Lorain County Community Guide - March 3, 2022

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AMHERST NEWS-TIMES • OBERLIN NEWS-TRIBUNE • WELLINGTON ENTERPRISE Thursday, March 3, 2022

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Volume 9, Issue 9

Library closing for final phase JASON HAWK EDITOR

AMHERST — When the final phase of a $5.8 million construction and renovation project begins Monday, March 7, the Amherst Public Library will close its doors to the public.

When they will open again is unknown — it could take two to three months for workers Jason Hawk | Amherst News-Times to finish, according to library Director Don Dovala.

The final phase of a $5.8 million construction and renovation Crews have added about project will start March 7 at the Amherst Public Library. When it begins, the library will close for several months while the work is 7,500 square feet to the Spring Street library’s footprint in the being done.

Council wrests with jump in parking fines

form of a two-story addition.

Renovations to the existing second floor space are all but complete. It’s been transformed into a children’s area where “kids can be kids” without disturbing older patrons, Dovala said.

Now workers are preparing to completely revamp the ground floor, cutting off access to visitors.

Contractors will tear down shelving units, remove several walls and tear out carpeting. A new office for the adult collection manager will be built where the library’s small community room is located.

Then shelving will be rebuilt.

The building’s elevator is also getting a facelift, with new panels, ceiling, lights and carpet.

To get the work rolling, the Amherst library will completely shut down from March 7-13, according to spokeswoman Becky Denes.

Electric work will be done on those first two days, so even online services such as the Ohio Digital Lbrary and Hoopla may not be available.

When the library “reopens” Monday, March 14, the LIBRARY PAGE A3

‘I know what they're going to go through’

JASON HAWK EDITOR

WELLINGTON — The prospect of far higher parking ticket fines has put a sour taste in the mouths of some Village Council members, though they have no choice but to pass the costs along.

“What I don’t want to see is for us to go from $10 to $40,” said Councilman Guy Wells in a meeting last week.

The actual jump is much larger — with fines moving out of the village’s control and into Judge Thomas Januzzi’s courtroom in Oberlin, parking tickets could now go as high as $150 in the most exGuy Wells treme cases, said Wellington Law Director Stephen Bond.

Oberlin Municipal Court’s fee schedule puts a basic illegal parking fine at $10 with court costs of $71 if the case is contested, for a total bill of $81.

“Don’t illegally park. That’s the answer,” Mayor Hans Schneider told Council members after going over the numbers.

TICKETS PAGE A3 Classifieds, legals, display advertising, and subscriptions Deadline: 1 p.m. each Monday Phone: 440-329-7000 Hours: 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday

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News staff Jason Hawk news@LCnewspapers.com Phone: 440-329-7122 Submit news to news@lcnewspapers.com Deadline: 10 a.m. Tuesday Send obituaries to obits@chroniclet.com

Provided photos

Children in a displaced persons camp in Landeck, Austria, pose together in 1945. Mary Van Nortwick is in the center in white. Her mother, Luba Krywokulsky, was one of the teachers in the camp.

Ukrainian woman remembers childhood under Soviet Union CARISSA WOYTACH THE CHRONICLE-TELEGRAM

OBERLIN — Watching the first country she called home burn, Mary Van Nortwick was overcome with more emotion than she expected.

Before dawn last Thursday, Russian forces began invading Ukraine, moving through the north, east and southern borders, The New York Times reported, launching attacks on Kyiv, Odesa and other major cities.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said via a video address that 137 servicemen and civilians had been killed and hundreds more wounded, the Associated Press

INSIDE THIS WEEK

Send legal notices to jyoder@chroniclet.com Submit advertising to chama@chroniclet.com Copyright 2022 Lorain County Printing & Publishing Company

reported. sadness.

Thousands fled, “I know what they’re pouring across the going to go through, country’s western and it gets very diffiborder to Poland — the cult,” she said. neighboring country Watching parents feroffering shelter to anyry their children across one trying to escape the border reminded the conflict. her of the trek her own Others went unparents made more than derground, jamming 70 years prior. subway stations that Her parents, Michael were built to serve as and Luba Krywokulsky, Mary Van Nortwick, bomb shelters in Kyiv, 6, poses for her 1949 made plans to leave according to the AsUkraine when the Sovipassport photo. sociated Press. ets invaded, she said.

Van Nortwick, now The couple and young living in Oberlin, watched five Mary were herded from Ternopil to minutes of the television coverage before being hit by the depth of her UKRAINE PAGE A3

Amherst

Oberlin

Wellington

Ohio Supreme Court Justice Pat DeWine visits • B1

Cemetery tour explores Black soldiers at Westwood • B1

Long-delayed police station construction underway • B1

OBITUARIES A2 • CLASSIFIEDS A4 • CROSSWORD B2 • SUDOKU B2 • KID SCOOP B6

Page A2

Thursday, March 3, 2022

Lorain County Community Guide

OBITUARIES Donald Luxon Gilbert Donald Luxon Gilbert died Monday, Feb. 14, 2022, at the age of 93, after a brief illness. Never without his keen intelligence and wit, Don was surrounded during his last days by his loving family including his wife of 69 years, Barbara, his son, his daughter, daughter-in-law and six grandsons, dispensing advice and humor to all.

Don was born in Oberlin to Harriet Reynolds Gilbert and Clyde Emor Gilbert. He graduated from Oberlin College in 1951. Don and Barbara raised their three children in Oberlin, relocating to Stone Mountain, Georgia eight years ago.

Don was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers, Robert Allen Gilbert and Clyde Richard Gilbert and his son, Laurence R. Gilbert.

In addition to his wife, Barbara McCullough Gilbert, Don is survived by his son, John Luxon Gilbert (Mary Visscher); his daughter, Chrissa Clark (Anthony D'Angelo); his six grandsons, Seth (Kathy), Jay (Ali), Christopher, Thomas (Katie), Jackson and Joe; three great-grandchildren, Sam, Katie and Collins; sister-in-law, Norma Beese Gilbert and niece, Patti Gilbert Clough.

Don leaves a legacy to family and friends of love, intelligence, curiosity and humor.

In lieu of flowers, if you wish to honor Don, please make a donation to any charity of one's choosing.

Rose Elisabeth Vickers Rose Elisabeth “Libby” Vickers, 84, of Garden Ridge, Texas, and formerly of Wellington, died Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022. Born on May 26, 1937, in Oberlin, she was the daughter of the late Harry and Ernestine (nee Wight) Lee Sr. Libby was a 1955 Wellington High School graduate and later attended the Ohio State University.

Libby worked in the dental offices of both Dr. Meyers and Dr. Ravage in Wellington. She was an active and longtime member of the Wellington First Congregational United Church of Christ.

Survivors include her daughters, Andrea (Peter) Wesp of Garden Ridge, Texas and Allison (Craig) Sabin of Fort Wayne, Indiana; grandchildren, Catherine (James), Allison (Andrew), Nicholas (Emily), and Natalie (Aaron); greatgrandchildren, Allie Joy, Faith, Evelyn, Andrea, Judah, Rhegan, Simeon, Shiloh, Blythe and Aurora and sister-inlaw, Beverly Lee. Libby was preceded in death by her loving husband of 58 years, Donald Vickers; brothers, Harry (Maxine) Lee, Jr. and Charles Robert Lee. Services were held Monday, Feb. 28 at Norton-Eastman Funeral Home, Wellington. Burial was at Greenwood Cemetery.

Expressions of sympathy and fond memories may be shared online at www.eastmanfuneralhome.com.

DENTON “DENNY” WAYNE BRAY, 73, of Amherst, went home to be with his Lord and Savior on Monday, Feb. 21, 2022, at University Hospital in Cleveland, following a lengthy illness. Arrangements by Hempel Funeral Home.

VENTURA “BEN” SEFERINO GUZMAN, 63, of Lorain, passed away Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2022, at his home. Hempel Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.

Our condolences go out to families that have suffered the loss of a loved one.

To place an obituary or death notice in the Community Guide, call (440) 329-7000.

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With $30,000 gift, ‘Santa’ pays off Wellington past due utility bills JASON HAWK EDITOR

WELLINGTON — Christmas may be a couple months gone and Paul Wilson may not have a big white beard, but he’s still having the time of his life playing Santa Claus.

An anonymous donor has given $30,000 to First United Methodist Church, where Wilson is pastor, with the understanding that it be used to help people who are having trouble making ends meet.

The church used the gift in February to pay off $9,300 in past due utility

bills, Wellington Finance Director Vanya Pfeiffer told Village Council last week.

She recalled calls from two “pretty desperate people” whose balances were cleared with help from the church: “Most of those really do struggle.

It’s not really choices, they just struggle.”

Wilson said that during the COVID-19 pandemic, he’s noticed a trend — those who have the means to help others have actually been giving more.

His anonymous donor had given to First United Methodist before, so Wilson said he wasn’t surprised when they

reached out again. This time, though, the gift was so large he thought there must be a mistake.

“I kept thinking maybe he meant hundreds instead of thousands,” Wilson said, awe in his voice. “…

But now I get to play Santa, and that’s great. We’ve been helping people keep the lights on, which seems like a thing churches should be doing — keeping the light going.”

The lion’s share so far has gone to utilities, but the church has also helped one woman buy new tires and get the front end of her vehicle aligned.

Wilson said there are plen-

ty of people in the Wellington community who need help paying for child care, buying groceries or covering large medical expenses.

Many have spouses that have died from COVID-19 and other illnesses, he said. There are single mothers, people looking for jobs or trying to cope with sky-high prices in hard times.

Those are the people the donor wanted to help, said Wilson — the poor, the sick, the hungry.

“We reap what we sow,” he said. “What we give, we get back. We’re blessed to bless. That’s Christianity 101.”

Council eyes federal relief dollars for meters JASON HAWK EDITOR

WELLINGTON — How $224,000 in federal relief will be used is an unanswered question for Wellington Village Council.

That money, which comes from the American Rescue Plan passed

by Congress last year, hasn’t been earmarked for any specific projects yet, Councilman Gene Hartman said in a meeting last week.

According to Finance Director Vanya Pfeiffer, the federal funding comes with strings attached. It can

be used for water and sewer infrastructure projects, and to offset revenue lost during the first long stretch of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“How about replacing bad water meters?” Hartman asked.

The village is in the early stages of exploring a complete replacement of its metering system, strongly leaning toward going with units that can be read remotely via radio waves.

Such a system could potentially detect leaks before they cause major water losses. Village Manager Jonathan Greever said that ability would have been invaluable during a recent water line break that flooded a

Yarber goes after $150,000 splash pad grant OBERLIN — In pursuit of a splash pad, City Council has decided to ask for $150,000 in state grant funding.

A splash pad has been on Oberlin’s wish list since at least 2011. It’s become part of Recreation Superintendent Ian Yarber’s long-term plan to improve parks by adding amenities. Last year, he asked Council to build a splash pad and public restrooms at Park Street Park. But the idea is an expensive one — the water feature itself is estimated to cost around $200,000 and adding bathrooms, parking and other upgrades could drive the total up to $500,000, Yarber said.

“In speaking with some people down in Columbus, they like flashy things, as they said,” he told Council last week. “We figured a splash pad could be flashy, something that draws kids and families to the park.”

If the grant is awarded, City Manager Rob Hillard will put $50,000 from his budget toward the project. In the meantime, Yarber said he plans to continue the hunt for other sources of outside funding. Armed with grants, the earliest the splash pad could be completed is 2023, he said.

‘On Track for Kindergarten’ free literacy event The Oberlin Public Library and OberlinKids will celebrate Read Across America Week from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, March 5 at the library with a morning of free fun, literacy and kindergarten readiness activities.

You and your child can get on track by moving station to station at this kindergarten readiness event, geared towards ages 2-6. There will be writing, reading and sensory stations, local resources including kindergarten packets, preschool information and more from OberlinKids and its partners and advocates. Winning young authors from the Oberlin Public Library’s Youth Writer

vacant house and racked up an enormous bill before it was discovered.

The water meter project could potentially run into the millions of dollars, though — and Wellington isn’t exactly sitting on that kind of cash, even after Council voted to substantially hike its water and sewer rates over the next three years.

Greever said the village is trying to hold the $224,000 in Rescue Plan cash in reserve for now.

There’s another $257,000 in federal funding coming this year to Wellington, he said. It was approved as part of President Joe Biden’s $1 trillion infrastructure bill.

Contest will read their books aloud beginning at 11 a.m.

Transitions 2.0 networking group supports job searches Transitions 2.0 supports individuals in their job search or career change with free monthly networking events that are open to all. Transitions meetings feature short seminars on topics relevant to a successful job search, networking and support. Sponsored by Lorain County Community College, the program has scheduled its next four networking events. They are: • Monday, March 7 – HR Panel – Real-world advice from decision makers. Ask questions of a panel of human resource professionals.

• Monday, April 4 – Playing to your strengths. Learn how to leverage your strengths in your job search.

• Monday, May 2 – How to use discovery for successful networking.

• Monday, June 6 – How to prepare yourself for today’s interviews. Learn about behavioral interviewing.

All sessions are from 7-8:30 p.m. in Room 211 of LCCC’s Spitzer Conference Center. To register for this session or for more information about Transitions, call (440) 366-4076 or visit www.lorainccc.edu/transitions.

Learn life-saving skills A free training seminar teaching how to assist people in distress will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 pm. on Thursday, March 10 and Friday, March 11 at the North Ridgeville Senior Center, 7327 Avon Belden Rd. Sponsored by the Mental Health, Addiction and Recovery Services Board of Lorain County, it is open to anyone ages 16 and up. Seating is limited. Register at www.eventbrite.com.

Learn life-saving skills and earn a certification in ASSIST, or Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training.

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.

SOLUTION TO CROSSWORD ON PAGE B2

SOLUTION TO SUDOKU ON PAGE B2

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, March 3, 2022

Lorain County Community Guide

Page A3

Crossroads awarded $427K Pleasant St. contract JASON HAWK EDITOR

OBERLIN — In a time when inflation is pushing prices up, up, up, the cost of repaving a long stretch of South Pleasant Street has come down, down, down.

In an emergency vote last week, Oberlin City Council awarded a $427,000 contract to Crossroads Asphalt Recycling of Columbia Township to pave the long residential route between East Vine

and Hamilton streets.

“It’s a bunch under budget,” said Public Works Director Jeff Baumann in his pitch for the project.

He’s not kidding — City Engineer Randall Roberts had pegged the price tag at $503,728, and Council had originally budgeted $612,314 for construction and inspection.

Baumann said it’s a “pretty straightforward paving project” that will include upgrades to about a dozen accessible curb

ramps.

The Oberlin Bike Path, which is part of the North Coast Inland Trail from Kipton to Elyria, crosses the construction zone.

It will get new high-visibility green thermoplastic and warning signs to improve safety.

Baumann said Pleasant Street repaving was originally supposed to happen in 2020. Between the COVID-19 pandemic and staff turnover, it didn’t get off the ground and has been on hold.

“This has been long coming,

and I think it’s going to do a lot of good,” said Councilman Kelley Singleton, thanking Baumann.

In a follow-up phone call, he said South Pleasant runs through “a part of town that can sometimes feel neglected,” and that the street had been put on the backburner.

The start of construction will depend on the weather, Baumann later said, but he expects it to begin sometime in April. The timetable calls for Crossroads to finish paving by the end of May.

THE GREAT OUTDOORS

Angelo Angel | Oberlin News-Tribune

Simone Shapiro, Lily Henry-Austin and Abby Brown set up their hammocks in a tree in downtown Oberlin during springlike weather on Monday, Feb. 21. In typical Northeast Ohio fashion, the almost-but-not-quite-spring temperatures didn’t last long.

LIBRARY

FROM A1 building will be closed to visitors but curbside pickup and digital services will be available, said Denes.

There will be a limited number of physical items available for pickup, since much of the library’s collection will be in storage.

Denes and Dovala said photocopying, fax and notary services will still

be available to drive-up patrons, though — arrange for those services by calling (440) 988-4230 or emailing askalibrarian@ amherstpubliclibrary.org.

More physical items will become available for checkout as the weeks go by, Dovala said. That’s because as areas are finished, books, magazines, music, movies and games

will be taken from storage and put back on the shelves.

He said he understands the extremely limited access to the library will be a hardship for the community.

“It’s a matter of safety,” Dovala said. “They’re taking our first floor, and it’s going to be completely out of control for us” as

a potentially dangerous construction zone.

No renovations will touch the original Carnegie portion of the library that faces Park Avenue, he said. That area was already completely remodeled in the 2000s.

Some librarians will be switching offices, however, so there will be moving going on in that oldest

portion of the library.

Even though the building might not fully open to the public until midJune, Dovala said excitement is mounting as progress becomes more visible. A reopening ceremony will be held to mark the expansion and renovation project’s completion, though that date has yet to be set.

TICKETS FROM A1

Wellington police don’t write many parking tickets. But the ones they’ve been handing out over the past many years haven’t complied with state or federal law, as previously reported.

That’s because there’s been no legal way for an alleged violator to challenge the ticket in court, as required by the U.S. Constitution and Ohio Revised Code. There’s been no mayor’s court, and tickets have not previously been forwarded on to be handled by Oberlin Municipal Court.

“If I want to complain, I have to have the right to appeal to somebody,” Bond explained to Council about the need to change.

An ordinance is going through the required votes to right the process. Wells, who chairs the Police Committee, said he may vote against the new ordinance, however, based on the steep fine increases.

Multiplying the lowest parking ticket fee by eight times is “just wrong,” he said.

“That’s just vastly disproportionate to what we’re trying to do,” Wells said. “And saying, ‘Well, just don’t do it’ is not the only solution.”

Councilwoman Helen Dronsfield said that like any service, “even if it’s not a positive service,” running a court costs money. In her opinion, $71 in court costs on a $10 ticket is “exorbitant,” but the village must comply with the law.

Starting a mayor’s court would also come with costs, said Schneider. He said Wellington would not operate it at a loss, so additional fees would have to be tacked on to tickets in that case, too.

“I don’t want it either, but guess what — I’m going to pay real close attention to where I’m parking,” Councilman Gene Hartman said.

UKRAINE FROM A1

a displaced persons camp after the end of World War II in 1945. They stayed there, moved between camps in Austria and Germany, until they received asylum in Canada in 1949.

Van Nortwick doesn’t remember Ukraine, but she remembers the camps where she grew up until she was about 6, packed five families to a barrack.

Her earliest memories are in the back of a truck, shuffling between camps.

“I really thought once the Soviet Union fell apart that really the people there would appreciate their freedom,” she said. “That

obviously has not happened — they have a madman at the helm of this huge country trying to re-create his … mythological idea of some greater Russia as if Ukrainians don’t exist.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin ignored sanctions and global condemnation and ordered airstrikes, troops and tanks in the largest ground war in Europe since World War II, the Associated Press reported.

Russian forces continued to move through the country as Zelensky warned Ukrainian nationals not to expect help from abroad and mobilized the coun-

©

try’s troops.

Van Nortwick was frustrated Ukraine had given up “the one thing that could’ve kept Russia from attacking” in 1994. While Putin threatened nuclear strikes if any country tried to retaliate on Ukraine's behalf, Ukraine itself gave up its arsenal almost 30 years ago as part of the Budapest Memorandum.

“I think it’s one of the greatest betrayals by Russia of Ukraine,” Van Nortwick said. “They’re basically defenseless.”

Van Nortwick said her parents would be heartbroken to watch the events unfold.

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“I’m glad they’re not alive now,” she said.

Michael and Luba were overjoyed when the Soviet Union fell in 1989 — allowing Luba to freely telephone her sister still in Ukraine for the first time in decades.

Seeing Russia's overreach now would have deeply hurt them, she said.

Van Nortwick still has extended family in Ukraine, but no way to contact them, she said.

“They live in the western part of Ukraine, so they’re close to Poland. I’m hoping they’re able to do what my parents did, just

get out,” she said. “But (there’s) 30 million people; they can’t all leave.”

As the attacks raged on into their second day, she urged citizens to pay attention to their leaders and political systems.

“I feel like Americans are often so oblivious to what could happen to a country if its citizens don’t pay attention. … Too many people in this country think of politics like it’s a sport, like it's a football game — your side against my side. Unfortunately, it's a very deadly game, it can be, if you don’t pay attention to who’s in office.”

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Thursday, March 3, 2022

Lorain County Community Guide

Give blood at McCormick A blood drive will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 9 at McCormick Middle School in Wellington.

The event is sponsored by the school Builders Club, which in turn is sponsored by the Kiwanis Club. To schedule an appointment, visit www.redcrossblood.org and enter sponsor code MMS or call (800) 733-2767.

Kindergarten registration Kindergarten registration for the 2022-2023 school year in Wellington is underway now, with packets available from 7:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. on weekdays at Westwood Elementary School.

Screening will be done Monday, March 14 and Wednesday, March 16 by appointment. Schedule yours when picking up a registration packet.

Students must be 5 years old on or before Aug. 1, 2022, to register for school this fall.

Driving refresher for seniors “Senior Drivers: Tips on How to Drive Better, Longer and Safer” will be presented at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, March 9 at Grow Point Church, 78- Cooper Foster Park Rd., Amherst.

AAA will give the free presentation with information geared toward mature drivers. Topics will include preparing to drive, making your car fit you better, understanding new vehicle technology, new laws and assistive driving devices.

LETTER

Back to virtual meetings? HB 51 gives public bodies the option JASON HAWK EDITOR

OBERLIN — Virtual meetings can once again be legally used by Ohio public bodies, at least temporarily.

The ability was tucked away in House Bill 51, introduced by Rep. Brian Lampton, R-Beavercreek, which mainly tweaked how damaged properties can be valuated by county auditors.

After passing through both chambers of the Legislature unanimously, it was signed into law in the latter part of February by Gov. Mike DeWine and went into effect immediately.

Now some cities, including Oberlin and Avon Lake, are talking about how to react to the new law.

In the spirit of transparency, the Open Meetings Act has for decades required county, city, school and other officials to be physically present to vote on public business.

To prevent the spread of COVID-19, that provision was suspended at the start of the pandemic. Most commissions and boards across the state started meeting by video.

But the ability to do so expired last summer.

Oberlin voters responded in November by passing a charter amendment.

Invoking the city’s right to

ily start meeting remotely again as often as needed, he said, but first it would need to pass an ordinance authorizing their use.

“Once you do that, you can invite anybody to be a virtual part of a meeting,” Ebert said.

Council President Martin O’Donnell assigned the question to a committee review.

However Ohio cities choose to use the relaxed meeting law, they have limited time to do so — the HB 51 provision expires July 1.

Clark said he wouldn’t be surprised if online meetings become a permanent fixture in Ohio law, however.

Commissioners OK 35-acre annexation

A teaching moment

DAVE O’BRIEN and JASON HAWK

To the editor: Since unquestioned worldwide support now exists, an opportunity is presented for the following simple, efficient and effective yet nonviolent action: Place all people with passports from Russia or Belarus on a no-fly list for all commercial airlines.

Denying travel is just a taste of what is now being denied to Ukrainians. This restriction will demonstrate to these folks and their leaders that a change is needed in these rogue states and now up to them to resolve.

Rudolph Breglia

ELYRIA — Lorain County commissioners voted last week to unanimously approve the annexation of more than 35 acres of New Russia Township to the city of Oberlin.

The board did not have much of a say in the matter: State law demanded commissioners approve the city's request.

Saying he has "always been opposed to annexation" but wasn't given a choice, Commissioner Matt Lundy voted to approve the petition "with an objection."

"If given the opportunity to vote 'no' I would vote 'no,'" he said.

The 35.593 acres in question are on state Route 511 east of the city and are home to the city's wastewa-

CLASSIFIEDS

“home rule,” it bypasses the Open Meetings Act, allowing a remote session only if approved in advance by a majority of City Council members.

“Ironically, Oberlin is now more restrictive than state law,” Law Director Jon Clark told Council in a briefing last week.

He advised that Oberlin Council could “free itself from the constraints of the ordinance” with a simple repeal vote at a future meeting, if desired.

On the far north side of Lorain County, Avon Lake Law Director Gary Ebert was delivering a similar message to his City Council.

Avon Lake could eas-

ter treatment facility.

Assistant Lorain County Prosecutor Dan Petticord, the board's attorney, said the annexation is a unique one: All the land to be annexed already is owned by the city, and the board was bound by law to vote in favor of annexation.

"You have no discretion at all on this issue," Petticord told the commissioners. "The law says you 'shall' grant annexation as long as the property is contiguous to the city and also owned by it.''

The board also was not required to hold a public hearing on the matter. No one from the township was present at Wednesday's meeting, though the township's attorney had opposed the matter on his clients' behalf.

Oberlin Law Director Jon Clark told the board the property has been

Oberlin's "for decades and will be for future decades."

He said the property is not being eyed for any other development.

It will remain municipal property, although the City Council could decide to parcel it off in the future.

Oberlin City Council first examined annexing the land from New Russia Township to the city in January 2021.

Originally, the land was being eyed for development by EDL, an energy company building a landfill gas reclamation plant. The Lorain County landfill, which is operated

by Republic Services, borders the property on two sides.

Though EDL chose to build on Oberlin Road instead, "certain constitutional constraints" made it necessary for the property to become part of the city.

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LEGALS PUBLICATION OF LEGISLATION The following is a summary of legislation adopted by Lorain City Council on February 21, 2022. The complete text of each item may be viewed or purchased in the Clerk of Council Office @ Lorain City Hall, 200 W. Erie Ave., Lorain, OH, during normal business hours or contact Breanna Dull @ 204-2050 (Breanna_Dull@cityoflorain. org). The following summary

of legislation passed has been reviewed/approved by the Law Director for legal accuracy as required by state laws.

Resolution 12-22 Recognizing, celebrating & declaring February as Black History Month in the City of Lorain. 13-22 Supporting the proposal to build a drydock in the City of Lorain for the maintenance of US Navy Submarines. Ordinance 24-22* Amending Ord. #42-18 & 47-18, Section 15.3.4- Clerk of Council and establishing benefits and terms of employment for the staff. 25-22 Auth the S/S Director to enter into

a contract w/ highest rated & ranked professional engineering firm for prof services related to the removal & replacement of deficient sidewalks.

26-22 Auth S/S Director to modify a contract w/ GPD for professional services related to the design of the LOR-611 intersection safety improvements. 27-22 Auth S/S Director to purchase 1 Lee-Boy 8520B Asphalt Paver w/o competitive bid through Sourcewell Cooperative Purchasing for $212,491.40. 28-22 Auth the Mayor, through the Law Director, to accept the 2021/2022 VOCA Grant as awarded by the Ohio Attorney General.

29-22* Appropriation. 30-22 Adopting the recommendation to rezone PPN 03-00-056-129002, 03-00-058-102-022 & 03-00-057-112-002 from I-1 to B-2. (*Denotes legislation was passed as an emergency.)

L.C.C.G. 3/3-10/22 20698026 LEGAL NOTICE The annual financial report of the Village of Wellington, Ohio, Lorain County for 2021 has been completed and is available for public inspection at the Village of Wellington, Ohio, 115 Willard Memorial Square, Wellington, Ohio 44090, between the hours 8am-4pm. A copy of the report can be provided upon request. 440-6474626, FD Vanya Pfeiffer L.C.C.G. 3/3/22 20698310 LEGAL NOTICE The Financial Report for the Village of South Amherst for 2021 has been completed.

The Report is available for inspection as of February 28, 2022, at the office of the Fiscal Officer, 103 West Main Street.

Michelle Henke, Fiscal Officer L.C.C.G. 3/3/22 20698311

“War is not the answer.”

That simple declaration is on a sign provided by Quakers. For the last 20 years, Community Peace Builders has displayed similar calls to peace and nonviolence in Oberlin’s town center at a vigil each Saturday. What might that mean?

News of the tragic invasion of Ukraine has led us to identify with their scores of thousands caught up in battle, sheltering against bombs and rockets, and at least half a million fleeing to neighboring countries.

Many in our communities have come from Ukraine, or have relatives and friends there.

Our hearts ache with them.

When people are threatened and attacked, many forms of response come forth. Neighbors become aware of the suffering around them, and spontaneously mobilize to give aid and encouragement.

They may lay aside their differences and sense their common humanity.

In the case of citizens of both Ukraine and Russia, we are seeing affirmations that the people — as distinct from political leaders — are not enemies of each other.

In fact, we have heard declarations that they are, as one Russian put it, “brotherly nations,” with relatives on both sides of borders. As this is written, at least 6,000 courageous Russians protesting in dozens of their cities have already been arrested, fac-

DAVID FINKE

COMMUNITY PEACE BUILDERS

ing severe punishment for publicly declaring against a war that has no popular support. As casualties mount and swift conquest is elusive, that opposition will only increase.

Many commentators predict that the Russian Federation’s president may have precipitated the end of his career by a profound miscalculation.

Vladimir Putin’s dream of a reconstituted Soviet Union — even seeing himself as the modernday czar of a restored empire — may seriously undermine his oligarchy’s grip on a people longing to experience the democracy seen in the nearby countries.

If “war is not the answer,” what alternatives are possible, some of which we’re already seeing? Clearly a call to popular resistance is already being answered across Ukraine, both in large cities and around small villages. Courage, determination and innovation are being manifest in many ways, even as

denunciation of the invasion becomes near-universal across the globe.

Resistance already has been shown to include not only anti-tank weapons and rifles in the hands of Ukrainian military and civilians, but also inspiring examples of civilian nonviolent resistance against the invasion. Historically, more dictatorships have been brought down by sustained, determined nonviolent mass action than by Molotov cocktails.

Across Ukraine, people are taking down road signs to confuse incoming military convoys.

Villagers are creating roadblocks with sandbags and felled trees.

Grandmothers have been seen confronting young Russian conscripts, shaming them and telling them to go home and not needlessly die in another country. Every shell hitting an apartment building gives the lie to Putin’s claim that no civilians are being attacked. Social media are sharing these images in ways that the Kremlin cannot censor.

As much as their sympathizers may admire Ukrainians gathering to make homemade weapons, it would be a mistake to think that violent resistance is the only way to defend national identity and oppose invaders. A basic tenet of nonviolent resistance is to withdraw support from one’s opponent, and broaden the base of those undermining the legitimacy of an oppressor. Over the long haul,

the power equation can shift when a population moves beyond apathy and hopelessness, finding courage to resist, affirming their identity, acting for their human rights.

Putin will find — hopefully sooner than later — that the Ukrainian people are ungovernable by any puppet regime he intends to install. To withdraw consent, to refuse to collude with injustice, is a powerful force.

The example of Mahatma Gandhi’s leadership in noncooperation, struggling against the British in India, shows that over time a mighty empire can be forced to loosen its grip and withdraw to allow self-determination.

The South African experience demonstrates that international pressure in sympathy with a popular movement can bring about a whole new political order. In our own country, the example of ordinary Black citizens of Montgomery refusing to ride busses created great cracks in the structures of racial discrimination, and inspired generations to come.

May we stay open to the possibilities of creative nonviolence, joining our spirits with those who affirm our common humanity and destiny.

David Finke (Oberlin College Class of 1963) is a retired printer, active with Community Peace Builders. Carry on the conversation at communitypeace builders@aol.com.

Thursday, March 3, 2022

Lorain County Community Guide

Page A5

CDC drops mask guidance for millions Lorain County edges Nine counties fall below ‘high’ spread ever closer to ‘yellow’ STAFF REPORT

JASON HAWK EDITOR

“Three cases away from yellow” is how Health Commissioner Mark Adams described the state of the COVID-19 pandemic in Lorain County on Friday morning.

As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention prepared to loosen federal guidelines for masks, Adams said data shows the virus has all but burned itself out in most Northeast Ohio counties.

“Most of us will go yellow by next week, as long as we stay in the trend,” he said.

At that level, there will be only 10 to 50 new cases per week for every 100,000 residents, compared to hundreds per day during the winter spike when omicron swept the nation. The record high nationwide saw 800,000 new cases diagnosed in a single day.

Over the past week in Lorain County, some days have seen cases in the single digits, Adams said.

Those being reported now are almost exclusively among people who are unvaccinated or haven’t already contracted the virus.

Believe it or not, poop is also giving clues that COVID is disappearing. Tests at the Elyria and Lorain wastewater treatment plants have revealed the amount of virus in feces has also been vastly lower, showing there’s much less virus in circulation.

Omicron spread 50 times faster than the original COVID strain. Adams said it “burned like a match” — it’s still there, but is having trouble finding hosts without any degree of protection.

Cases have plummeted by 92 percent from their height in mid-January, according to the CDC. About 95 percent of the country is still “red” with the highest transmission rate possible, making Northeast Ohio one of the better spots, especially compared to the eastern half of the United States.

At noon Friday, the CDC’s online guidance tool said everyone in Lorain County should wear a mask in public indoor settings, which has been its default position for months.

In a mid-afternoon news conference, the agency said most Americans — those who aren’t immunocompromised — no longer need to mask up inside.

“We are in a stronger place today as a nation to protect communities from COVID-19,” said Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky.

Low hospitalization rates mean people can take “a break from things like mask wearing when risks are low,” she said.

Adams said the new CDC guidance doesn’t say masks can be completely ditched.

“All they’re doing is changing the algorithm of when you should go with masks,” he said. “They’re not going to dump the masks, they’re recommending that these levels take into account cases, hospitalizations and vaccination rates.”

First, understand that a mask likely won’t prevent you from catching the remaining omicron subvariant unless it’s an N-95 or surgical mask, Adams said.

Second, protection is all about comfort level now: “If you want to wear a mask, and you feel that’s best for you, then I hope we can all respect that,” he said.

“I still hope that people feel comfortable in taking the measures they need to protect themselves.”

Earlier Friday morning, Adams had judged a science fair at a Stark County school with ties to his family.

He said it was the first time in a long time that he’d entered a crowded public building without a mask on his face.

“I had a little bit of a moment where I had to be OK with that,” he said, reflecting on how it didn’t feel “normal.”

He still carried a mask in his pocket, though, and that’s his advice for Lorain County residents — if you’re comfortable going into Walmart or a school with your face uncovered, that’s fine, but consider carrying a spare mask in case you change your mind.

The risk involved in going maskless in public settings is considerably lower than it was two months ago, he said. That doesn’t mean the danger is completely gone, though, since there is still the possibility that anyone can be re-infected.

Data shows that the COVID crisis is almost at the endemic stage, Adams said. He’s not ready to make that call yet, however, saying he still wants people to take the threat seriously and protect themselves through vaccination and common sense behavior.

Right now it does not appear that there will be the need for another round of booster shots to bolster immunity, though, he said.

Adams said he briefed Lorain County school superintendents Friday about the state of the pandemic and answered their questions about what protective steps they should still have in place.

Masks aren’t so much of that picture anymore. After Lorain dropped its mask mandate earlier this month, Oberlin City Schools are the only public district to keep one in place.

Oberlin Superintendent David Hall said March 18 will mark the end of the third quarter, and that’s when he plans to revisit the district’s mask policy with the Board of Education.

“We’re going to reevaluate it and make sure all our numbers hold,” he said.

Hall said he is trying to tread cautiously, but it’s always been his intention to follow CDC and Lorain County Public Health guidance.

The CDC said in its news briefing that “schools can be safe places” where masks are not needed, at least in communities where infection and hospitalization rates are not high.

Oberlin College and Lorain County Community College both also have mask requirements in place.

Lorain County is one of the few where the rate of COVID-19 spread is no longer considered high, Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff said Feb. 24.

In a news conference, he said ours was one of nine to fall below 100 cases per 100,000 population, which

is the CDC’s threshold for “high” levels of community transmission.

Cuyahoga County was the first to hit that benchmark following the omicron surge. Since then Lorain, Geauga, Holmes, Lake, Ottawa, Sandusky, Stark and Summit counties have dropped under the mark.

“As you recall, northern Ohio was the first and hardest-hit area during the

Bus mandate dropped

Included the CDC’s new guidance was a rollback of a mandate for masks on all modes of public transportation.

That means masks are no longer required on school buses under federal law in areas where COVID-19 transmission and hospitalization rates are low, though local boards of education can still choose to require riders to wear them.

While many Lorain County school systems did not require kids and teachers to mask up inside buildings, the previous CDC mandate carried the weight of law.

Still, it has been a point of contention for parents upset about a lack of masking rules, who have alleged a lack of enforcement on school buses.

omicron surge, right on the heels of the delta wave,” Vanderhoff said.

The news is good, but doesn’t mean the danger is completely gone. The CDC recommends continued prevention measures when community transmission is considered “substantial.”

“All 88 of our counties remain above that threshold. The fact is that COVID-19 is still a real pres-

ence in Ohio, and as much as we look forward to declaring that we are in the all clear, the data still point toward caution and tell us we’re not quite there yet,” Vanderhoff said.

Still, recent numbers have provided reason for optimism.

Hospitalizations in Ohio for COVID-19 are at their lowest level since late last summer, and case counts continue to drop.

Masks remaining at college

Oberlin College is “not ready” to re-evaluate its mask policies as the spring semester kicks off, according to Director of Media Relations Scott Wargo.

Its COVID-19 policy requires all students, faculty, staff and visitors, whether vaccinated or unvaccinated, to wear masks indoors unless in their residence or office with the door shut.

“Oberlin’s COVID-19 policies have been developed after review of Oberlin College and county data and in consultation with Lorain County Public Health and University Hospitals and are subject to change based on the evolving recommendations of public health entities,” Wargo said in an email. “At this time, the college's mask policy remains in effect.”

The college’s ObieSafe webpage shows a campus positivity rate of less than 1 percent.

Cleveland Clinic locations update visitor policies With the COVID-19 positivity rate continuing to decline, the Cleveland Clinic has announced that visitation policies are changing at all of its Ohio locations.

Under the updated guidelines, which have now gone into effect, two visitors ages 18 or older will be permitted in all care settings for all

patients including COVID-19 patients, according to a news release.

Visitation hours at Cleveland Clinic locations remain 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., and visitors are required to wear masks, pass COVID-19 health screenings and sanitize their hands when they arrive at the facility.

“We are optimistic about

Amherst VFW holds fish fries

Friday fish fries are held from 4:30-7:30 p.m. through April 15 at Amherst VFW Post 1662, 165 Cleveland Ave. They are open to the public. Purchases are by cash only, with carryouts available. Menu items range from $3 to $25 each and include everything from french fries and cabbage and noodles to Lake Erie yellow fish, burgers and shrimp.

LaGrange fish fries

Fish fries will be held from 4:30-7:30 p.m. on Fridays through April 15 at the LaGrange Lions Club, 240 Glendale Rd. Meals are by drive-thru only. The menu includes $15 lake perch or shrimp dinners, or half-and-half. There are also half dinners for $10, mac and cheese for $8 or nonLenten kids meals for $6.

No phone orders. Cash only. There will also be a 50-50 cash drawing each week.

LCCC to host Parent Cafe

Lorain County Community College is welcoming parents and caregivers of children to join them for Parent Cafes, evening conversations about the challenges

the ongoing decrease of COVID-19 positivity rates, both at our testing sites and in our communities,” the Clinic stated.

“This sustained trend means we are able to safely invite more visitors back to see our patients.”

According to the news release, people who have tested positive or were exposed to the coronavirus

must wait at least 10 days until they can visit patients at the Clinic.

Visitors who are seeing a COVID-19 patient must follow guidelines including wearing a mask, eye protection, a gown and gloves.

The Cleveland Clinic’s full visitation policy can be found online at clevelandclinic.org/visitation.

and victories involved in raising a family, according to a news release.

The sessions are open to any parent or caregiver and will be held virtually from 5:30-6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, March 2 and March 9. The Parent Cafes are presented by the Children’s Learning Center, LCCC’s Advocacy Resource Center and the Child Care Resource Center.

“Parents can meet other parents and talk about things that matter most to them,” Henes said. “We’ll also have connections to other community resources for parents.”

To register, call (440) 366-4038. After registering, a link to the discussion sessions will be provided.

Man missing since Dec. 28 The Lorain County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s help with locating William Schramm.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, Schramm was last seen Dec. 28 leaving a residence in Huron County, headed to Elyria to meet with an unknown person at an unknown address.

Anyone who has seen Schramm is asked to contact Lorain County Sheriff’s Office Detective Jason AscheWilliam meier at (440) 329-3757.

Schramm

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Page A6

Thursday, March 3, 2022

Lorain County Community Guide

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CARLISLE TWP. — Betty Blair, the longtime “queen” of the Lorain County commissioners died Friday, her family confirmed.

Blair, 83, known for her red hats, was commissioner for 20 years, from 1991 to 2011, spending well over four decades in all involved in local politics.

Lorain Clerk of Courts Ted Kalo said in the 30 years he’s known her, she was always an ally and friend with a heart of gold.

“She really taught me everything about local government,” he said. “I was just some carpet salesman that got elected commissioner (in 2005).”

She served five terms as a commissioner, seeing the county through the creation of a centralized 911 system, the visitor’s bureau, relocating Job and Family Services, combining the Board of Elections into one location and building a new Justice Center.

Transit projects were her specialty, he said. The Amtrak train station in Elyria was her baby, he said, along with being an advocate for county transit.

Her son, Mark Blair, remembered her as someone who dedicated her life to public service and that she was an amazing woman and “anybody that knew her liked her.”

“She raised a wonderful family. She worked for everything she had. And in doing that she worked for everybody around her, for the public and that was her life. I mean, she was always doing something for someone,” he said.

While Betty Blair is for many in Lorain County a trailblazer for public servants and women in politics, for her son, “mom was mom,” and remembers her as always treating others with respect and dignity.

She was a board member of Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency — known to go head-to-head for what was best for Lorain County.

In 2007, she championed the Nagel Road interchange for Interstate 90 in Avon with the regional transit authority, going against neighboring Cuyahoga County officials, and threatening to pull out of NOACA if the project didn’t move forward.

She was a strong-willed woman, Kalo said — a necessity for her to have started her political career as Carlisle township clerk in the 1980s.

“She just did so much for so long,” Kalo said.

In a 2010 story about her retirement, former Commissioner George Koury called her a pioneer, when she won office in 1990 while serving her 23rd year as the female clerk of Carlisle Township.

Betty Blair “From the expansion of the county jail, to the construction of the new justice center and moving county Job and Family Services to the Cook Building, there are so many things Betty can count among her accomplishments,” he said in that article.

But Blair herself listed a different set of accomplishments during the 2010 interview, including the purchase of the Cook Building on North Ridge Road for Lorain County Job and Family Services.

Blair decided not to run for reelection in 2010, after the death of her husband and biggest supporter, Charles, in 2009.

The pair were married for 51 years.

His death changed things for her, Kalo said, pushing her to end her “reign” at five terms — the longest serving commissioner he can remember.

Kalo, and others, called her “mom,” for the way she nurtured their growth as politicians and county leaders, and for the way she’d scold them at times.

She was also known to eat dessert before meals when they went out to lunch — and then steal Kalo’s portion for dessert afterward.

She loved to sing and dance, he said — even joining the Singing Seniors after her retirement from politics — and was known for her very bright, cheerful and positive attitude, “but don’t make her mad, there would be hell to pay,” he said of his fellow Democrat.

Current Commissioner Dave Moore agreed. He met Blair during his first stint governing the county when he was campaigning and she was already a sitting commissioner. While the pair were from opposing parties, they and Mary Jo Vasi got a lot done together, he said, but it’s the behind the scenes antics he remembers -but laughed that it wasn’t fit to print.

“Sometimes she’d get mad at me if I called her ‘Mom,’ ” he said. “I was 38 at the time. … She reminded me of my mother, we enjoyed just kidding each other like that.”

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OBERLIN — Working from home has become the norm for many employees since the COVID-19 pandemic started, and Oberlin City Council doesn’t see the trend going away.

To make life easier for home-based workers, it unanimously voted last week to loosen its regulations on how business can be conducted in residential zones.

“The feeling was that Oberlin was quite restrictive in terms of what it would allow,” said Councilman Ray English, who serves as liaison to the Planning Commission, which proposed the changes.

“Fairly restrictive” was also how Planning and Development Director Carrie Porter phrased the old rules, too.

They only allowed home businesses to be run by members of the family occupying the premises, with no employees or businessrelated visitors allowed, she said.

The city barred any group instruction, assembly or activity in residential zones, and didn’t allow any signs

or other exterior changes related to business.

Under the new ordinance, Porter said non-resident employees are allowed, and up to 50 percent of the floor of a home can be used for work.

“That’s pretty generous.

Most cities only allow usually between 20 and 35 percent of the home to be used,” she said.

Now limited on-site sales will be allowed, though not as a regularly scheduled activity, she said — they have to happen only periodically.

Up to two customers or clients will be allowed to visit a home-based work site at a time. The new rules also permit deliveries by trucks, and work can be done outside or in accessory buildings.

English said the changes were the result of a routine review of old ordinances this fall by the Planning Commission, which sought to update outdated regulations “to clean things up, to create better organization.”

There was extensive debate over how best to balance looser rules with potential impacts on residential neighborhoods, he said.

In particular, Planning Commission members were

Republican Club meeting

worried that allowing more business activity could affect on-street parking and residential traffic.

Nearly two years into the pandemic, about six in 10 U.S. workers who say their jobs can be done remotely are choosing to work from home all or most of the time, according to data released Feb. 16 by Pew Research Center.

That’s down a bit from a similar survey done in October 2020, but still far higher than the 23 percent who teleworked before the coronavirus crisis started.

“The impetus for working from home has shifted considerably since 2020,” Pew found. “Today, more workers say they are doing this by choice rather than necessity.”

Only 38 percent who work from home said they do so because their workplace remains closed or unavailable. Earlier in the pandemic, that number was 64 percent.

Fear of COVID isn’t nearly as big a driver as it used to be, according to Pew’s survey. Convenience is the big factor, as people find they can get just as much done with fewer expenses and distractions.

Conservative news commentator Bob Frantz will speak to the Avon-Avon Lake Republican Club on Thursday, March 10 at the Knights of Columbus Ragan Hall, 1783 Moore Rd., Avon. Frantz, who believes there is an assault on free speech, will be available at the 5 p.m. social hour of the meeting. The cost for guests is $5.

OUR TOWNS

Lorain County Community Guide • Thursday, March 3, 2022

Justice DeWine talks role of court JASON HAWK EDITOR

AMHERST — Wearing a steel blue suit instead of his black robes of office, Ohio Supreme Court Justice Pat DeWine looked exceedingly ordinary Monday as he walked into Ziggy’s Pub and Restaurant on Park Avenue.

Despite his nondescript clothing, DeWine is one of the most powerful players in state politics, helping to make decisions that affect the day-to-day lives of 11.69 million Ohioans.

They involve residents’ most sacred Constitutional rights, death penalty cases and the toughest appeals.

“I think our highest responsibility is we protect individual rights and freedoms,” Dewine told the Amherst Rotary Club during an hour-long talk. As happened in the former

Soviet Union, those rights would be worthless without courts to defend them from breaches by power-hungry officials, he said.

Right now, DeWine is at the center of one of the Supreme Court’s most important decisions in a generation — a gerrymandering case that will determine to what degree political parties can shore up their own power by dividing up their voter bases.

A self-described “textualist,” he’s said he believes the Supreme Court doesn’t have a dog in the redistricting fight. The court’s responsibility, he said, is to uphold the letter and not the spirit of the law.

“I think our role as the court is to apply the law,” he said in a brief interview Monday, affirming that position. “I don’t think we should be legislating, so I will leave it to others after this process is over to decide whether we should have a different

B

Forever at Westwood

Kristin Bauer | Amherst News-Times

Ohio Supreme Court Justice Pat DeWine, who is also the son of Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, spoke to the Amherst Rotary Club about Ohio’s judicial branch on Monday, Feb. 28 at JUSTICE PAGE B2 Ziggy's Pub & Restaurant.

‘Gutting process’

Ohio History Connection

A portion of the 127th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry is shown around 1863 on Sandusky Street in Delaware, Ohio. It was the first complete African American regiment recruited in Ohio, according to the Oberlin Heritage Center.

Cemetery tour will honor Black men who fought in the Civil War JASON HAWK EDITOR

OBERLIN — They were ordinary Americans in extraordinary times, some successful and others flawed, some born free and others into slavery.

When their nation called, they answered, enlisting in the newly-formed United States Colored Troops to fight in the Civil War. Today, researcher Adrienne Sato has identified about 60 Union soldiers who are buried at Oberlin’s Westwood Cemetery.

The Oberlin College sophomore, who hails from Kentucky, has spent the last year as an intern at the Oberlin Heritage Center. She is deep into the creation of a selfguided tour that will tell the stories of the Black heroes buried on Morgan Street — when finished, residents will be able to walk among the gravestones and hear soldiers’ biographies read aloud.

“The goal is to imagine what life was like during this time period for this specific group of people,” Sato said last week during a Black History Month talk about those who served in the USCT. When the Black fighting units were formed in 1863, they were not universally embraced. They swelled the CEMETERY PAGE B2 Photos by Bruce Bishop | Wellington Enterprise

The future home of the Wellington Police Department at 147 East Herrick Ave. Construction crews have been gutting portions of the building to prepare for the next phase of the remodeling.

South Amherst Long-delayed Wellington police woman arraigned station project underway at last after deadly crash JASON HAWK EDITOR

WELLINGTON — Crews are tearing out interior walls and filling dumpsters with debris as construction of Wellington’s new $2.37 million police station gets underway on East Herrick Avenue.

“There’s a big gutting process going on right now,” said Village Manager Jonathan Greever last Wednesday.

That work will include a complete overhaul of an existing commercial building as well as a

sizeable expansion.

It begins with demolition, and Greever said that in the next couple of weeks residents coul expect to see plumbers and electricians hard at work at the site.

As a former general contractor, he said that “invisible” utility work is the most important part of the process. Later phases — drywalling and roofing — are often the easiest to accomplish, but the most notable.

“This is historical,” said Councilman Mark Bughman in a meeting Tuesday, asking for photos to be taken throughout the project for

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posterity. “… There’s going to be a lot of change going on down here.

I know people are going to want to maybe see those pictures, because it’s their taxpayer money that’s putting it together.”

Mayor Hans Schneider said the project, which has been in the works about three years, is the fulfillment of a promise to taxpayers.

Voters agreed in 2018 to accept an income tax increase. The deal was simple: Help Wellington right its troubled finances, and it would use a portion of the increase for a STATION PAGE B3

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ELYRIA — A South Amherst woman pleaded not guilty to several charges last week, including aggravated vehicular homicide, stemming from a 2021 crash that left a man dead.

Lorain County Common Pleas Court documents show that Sydnie Mullins, 26, was indicted by a grand jury Feb. 8.

She was arraigned Thursday, Feb. 24 on two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide, both felonies, and two misdemeanor counts of DUI and one count of speeding.

Mullins is free on bond, according to court records.

The crash occurred July 9 on state Route 58, just north of state Route 113 in Amherst Township.

Sydnie According to the State Highway Mullins Patrol, Mullins was driving a 2009 Jeep Liberty south when she went left of center and struck a northbound 2013 Kia Optima driven by Manuel DeJesus Jr., 48, of Lorain. The head-on collision occurred at 12:53 a.m.

DeJesus was pronounced dead at the scene.

The highway patrol said Mullins was not wearing a seat belt and had to be extricated from the Jeep by Amherst firefighters. She was then transported to Mercy Health Hospital in Lorain by LifeCare Ambulance.

Troopers suspected impairment was a factor in the crash.

Mullins' attorney, Kenneth Lieux, said early last week, prior to the arraignment, that the state plans to contend Mullins was driving impaired based on a residual finding of THC, the main psychoactive compound in marijuana.

"It is our intent to fight the charges. Our contention is that she was not OVI that would sustain this type of charge," Lieux said.

A pretrial hearing is scheduled for March 9 in the Lorain County Court of Common Pleas.

SUBMIT YOUR NEWS TO: NEWS@LCNEWSPAPERS.COM

Page B2

Water super and former firefighter dies JASON HAWK EDITOR

WELLINGTON — Greg Frenk, who served as a volunteer firefighter for years and worked as the village’s water superintendent, died suddenly Saturday at age 47.

“I think we’re all shocked,” said Mayor Hans Schneider on Mon-

Thursday, March 3, 2022

Lorain County Community Guide

day morning. “That’s an understatement.”

In announcements marking Frenk’s passing, neither Schneider nor the Wellington Firefighters Association stated a caused of death. His obituary (see page A2) said he passed unexpectedly.

The brotherhood of firefighters memorialized Frenk on social media Sunday.

“During his tenure here, he was a respected firefighter, who was very active on the county water rescue teams,” it said, noting that he served from 1995 to 2017. “He was a thoughtful and smart lieutenant who could outwork most on the fire ground.”

Schneider said he was “irreplaceable” in the Wellington administrative structure, where he’d over-

seen water and wastewater treatment operations the past couple of years.

Frenk was a strong father to his three children, supporting their schooling and sports careers, he said. He was “a devoted husband, good friend and confidant to many and a great employee” who will be remembered as the first to lend a helping hand when needed, the mayor said.

JUSTICE FROM B1

process in Ohio.”

Many judges, including a majority on the Ohio Supreme Court, believe their responsibility to the people goes further.

They’ve twice struck down attempts by state Republicans — including his father, Gov. Mike DeWine — to pass unconstitutional maps that would be used to give the party a veto-proof majority in the Ohio House and Senate.

Howard Dulmage, who taught high school government classes for decades and served as superintendent of the Amherst, Midview and Wellington schools, pressed DeWine on the gerrymandering case.

“As an old-timer looking back at history, it’s a real turn-off to young people when you can show them what is done to choose a winner or a loser, and their vote doesn’t count that much,” Dulmage said.

He didn’t get much of an answer.

DeWine said he cannot give his opinion on pending cases.

It’s a difficult balancing act for judges. They tend to be incredibly conservative about their views, while also facing the realities of running for election.

As DeWine said: “If you don’t like us, you can throw us out of office at the end.”

Historically, though, Ohio judges’ positions on the issues have been hard to come by during the election cycle. While they are chosen and backed by partisan money, and run in primaries, it’s only this year that their party affiliations will for

the first ime be listed on the general election ballot in November.

That’s a good change, said DeWine, a Republican. As long as judges are primaried, “we should be honest about that” in the spirit of transparency, he said.

DeWine said he doesn’t think voters should draw too many conclusions about a candidate based on whether a D or R appears next to their name.

Yet common sense says it’s a good starting point. Asked about his thoughts on Ketanji Brown Jackson, President Joe Biden’s nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court, DeWine tipped his hand and showed how much politics affects the way judges view the role of the court.

While he has not read many of Brown Jackson’s opinions, he said, “Obviously she has a different judicial philosophy than I do. Anyone President Biden is going to pick has a different judicial philosophy.”

After five years on the state’s high court, and with his term set to expire at the end of 2022, DeWine is seeking re-election. While he had initially announced a bid for chief justice in 2021, aiming to replace fellow Republican Maureen O’Connor, who cannot run again due to Ohio’s age limit for judges, he changed direction.

Yet DeWine did not frame his Amherst visit as a campaign event. He said he’s always on the road, last year visiting about 60 Rotary clubs across the state.

A common theme in those talks is

his belief that the court is the least understood of the three branches of government.

“The challenge is that people don’t always know as much about their judges as they’d like to,” he said.

Ninety percent of Ohio’s cases are heard in state courts, DeWine said.

They fail upward through trial and appeals courts, and the state Supreme Court chooses to take on those that could have the most profound effects on the lives of everyday citizens.

The goal is to make sure that laws are applied the same in Amherst as they are in Cincinnati, DeWine said.

But the high court is selective. It’s not legally required to hear every case that rises up — there are about 1,100 jurisdictional appeals every year, and in 2019 the Ohio Supreme Court heard fewer than 50.

“We’re looking for something that we think is important to the entire state,” DeWine said.

Most of that work is not done in open court. It’s carried out in offices as judges read endless briefs, he said.

After backroom debate and private votes to explore its options, the court hands down its decisions — not with the drama of a gavel, like on “Law & Order,” but with written opinions.

There is always a winner and a loser.

“When I write an opinion, I try to think about the losing party,” DeWine said. He tries to explain in plain language how the decision was based in the law, “not the legal whims of judges.”

MARCH MADNESS ACROSS 1. In ill humor 5. Like a ship?

8. Repeating word on South Pacific map 12. Man-eating fairy tail giant 13. Newspaper piece 14. Pertaining to the ear 15. Family group 16. Not the life of the party 17. Andean animal 18. *Like Sunday, the day of announcements 20. Bodily disorders 21. 19th century Robber baron Jay ____ 22. Architect’s software, acr.

23. Articulates 26. Soak up 29. Cuban dance step 30. Auditory canal, e.g.

33. Needlefish, pl.

35. “Star Wars” creator 37. Swindle 38. March edition, e.g.

39. Rest or settle 40. Johnny Cash’s “Get ____” 42. *It never ends this way 43. Another word for acetylene 45. High or hilly land 47. Grazing spot 48. Copying machine 50. ____ code 52. *Those remaining in last weekend (Two words) 56. Gives off 57. Afghanistan’s western neighbor 58. Beginner 59. Send in payment 60. Halfway around links 61. Besides 62. Biz bigwig 63. *D-___ schools only 64. Swedish shag rugs DOWN 1. ____ Brown and “What’s Up, ____?”

2. Gawk at 3. River in Orenburg, Russia 4. Weasel out

5. Go bad 6. Massacre of the Innocents king 7. “I Dream of Jeannie” star 8. *Last year’s runner-up from Washington 9. Like word of mouth 10. Those born under Aries 11. Chicken ____ ____ king 13. Between 90 and 180 degrees 14. Spy’s cover 19. Crocus bulbs, e.g.

22. *Network 23. *School with most titles 24. Car rack manufacturer 25. Like an implied agreement 26. Your mom’s sister 27. Haile Selassie’s disciple 28. Boston hockey player

CEMETERY FROM B1

Union ranks, allowing it to field larger armies than the Confederacy, but there were concerns the USCT would alienate border states, Sato said.

“Although it was technically legal for Black units to be formed, it took Ohio a bit longer because there were still some obstacles in the way,” she said — Gov. David Todd resisted allowing the state to have Black troops.

Two men swayed him: John Mercer Langston, the first Black congressman from Virginia, and namesake of Langston Middle School in Oberlin; and Oridantus Simon Bolivar Wall, a mixed-race attorney and politician who studied at Oberlin College.

At their urging, the 127th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, also called the 5th USCT, was formed and placed under Gen. Giles Waldo Shurtleff, a white man. The unit included five Oberlin men.

Those buried at Westwood served in USCT units all over the country.

Wilson Bruce Evans was an exception — a Black man who was born free, he enlisted in a white regiment in September 1864. Evans is known as a prominent abolitionist who operated an Underground Railroad haven from his home.

Robert Nelson, born into slavery in Kentucky, became a private in the 117th USCT. After being discharged, he moved to Oberlin with his wife and sired 10 children.

Private Benjamin Frank Griffith was born in the South and mustered to the USCT in October 1863. Within the month, he’d gone AWOL, likely to care for a son who eventually died of disease, but eventually returned to his unit.

“It shows a more human side of the soldiers,” said Sato.

“It shows him more as a family man who had parts of him that were not entirely of the military.”

Born in North Carolina, Phillip Hudnell joined the 102nd USCT. He mustered in Detroit in 1864 and was promoted to corporal. After the war, he married and settled in Oberlin, working as a farmer, laborer, janitor and engineer before dying in 1912.

Others traveled more difficult roads.

James Butler was a “white passing” musician who joined the 37th Indiana Volunteer Infantry. He was injured in 1862 and spent the next year in the hospital, then was moved to the Reserve Corps.

Sato said Butler was unhappy there and deserted. He was later found and forced to serve three months hard labor with his leg in a ball and chain.

After moving to Oberlin, he worked on the railroad and became a painter. In 1903, Butler became “involved in a particularly tricky business,” Sato said — in a fit of rage, he shot his boarder to death, and later claimed the man had been having an affair with his wife. Butler later pleaded guilty and spent most of the rest of his life in prison.

Thomas Hartwell was born into slavery in Virginia and moved to Oberlin sometime before 1860, serving as a minister and laborer until enlisting in the 23rd or 27th USCT — there are conflicting records, according to Sato.

He was injured in battle in Virginia and partially paralyzed. Accounts also show he was demoted from corporal to private for conduct unbecoming of a soldier and breach of arrest; he also faced charges that today would be called attempted murder.

Later, Hartwell returned to Oberlin, where he was known for dispensing medicine, even though he wasn’t a licensed physician. He died of old age in 1883.

Richard Chambers was born into slavery in North Carolina. His family was freed when their owner died, and moved to Oberlin where they struggled financially. Chambers worked from the age of 14 and sent the money home.

After enlisting in the 88th USCT in 1864, he continued sending his pay back to support his mother and siblings.

He mustered out in 1865 and died of consumption the next year at the young age of 18.

Those and many more stories will be part of the self-guided tour, which will be accessible via smartphone, said Sato.

Reflecting on what she has learned, Sato said almost every person she researched left the military either with illness or injury, and they faced more challenges than white soldiers did.

The biographies are drawn from numerous sources, including cemetery and military databases, history books such as “Bravely to the End” by Margaret Christian and “They Stopped in Oberlin” by William Bigglestone and Oberlin newspaper archives.

The work is not yet complete. Amanda Manahan, museum education and tour coordinator at the Oberlin Heritage Center, said Sato’s work has been extensive and the tour will continue to evolve as more soldiers are added.

31. Heart pain 32. Ken or Barbie, e.g.

34. *Placement 36. *First A in NCAA 38. Motivate 40. Biology class acronym 41. Benevolent 44. Leavening agent 46. Another word for golf club 48. Rice wine 49. Lacking sense 50. NYSE MKT, formerly 51. Frost design on a window 52. Porto____, Italy 53. Like acne-prone skin 54. Bear constellation 55. Fish eggs, pl.

56. Before, archaic

SOLUTION CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE A2

SOLUTION CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE A2

Thursday, March 3, 2022

Lorain County Community Guide

Page B3

League of Women Voters March protest planned against Oberlin professor shares anger over maps during virtual roundtable JASON HAWK EDITOR

JASON HAWK EDITOR

OBERLIN — Blatant gerrymandering by any party — but right now specifically by Ohio Republicans — is an attack on democracy, League of Women Voters of the Oberlin Area said last week.

In a virtual roundtable, President Deb Cocco said protecting voting rights, improving elections and getting money out of politics are all priorities for 2022.

But it was the state fight for fair legislative maps that generated the most discussion, and the most anger.

Three times now the Ohio Supreme Court has found voting maps drawn by state Republicans to be unconstitutional, and it appears likely that versions that comply with the law won’t be drafted in time for the May 3 primary.

“Who could have imagined that the tactics used to deny African Americans the vote during Reconstruction would be affecting us here in Lorain County in 2022?” said League Trustee Jeanine Donaldson, who runs the YMCA of Elyria and Lorain County Racial Equality Center.

While suppression of Black votes is historically associated with the South, those practices are rolling out across the nation, she said.

Today it’s not a “Black problem,” but one that affects all voters, Donaldson said.

“Do we really want to go back to those Jim Crow days?” she asked.

The deadline to register to vote in the May primary is April 4, and early voting begins April 5.

With those dates rapidly closing in, everyone should be contacting their Ohio House and Senate representatives to demand maps that don’t give any party an unfair advantage, said Maureen Simen, who has coordinated voter registration efforts for years.

As it stands, Ohio “just isn’t ready for its May primaries,” Oberlin area League Vice President Rhys Price Jones said.

Gerrymandering allows politicians to choose their voters, rather than voters choosing their representatives, he said, “and that really undermines our democratic republic.”

The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan group. Price Jones said he has no loyalty to any party that tries to twist the system to its advantage.

He suggested not standing idly by, but voting strategically.

“One effect of gerrymandering is to ensure safe seats, usually for incumbents, but also for partisanship,” he said. “This results in reducing the importance of the general election: The primary effectively decides the result.

If I live in a democratic gerrymandered district, I’ll vote in the Democratic primary. Same way, if I live in a Republican gerrymandered district, I’ll vote in the Republican primary.”

There are lobbying options for the League of Women Voters, said Donaldson. It could champion passage of a federal law that secures voting rights,

or the creation of independent redistricting commissions in each state so that the parties in power can’t change the rules to stay in power.

Voting and registering others to vote is the most fundamental way to enact change, she said.

Voter registration efforts waned during the COVID-19 pandemic, Cocco said. The good news, according to Simen, is that in Ohio anyone can run a registration drive without certification and special training.

Still, the League of Women Voters of the Oberlin Area offers instruction opportunities. Volunteer by emailing lwvoberlin@gmail.com with “Voter Registration” in the subject line.

The recent defeats in the Senate of two key bills mean the League has much work to do, said Cocco.

The Freedom to Vote Act would have banned partisan gerrymandering, protected voters from intimidation and harassment, restored voting rights to formerly incarcerated people, barred states from using witness and notary requirements for absentee voting, put curbs on efforts to challenge eligible voters and prevented states from purging eligible voters from their rolls.

Republicans used the filibuster to block the bill.

The John Lewis Voting Rights Act would have outlawed discriminatory practices that disproportionately affect people of color, youth and the elderly.

It’s seen as a successor to the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

It passed the U.S. House in August by a 219-212 margin, but failed in both November and January to get the 60 votes needed to advance.

Now the League has identified two proposed Ohio bills as “legislation of concern,” according to Cocco.

House Bill 294 would add automatic voter registration and online ballot requests — which the League sees as pros. It would however limit access to ballot drop boxes, impose what the League believes are confusing voter ID requirements, shorten the absentee ballot request period and cancel early voting the Monday before Election Day. House Bill 387 “would set back voting rights,” according to Cocco, by eliminating ballot drop boxes altogether, shortening the early voting period to just six days, requiring a “valid” excuse to cast an absentee ballot, banning mailing of absentee ballot applications to Ohio voters and requiring a photo ID to register to vote and to vote in any manner, whether on Election Day or by absentee ballot.

Now the Oberlin League is turning its energies to creating a voter guide for the May primary, focusing on Lorain County issues and races. It can be found at www.vote411.org.

The guide is harder to populate this year, Price Jones said. Time has been limited by the fight over Ohio redistricting, which will change what candidates are eligible to run in which districts.

To volunteer to help gather information for the voter guide, email rhyspj@ me.com.

Popular K-9 duo leaving the Wellington PD WELLINGTON — Sgt. Jeff Mecklenburg and his K-9 partner Duke are leaving the Wellington Police Department.

Village Council vote Tuesday, Feb. 22 to accept the resignation “with regret.”

Mecklenburg’s last day will be Friday, March 11.

He joined the Wellington force in August 2019 after retiring from the Cleveland Heights Police Department. At the time, he brought K-9 partner Argos with him,

but sadly Argos died of cancer in 2020.

Council has now hired two new fulltimers for the WPD: Sgt. James McPike will start at $30.77 per hour, and Ptl. Raymond Beeman will start at $25.09 per hour.

Mayor Hans Schneider said he anticipates Beeman, who works with K-9s at the Cleveland Heights PD, will eventually step into the K-9 officer role with a new dog.

Save Wellington’s July 4 celebration

STATION FROM B1

new station.

It was a pledge that was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and skyrocketing material costs. Schneider said that at times in the past two years he was worried it would never happen.

Now construction is starting a year and a half behind, but at least it’s starting, he said.

And excitement is starting to build, Schneider said, especially among police veterans who have worked in cramped quarters for decades.

When construction wraps in a little more than a year, assuming no significant supply chain delays, police will trade in their old station of about 1,000 square feet for a space about seven times that large, he said.

“It’s going to provide them the ability to not be on top of each other, to eat

OBERLIN — Pictures of Iranian women executed by the Iranian government in the late 1980s will be shown during a Saturday, March 5 protest again calling for the termination of Oberlin College professor Mohammad Jafar Mahallati.

The demonstration will also feature photos of women currently being held as political prisoners, according to Lawdan Bazargan, a California resident who has been trying since October 2020 to get Mahallati fired.

“We want to give the Oberlin College students and alumni an understanding of the brutal regime that Mahallati helped create and continues to support,” she said in a Monday email to college board members.

Since 2007, Mahallati has been a professor of religion and presidential scholar in Islamic studies. He serves as the Nancy Schrom Dye Chair of Middle East and North African Studies, founded the Oberlin Friendship Festival and teaches courses in achieving friendship and peace.

In the 1980s, he was Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, where “he played a key role in ending the eight-year war between Iran and Iraq,” according to the college.

His detractors view his legacy in a different light — as the face of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s regime that put to death unknown thousands of political prisoners, the majority of which were part of the People’s Mijahedin of Iran and other leftist factions.

One of the victims was Bazargan’s brother, Bijan.

After being subjected to extreme physical and psychological abuse, Bijan was killed and buried in an unmarked grave.

“It's been 33 years, and we still don't know where my brother is buried, and I am not alone,” she wrote to Oberlin College board members. “The families of thousands of victims of the 1988 prison massacre in Iran have never received so much as an acknowledgment from the regime that it ever happened.”

In a 2018 report, Amnesty International claimed Mahallati was among the senior officials and diplomats who “were actively involved in denying the mass killings in media interviews and exchanges with the UN to shield those responsible from accountability."

Protesters gathered in early November 2021 on Tappan Square, across the street from the college’s Cox Administration Building.

They called Mahallati’s employment at Oberlin “a disgrace to the education system,” and Canadian attorney Kaveh Shahrooz, who represents the protest group, called the college “a guilty party” that “protects evil men.”

Their demand that Mahallati be fired has gone unanswered.

Bazargan said the next protest has been timed just a few days ahead of International Women Day on March 8. She said she plans to fly to Oberlin March 2 in case the college board of trustees decides to speak with her when it meets March 3.

Director of Media Relations Scott Wargo did not comment on whether the board would consider that possibility.

Asked for comment, he provided a link to an online fact sheet that reiterates previously-shared information about Mahallati, but declined to say anything else on the record.

The college has said it conducted an inquiry into Mahallati and did not find proof to corroborate the allegations that he knew about the 1988 massacre during his tenure at the U.N. “The official positions I formally took at the United Nations during the time I served do not portray my personal views…. My personal views are well portrayed in all my published books, articles and teachings during the last 30 years since I left the U.N. post,” Mahallati wrote in response to the accusations. “It is important to note that my accusers have not found a single statement from me that is remotely consistent with their unfounded accusations.”

He expressed sympathy for all who have suffered human rights abuses in any country based on political beliefs, religion or ethnicity, and said he opposes capital punishment, “because, based on Abrahamic teachings, even in the extreme cases of proven murder, there must be a chance for apology and forgiveness.”

He said his father, Ayatollah Mahallati, risked his life to save the lives of the Bahai against mobs during the early days of the 1980s Iranian revolution.

His father was exiled in the early 1970s because he protested against the execution of a People's Mujahedin of Iran member by the Iranian monarchy regime.

The college has maintained that Mahallati’s record at Oberlin has been exemplary, and rejected other claims of misconduct by the professor.

“The review could not identify a pattern of anti-Semitic behavior or ongoing calls for the destruction of Israel,” its fact sheet said.

there lunch but not in the evidence room,” Schneider said.

The new station will have a storm shelter, armory, holding cells, far more storage and locker rooms for men and women.

“They’re getting a fullyfunctional 21st century police station,” he said.

With completion still far away, police aren’t exactly starting to box up their belongings. But Greever said he is working closely with Chief Tim Barfield to map out certain parts of the change-over already.

For example, switching 911 operations to the new station will be a topmost priority, as will extending fiber optic lines for internet communications.

If all goes smoothly, the front office portion of the station could be completed long before the rest of the station, accord-

ing to Schneider. He said that means police could start moving desks and non-critical supplies into place, and settling into offices before the project is 100 percent complete, while continuing to use the existing station for most purposes.

Barfield said his best guess is that the current station, located on Willard Memorial Square, has been used by police since the 1960s.

No decision has been made by Council yet on how it will be used after officers vacate it.

But Schneider said he has a preference — he’d like to see it repurposed as the mayor and village manager’s offices.

“I think that’s the perfect size,” and has a conference room where small meetings could be held, he said.

A planning meeting for the village’s Fourth of July parade, fireworks and other festivities will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 6 at the LCCC Wellington Center, 151 Commerce Dr. Everyone is invited to take part, including clubs, nonprofits, churches, school groups, scouts and individuals. Main Street Wellington will lead a discussion about how to carry on with both traditional and new features of the patriotic event. The July 4 celebration was previously organized by the Wellington Area Chamber of Commerce, which has disbanded.

85 SOUTH MAIN STREET OBERLIN OHIO 44074 MARCH 3, 2022 BOARD AND COMMISSION MEETING DATES ALL MEETINGS WILL TAKE PLACE AT 85 SOUTH MAIN STREET UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED

MARCH 7, 2022 ���������������REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING - 7:00 P�M - COUNCIL CHAMBERS MARCH 8, 2022 ���������������PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION - 4:30 P�M MARCH 9, 2022 ���������������OCIC - 8:00 A�M MARCH 9, 2022 ���������������OURCIT - 3:00 P�M NOTICE: DISABLED MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY WHO MAY NEED ASSISTANCE, PLEASE CALL 775-7203 OR E-MAIL: banderson@cityofoberlin.com NOTICE REQUIRED: TWO (2) WORKING DAYS IN ADVANCE OF MEETING (48 HOURS) CLERK OF COUNCIL’S OFFICE.

Page B4

Lorain County Community Guide

Thursday, March 3, 2022

Samantha Oblander | U.S. Navy

Operations Specialist Seaman Recruit Alayis Vicens, a graduate of Marion L. Steele High School in Amherst, takes photographs of a surface contact during visual information training aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson.

Amherst grad serving on Navy destroyer in the South China Sea SAMANTHA OBLANDER U.S. NAVY

Alayis Vicens, a 2020 graduate of Marion L. Steele High School, is serving aboard the USS Ralph Johnson in the South China Sea. The Lorain native is a seaman recruit on the Arleigh Burke class guided-missile destroyer, deployed in Japan.

"I joined the Navy to be the first female in my family to join the military," Vicens said. "I also joined to be myself. I came from a very sheltered lifestyle where I didn’t really know anything outside from Lorain, Amherst and Cleveland, Ohio."

She’s now an operations specialist, helping to maintain the ship’s displays of strategic and tactical information.

Vicens said she had been looking at becoming a damage controlman, but her father suggested going the operations specialist route.

“He thought it would be a better fit for me and mentioned that as a sailor, everyone has firefighting training and being an OS would give me the best of both worlds,” she said.

Now she serves as the long-range

eyes of the ship, taking up manned watches that are vital to the destroyer’s safety. Without operations specialists, the Navy would be blind to the other ships at sea, especially at night, Vicens said.

"When you are manned 24/7 and stand long hours of watch, you grow really close to the people that are around you,” Vicens said. "You get to learn so much from the people you work with, whether it be on a professional, personal or cultural level. Your division becomes your at-sea family.”

Everyone has their reasons for joining the military and one of Vicens' reasons was to grow as a person. She said she’s already seen a difference in herself in the short time that she’s been in.

"I’ve taken on a lot of responsibility since coming to this command,” Vicens said. "I joined the Navy to expand my horizons and I’ve taken on a lot of different collateral duties which helps to not only increase my professional knowledge, but will also help me become a better leader.”

The USS Ralph Johnson recently shifted homeports from Everett, Washington, to Yokosuka, Japan.

While she is enjoying her time in Japan, Vicens is thinking about the future and what she hopes to accomplish in the Navy.

A top goal is to leave a positive impact on future sailors, she said.

"I want to be able to expand my knowledge, not only in my rate, but in life,” she said. “I want to be the person that people come to for advice, that people rely on. I want to be someone that people know they can come to no matter what. I want to be able to make people smile if they’re having a bad day and help people become the best version of themselves that they can be at that point in their life or career. I want to help people remember that they’re human and that they matter.”

USS Ralph Johnson is forwarddeployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in the Indo-Pacific.

The U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet is the largest forward-deployed fleet and routinely operates and interacts with 35 maritime nations while conducting missions to preserve and protect critical regional partnerships.

Editor’s note: This article was provided by the U.S. Navy and has been edited for length and clarity.

KITCHEN SERVING IN ADRIATIC U.S. Navy

Seaman Brayden Kitchen of Amherst uses a needle-gun to remove rust from a capstan on the fantail of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman on Tuesday, Feb. 22 while in the Adriatic Sea. The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. Sixth Fleet area of operations in support of U.S., allied and partner interests in Europe and Africa.

OBERLIN CITY COUNCIL CLERK’S OFFICE

Provided photo

The Marion L. Steele High School academic team is comprised of D.J. Theisen, John Perez-Strohmeyer and Grant Sooy.

Avon edges Steele in the Scholastic Games Round-by-round, lopsided scores evened out to nearly a tied score as two powerful teams competed on Lorain County’s high school quiz show, the Scholastic Games, now in its 32nd year on WEOL radio.

The program is heard weekly from 6-7 p.m. on Mondays on AM930 and FM 100.3. When Avon and Amherst’s teams met, competition ended in a shockingly close 210200 victory for Avon.

The Marion L. Steele roster of D.J. Theisen, Grant Sooy and John Perez-Strohmeyer appeared sure to win early on. But the Avon squad of Nicholas Stamatis, P.J. Yug and Matthew Downing worked its way back.

Downing was given Standout Scholar honors, a prize judges present to the student who contributed the most to his or her team. Amherst’s Perez-Strohmeyer was a threetime Standout recipient in last year’s competitions.

This year’s broadcasts will end in May with the 32nd Annual County Academic Championship. Playoffs will include all winning teams and the highest-scoring runnerup teams as well, competing as wild cards prior to quarterfinals in April.

HERRICK LIBRARY 101 Willard Memorial Square, Wellington Board meeting The board of trustees will meet at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 8 at the library. The meeting is open to the public. Masks are required.

Spring wreath how-to Learn to make a simple wreath to celebrate the coming of spring. This event will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 8. The library will supply all of the materials for this crafty project — al you need to do is to register by March 4 at the check-out desk or by calling (440) 647-2120. Space is limited to 15 participants.

Game on Tweens and teens in grades five and up can show off their gaming skills on the library’s Nintendo Switch and Wii games from 1-4 p.m. on Saturday, March 12. Compete against librarians and enjoy light refreshments to keep up your energy level.

Call (440) 647-2120 by Thursday, March 10 to register.

Friends media sale The Friends of the Herrick Memorial Library will hold a media sale from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Friday, March 18 and Saturday, March 19. A variety of DVD and music CD titles will be offered for public purchase in the library’s Community Room. Masks are required.

Spring family story times These fun interactive programs are designed to introduce children to a variety of books and help parents promote reading.

Story time sessions will be held on Tuesdays from March 22 to April 26. Busy families can choose to attend sessions at either 10:30 a.m. or 1:30 p.m.

Register by calling (440) 647-2120.

NOTICE OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS VACANCIES

The following City commissions have vacancies for terms expiring on the dates provided below. Applications for interested parties are available at the Clerk of Council’s office, located at 85 South Main Street, Oberlin, Ohio 44074, or by submitting a form via the City’s website, at https://www.cityofoberlin.com.

Applications will be received until filled.

# OF CURRENT VANCIES

DATE TERM EXPIRES

Oberlin Community Improvement Corporation

1

12/31/2023

Resource Conservation and Recovery Commission

1

12/31/2023

Underground Railroad Center Implementation Team

1

Unlimited

BOARD NAME

Baby story times It’s never too early to cuddle and read to your child.

These sessions are designed for babies up to 24 months old and their caregivers, giving them a chance to bond through books.

Story times will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesdays from March 23 to April 27. Register by calling (440) 647-2120.

Family bingo day Take the family to the library for an afternoon of bingo starting at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 26.

Register by calling (440) 647-2120.

Read with Putter Putter the friendly therapy dog visits the Herrick Memorial Library from 3:15-4:30 p.m. each Thursday to listen to children read. This is a wonderful way for children to practice their reading skills as Putter listens to the stories that they read aloud. Call the library at (440) 647-2120 to sign up your child for a 15-minute time slot.

State cheerleading champions The Comets cheerleading team won the Division 2 NonBuilding OHSAA State Championship title this weeked.

Congratulations!

Understanding addiction A free virtual training on understanding the role that shame and stigma play in substance abuse disorders will be offered from 10-11:30 a.m. on Friday, March 4.

Sponsored by the Mental Health, Addiction and Recovery Services Board of Lorain County and Oberlin Community Services, the course will review the consequences of stigma and solutions to address it, with the goal of eliminating judgments and negative attitudes toward people who have addiction disease.

Register at www.tinyurl.com/OCSstigma.

Thursday, March 3, 2022

SPORTS

Lorain County Community Guide

Page B5

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

Oberlin claims D3 sectional title ERIK ANDREWS CORRESPONDENT

OBERLIN — It would be their final game in an Oberlin uniform on their home floor. With full appreciation of the moment, Oberlin's seniors were laser focused on Friday night's D3 sectional final match with Manchester.

The Phoenix shook off a few lingering butterflies early, and once grounded they assumed control, cruising to an 84-71 win.

The victory propelled Oberlin to the district tournament in Wooster against Fairview Park.

All five Phoenix seniors were represented in the scorebook, led by Ty Locklear's 21 points and highlighted by a perfect 4-for-4 performance beyond the arc from Dayvion Witherspoon as he collected 14 points.

As Oberlin sought to maintain its second half lead, Andre Yarber chipped in 10 of his 16 points, and classmates Korey Russell (2) and Marius Harrell (4) contributed to the cause.

Down low, workhorse Isaac Thompson collected 10 rebounds to go with his 20 points on the evening.

"The team recovered quickly from some early jitters and played and shot well much of the game. They've worked hard to get to this point. I know we are looking forward to once again playing district basketball in Wooster", said coach Kurt Russell, whose team has fond memories of D3 district level wins in the recent past.

The Phoenix stand at 15-8 on the season.

DUKES DOWN TRINITY

Photos by Erik Andrews | Oberlin News-Tribune

▲ Oberlin senior Andre Yarber stares down his Panthers defender before initiating his move to the hole. ◄ Oberlin senior Ty Locklear drives to the hole for two of his team high 21 points against Manchester.

FIGHTING IRISH KNOCK OUT FALCONS

Photos by Russ Gifford | Amherst News-Times

Photos by Russ Gifford | Wellington Enterprise

After a rocky first quarter, Wellington found its defensive rhythm against Trinity last week and opened the floodgates for a 60-49 win in the sectional opener. A 17-4 second quarter gave the Dukes the edge they needed to take out the 12th-seeded Trojans. The team rallied around Jayden Roberts, who posted a game-high 18 points and eight rebounds. Wellington stars Jacob Weegmann and Luke Vannucci lit up the court as well with 12 and 11 points, respectively. Keenan Hughes had 13 to lead Trinity. Wellington is seeded No. 16 in the state tournament.

ABOVE: Wellington's Jayden Roberts moves with the ball against Trinity.

OVERTIME LOSS Thomas Fetcenko | Amherst News-Times

Luke Parker killed the Comets’ hopes last week, scoring the winning goal for Benedictine in overtime. The game ended 3-2, with goals from Amherst’s Joey Kramer and Thomas Hall. River Ambroz had 34 saves in the net for the Comets, while Michael Pelc had the same number on the other end of the ice.

RIGHT: Amherst's Joey Kramer and Justus Owens take the puck out.

State-ranked St. Vincent St. Mary dished out a 60-26 loss to the Firelands girls last week in the Division II district semifinals. Abbey Schmitz was responsible for more than half the Falcons’ points, racking up 14 before an errant elbow to the face benched her the second half.

Firelands ended its season with an 18-7 record.

ABOVE: Firelands’ Riyley Etherton moves with the ball.

RIGHT: Firelands' Bella Simmons is under pressure.

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Thursday, March 3, 2022

Lorain County Community Guide

© 2022 by Vicki Whiting, Editor Jeff Schinkel, Graphics Vol. 38, No. 13

Have you ever seen the sheen of oil on a puddle of water?

When water lands on oil in the street, the oil floats to the surface. It just won’t mix with the water.

Are you an eagle-eyed reader?

Read the article below and circle the seven errors you find. Then rewrite the article correctly on the lines below the article.

Everything is made of little building blicks called molecules. They are two small to see with the naked eye, but they give all things their speshul characteristics.

Molecules make hard things hard, soap slippery and rubber bandz stretchy. Their size,

Perform this experiment and record your observations here!

shape and ability to attract other molecules determine these characteristics.

Peeple are made of molecules, too! Everything from our bones to are skin and hair are all various types of moledules.

Water usually _________ well with other liquids to ________ solutions. But, as this experiment shows, oil and water do not mix. Water molecules are strongly _____________ to each other. So are oil molecules.

Because each is more attracted to its own ____________, they just don’t mix together. They separate, and the oil _________ above the water because it has a lower density.

Cut out these sentences and put them in the correct order for an explanation.

Replace the missing words.

Standards Links: Physical Science: Understand things can be done to materials to change some of their properties.

How many of these see-through fish can you find?

Standards Links: Reading Comprehension: Follow simple written directions.

EXPERIMENT SOLUTIONS SCIENTIST MOLECULE SURFACE DENSITY FLOATS LIQUID SHEEN WATER STICK TRACK FOOD OIL MIX

Standards Links: Spelling: Spell grade-level appropriate words correctly.

Standards Links: Writing: Use strategies to edit written work.

O D I U Q I L S I S

Y M O L E C U L E H T N E M I R E P X E I D O O F S R L I E

S A O A T N E D M N

N S C I E N T I S T

E E C F L O A T S W

D K C A R T W A T E R S O L U T I O N S

Standards Link: Letter sequencing. Recognize identical words. Skim and scan reading. Recall spelling patterns.

Solutions

Cause & Effect

1. Find a headline that shows a cause and effect.

2. Find a headline that describes an effect, and then read the article to determine the cause.

ANSWER: From scratch.

Standards Links: Reading Comprehension: Understand cause and effect.

Complete the grid by using all the letters in the word FLOAT in each vertical and horizontal row. Each letter should only be used once in each row.

Some spaces have been filled in for you.

Tell about a world problem that you would like to see solved. How might you solve this problem.