Lorain County Community Guide - March 10, 2022

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AMHERST NEWS-TIMES • OBERLIN NEWS-TRIBUNE • WELLINGTON ENTERPRISE Thursday, March 10, 2022

Submit items to news@LCnewspapers.com

Volume 9, Issue 10

Two long years Is the COVID-19 pandemic over at last?

Maps created by BroadbandOhio

Beefing up broadband

Maps show where internet speeds still lag statewide JASON HAWK EDITOR

When it comes to internet speeds, Lorain County is among the most well-connected spots in the state, according to new data from BroadbandOhio.

Led by Lieutenant Gov. Jon Husted, the state initiative aims to expand high-speed data access to places where it’s been lagging. Maps created from speed test records over a 15-month period show that huge parts of the state only have internet speeds under 10 Mbps.

Those areas with the slowest speeds are mostly rural.

As might be suspected, the metropolitan areas surrounding Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati have the best internet speeds. In Lorain County, 34 percent of the populated area and BROADBAND 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.

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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

Kristin Bauer | Community Guide

Kristin Bauer | Community Guide

Health Commissioner Mark Adams talks about a map to the end of the COVID-19 pandemic and how priorities at Lorain County Public Health are now shifting toward other life-anddeath issues that must be addressed.

Dr. Harry Kestler, known by his Lorain County Community College students as “the microprof,” says a new world of medical research has been opened because of the work done while developing COVID-19 vaccines.

Adams: 2nd COVID anniversary puts the U.S. close to endemic

Kestler: Vaccine research has ushered in new era in medicine

JASON HAWK EDITOR

JASON HAWK EDITOR

ELYRIA — Not with West Nile Virus or with ELYRIA — In his lab, with DNA sequencers and SARS, Ebola or any other microscopic threat — at no HIV research humming along just a few strides away, point in Mark Adams’ long career has the government Dr. Harry Kestler is excited. ever announced an infectious disease emergency is Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, he’s officially “over.” hopeful that the virus is at last under control.

He aims to change that.

He’s smiling at no longer having to mask up.

As the Lorain County Health commissioner, And he’s full of optimism about the future See video interviews Adams said he’s looking forward to a day, and of medicine, which Kestler said is entering a with both soon, when he can formally announce the Renaissance. experts at COVID-19 pandemic is in the past.

Tests show omicron is still floating around It’s been a long two years since the virus Northeast Ohio in a big way. The virus still chroniclet caused Ohio to suddenly lock down. Gov. Mike has a strong presence in sewage samples, .com DeWine declared a state of emergency on March yet cases have dropped off drastically and 9, 2020, and two days later schools were ordered hospitals are no longer slammed with critical to close, large gatherings were banned and visitors were patients. barred from nursing homes.

Meanwhile, there isn’t another variant of concern The second year of the long ordeal was marked by the being watched, Kestler said. That means the pandemic widespread availability of vaccines, tentative reopenings is just microns away from being considered endemic of businesses and schools, the rise of the vicious delta — a threat that will never go away, but will become ADAMS PAGE A4

KESTLER PAGE A3

Sewage samples are helping experts predict COVID’s future What can sewers tell us about the end of the COVID-19 pandemic?

They’re revealing an incredible amount of information, and it’s not at all crap.

Scientists have been testing samples from wastewater treatment

plants in Lorain and Elyria, as well as others around Ohio. The results show a tremendous amount of the omicron variant floating around in the public cesspool, said Lorain County Health Commissioner Mark Adams — enough to suggest their should be 50

new COVID cases every day.

But there are just two or three most days now, and hospitals aren’t seeing admissions suddenly spike. What does it mean?

“That middle there is asymptomatic.

SEWAGE PAGE A3

Send obituaries to obits@chroniclet.com

INSIDE THIS WEEK

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Amherst

Oberlin

Wellington

Old Party Shop is being remodeled as a cafe • B1

Schools end mask mandate as COVID cases fall off • A5

Downtown trees torn out for sidewalk project • B1

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

Page A2

Thursday, March 10, 2022

Lorain County Community Guide

OBITUARIES

NEW STONINGTON LODGE OFFICERS

Dolores A. Gilles Dolores A. Gilles was born Aug. 15, 1931, in Barton, to John and Suzanne (nee Feachen) Dabelko.

She lived her adult married life in the house her husband built and was at home surrounded by family until her eternal rest with the help of Mercy Life Hospice on Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022, at the age of 90.

She was a 1949 graduate of St. Mary's High School, where she met her forever somebody, William T. Gilles, the love of her life. She also met a great group of girlfriends who formed the WINKERS Club their sophomore year of high school. They remained friends their entire life.

Dolores was employed by Lake Terminal Railroad, Lorain, as an executive secretary of Labor Relations as well as other various departments. She taught elementary school at St. Joseph School, Amherst, Nativity School, Lorain and St. Peter School, Lorain. Dolores retired from teaching in 1970. She always remembered her students and their families.

Dolores was an active member of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Amherst, where she taught catechism classes. Together she and her husband, William, were also very active in the CYO program and were always willing to help with whatever the Parish or School needed. She was a member of the MAR-WIN club, ETA ZETA chapter of Alpha Iota Sorority and volunteered as voting booth poll worker.

She was very proud and grateful for her husband's job at Ford Motor Company and because of that she was a very loyal Ford/Lincoln customer. Family Unity was a motto that she had lived by and passed that onto her children and grandchildren as they were her life. Dolores and William loved boating and polka dancing. They would go to Florida for two months each year, sailed on 25 cruises and were members of the Amherst Golden Agers. They traveled many miles over the years to attend their grandchildren's sporting events, never missing a game. The couple attended over 1,000 football games, 900 hockey games, numerous basketball, soccer, baseball, rugby games and all their school functions. She had a gentle soul and a kindness that radiated in all she did. She loved really getting to know others and making them feel special. Her family will always remember her for her 'Goodbye Gilles Tour', she didn't like goodbyes and always made sure that she saw everyone before she left.

Dolores is survived by her sons, John (Deb) Gilles, Len (Kathleen) Gilles and Bill (Debbie) Gilles; daughter, Cynthia (Gene) McGuire; grandchildren, Dan (Allie) Gilles, David (Rachel) Gilles, Vicki Gilles, Katy (Rick) Moore, Joshua (Elizabeth) Gilles, John (Laura) Gilles, Bryan (Amanda) Gilles, Ben (Brittany) Gilles, Stephen Williams, Michael (Matt Davis) McGuire, Ben Nelson, Tim Nelson, Jill (Mike) DiFilippo; 20 great-grandchildren and cousins, Rick (Susie) Lueders and Katie Lueders.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 62 years, William T. Gilles in 2015; parents, John and Suzanne Dabelko and her daughter-in-law, Vicki Gilles.

The family received friends Thursday, March 3 at Dovin & Reber Jones Funeral & Cremation Center, Amherst. A Mass of Christian Burial was held Friday, March 4 at St. Joseph Catholic Church, Amherst. The Rev. Fr. Timothy O'Connor officiated. Interment was at St. Joseph Cemetery in Amherst.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggest contributions be made in memory of Dolores to the Community Foundation of Lorain County to the William T. and Dolores Gilles Fund, this fund supports the CYO Program at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Amherst.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www. dovinreberjones.com.

Provided photo

Stonington Lodge 503, part of the Grand Lodge Free & Accepted Masons of Ohio, installed its 2022 officers in a recent ceremony. Longtime Amherst resident Norman Miller was installed as the worshipful master, which is equivalent to a board president. Learn more at www.stonington503. org. Pictured are (back row) Russell Marty, Roger Lawson, Kyle Hieb, John Porter, Christopher Cox, (front row) Robert (Shane) Brown, James Moore, Norman Miller, Robert Wiegand, James Hieb and Robert Conrady. Not pictured are Samuel Jacob and Ryan Bangas.

Provided photos

Sebastian Pecora, Devin Ramirez and Amanda Pastron were the top three winners from Marion L. Steele High School in the VFW’s Voices of Democracy essay contest.

‘Voices of Democracy’ essayists chosen AMHERST — It can be easy to take the freedoms of speech, religion and assembly for granted, Amanda Patron wrote in an award-winning Voices of Democracy contest essay.

It can be harder to wield those freedoms responsibly, she said.

Pastron, a senior at Marion L. Steele High School in Amherst, said her grandfather served in Vietnam, but that doesn’t necessarily mean criticizing the war is disrespectful.

“If anything, an individual standing up for what they believe in is more American than silently standing by,” her first place essay said.

“Without going into detail, we all know how 2020 sparked a world-

wide revolution that brought out both the best and worst in people.

And while I could go on about how COVID-19 has permanently altered life as we knew it, I refuse to believe in only the negatives.”

Students in teacher Emily Marty’s high school history classes were invited to enter the patriotic contest

by Amherst VFW Post 1662, writing on the prompt, “America: Where Do We Go From Here?” and recording themselves reading their essays aloud.

Patron earned the top prize of $500. Senior Sebastian Pecora won second place and Devin Ramirez placed third.

In the middle school division for grades six to eight, students wrote on the theme “How Can I Be a Good American?”

The first place essay was penned

by Jeremy Marcaly. Alaina Alflen took second place and Jordan Miller placed third.

Marcaly's essay also took first place in district competition and went on to get judged at the state level.

All other writers who submitted entries earned honorable mention certificates as well as Dairy Queen gift cards, and the VFW donated money toward books for teacher Heather Zehel's classroom library.

Jeremy Marcaly, Jordan Miller and Alaina Alflen were the top three winners from Amherst Junior High School.

JIMMIE LOUIS SMITH, 71, resident of Grafton, passed away Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022, at his home following a lengthy illness.

LISA MARIE KARDOS (nee Pullin), 47, and a lifetime resident of Amherst, passed away Tuesday, March 1, 2022, after battling cancer.

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

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Thursday, March 10, 2022

Lorain County Community Guide

Page A3

KESTLER FROM A1 increasingly weaker.

“We are going to have this virus around for quite some time,” he said, leaning back on a stool in his microbiology lab at Lorain County Community College.

An expert in viruses who has spent decades developing vaccines, he predicts another mini-outbreak in the next four to six months.

People who have not been vaccinated against or survived COVID will again be at the highest risk.

“I will be comfortable if we make it all the way to October without anything major,” Kestler said.

There will be a swell in COVID cases every winter from now on, he said.

That’s true of all airborne respiratory diseases as winter weather, the holidays and travel push people into close contact with each other.

But over time, COVID has become weaker and faster-spreading, just like other viruses. Unless circumstances take a drastic turn — a possibility experts aren’t ruling out just yet — it’s on track to join the stable of routine seasonal illnesses people have become accustomed to, like flu and colds.

“This is the natural order of things, that you have this adaptation,” Kestler said, explaining how viruses and people eventually learn to live with each other. “Disease is a consequence of newness. I’m new to you, you’re new to me, and we

SEWAGE don’t know how to react to one another.”

Being endemic doesn’t mean COVID will be tame.

It’s easy to forget that the flu still takes between 15,000 and 50,000 American lives each year, but that’s a far cry better than the more than 955,000 lost to COVID since March 2020.

Looking back at what has been learned in the past two years, Kestler said he was most surprised by how infectious COVID-19 and its variants proved to be.

He’s also grateful it has evolved slowly. Kestler has spent his life researching HIV, which can mutate into new variants every minute inside a victim’s body.

By comparison, COVID is unhurried and deliberate, and each new generation has learned to spread faster, not hide better like HIV does. Had it learned to evade the immune system’s defenses instead, the COVID death toll would be apocalyptic, Kestler said.

HIV came to the United States more than four decades ago, and only three people have ever been cured, all using extremely painful and difficult bone marrow transplants.

“We still don’t have a vaccine, by the way, though we’re making some good progress in here,” Kestler said, gesturing around his LCCC lab, where researchers believe they are close to finally creating a therapeutic vaccine for HIV.

That makes the speed at which mRNA vaccines have been developed to fight COVID all the more impressive, he said. They were in the works for 20 years, and President Donald Trump’s Operation Warp Speed gave companies the final push needed to cross the finish line.

Now those vaccines can be reformulated in about 100 days to attack emerging viruses, Kestler said.

The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have far-reaching implications, not just for fighting COVID but for the future of medicine, he said.

They have the potential to be weaponized against all kinds of diseases — cancer, digestive disorders, arthritis, Alzheimer’s, heart disease and on an on — “like soon, very soon,” he said.

Without the pandemic, that vaccine research would have been “trapped in a lab,” viewed as unprofitable, he said.

That research should have been accelerated to “warp speed” 20 years ago, Kestler said, when Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS, materialized.

It was a warning that should have been heeded, he said, but was discounted because it was brought under control so swiftly.

Only 8,096 people in 29 countries got SARS when it appeared on the scene in 2003, leading to 774 deaths.

The next big threat came in 2009 when H1N1 hit the scene. Drug treatments

kept the swine flu under control until a vaccine stamped it out about six months later.

Another coronavirus, Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome, reared its head in 2013. Kestler said it was incredibly deadly but not very contagious, and was knocked out fast — so again vaccine development didn’t get far.

With so many nearpandemics, public health experts and pharmaceutical companies should have been much better prepared for COVID, he said.

“There most likely will be more coming,” said Kestler.

There are some 400 coronavirus strains in Chinese bats. He said they’ve been waiting for eons in caves, away from people, but “humans are nosy” and bound to open Pandora’s box again.

The next pandemic could come in as little as 10 or 20 years, Kestler predicts.

If companies and governments put their resources toward preparing, the outcome of the next viral threat will be much different, he said.

If we knew in March 2020 what we know now, for example — if vaccine research had been strong, if people had understood the value of masking from the start, if the proper stockpiles of protective gear had been in place, if the U.S. didn’t rely on Chinese manufacturing — COVID probably would have only

been a blip on the radar, not a full-blown, two-year ordeal, he said.

Those are all mistakes that can be fixed before the next go-around, Kestler said.

But the public’s attitude also has to change, he said: “We have to be a more cohesive people who work together.”

In the face of a contagion, the public needs to set aside its squabbling and take common sense steps to care for each other, whether that means agreeing to universal masking, being vaccinated or both.

Whether that’s possible is hard to say, given human nature and the historical fact that vaccines have always been “low-hanging fruit for people who want to divide us,” said Kestler.

With distrust of Big Pharma on the left side of the political spectrum and hate for Big Government on the right, it’s been easy for anti-vaccine sentiment to be riled at both ends, he said.

But it’s not impossible for people to put aside politics and come together, even in today’s climate.

Kestler, who is 50 percent Ukrainian, said he’s been struck by how Americans have laid down their differences to support the people of Ukraine in the face of a Russian invasion — and with enough understanding, the same could happen by the time the next ugly virus strikes the world.

FROM A1 That’s the difference,” Adams said. “Those are people who are carrying virus who are not sick, don’t feel sick and that’s where you want it.”

The conclusion is that the virus has become weak enough that it’s virtually invisible now, he said.

If cases and hospitalizations start to climb to match the amount of virus found in sewage, it means the protective “memory” stored in our bodies’ T-cells is waning and another round of boosters might be needed, according to Adams.

Dr. Harry Kestler, a microbiologist and vaccine expert at Lorain County Community College, said the tests prove that each new generation of COVID is becoming milder.

In his mind, the ability to test sewage samples and come up with detailed results — results that are accurate enough to predict when and where an outbreak is brewing — is amazing.

Ten years ago, he would have considered it science fiction.

“I am blown away by that kind of technology,” Kestler said.

Sewers are breeding grounds for all kinds of tiny lifeforms. To be able to screen a sample and not only find COVID present, but to count how much is there, is “like finding a needle in 1,000 haystacks,” said Kestler.

BROADBAND FROM A1

11 percent of households do not have access to basic broadband with speeds of at least 25 Mbps for downloading and 3 Mbps for uploading.

That means that of Lorain County’s 147,121 households, there are 16,575 below that threshold — they are concentrated in and around Grafton, LaGrange, Oberlin and Wellington, according to Broadband Ohio.

In those spots, there are 5,363 households with very low speeds of just 10 Mbps downloading and 1 Mbps uploading.

Of the county’s 486 square miles of populated area, 164 square miles are considered “unserved” at all, the study shows.

Expanding broadband is important so that every Ohioan can be part of the modern economy, health care system and education systems, Husted said.

“Especially as we become more global, and see more businesses expanding, it’s going to become more and more important,” said Anthony Gallo, president of the Lorain County Chamber of Commerce.

When businesses look at where to locate, and how to strategically expand their empires, broadband is

a key consideration, he said.

That was true 10 and even 15 years ago, but many areas of Ohio haven’t kept up. Cost is often the breaking point, since stretching cable and fiber optic lines across thinlypopulated areas isn’t going to yield big returns.

“It’s going to be a deal-breaker, just because placing poles and doing what you need to get internet in every corner of the county isn’t easy — we have a lot of agricultural areas, and placing infrastructure there is going to be very expensive,” Gallo said.

Mayor Hans Schneider said he’s learned that lesson in Wellington, where after years of dealing with internet complaints two companies are now rolling out fiber optic networks.

The end result, Schneider hopes, is that businesses will see that highspeed access and consider moving to town. Without faster internet, many won’t even consider Wellington a possibility.

“If they’re looking at everything Wellington has to offer, and we’re not where they need to be… that’s going to knock us off the list,” he said.

“We’re kind of isolated on the south end of the county.”

©

So far, businesses that have switched over to new North Coast Wireless and Armstrong fiber service “report back that it’s night and day,” he said. Employees have a better ability to work from home, and employers no longer have to worry about internet reliability.

Small towns aren’t the only crisis point. And not all cities are cre-

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ated equally, either, Gallo said.

Broadband access is different in Avon and Avon Lake than it is in Elyria and Lorain, for example.

Lorain City Schools discovered that the hard way during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, when classes went remote. Gallo recalled how many students couldn’t attend classes from home “because there

are going to be neighborhoods, poor neighborhoods, where internet just doesn’t go.”

A large slice of federal relief money should be earmarked to roll out better broadband and spur economic development, he said.

The BroadbandOhio maps were developed using “real-world, onthe-ground speed test information from actual internet customers to determine where there are gaps in coverage,” according to his office.

They are based on Ookla Speedtest Intelligence data licensed by the state between February 2020 and August 2021, showing data use at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Also used were carrier filings of available speeds with the Federal Communications Commission and broadband deployment reports to the government.

“These maps bring us one step closer to solving the digital divide in Ohio,” said Lydia Mihalik, director of the Ohio Department of Development. “The additional detail will help us target areas with the greatest need to connect all Ohioans with critical resources, new economic opportunities, and an improved quality of life.”

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Page A4

Thursday, March 10, 2022

Lorain County Community Guide

Resource Fair is March 16

For families that have gone through another year of social distancing, mask weawring and other COVID-19 precautions, the Lorain County Resource Fair will offer opportunities to find help for anxiety, depression, academic struggles, behavior problems and other issues kids experience.

Presented by Connecting with Kids and Lakewood Elks Lodge 1350, the fair will be held from 6-8 p.m. on Wednesday, March 16 at Lorain County Community College, 1005 North Abbe Rd., Elyria. It will feature about 60 vendors, including therapists, summer camps, adaptive sports and other programs.

Families may choose to attend in person and enjoy a free pasta dinner at the college, or participate with a drive-up option to receive a grab-and-go resource bag.

To register for either option, visit www.connectingforkids.org/ lorain-resource-fair or call (440) 570-5908. Para Espanol, (440) 907-9130.

Amherst library meeting

The Amherst Public Library board of trustees will meet at 6 p.m. on Monday, March 14 at the library. The meeting is open to the public.

Oberlin library meeting

The Oberlin Public Library board of trustees will meet at 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 10 at the library. The meeting is open to the public.

Grab lasagna to go

What’s Cooking Wednesday will be held from 4:30-6:30 p.m. on March 16 at First Congregational United Church of Christ, 140 South Main St., Wellington.

The menu includes lasagna, salad, roll and dessert. The cost is $12 per plate. To pre-order, call (440) 647-3308 ext. 3.

Note that the original meatloaf dinner menu has been changed.

State of Wellington breakfast is March 24 The Wellington Kiwanis Club will hold its fifth annual “State of Wellington” breakfast featuring village and school leaders at 8 a.m. on Thursday, March 24 at the Wellington Eagles, 631 South Main St., Wellington.

Keynote speakers will be Wellington Schools Superintendent Ed Weber and Treasurer Mark Donnelly and Mayor Hans Schneider and Village Manager Jonathan Greever.

Tickets are $15. They can be

CLASSIFIEDS HELP WANTED

HIRING!!

Group Home Aides Needed!

Contribute to the community and enrich the lives of others by performing valuable and gratifying work!

Applications and information are available on our website:

The Oberlin Heritage Center’s 2022 Annual Meeting and Community Awards will be held from 6-8 p.m. on Wednesday, April 13 at The Hotel at Oberlin.

OHC will honor award recipients, welcome new board members, thank outgoing board members and share announcements. The event will be held in-person with safety measures in place, and also streamed live via the organization’s Facebook page.

Check-in will be from 5:40-6 p.m. Attendees will be required to show proof of vaccination and current booster. Following the meeting, there will be hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar until 8 p.m.

Register by April 4 at 111.tinyurl.com/OHCAnnualMtg, at the OHC office or by calling (440) 774-1700. Capacity is limited.

This year’s Community Awards recipients include: • Community Historian —

Spiritually rich and safe To the editor: What the world sees Vladimir Putin's army doing to the valiant Ukrainians is exactly what he intends to do to most of the world, surely to America — enslave us all.

God has already blessed us to do his work on Earth; in this moment, that work is to stop Putin. The easiest yet most powerful thing is for us to express to the world our complete willingness to suffer any hardship, to live the most frugal, spartan-like life caused by a lack of gasoline and anything dependent upon oil, etc.

Both political parties and President Joe Biden must let our eternal truth be known that America's unity and eternal resolve to stop Putin, help the Ukrainians and save ourselves by our undying willingness to sacrifice and to smile under any hardship. We are ready to both aspire to and indeed live a materially famished life but one overflowing with a spirituality that enriches and elevates the world to be closer to peace and prosperity for all.

Booker C. Peek

To the editor: I am thrilled to announce that the Oberlin Schools Endowment Fund has reached the million dollar mark! I

Ohio Driver’s License Driving Record →High School Diploma/GED →Must Pass Drug Test/Physical →Good

SERVICES UNIQUE TREE SERVICES Tree trims/Removal, tree planting, stump grinding, Insured/workmans/comp.

First Energy Contractor Ask for Tony: 440-864-0709 v/m or text

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 AD The City of Lorain is seeking proposals for the City of Lorain Stove Works Brownfield Revitalization and Brownfield Program.

A complete proposal information packet can be obtained at https://www.cityoflorain.org/ Bids.aspx Firms interested in being considered for an Agreement to provide the required services should reply with a formal proposal no later than 12:00 PM, April 1, 2022. Proposals received after this deadline will not be considered.

Proposals shall be transmitted to: City of Lorain Engineering Department 200 West Erie Avenue, 4th Floor Lorain, Ohio 44052 Name: City of Lorain Stove Works Brownfield Revitalization and Brownfield Program As required by Ohio Revised Code §153.65-71, responding firms will be evaluated and ranked in order of their qualifications. Following this evaluation, The City of Lorain will enter into contract negotiations with the most highly qualified firm.

By order of the Director of Safety/Service L.C.C.G. 3/10-17/22 20698486 LEGAL AD The City of Lorain is seeking proposals for the City of Lorain Former St. Joseph Hospital Assessment and Brownfield Program.

A complete proposal information packet can be obtained at https://www.cityoflorain.org/ Bids.aspx Firms interested in being considered for an Agreement to provide the required services should reply with a formal proposal no later than 12:00

PM, April 1, 2022. Proposals received after this deadline will not be considered.

Proposals shall be transmitted to: City of Lorain Engineering Department 200 West Erie Avenue, 4th Floor Lorain, Ohio 44052 Name: City of Lorain Former St. Joseph Hospital Assessment and Brownfield Program As required by Ohio Revised Code §153.65-71, responding firms will be evaluated and ranked in order of their qualifications. Following this evaluation, The City of Lorain will enter into contract negotiations with the most highly qualified firm.

By order of the Director of Safety/Service L.C.C.G. 3/10-17/22 20698487 LEGAL AD The City of Lorain is seeking proposals for the City of Lorain Pellet Terminal Redevelopment Project and Brownfield Program.

A complete proposal information packet can be obtained at https://www.cityoflorain.org/ Bids.aspx Firms interested in being considered for an Agreement to provide the required services should reply with a formal proposal no later than 12:00 PM, April 1, 2022. Proposals received after this deadline will not be considered.

Proposals shall be transmitted to: City of Lorain Engineering Department 200 West Erie Avenue, 4th Floor Lorain, Ohio 44052 Name: City of Lorain Pellet Terminal Redevelopment Project and Brownfield Program As required by Ohio Revised Code §153.65-71, responding firms will be evaluated and ranked in order of their qualifications. Following this evaluation, The City of Lorain will enter into contract negotiations with the most highly qualified firm.

By order of the Director of Safety/Service L.C.C.G. 3/10-17/22 20698427

Donald Payne, author and storyteller of Oberlin history.

• Heritage Guardians — Francine Toss and Sue Weidenbaum, for Eastwood Elementary School history preservation and collection processing.

• Heritage Guardian — Don Hilton, author researcher and cemetery preservation advocate.

• Volunteer of the Year — Angela Cecil, OHC front desk greeter and office assistant.

• Community Teacher of

the Year — Sarah Colson, Oberlin High School building substitute, BackPack program and Interact Club advisor.

• Keep Oberlin Beautiful — Community Mural Project coordinator Tanya Rosen-Jones; artists Martha Ferrazza, Jared Mitchell and Isaiah Williams; and advisors Whitney Brown and Brenda Grier Miller.

• Youth Community Service — Carson Bauer, OHC grounds and digital accessibility assistance.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Endowment reaches $1M

→Valid

Kiwanis Club’s long-term signature project of raising funds for building and replacing community playground equipment at Westwood Elementary, Union School Park and the Wellington Recreation Park.

Wellington Kiwanis is in its 98th year. The club meets at noon on the first and third Thursdays of each month at South Lorain County Ambulance District’s community meeting room on East Herrick Avenue.

Heritage Center Annual Meeting is April 13

Tour of women’s history

The Oberlin Heritage Center will hold free “One Step More: Oberlin Women’s History Walk” at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 26 in honor of Women’s History Month.

This 75-minute walking tour explores how Oberlin confronted and defined issues of femininity in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Register at www.tinyurl.com/OberlinWomensWalk.

purchased at the Mayor’s Office on the third floor of the Town Hall; Bremke Insurance, 104 South Main St.; Fifth Third Bank, 161 East Herrick Ave.; and the Main Street Wellington office, 118 West Herrick Ave. Tickets must be purchased by Saturday, March 19. The buffet breakfast will be served by the Fraternal Order of Eagles.

All proceeds from the breakfast are earmarked for the Wellington

want to personally thank the greater Oberlin Community Endowment supporters for their generous contributions over the last 36 years.

The endowment fund was founded in 1986 and represents a long-term effort to provide funding for creative programs to enrich every student’s experience in our local public schools. OSEF enables special learning opportunities which engage students in classrooms, art, music, athletics, field trips and community projects. Recent grants awarded funded projects such as the We Are Oberlin Mural, sponsored guest speakers such as Michael G. Williams, author of “The Little Brown Crayon” and the Backpack Program have all been made possible by your ongoing financial support. Phoenix grants were also established to support student driven initiatives allowing them to impact educational experiences offered.

Phoenix grants have sponsored programs such as the Black Student Union, music, science and the therapy room, which has been so successful it is being incorporated throughout the entire district.

Thank you again for your generous support. Reaching the million dollar mark was a goal achieved! Now we look to the future in attaining our next milestone so we can perpetuate the educational experiences of our youth.

The endowment fund is held at the Community Foundation of Lorain County. Follow us on Facebook at @ oberlinschoolsendowmentfund.

Adam C. Freas President, OSEF Board

ADAMS FROM A1

variant and the rapid spread of omicron.

During that last phase, in January, Adams remembers seeing 1,000 new cases reported each day.

COVID patients filled Lorain County hospitals to the brim, but no one ever had to be turned away for lack of beds, he said. There were sometimes waits, but the health care system was never completely overwhelmed.

There were successes to be celebrated along the way: Adams said county workers and their 33 pharmacy and hospital partners vaccinated the same number of people as hardhit areas that had help from state and federal disaster units. Lorain County was No. 1 in Ohio for a long time in getting vaccines out to people of color and shut-ins, and for pediatric vaccinations.

There were also obstacles. County health workers were well-trained in how to deliver flu shots, but “had to get out of flu mode,” Adams said.

For example, after getting their shots at flu clinic, people usually exited through the same doors they had entered. And while waiting for flu shots, they were grouped closely together — the health department had to enforce 6-foot social distancing, which meant redesigning the layout of clinics at each venue.

It also severely cut the number of people who could be waiting in line.

“Now you can’t do 1,000 people in four hours, not with four or five people. We needed 11 or 12.”

Lorain County Public Health also found itself ill-prepared to fight misinformation about masks and vaccines, said Adams. When its pandemic response plans were created, the internet barely existed, and didn’t address how to combat bad information that easily spread on

social media.

Public health experts were also simply not prepared, and underfunded at every level from federal down to cities, he said. They’d been exposed to the possibility of a global crisis when SARS appeared in 2003 and again with H1N1 in 2009, but didn’t learn the lessons needed to be ready for COVID. If tomorrow he were named director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Adams said his main thrust would be preparedness.

He would order an array of emergency management plans to be developed for any number of “just in case” scenarios, a practice Adams said was standard during his time serving in the Coast Guard.

“That’s what our plans have to look like,” he said. “What happens if it’s another (coronavirus)? What happens if it’s a major flu that we haven’t seen before? What happens if it’s nuclear?”

For now, he’s watching omicron “burn itself out like a match,” leaving about two new cases per day in Lorain County.

There are still COVID clinics three days a week, but very little uptake on test kits, and the stream of panicked emails from people seeking help has dried up.

Adams said the variant infected so many people during and after the holidays that now it’s having a hard time finding hosts.

While scientists don’t see any new variants out there to rival omicron, COVID is still out there, all over the globe, continuing to mutate. “The chances are very good” that another dangerous mutation will flare up at some point, whether it’s five weeks, five months or five years down the road, Adams said.

It’s a certainty that COVID cases will return next winter, he said — but if trends continue, it will be a nuisance, not a widespread emergency.

Yes, COVID will still be a huge danger to people who are immunocompromised, and it will still make people more vulnerable to existing medical conditions. Adams said there will even be rare and bizarre cases where the virus inexplicably takes the life of a young person who leads an extremely healthy lifestyle.

But for the most part, Adams said he expects cases and hospitalizations to taper off to nothing. In about three months, if the situation continues to stabilize, he predicts official statements about the pandemic will fade away.

Then, in about six to eight months, there will probably be announcements from the CDC recommending boosters akin to flu shots, he said.

There’s a good possibility that eventually COVID boosters will be included with flu shots, or even that the virus fades away into obscurity the way the original SARS virus did, and no longer requires vaccinations at all.

LCPH is already rapidly turning its attention away from COVID and toward other health concerns that have been left by the wayside during the pandemic.

Infant mortality is high on the priority list, said Adams. He is disturbed by a recent string of baby deaths that resulted from unsafe sleeping practices, and said the health department needs to attack the issue.

LCPH is also putting a renewed focus on cancer, disparities in health care among underserved populations and seeking grants.

Thursday, March 10, 2022

Lorain County Community Guide

Chick-fil-A opens today LORAIN — The first Chick-fil-A in Lorain County opens today on Route 58, just north of the Amherst border marked

by Cooper Foster Park Road.

Owner and operator Matt Woods has been busy hiring some 150 full- and parttime employees.

The restaurant will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday, with drive-thru service until 10 p.m.

To celebrate the opening, Chick-fil-A Lorain will surprise 100 local heroes making an impact in the Lorain County area

Page A5

PROUD MAMA AND PAPA Provided photo

Stars and Stripes, the eagle parents at Redwood Elementary School in Avon Lake, welcomed the first egg of the season at 8:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 28. More eggs were expected to be laid throughout the week, school spokeswoman Julie Short said — her expectations have already paid off with the aappearance of a second a third egg.

The public can watch the eagles’ nest live 24/7 at www.tinyurl. com/AvonNest.

with free Chick-fil-A for a year.

It will also donate $25,000 to Feeding America, distributing the funds to partners in the greater Lorain area to aid in the fight against hunger.

The restaurant will also donate surplus food to local soup kitchens, shelters and nonprofits to feed those in need.

“Through my work with my church, social agencies and food pantries, I relish the opportunity to make a positive impact in the community and showcase Chick-filA's values,” Woods said.

Meijer donates $100,000 to NE Ohio Boys & Girls Clubs Meijer is donating $100,000 to Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio, with the funds allocated evenly between youth programs in the Cleveland and Lorain County regions.

The amount was part of Meijer’s $1.2 million donation to dozens of Boys & Girls Clubs serving its communities across Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin.

The retailer's gift will fund development programs focused on health, academics and leadership for club members.

"As a family-owned business, serving families and especially children in

our communities is always important to us," Meijer President and CEO Rick Keyes said. "Boys & Girls Clubs offer safe places for children and teens to grow into the future leaders our communities will need, and we're pleased to support them through this donation."

Meijer said that many of the clubs serve predominantly socio-economically disadvantaged communities.

"We know that each of our communities are different and that each of the clubs understand the wants and needs of their members best," said Cathy Cooper, senior director of community partnerships and

giving at Meijer. "We look forward to seeing how they find unique ways to use this gift to help their members learn, lead and grow."

Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio President and CEO Jeff Scott called the donation “a truly meaningful investment in the kids of Northeast Ohio.”

Representatives from Meijer recently presented two checks totaling $100,000 to the clubs at a recent ceremony at the Desich Family Campus in Lorain.

This donation is part of the retailer's 2021 end-ofyear donation efforts, totaling $6.5 million.

Oberlin schools last to drop mask mandate as cases fall JASON HAWK EDITOR

OBERLIN — Masks are longer be required as of this past Monday inside the Oberlin City Schools, the last of Lorain County’s public school systems to roll back its mask mandate.

The district has gone mask-optional for all students, employees and visitors, Superintendent David Hall announced Friday.

Oberlin had previously been waiting for the next quarter to start March 18 before revisiting its policy. When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention rolled back its guidance on masks inside schools and on buses Feb. 25, the timetable changed,

said Hall.

“It’s almost like light at the end of the tunnel when they made that announcement,” he said. “… It’s almost like we can sit back and have a breather.”

There have been 39 student cases and nine staff COVID-19 cases reported by the Oberlin City Schools since the start of the fall semester, according to the Ohio Department of Health.

That’s a relatively small number, and the last two came about two weeks ago, said Hall.

In the past five weeks, cases have been trending steeply downward across the entire state after the holiday explosion caused by the omicron variant, he said.

Lorain County’s problems with the virus have also been downgraded.

It’s no longer considered a point of “high” viral spread by the CDC. Now the county’s rate of spread is rated “low,” and Health Commissioner Mark Adams said just two or three new cases are rolling in each day, while hospitals are feeling relief.

Hall said there are sure to be some students who feel comfortable continuing to wear masks — and that’s OK. Schools will continue to make spare masks available at their front desks, and hand sanitizer stations will remain posted in buildings. There will also be frequent breaks for hand-washing.

The Bath or Shower You’ve Always Wanted IN AS LITTLE AS 1 DAY Jason Hawk | Amherst News-Times

Railroad workers do maintenance on the South Main Street overpass in Amherst the morning of Wednesday, March 2, after falling rocks caused police to temporary halt trains.

Falling rocks shut down tracks, bridge is ‘sound’ JASON HAWK EDITOR

AMHERST — Rock chunks falling from a downtown railroad bridge caused Amherst police to shut down train traffic early last Wednesday for about 45 minutes while the danger was assessed.

Passersby reported stone tumbling from the Norfolk Southern Railroad overpass on South Main Street around 6:10 a.m., according to Officer Jason Nahm.

When he investigated, Nahm said he found a roughly 12-inch square hole in the structure, possibly a maintenance hatch that gave way.

He closed a part of the street where debris had fallen and scattered, and halted trains “just to be on the safe side.”

Located about a half block from Town Hall, the bridge has been the site of many crashes involving commercial trucks that attempt to pass beneath, only to slam into the low-clearance overpass. With that in mind, the incident caused concerns about the safety of the rail bridge to quickly spread on social media, where some claimed the stone had narrowly missed passing cars.

Mayor Mark Costilow said railroad

workers immediately responded to the site and started making repairs. They were clearly visible at the site for hours, checking and working on the structure’s underside.

But Costilow said they indicated there was no serious structural damage to the bridge. It appeared that steel beams were sound, and that metal sheeting over them had rust spots that allowed rocks to fall, he said.

A railroad employee said the plan was to request Norfolk Southern to have inspections of the South Main Street overpass done every three months.

Whether that will happen is uncertain.

Costilow said he’s reached out to the railroad over the years to talk about the structural and aesthetic condition of the bridges, but hasn’t gotten far.

A long-term goal has been to gain permission to paint the overpasses, he said.

Costilow said that in their current state they are “eyesores” but that the railroad has not shown interest in painting them.

The city can’t have its workers do the job without approval from Norfolk Southern, he said. It would be costly — maybe $15,000 to $20,000 per bridge — but Costilow said he feels the expense would be worth making Amherst look better for residents and visitors.

Connecting geography and genealogy

The Lorain County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogy Society will meet at 7 p.m. on Monday, March 14 in an online meeting that everyone is invited to attend.

George Morgan, an internationally recognized genealogy presenter, author, podcaster and president of Aha! Seminars will talk about understanding the geographical history of an area and how boundaries and jurisdictions have changed. These changes are important for determining who created what documents and where these materials can now be found.

Those interested in watching the presentation should contact meetings@loraincoogs.org to be added to the invitation list and to receive the online link.

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Page A6

Lorain County Community Guide

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Thursday, March 10, 2022

Full primary races DAVE O’BRIEN and CARISSA WOYTACH THE CHRONICLE-TELEGRAM

SHEFFIELD TWP. — The deadline to file to run for a seat in Congress passed Friday, with Lorain County voters having two names to consider in the Democratic primary in May. U.S. Rep Bob Latta, R-Bowling Green, is seeking to keep his seat in Ohio's 5th Congressional District. Challenging him will be one of two Democratic candidates: Amherst City Councilman Martin Heberling III or Craig Swartz, a resident of Upper Sandusky and chairman of the Wyandot County Democratic Party, who will face off in the May primary.

"I was raised in Lorain County, and I am honored serve all residents of Amherst on the Amherst City Council," Heberling said. "I am a public school teacher in the city of Lorain, a AFL-CIO union leader, a non-profit leader, a father and a husband to my amazing wife Kyle."

"In Congress, Bob Latta has voted against workers, against public education and against funding to fix our Lorain County roads and bridges. I will fight for funding to support firefighters, teachers, and all public service workers, and I will bring more high paying jobs back to Lorain County," he said.

A self-described fiscal conservative who has represented Ohio's 5th Congressional District since 2007, Latta previously served on the House Budget Committee, was elected to the Ohio House and Senate and was a member of the Wood County Board of Commissioners for six years. He announced he intended to run for Congress again in November.

Two write-in candidates also have filed to be on the ballot in two separate Ohio House races.

Former state representative Dan Ramos, a Democrat, has thrown his name into the 51st Ohio House District as a write-in candidate. State Rep. Joe Miller, D-Amherst, is the incumbent in the race.

The district includes Amherst, Avon Lake, Lorain, Sheffield and Sheffield Lake. While Ramos would love to serve Lorain County residents again in Columbus, his bid for Ohio’s 51st House District is more about giving voters a choice than it is challenging Miller, he said.

Ramos, who served as state representative from 2011 to 2018, put his hat in the ring as a write-in because of the subjectto-change district boundaries, he said, noting he’s not actively campaigning against his fellow Democrat. He said if the Redistricting Committee is forced by the court to redraw the map, and if the boundaries cut south of state Route 254, he and Miller will be in different districts.

"I wanted to make sure that people have an option and northern Lorain County would be represented,” Ramos said.

If he and Miller remain in the same district once boundaries are certified, he said he may drop out.

Miller replaced Ramos as representative of Ohio’s 56th House District when Ramos was termed out. The 56th House District would become the 51st under the proposed map, which was approved by the state Redistricting Commission in a 5-2 partisan vote in January.

Republicans Sarah McGervey and Martin Gallagher, both of Avon Lake, will face off in that party's primary for Miller's seat.

In the 53rd Ohio House District, incumbent state Rep. Dick Stein, R-Norwalk, looks to face a challenge from write-in candidate Kathleen Beyer of Vermilion, a fellow Republican.

Bryan Burgess, a member of Oberlin City Council, is the lone Democrat in the race. The district includes Vermilion, Oberlin, Wellington, LaGrange, Grafton, Kipton, Rochester, numerous Lorain County townships and portions of Erie and Huron counties.

Friday also was the deadline to file as a partisan write-in in order to appear on the primary ballot. The deadline for independent write-in candidates is in August.

Other races include: Commissioner Incumbent Matt Lundy, a Democrat from Avon Lake, is facing a challenge from businessman Jeff Riddell, a Republican from Henrietta Township.

Auditor Incumbent Craig Snodgrass, a Democrat from Lorain, is facing a challenge from businessman Rodger Roeser, a Republican from Sheffield.

Judges Melissa Kobasher, Kim Meyers and Zachary Simonoff, who will face off in a three-way Democratic primary to be the Democratic candidate to replace retiring Common Pleas Judge Mark Betleski. Avon Lake Municipal Judge Darrel Bilancini is uncontested in the Republican primary.

Common Pleas Judge Christopher Rothgery and Domestic Relations Judge Sherry

Glass Strohsack, both incumbents, are uncontested in their Democratic primaries.

52nd Ohio House District Incumbent state Rep. Gayle Manning, R-North Ridgeville, will be challenged by Regan Phillips, a North Ridgeville Democrat. The district includes Elyria, Avon, North Ridgeville and South Amherst.

Ohio Senate District 13 Incumbent state Sen. Nathan Manning, R-North Ridgeville, will face a primary challenge from Kirsten Hill, an Amherst Republican on the Ohio State Board of Education since 2019.

District 13 includes the entirety of Lorain County and smaller portions of Erie and Huron counties. The winner of the Republican primary will face the winner of the Democratic primary between Anthony Eliopoulos and Josh Garcia, both of Lorain.

9th District Court of Appeals Incumbent Judge Thomas Teodosio, a Democrat, is facing a challenge from Barberton Municipal Judge Jill Flagg Lanzinger.

Incumbent Judge Donna Carr, a Republican, is facing a challenge from Erica Voorhees, a Democrat, magistrate and staff attorney in Summit County Common Pleas Court.

Incumbent Judge Lynn Callahan, a Republican, is being challenged by Amber Crowe, a Democrat who is a Summit County Juvenile Court magistrate.

State Central Committee Incumbent Republican State Central Committeeman David Arredondo of Lorain is facing a primary challenge from both Peter Aldrich of Elyria and Mike Witte of Amherst.

Jean Anderson of Vermilion is challenging incumbent Republican Patty Stein of Norwalk for state Central Committeewoman.

Ann Tanner, a Democrat from Elyria, is unopposed in the primary for state Central Committeewoman, while Ramos is unopposed for state Central Committeeman.

U.S. senator Seven Republicans — Matt Dolan, Mike Gibbons, Josh Mandel, Neil Patel, Mark Pukita, Jane Timken and J.D. Vance — will face off in the Republican primary.

U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Niles, attorney Morgan Harper and technology executive Traci Johnson will face off in the Democratic primary. All are seeking to replace retiring Sen. Rob Portman, R-Cincinnati, who decided not to run for reelection.

Governor and lieutenant governor On the Republican side, there are four tickets — incumbent Gov. Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov Jon Husted; Jim Renacci and Joe Knopp; Ron Hood and Candice Keller; and Joe Blystone and Jeremiah Workman.

Renacci is the chairman of the Medina County Republican Party, former congressman and former mayor of Wadsworth. Knopp produces Christian films.

Hood and Keller are former state representatives. Blystone is a farmer and Workman a U.S. Marine Corps veteran.

The Democratic ticket of John Cranley and Teresa Fedor will face off against Nan Whaley and Cheryl Stephens.

Cranley is a former mayor of Cincinnati and Fedor a state senator. Whaley is mayor of Dayton and Stephens a member of Cuyahoga County Council.

Attorney general Incumbent Republican Dave Yost is facing a challenge from Democrat Jeffrey Crossman, a state representative and former member of Parma City Council.

Auditor of state Incumbent Republican Keith Faber is facing a challenge from Democrat Taylor Sappington, city auditor for Nelsonville in southeast Ohio.

Secretary of state Incumbent Republican Frank LaRose faces a primary challenge from fellow Republican John Adams, a former state representative. Chelsea Clark is the lone Democrat in the race. She serves on Forest Park City Council in Hamilton County.

Treasurer of state Incumbent Republican Robert Sprague and Democrat Scott Schertzer, mayor of Marion, have filed to run for the office.

Ohio Supreme Court Democrat Jennifer Brunner is taking on Republican Sharon Kennedy to replace Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor, who is forbidden to run again due to age limits.

Incumbent Justice Patrick Fischer, a Republican, is facing a challenge from Judge Terri Jameson of the 10th District Court of Appeals, a Democrat.

Incumbent Justice Pat DeWine, son of Gov. Mike DeWine and a Republican, faces a challenge from Democratic Judge Marilyn Zayas, of the First District Court of Appeals.

B

OUR TOWNS

Lorain County Community Guide • Thursday, March 10, 2022

A Mardi Gras tradition

College rebukes Russia STAFF REPORT

OBERLIN — With a number of students and employees connected to Ukraine, Oberlin College President Carmen Twillie Ambar is condemning Russia’s invasion of its neighbor.

“Like many of you, I have spent the past number of days watching the Russian military’s violent invasion of Ukraine with a mix of horror and disbelief,” she wrote in an open

Photos by Kristin Bauer | Amherst News-Times

Fat Tuesday is always a busy time at Kiedrowski's Bakery on Cooper Foster Park Road in Amherst. Owner Tim Kiedrowski is famous far and wide for making award-winning paczki each spring, and this year he was aiming to move around 1,200 of the fried-dough treats.

letter to the campus community. “I join the chorus of voices condemning this unprovoked attack on a sovereign nation and the violence visited upon its people.”

The college family extends around the globe. Ambar said there are alumni who live in Ukraine and students, faculty and staff with family there.

History has shown how fragile democratic ideals can be when authoritarian RUSSIA PAGE B2

“Please know that in the midst of this assault, Oberlin stands in support of you and your loved ones.”

Oberlin College President Carmen Twillie Ambar

ABOVE: Tracy Walters puts powdered sugar on the paczki.

RIGHT: Matt Kiedrowski carries a tray of freshly made paczki.

SEE THE KINGS OF NEW YORK Provided photo

The McCormick Middle School Drama Club in Wellington will present Disney's "Newsies: The Broadway Musical" at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 11 and Saturday, March 12 at the Patricia Lindley Center for the Performing Arts, 627 North Main St., Wellington. The story is based on the 1899 newspaper boy strike in New York City. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for seniors and children.

Cash or check only.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and tickets can be purchased at the box office on the day of the show.

Kristin Bauer | Wellington Enterprise

Crews are removing the trees in downtown Wellington that are overgrown and tearing up the sidewalks.

Trees torn out for sidewalk renewal effort JASON HAWK EDITOR

Watson transforming old Amherst Party Shop into cafe, yoga studio JASON HAWK EDITOR

AMHERST — Growing up on East Street, Jeremy Watson remembers the excitement of walking the few blocks over to The Amherst Party Shop with a little cash in his pocket.

It was the kind of magical little store that’s all but disappeared from American downtowns in the past couple of decades — a mom and pop shop stocked with candy and soda for the kids, alcohol for parents and a collection of VHS rentals on the second floor.

“It was the place to be,” Watson said. “Everybody loved the Party Shop.”

Started as Kline’s Party Shop in 1945, the South Main Street store was passed down to younger hands over the years. Dick and Rose Currier bought it in 1972, and made it a destination for generations

WELLINGTON — As village workers started removing every streetside tree from Wellington’s historic downtown last week, Mayor Hans Schneider tried to head off any angry calls to Town Hall.

“We need to fix the sidewalks,” he said. “It’s going to be a dramatic shift. People are going to see a difference when they come downtown.”

About two dozen honey locusts have been growing in planters built into the sidewalks for the past three decades.

Now they have “reached their maximum usefulness down there,” and their roots have gotten big enough that they’re pushing up the concrete slabs, he said.

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Chiropractor Jeremy Watson and his wife, Kelsey Watson, have opened a yoga studio at the old Amherst Party Shop, and are transforming its ground floor into a farm market and cafe with sustainable local food. of Amherst families.

They retired from the business in 2011. New owners kept the Party Shop going a little longer, but it never quite returned to its former glory and closed

during the pandemic.

Watson, now 41, has run a booming chiropractic practice around the corner on Park Avenue for the past 16 years. He purchased the Party Shop building

last August in a $200,000 transaction and has spent months overhauling the interior.

Walk-in coolers have WATSON PAGE B2

Protecting What’s Important Scott Beriswill Daniel Beriswill

35881 Grafton Eastern Rd. Grafton, Ohio 44044

Denise Breyley

173 Depot Street Wellington, Ohio 44090

(440) 926-3312 www.beriswillins.com (440) 647-6010

SUBMIT YOUR NEWS TO: NEWS@LCNEWSPAPERS.COM

Page B2

Thursday, March 10, 2022

Lorain County Community Guide

Few protesters decry controversial Oberlin professor DAVE O’BRIEN THE CHRONICLE-TELEGRAM

OBERLIN — Critics of an Oberlin College professor they claim is a human-rights abuser publicly protested his continued employment at the college Saturday.

About a dozen protesters held and waved signs at the southeast corner of Tappan Square in downtown Oberlin, calling for a transparent investigation into professor Mohammad Jafar Mahallati.

"Ask Mahallati why he lied," read one of the signs. "Ask Mahallati why he denied."

"Mahallati represented a murderous regime with no respect for human lives and human rights," read another.

Mahallati is the Nancy Schrom Dye Chair in Middle East and North African Studies at Oberlin College, where he has taught since 2007.

From 1987 to 1989 he was

Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, partially during the Iran-Iraq war. Mahallati has said he was working on the peace process when the war ended in 1988, but critics say he was involved in the state-sponsored execution of thousands of political and religious prisoners by the Iranian regime.

In October 2020, a letter signed by more than 600 people was sent to college President Carmen Twillie Ambar accusing Mahallati of covering up crimes against humanity and calling for him to be fired.

Lawdan Bazargan, whose brother Bijan was arrested and killed by the Iranian regime, said Saturday that Oberlin College is continuing to protect a professor she said committed crimes against humanity.

Mahallati knew for years of Iran's persecution of political opponents and religious minorities such as the Baha'is and covered it up, said Bazargan, who said she spent 100 days in solitary con-

Angelo Angel | Chronicle

Marjan Ghadrda protests Professor Mohammad Jafar Mahallati at Tappan Square, Oberlin on Saturday, March 5. finement in Iran when she was 16 after speaking out against the Iran-Iraq war and more time on probation afterward, unable to leave the country or attend school.

She and other protesters passed out flyers Saturday urging Oberlin College students to boycott Mahallati's classes, to ask Ambar

to meet with victims' families, and to contact the college board of trustees and ask them to take action.

Bazargan said rumors that protesters are "anti-Islamic" and funded by right-wing or pro-Israel factions are untrue. His critics are doctors, Ph.D.s and engineers who were persecuted or lost family under the

WATSON

FROM B1 been pulled from the ground floor, which is being transformed into Doc Watson’s Market, a farmto-table shop and cafe.

“This will be gorgeous when we get all done with it,” Watson said, showing the renovations underway. “It’ll be an allnew building.”

When the new store opens — likely in May — it will sell apples from local orchards, eggs from nearby farms and other sustainable food. Watson said he wants to support small area growers instead

RUSSIA of multi-billion-dollar factory farms.

The cafe is intended to provide a healthy alternative to drive-thru lunches, he said. Salads will be the signature dishes, using lettuce grown in Wellington, chickens raised in Amherst and Vermilion and other ingredients from fields in Lorain County.

There will also be coffee, smoothies, juice and breakfast items such as oatmeal.

The idea is to give his clients access to “healthy made simple” foods, Wat-

son said.

Yoga classes started in February at The Studio at Doc Watson’s on the second floor.

“The whole concept of yoga, it meets everything we preach in the chiropractic world,” Watson said.

It was during a Rotary Club trip to India in 2013 when he had that epiphany — a hip stretch is the same as warrior pose.

Watson said he realized yoga uses the same posture exercises, breathing control and stress manage-

ment that he does in his practice.

A growing line-up of instructors, including Watson himself, offer classes seven days a week.

The most popular so far has been a children’s yoga session.

Watson and fellow chiropractor Brenden Hales also use the upstairs space for lectures and workshops on nutrition and living a healthier lifestyle.

“The choice to be healthy shouldn’t be a hard one,” Watson said. “I want to make it a little easier.”

ACROSS 1. “In the Hall of the Mountain King” composer Edvard ____ 6. Marlboro debris 9. *Academy Award ceremony audience sound 13. Botch 14. Sigma ____ fraternity 15. Ten million, in India 16. Embryo sacs 17. Literary “even” 18. Tax evader’s fear 19. *Most nominated streamer in this year’s Oscars 21. *Most-nominated Black actor in Oscar history 23. Opposite of yang 24. Lard cousin 25. *Milk ___ movie snack 28. Poetic source of Norse mythology 30. 2020 demographic event 35. Arrival times, acronym 37. Baseball points 39. Camelot to King Arthur 40. Actress Campbell 41. *Where Oscar-winner “Slumdog Millionaire” was set 43. Not in favor 44. *What Halle Berry did when she won an Oscar in 2002 46. Jet black 47. Lively 48. Paid killers (2 words) 50. Upon 52. Rally repeater 53. Sweet-talk 55. Not outs 57. *Total Oscar nominations for “The Power of the Dog” 60. *One of this year’s Oscar hosts 64. Exotic juice flavor 65. *Jamie Foxx won an Oscar in 2005 for this flick 67. Bizet’s “Carmen,” e.g.

68. Off kilter 69. *1942’s “Holiday ____,” Oscar winner 70. Admit (2 words) 71. Afterward 72. And so on acronym 73. Took the Kool-Aid

FROM B1 forces rise, even in countries where rule by and for the people has long been established, she wrote.

Oberlin College supports those democratic ideals, Ambar said, and tounger democratic states such as Ukraine deserve a chance to grow without being attacked.

“Please know that in the midst of this assault, Oberlin stands in support of you and your loved ones,” she told those affected by the Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aggression. “We also think about others in Oberlin’s family from Russia or in Europe directly impacted by the instability this war has created. It is my sincere hope that reason will prevail and Russia will withdraw its troops.”

Emotional and spiritual counselors, along with other support services, have been made available to members of the campus community impacted by the Russian invasion.

TREES FROM B1

The shade trees’ demise shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone. First proposed by former Village Manager Steve Dupee, the project has been on the agenda for roughly half a year.

Neither is it an expensive prospect. Schneider said the village has set aside about $2,500 to level and repair downtown walkways this summer.

Main Street Wellington Director Jenny Arntz said she doesn’t believe the project will negatively impact businesses.

While having shade is nice, she said the trees cause tripping hazards, cover business signs and their leaves are a hassle for merchants each the fall.

“I think at this point they’re all pretty much overgrown,” Arntz said. “I think the time people might miss them is next winter, when people can’t put as many Christmas lights on them.”

Trees will make a return to downtown Wellington, likely in the fall, when workers plant new saplings.

Schneider said residents should expect the trees to be razed and replanted every quarter-century or so as part of routine care for the streetscape.

Councilman Guy Wells said he hopes locust trees are the choice again — they easily tolerate urban landscapes, don’t grow too fast and by comparison to other species don’t upset sidewalks too much.

The current trees replaced locusts that were planted in the late 1990s, which in turn had replaced locusts planted in the 1960s, he said.

“Before that, downtown was pretty bare,” said Wells.

THE OSCARS

DOWN 1. J. Edgar Hoover’s man 2. Ice on a window 3. Antonym of “is”

Iranian regime, she said.

The college is so closely connected to the city financially and socially that other academics, college alumni and former college employees are afraid to speak out publicly against Mahallati, Bazargan said.

"History is hidden because of people like Mahallati," she said.

That he has continued to be allowed to teach students means "he's raised a new generation of apologists for the regime of Iran."

In late 2021, Mahallati released a statement in which he said his accusers "have not found a single statement from me that is remotely consistent with their unfounded accusations" and that he believes in religious freedom for all.

The college's website includes a response to the allegations at bit. ly/3vLNBGq describing the results of the investigation into the claims made by Mahallati's critics.

Oberlin College spokesman Scott Wargo said the college had no comment on Saturday's protest, and pointed a reporter to the online fact sheet.

4. Enlighten 5. Puck stopper 6. Kilimanjaro top, e.g.

7. Pronoun 8. Hinduism follower 9. *”Parallel Mothers” nominee Penelope 10. Prospector’s mother 11. Seed coat 12. Lassie, e.g.

15. Type of horse gait 20. Lemur from Madagascar 22. European Economic Community 24. Playground attraction 25. *”Belfast” nominee, “Shakespeare in Love” winner 26. First cradles 27. Lifeboat support 29. *Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi nominee 31. Type of tide 32. Not so crazy

33. Extremist 34. *”King Richard” nominee, once a fresh prince 36. Give an impression 38. Land of Israel 42. Shenanigan 45. Remove claws 49. Presidential election mo.

51. Waiting on the phone (2 words) 54. Eagle’s nest 56. Like the Incredibles 57. Backside 58. Boat track 59. Not odd 60. Update, as in a FitBit 61. Formerly Facebook 62. *Julia Robert’s 2001 Oscarwinning role 63. Colonel or captain 64. Gangster’s gun 66. ____ eater or ____ hill

SOLUTION CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE A2

SOLUTION CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE A2

Thursday, March 10, 2022

Lorain County Community Guide

MAGIC, LAUGHTER AND LEARNING

Page B3

Steggall named Rotary’s OHS senior of February The Oberlin Rotary Club honors a high school senior each month during the school year. These young people are recognized for character and positive attitudes. The Oberlin Rotary Club will donate $25 to a charity or project of the student’s choosing in their name.

SARAH COLSON OBERLIN HIGH SCHOOL

Photos by Angelo Angel | Wellington Enterprise

Dr. Regan Silvestri, known to kids as Professor Reggie the Rock n’ Roll Doctor, performs “science magic” during a Feb. 21 show at the Lorain County Community College Wellington Center. With the help of young volunteers, he conjured everything from a rainbow to smoke to stinky oversized underwear for learning and laughs.

ABOVE: Professor Reggie and Isley Brown watch as they create a chemical reaction that spews smoke. BELOW: Madalie Runals’ hand is lit on fire using a chemical reaction.

The Oberlin High School senior honored for the month of February is Ryley Steggall.

She holds the distinction of serving as a “double president'' her senior year after being elected to lead both the senior class and Student Council, rising from vice president her junior year.

Steggall said she is in a position to make decisions that not only serve the best interests of the senior class, but the whole student body.

“While I know it’s impossible to always make everyone happy, being in this position has really taught me that it’s more important to listen to the opinions of all involved and make sure that all voices and ideas are heard than to please everyone,” she said.

She has been in the National Honor Society for the past two years. Steggall currently leads the viola section of the OHS orchestra and has played the viola since she was nine years old; she studies with Louise Zeitlin at the Oberlin Com-

munity Music School.

Steggall has participated in several sports, starting as a middle school student. Her primary sport has been track. She has run for the Ryley Steggall Phoenix and some local clubs, The Sprinters Elite and Oberlin Spikes. She has competed locally and regionally in USA Track and Field meets, and said she is grateful for the incredible experiences she has had through running and all the wonderful people she has met.

Steggall played soccer for Oberlin for the first time in her senior year — she was also the announcer for the Phoenix girls varsity basketball team this season.

Steggall worked with the Interact Club to support a Rotary community-wide sock drive over the holidays. She also organized the Winter Jam at OHS, collecting canned goods for Oberlin Community Services.

Steggall’s career plans include earning a master’s degree in sports and performance psychology and working for a professional sports team.

She has applied to several colleges, including Case Western Reserve and Boston University, and plans to major in psychology.

Sepelak chosen as an honored artist for painting ‘Fall Tree’

Provided photo

The Firelands High School academic team included Nathan Bodak, Rachael, Rennie and Joe Formholtz.

EC defeats Firelands on the ‘Scholastic Games’ A final-round rally by the Firelands team wasn’t enough to overturn Elyria Catholic’s sustained early lead in this week’s matchup on the Scholastic Games, Lorain County’s high school quiz show.

The show is in its 32nd year on WEOL AM 930/ FM 100.3, weekly from 6 to 7 p.m. on Mondays.

Last week’s broadcast was a 290-to-250 victory for Elyria Catholic High

School, but the program’s highest losing score of the season for Firelands High School. Both teams are guaranteed a return for the playoff rounds.

Elyria Catholic was represented by team captain Connor Sisson, Gabriel Nagrant and Thomas Manville, who earned the program’s $50 "Standout Scholar" award, a prize judges present to the student who contrib-

uted the most to his or her team. The Firelands team was made up of Nathan Bodak, Rachael Rennie and Joe Formholtz.

If Firelands keeps its position as the highestscoring losing score, it will earn a bye to the Scholastic Games quarterfinals.

The broadcasts will end in May with the 32nd annual County Academic Championship.

BARKER GIVES AWARD

OBERLIN — Dakota Sepelak, a second-grader at Oberlin Elementary School, has been chosen as an honored artist for the 42nd Annual Youth Art Month Exhibition, sponsored by the Ohio Art Education Association.

His painting, titled “Fall Tree” was done in tempera, an art medium made by mixing color pigments with substances such as glue or gelatin.

The OAEA has eight regions, and this year’s show includes 95 student artworks from all over the state.

“We are so proud of Dakota for being chosen as an honored artist for this event. (He) is very talented and enjoys art class,” “Fall Tree” by Dakota Sepelak will apsaid Oberlin art teacher Margaret pear in the 42nd Annual Youth Art Month Exhibition.

DeWitt.

LIFESAVING LESSONS Provided photo

At Wellington High School, CPR and first aid are part of the required health curriculum. Students attended eight classroom days leading up to doing hands-on training for CPR. In the first semester, 27 students achieved enough requirements to become officially certified and their paperwork has been submitted to the American Red Cross for confirmation.

85 SOUTH MAIN STREET OBERLIN OHIO 44074 MARCH 10, 2022 BOARD AND COMMISSION MEETING DATES ALL MEETINGS WILL BE Live Streamed @ http://oberlinoh.swagit.com/live Provided photo

Author Bruce Barker stopped by Westwood Elementary School on Feb. 25 to present an award to teacher Kim Foster’s first grade class for winning the January and February PRIDE competition. He bought a book for each student at the school. Barker has written titles including “Just Sayin’: Stories From the Heart,” about growing up in small-town Ohio with a group of friends affectionately known as the Applewood Gang.

MARCH 15, 2022 ............HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION – 4:00 P.M. – 2ND FLOOR CONFERENCE ROOM, 69 MAIN STREET - CANCELED MARCH 15, 2022 ............RECREATION COMMISSION – 7:00 P.M. CONFERENCE ROOM 2 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

SPORTS

Thursday, March 10, 2022

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

END OF THE LINE FOR PHOENIX

Velasquez leads Amherst bowlers to state tourney The Comets girls bowling team is headed for Columbus after qualifying for the state tournament.

It placed fourth among a field of 18 this past week at districts, held at Roseland Lanes in Oakwood Village.

Senior Makayla Velasquez led Amherst with an 11th place finish, rolling a 611 series (152, 214, 246).

Sophomore Allison Taylor was just a few pins back, placing 12th with a 603 series (170, 224, 209).

Hannah Aschenbach added a 22nd place finish, rolling 559 (156, 168, 234). Melissa Nunez placed 37th with a 511 series (144, 150, 217). Amanda McElheny had games of 117 and 115 and split the third game with Tori Miller for a SAW score of 138.

COMETS SWARMED IN SEMIFINAL

Photos by Erik Andrews | Oberlin News-Tribune

Oberlin Senior Andre Yarber gets up a short jumper from the lane against tough Fairview defense.

Oberlin wraps season with OT loss ERIK ANDREWS CORRESPONDENT

The Phoenix bowed out of the Division 3 district tournament last week with a narrow 67-63 loss to Fairview Park.

In a game that was close throughout but also contained spurts by both teams, Oberlin stretched its early margin by as much as 11 when a Ty Locklear jumper found its mark for 28-17 lead.

The Warriors made a short run of their own going into the halftime break, closing the gap to 32-26.

"We played well early," said coach Jordan Beard, "but Fairview is a solid team and we knew they'd respond."

Oberlin's offense was hampered by five charging fouls in the first half. That not only put the team in a bit of foul trouble, but also caused the Phoenix to be a little gun shy about attacking aggressively in the paint.

Coming out for the second half, Fairview continued to close the gap, finally catching the Phoenix at 4343 to close the third quarter.

Both teams held leads in the final stanza, the final one, a five point Warrior lead at 56-51, evaporated as the Phoenix rallied to tie in the clos-

Photos by Russ Gifford | Amherst News-Times

Scoring the first 13 points last Thursday night, it seemed nothing could stop Amherst as it zoomed out to a huge lead over Medina in the Division I district semifinal at Lakewood. Then everything went wrong — the Bees swarmed, using their height advantage and outside shooters to run up the tally, putting down the Comets 66-41. It wasn’t about big individual numbers for Medina; Luke Klanac led the team with just 11 points, while Bryce Beech and Matt Spatny each chipped in 10 more. Amherst’s Austin Bray had a game-high 14 points, but stood alone in the single digits column.

Oberlin senior Marius Harrell drives the lane against Fairview. ing minutes.

While both teams possessed the ball in the final minute with the score tied, it was ultimately Oberlin who got a final shot off at the buzzer, but it bounced away.

In overtime, the Warriors converted free throws down the stretch to maintain a lead in the final minute,

OBERLIN CITY COUNCIL CLERK’S OFFICE

and secured the win with a crucial steal with less than 10 seconds remaining on the clock.

The Phoenix closed the season with a respectable 15-9 record, including a stellar 12-2 mark in the Lorain County League to earn the 2021-2022 conference championship title.

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

ABOVE: Amherst’s Torre Weatherspoon gets to the basket against Medina. BELOW: Austin Bray tries to get past Medina’s Tre Hammond.

Baker qualifies for Nike nationals as Comets hit Spire The Comets indoor track and field team competed this past weekend at the indoor state championship at Spire.

Ella Baker finished fourth in the 400-meter race, and earned All-Ohio status with a time of 48.75 seconds. The time qualifies her for the Nike Indoor National Meet this weekend.

The girls 4x200 relay team of Megan Ciura, Zara Phillips, Alanna Woodworth and Ella Baker finished in 1:49.99 to break its personal record and set the third fastest time in school history — an0d place 18th at Spire.

Evan Draga tied his personal best of 12 feet in the pole vault to place 19th.

The girls 4x400 relay team of Megan Ciura, Catherine Turner, Alanna Woodworth and Ella Baker set a new personal record time of 4:20.13 and placed 20th.

The girls 4x800 relay team of Aurora Wilson, Marisa Del Valle, Leah Gerke and Catherine Turner placed 24th with a time of 10:23.88.

Thursday, March 10, 2022

Lorain County Community Guide

Page B5

Falcons cheerleaders soar to new heights The Firelands cheer team was crowned the Ohio Association of Secondary School Administrators Division 4 state champions following competition in Columbus on Sunday, Feb. 27.

During the 2020-2021 basketball season, Falcons cheerleaders were only able to cheer at home games due to COVID-19 restrictions.

“I felt that a large part of their cheer season was taken away, so I explored additional opportunities to make sure they still had an eventful year,” said head cheer coach Ashley Gasparini.

After winning the Lorain County League competition last year, she knew the Firelands squad had what it took to be a strong competition team. So when creating a routine this year, Gasparini aimed for success outside the conference.

Girls attended an OASSA cheer camp last summer to sharpen their skills. Then, as soon as the 2021 football season began, they pulled double duty entertaining

Provided photo

The Firelands cheer team won the state title at OASSA Division 4 competition on Feb. 27. crowds from the sidelines while learning the competition routine.

A competition routine is 2

minutes and 30 seconds long, and includes a cheer portion that engages the crowd and a music

portion where the athletes can show off their skills.

To provide a place where they

could practice their tumbling passes safely, Gasparini rented space at the Top Gun All-Star Training Center in Avon. Being able to practice on a cheer competition floor allowed the athletes to become more comfortable and willing to try new things. She also set up a tumbling time slot with Top Gun so Firelands cheerleaders could get professional training to better their tumbling skills.

After qualifying Feb. 5 for the state championship, they had three weeks to take the judges’ feedback and make the routine even better.

“I am so proud of what this team has accomplished this year,” Gasparini said. “They have improved in so many ways and demonstrate the commitment needed to keep getting better. The feeling when awarded the first place trophy was amazing, but seeing how thrilled and proud of themselves these athletes were made it all worth it.”

SHOWING THEIR DOMINANCE

Photos by Russ Gifford | Wellington Enterprise

The Dukes and Pirates each had strong showings at the Division III district wrestling meet at Garfield Heights. TOP LEFT: Wellington’s Jeremiah McKee wrestles at districts, where he took second place in the 132-pound weight class. TOP RIGHT: Black River’s Brandon Rollin tries to control his opponent.

BOTTOM LEFT: Black River’s Charlie Wells moves for a pin at districts. He finished fourth in the 175-pound weight class. BOTTOM RIGHT: Wellington’s Derrick Andolsek twists his opponent around en route to a fifth place finish in the 165-pound weight class.

PASS THE PICKLEBALL, PLEASE

Photos by Angelo Angel | Wellington Enterprise

Carol Burke watches as Teresa Bosela serves up the pickleball at Wellington Town Hall on March 4. The demonstration was part of Main Street Wellington’s First Friday activities, and highlights the creation of a new pickleball court this past fall at the village’s Community Park. LEFT: Dennis Hartman watches as his wife, Rebbeca, serves up the pickleball.

Page B6

Thursday, March 10, 2022

Lorain County Community Guide

© 2022 by Vicki Whiting, Editor Jeff Schinkel, Graphics Vol. 38, No. 14

Although it began in Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated in countries around the world. People with Irish heritage remind themselves of the beautiful green countryside of Ireland by wearing green and taking part in the festivities.

In Ireland, clover leaves are also called shamrocks. Fields of clover or shamrocks are part of what make Ireland’s countryside so green.

Most shamrocks have three leaves. But sometimes one grows with four leaves. This is called a lucky four-leaf clover.

Can you find one on this page?

Standards Link: Social Science: Students compare the beliefs, customs, traditions and social practices of various cultures.

Standards Link: Classification: Visual Discrimination.

The leprechaun Seamus O’Scoop has hidden 10 shoes in these shamrocks. Can you find them all?

Can you read three shoe-lengths of news?

Put your shoes end to end to measure three shoe lengths. Mark the length on a piece of paper. Now read a news story in today’s newspaper. Using your measure, find the length of your news story. Did you read the length of a leprechaun?

Standards Link: Math: Measure the length of given objects.

Look for a pattern in each row. Draw the picture that comes next in the box at the end of each row.

Standards Link: Math: Students identify and extend simple patterns.

Stories from Ireland tell about magical little people called leprechauns who make shoes for fairies. Fairies wear out their shoes quickly because they dance all night. Leprechauns sell a lot of shoes to fairies and the fairies always pay in gold. This is what the stories say. What do you think?

Can you find the leprechaun twins? Careful—they’re tricky!

The leprechaun’s shoe shelf has toppled. Can you match the pairs of fairy shoes?

“St.” is an abbreviation for the word Saint.

Clip six examples of abbreviations from the newspaper.

Write the whole word for each abbreviation.

Standards Link: Math: Students identify, sort and classify objects.

Standards Link: Social Science: Students compare beliefs of various cultures drawing from folklore.

Color each shape with a shamrock green.

What is hidden in this box?

Standards Link: Reading Comprehension: Students follow simple written directions.

SHAMROCK IRISH HERITAGE GREEN FAIRIES SHOES SAINT CLOVER GOLD MAGICAL LUCKY FOUR LEAF PATRICKS DAY

Standards Link: Writing Conventions: Identify and correctly use abbreviations.

H A L A C I G A M Y S P P H Y S N S A K

K I N T S L E D C C

C R S Y E I E O A U

This week’s word:

ABBREVIATION

I E G A T I R E H L

The noun abbreviation means a shortened form of a word or phrase.

T O R I A N F O U R

Molly changed her name to the abbreviation M to shorten the space on the page.

R V F D I M G I T S

A L C H I K T S L D P C S E I R I A F D

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

Lucky Shamrock Adjectives

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

Four-leaf Clover

Clip five words from the newspaper to describe St. Patrick’s Day. Paste the words on a green shamrock. Write a sentence using each adjective. Select your favorite sentence and use it as the main idea for a paragraph.

ANSWER: One. After eating one shamrock, his stomach is no longer empty.

Standards Link: Grammar: Identify and use adjectives correctly in writing.

Children are born curious.

From their earliest days, sensory exploration brings delight and wonder. New discoveries expand their minds. When they unlock the joy of reading, their world widens further.

Magic happens.

Kid Scoop opens the doors of discovery for elementary school children by providing interactive, engaging and relevant age-appropriate materials designed to awaken the magic of reading at school, at home, and throughout their lives.

For more information about our literacy non-profit, visit kidscoopnews.org

I knew my luck would change when I picked up a four-leaf clover.

Finish this story.