unemployment filings that were fraudulent. Editor's note: Though charged, defendants are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021
SPORTS
Lorain County Community Guide
Page B3
Fritz to ‘develop young men’ as Comets football coach JASON HAWK EDITOR
AMHERST — Kenneth Fritz has been promoted to serve as the Comets' head football coach for the Fall 2021 season. Following a year as the team's assistant coach, he was chosen last week by the Amherst Board
of Education to fill former coach Mike Passerrello's shoes. "Football is a passion of mine, and not just a passion of mine because I love the sport, but because I love the opportunity to develop young men," Fritz told school board members. While he wants to win, he said the first priority is building
football players with integrity who will "rep Amherst." "Everything we do, we respect one another," he said. "We respect who we're playing. We respect coaches, and coaches respect players." The goal is to shape boys into young men who are ready to give back to society by the end of their time in the Comets
program, he said. Fritz previously coached at Medina Highland as well as his alma mater, Brunswick, where he graduated in 2015. He said he learned a lot while working with Passerrello, who stepped down in December to give his full attention to his own children. “My kids are just at that age
where I need to stop coaching and start being at their games and supporting them," Passerrello said. He turned around a struggling Comets team during his four seasons at the helm. After six long seasons with a combined 9-51 record, the Comets went 23-14 under "Coach Pass."
TRI-MEET AT WHS
Photos by Erik Andrews | Oberlin News-Tribune
Oberlin’s Trajen Chambers finds room to work on the outside and drives to the hoop.
Phoenix iced in home-andhome series with Keystone ERIK ANDREWS CORRESPONDENT
After splitting back-to-back matchups against third place Firelands and second place Columbia, Oberlin ventured to Keystone on Friday to face the first place Wildcats in another home-and-home series. This time, the Wildcats lived up to their top-tier status, downing the Phoenix on Oberlin's home floor 70-50 and following that up with a defensive — and at times sloppy — 44-32 win in LaGrange. In the opener, Oberlin got off to a slow start, falling behind by nine after one quarter and down 11 at the half. The Wildcats matched the Phoenix output in the third quarter and iced the game with a pair of late threes and free throws in the last stanza. The Phoenix were led by senior Trajen
Chambers with 15 points while Marius Harrell chipped in 10. For the Wildcats, Ryan Walsh knocked down 17 while both Konner Rodick and Alex Nagle contributed 13. In the re-match three days later, it appears as though the baskets had been sealed. The poor Wildcats shooting percentage (30 percent FG, 57 percent FT) looked stellar in comparison to Oberlin's ice cold shooters (21 percent FG, 43 percent FT). "Anytime we shoot 20-something percent against a strong team like Keystone, I wouldn't expect the desired result, and that was the case tonight," said coach Kurt Russell. "We worked hard on defense and forced some turnovers, but just weren't able to convert those into points on the other end." Chambers again led Oberlin with 14 points, while Rodick (15) and Walsh (10) paced the Wildcats.
Photos by Russ Gifford | Wellington Enterprise
Firelands defeated Black River 41-12 on Jan. 21, as Liam Varndell, Kaden King and Conner Rogers all secured fast pins. The tri-meet was held at Wellington High School, but Dukes results were not available. ABOVE: Firelands’ Kaden King lunges for the leg of Wellington’s Sam Smith. King won the match. BELOW: Firelands’ Ruben Pina-Lorenzana manages Black River’s Joe Dennis. Ruben won the match.
85 SOUTH MAIN STREET OBERLIN OHIO 44074 JANUARY 28, 2021
BOARD AND COMMISSION MEETING DATES ALL MEETINGS WILL BE Live Streamed @ http://oberlinoh.swagit.com/live
The Phoenix’s Andre Yarber fights through traffic in play against Keystone.
NOTICE: DISABLED MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY WHO MAY NEED ASSISTANCE, PLEASE CALL 775-7203 OR E-MAIL: banderson@cityofoberlin.com NOTICE REQUIRED: TWO (2) WORKING DAYS IN ADVANCE OF MEETING (48 HOURS) CLERK OF COUNCIL’S OFFICE.
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Lorain County Community Guide
NEVER GIVE UP
Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021
HOT FROM THE OUTSIDE
Kristin Bauer | Chronicle
Nailing early shots by George Fayer and Austin Bray from outside the arc gave the Comets the room they needed Friday night. Heated up by the snipers, Amherst build up a 23-13 first quarter lead and never looked back, steamrolling Midview 76-64. Bray finished with a team-high 16 points, while Jordan Koury and Ty Weatherspoon each put 14 points on the board, Fayer added a respectable 12 and George Gotsis chipped in 10. The Middies' Aden Gregory had an outstanding 27-point performance, but with the exception of Bryce Newton's 10, no other teammates broke into double digits. ABOVE: Midivew's Marc Reed takes a shot while guarded by Amherst's Ty Weatherspoon and George Fayer.
DUAL LOSSES TO 'CATS Photos by Joe Colon | Amherst News-Times
It hasn't been an easy season for the Comets girls varsity squad, which sank to 0-9 last week with a 56-28 loss to Westlake. ABOVE: Amherst's Jules Gedling penetrates to the basket.
COMETS BRIEFS Ice Hockey
• Four Comets — Nick Ciura, Joey Kramer, Michael Hughes and Gage Cohoon — took turned ripping through the Strongsville defense in the first period alone on Saturday. Amherst surged to an 8-0 shutout with a second period goal by Kramer, two from Nate Harmych and a third period closer from Thomas Hall. Goalie Brady Grove had 17 saves to keep the slate clean. • Joey Kramer saved the day Jan. 17, breaking a tie on a third period power play goal to go up 2-1 over Avon. He built on a Nick Ciura goal int he second period. Joey Kramer, Logan Eicher, Nathan Harmych and Avery Winkleman were all credited with assists. Matt Folds scored Avon's goal with help from Nick Kraszewski and Mike Perusek — it was the only one of 31 Eagles shots to get past Comets goalie Brady Grove. Ben Boka had 20 saves for Avon.
Girls Bowling
• Amherst scored 3,858 points to take first place at the 10th Annual North Olmsted Eagle Challenge. The Comets bowlers earned placement on the All-Tournament Team, including individual champion Makayla Velasquez, who bowled 691 (203, 236, 252). Also shining were Hannah Aschenbach with a 525 (224, 126, 175) for fourth place and Allison Taylor, who finished sixth with a 524 series (179, 177, 168). Amanda McElheny rolled a 385 (134, 141, 110) and Rachel McDerment scored 360 (115, 125, 120). • The Comets defeated Wellington
2,260 to 1,758, setting a new season high score. For Amherst, Makayla Velasquez rolled 446 (223, 223), Hannah Aschenbach scored 428 (222, 206), Allison Taylor had a 404 series (214, 190), Rachel McDerment went 310 (164, 146) and Amanda McElheny rolled 244 (131, 113). For Wellington, Whitney Kirschener bowled a 330 series (132, 198), Abbie Michalak scored 303 (171, 132), Trinity Farr rolled a 291 (154, 137), Heather Reininger went 274 (146, 128) and Nicole Sparks rounded out the crew with a 254 (111, 143).
Boys Bowling
• Zachary Zakrajsek rolled 407 (235, 172) last week to lead the Comets to a 2,303 to 1,623 win over Wellington. Antonio Rodriguez rolled 399 (189, 210), Chandan Weinsier rolled 393 ((182, 211) and Logan Stewart scored 392 (172, 220). Thomas Heider threw one game of 172 while JP Gregory rolled a 161. Landon Davison led the Dukes bowlers with a 380 series (203, 177). Brandon Rutkowski threw for 324 (143, 181) and Joe Dudziak rolled 240 (114, 126). Shayne Brady rolled a 119, Reese Harrell threw a 100 and Dean Philliphs rolled a 98. • The Comets finished fourth Sunday at the Eagle Challenge behind Chandan Weinsier's 637 series (235, 167, 235). JP Gregory rolled 544 (194, 183, 167), Logan Stewart bowled a 481 (182, 149, 150), Thomas Heider rolled for 353 (181, 172), Antonio Rodriguez went 359 (134, 225) and Zachary Zakrajsek bowled 297 (153, 144).
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Photos by Erik Andrews | Oberlin News-Tribune
The Phoenix continue to hunt for their first win of the season after falling this past week in contests with a strong Keystone contingent. In the homeand-home series, the Wildcats picked up two wins, 76-25 in Oberlin, and nearly mirrored that result the second night with a 77-26 victory. The Phoenix were led by Casey Amato with 13 and 10 points in the two games, while fellow senior Mar'khila Holloway chipped in 10 and 9 respectively. ABOVE: Oberlin's Casey Amato drives past Wildcat Jessica Forthofer. BELOW: Oberlin's Desiree Randleman defends against Keystone's Kortney Bartlome.
Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021
Lorain County Community Guide
Page B5
GRINDING IT OUT Photos by Russ Gifford | Wellington Enterprise
A defensive grind gave Firelands a 33-24 win over Wellington on Jan. 20, as both teams failed to find double-digit quarters in the opening half. The Falcons prevailed on the strength of an 11-2 third period, holding the Dukes scoreless more than seven minutes, then built steam to a 10-6 finish. Abbey Schmitz was the high-scorer with 10 points for Firelands. Neither team broke 30 percent in field goals, struggling through the loss of key players due to COVID-19 quarantines. LEFT: Firelands' Madison Sutton pressures Wellington's Jill Laposky at the basket. RIGHT: Firelands' Abbey Schmitz gets the layup at Wellington.
SENIOR NIGHT LOSS
Russ Gifford | Wellington Enterprise
The Columbia Raiders knew they had it in the bag after a 19-3 first quarter, and pressed on for a 54-29 win over Wellington. For the Dukes, it was a painful Senior Night loss — no one shot into double digits, but all three seniors on the roster scored: Payton Regal and Ally Zvara each had four points, and Jill Laposky had six. The Raiders were led by Allyson Ross with 17; Mallory Hottell racked up 16 and Averey Lavinder had 11. RIGHT: Wellington's Victoria Paramore gets a layup.
CLIPPERS ROLL PAST PIRATES
Russ Gifford | Wellington Enterprise
Clearview found gold Saturday in Brooke Rebman and Olivia Romes, who each scored 16 points as the Clippers rolled past Black River 53-40. A 23-9 first quarter didn't hurt their chances, either. Riley Kubitz had 15 to lead the Pirates, and Zoey Bungard provided backup with 14. ABOVE: Black River's Ashley Kalman dives for a loose ball against Clearview.
UH Rainbow Lorain Pediatrics is growing to serve you better! At UH Rainbow Lorain Pediatrics, our goal is to provide our families with the highest quality health care. That’s why we are excited to share news of the big changes coming to our practice in the New Year.
IN JANUARY, we will open a second location at: 319 West Lorain Street, Oberlin 44074
And, we will welcome two new pediatric providers: Khalid Akbar, MD Pediatrician Elana Richter, CNP Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
IN FEBRUARY, we will move our main office to: 590 North Leavitt Road, Amherst 44001 With easy access to parking and private entrance.
All UH Rainbow Lorain Pediatrics providers are accepting new patients. Schedule an appointment online at UHRainbow.org/ScheduleRLP or call 440-482-7514. Learn more about our changes at UHRainbow.org/RLP
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Lorain County Community Guide
© 2021 by Vicki Whiting, Editor Jeff Schinkel, Graphics Vol. 37, No. 8
David Wiesner has illustrated more than 20 award-winning books and has won the Caldecott Medal three times. Many of his books have no words but the highlyy creative illustrations spark the imagination and take readers on amazing adventures. Can you number these David Wiesner books in alphabetical order? I Got It!
Tuesdays
Mr. Wuffles
Free Fall
Children are born curious. From their earliest days, sensory exploration brings delight and wonder. New discoveries expand their minds. When they unlock the joy of reading, their world widens further. Magic happens. Kid Scoop opens the doors of discovery for elementary school children by providing interactive, engaging and relevant age-appropriate materials designed to awaken the magic of reading at school, at home, and throughout their lives. For more information about our literacy non-profit, visit kidscoopnews.org
Flotsam
A new book from David Wiesner
Q: Is the story Hurricane based on your childhood? Did you have a cat named Hannibal?
Q: After reading Sector 7, I wanted to know if you grew up in New York City?
A: Yes, Hurricane is the only one of my stories that actually happened to me. Playing on that tree was the best! I had a cat, but her name was Fuzzy (really). I changed the name to fit in with the adventuring nature of the kids.
A: I grew up in New Jersey, not too far from New York. I really enjoyed going into the city. I loved the architecture—especially the Empire State Building. It was great to be able to use it in my story. I designed the Sector 7 factory in the sky by looking at a lot of New York City buildings. I then created a place with bits of many of them all together.
To make the pictures, I used old photos of my house, cat, yard, bedroom, etc. for reference. So, what you see in the book is where I lived and grew up. The kids are not me or my brother, although I used our names. I used the kids of some friends as my models.
Q: Why do Tuesday and Sector 7 have very few words and almost all pictures?
Q: Why do you draw fish in many of your stories? Is it your favorite animal?
A: A wordless book offers a different kind of an experience from one with text, for both the author and the reader. There is no author’s voice telling the story. Each viewer reads the book in his or her own way. The reader is an integral part of the storytelling process. As a result, there are as many versions of Tuesday, Sector 7, Free Fall, and Mr. Wuffles, as there are readers. As the author of a wordless book, I don’t have to concern myself about whether the reader’s interpretation of each and every detail is the same as mine. My own view has no more, and no less, validity than that of any other viewer.
A: I don’t have any fish for pets. I like the way fish look and I like to draw and paint them. They appeal to me visually. They are very strange and fantastical looking, so I use them a lot when I make pictures and stories.
Q: How do you come up with the ideas for your picture books? A: Tuesday came about because I was asked to create a painting for the cover of a magazine for kids. I was told that I could do whatever I wanted, but they let me know that there were a lot of articles about frogs in this issue. Frogs are very cool looking— soft, round, lumpy, and really goofy-looking. I wanted to draw them.
I got out my sketchbook and began to draw frogs. I then drew one on a lily pad. The shape they made together, the round blob of the frog on top of the circular, saucer-like bottom, made me think of something else that had the same shape—a flying saucer. And then I thought, “why not make the frog and lily pad fly around, like a flying saucer?”
Q: What is your favorite movie and what makes it your favorite?
For the cover, I showed a group of frogs rising up out of a swamp, heading off to some kind of mischief. I liked the frogs as characters. They had distinct personalities. I wondered what happened before and after this scene. I then began to create the story that would become my book Tuesday.
In David Wiesner’s book Art & Max, two lizards have a crazy adventure of drawing and painting each other. Draw a picture of your best friend in the space below, and use lots of colors to create some wild art!
A: 2001: A Space Odyssey is my favorite movie. It is a very complex story and it is told almost entirely with images. I learned a lot about telling stories visually from that movie.
Kid Scoop thanks David Wiesner and the students at Bahia Vista Elementary School in San Rafael, CA who came up with these great questions for Mr. Wiesner.
HURRICANE CALDECOTT WIESNER TUESDAY WUFFLES AUTHOR FROGS WORDS FUZZY MEDAL STORY PAINT FISH DRAW CITY
In this hilarious gem from triple Caldecott winner David Wiesner, it’s big sister to the rescue when a new baby is delivered to a family of robots and the adults are flummoxed by technical difficulties. A new baby’s arrival is a big moment in any family, even a family of robots. Award winner David Wiesner captures the excitement and fanfare when baby Flange appears—as a crate full of components. The adults bungle the process of assembling Flange, with catastrophic results. Big sister Cathy, with her handy toolbox and advanced knowledge of robotics and IT, hasn’t been allowed to help, but in the ensuing chaos she calmly clears up the technical difficulties and bonds with her new baby brother. A shout-out for girl scientists and makers, Robobaby is an eye-opening and engaging blend of the familiar and the fantastic.
Picture Story Cut out a photo from today’s newspaper. Cut out the photo only—no caption or words. Glue the photo to a piece of paper and then make up and write a story to go with the photo. Standards Link: Reading Comprehension: Follow simple, written directions.
S P D R O H T U A A
W O R D S U F R S S
F T A K E R I S T E
U N W S O R S M O L Z I D G A I H G R F Z A S I N C I T Y F
Y P A T L A D E M U
I W I E S N E R O W
N T T O C E D L A C
Standards Link: Letter sequencing. Recognize identical words. Skim and scan reading. Recall spelling patterns.
This week’s word:
ADVENTURE
The noun adventure means an exciting, possibly risky, journey or experience. Looking for an adventure, I decided to ride the double loop rollercoaster at the amusement park. Try to use the word adventure in a sentence today when talking with your friends and family members.
Picture This
Find a photo in the newspaper. Write about what you think happened before the photo was taken and what might have happened after. Read the story to see if you were right. ANSWER: Unquestionably!
Standards Link: Writing Applications: Students write phrases that describe concepts.
Write an ad to sell your favorite book. Make it sound exciting or fun, but don’t give away the ending!