Lorain County Community Guide - March 25, 2021

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LORAIN COUNTY

AMHERST NEWS-TIMES • OBERLIN NEWS-TRIBUNE • WELLINGTON ENTERPRISE Thursday, March 25, 2021

www.lcnewspapers.com

Volume 8, Issue 12

Firelands tractors on parade

Vaccines opening to every Ohioan JASON HAWK EDITOR

Photos by Jason Hawk | Amherst News-Times

Firelands senior Madison Witter rolls up on her family's John Deere for the FFA's Drive Your Tractor to School Day on Friday.

FFA event celebrates family farming JASON HAWK EDITOR

HENRIETTA TWP. — Madison Witter's ride wasn't the largest of the bunch when students rolled into the Firelands High School parking lot Friday morning in an annual parade of tractors.

But the senior said she is intensely proud of the 1971 John Deere 320 her father bought years ago, and is still in use for baling, raking and cutting hay.

"Agriculture is really important to our school and the many people around us. It's how we grow our food," Witter said.

About 20 students rode tractors to school as Firelands held a delayed National FFA Week celebration.

Among them was freshman Garrett Schlechter, riding a tractor his grandfather bought in 1980. In the past 40 years, the family's put almost 17,000 hours it.

Schlechter said he is proud of the history his ride represents. It bears a dairy farm logo on the side, even though that operation no longer exists.

The future of small, family farms is a concern, said Schlechter, who worries Lorain County's rural land is

U.S. Postal Service Use Only

Proms and parades

TRACTORS 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 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

Firelands High School students show off their family tractors in an effort reinforce the importance of agriculture in America.

Copyright 2021 Lorain County Printing & Publishing Company

Making COVID vaccines available to all Ohioans starting March 29 is good news for high school seniors and Memorial Day parades, according to Lorain County Health Commissioner David Covell.

He said that if the county health department goes through its entire supply of doses between now and May, the future is much brighter for celebrations and festivals.

"Prom is going to be much better than we thought. Graduation, come June, the outlook is much, much better," Covell said. "It looks like we're going to have enough vaccine in the community to do more full graduation (ceremonies), and that's a good thing. In terms of Memorial Day parades, I think that's a go."

Large-scale events scheduled for April are still unlikely to be held without severe restrictions in place, he said.

Oberlin College condemns violence against people of Asian heritage JASON HAWK EDITOR

OBERLIN — Following the murders of eight people at Atlanta spas last week, Oberlin College has renewed its condemnation of violence against Asian Americans.

The mass shooting "serves as a horrific reminder of the xenophobia

and misogyny rooted in our society and yet another call on all of us to strengthen our commitment to social justice work," said a statement released March 18 by college President Carmen Twillie Ambar's office.

A sharp rise in hatedriven incidents confirm these are "indeed unsettling times," it said. "...

The urgent work of ending racially motivated violence

is a long, ongoing journey that we will walk together."

The nonprofit Stop AAPI Hate — AAPI stands for Asian American Pacific Islander — has tracked 3,795 incidents of violence between March 19, 2020, and Feb. 28, 2021.

It says that number represents only a fraction of violent episodes that actually happen.

Verbal harassment hap-

pened in a little over 68 percent of all incidents reported, and more than 11 percent involved physical assault.

Civil rights violations such as workplace discrimination, refusal of service and being denied transportation accounted for 8.5 percent of incidents. Online harassment made ASIAN PAGE A3

INSIDE THIS WEEK

Send legal notices to jyoder@chroniclet.com Submit advertising to chama@chroniclet.com

ELYRIA TWP. — Access to COVID-19 vaccines was blown wide open last week, with a surprise announcement that another 1.6 million Ohioans would become eligible.

Speaking at Cleveland State University, Gov. Mike DeWine said residents ages 40 to 49 could be vaccinated starting Friday, March 19.

Vaccines are also now being made available to Ohioans of any age who are battling cancer, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart disease and obesity.

And with assurances from President Joe Biden that doses shipped to Ohio will significantly increase, DeWine also revealed that all Ohioans ages 16 and older will be eligible for vaccination starting Monday, March 29.

VACCINES PAGE A3

Amherst

Oberlin

Wellington

County OK’s $628,000 for Milan Ave. bridge • B1

City expects big energy push for new EDL gas plant • B1

State of the Schools: District is looking for recovery • B1

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

Page A2

Thursday, March 25, 2021

Lorain County Community Guide

OBITUARIES John Pershing Willis Jr. John Pershing Willis, Jr. was called home to glory on Sunday, March 7, 2021. He was born Oct. 20, 1939, in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, to John Pershing Willis Sr. and Margaret Elizabeth Willis (Foster), the eldest of six children.

John or 'Peetie' as he was known by family, started school late but went on to graduate from Holloway High School in Murfreesboro at the age of 16 and went on to earn a Bachelors and Master's Degrees in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Chicago. After concluding his graduate studies which included extensive field work in Tanzania and Kenya, John met and married the love of his life, Jaquita M. Robinson in 1972. John was a lifelong educator who went on to teach courses in African Studies and Cultural Anthropology while on the faculty at Grinnell College, Western Michigan University and Oberlin College. After transitioning from the academy John remained an educator, but moved to the field computers where he designed curriculums for children and adults along with selling educational software and tools.

In addition to being a devoted husband and father, he was involved in several organizations in both Oberlin and Lorain County including, Lorain County Alliance of Black School educators, Oberlin Black Alliance for Progress and Oberlin African-American History & Genealogy Group, to name a few. He attended Rust United Methodist Church where he served in several capacities, such as serving as the church historian, webmaster and he ran a computer program for children. His deep love of history led him to conduct independent research on a variety of topics including history of the Rust UMC. John was a true polymath as in his spare time, he liked to collect records, read, garden, paint, make wine, fish, work on computers, conduct historical research and play cards. John peacefully transitioned while listening to Jazz, one of his favorite activities.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his wife of 45 years.

He is survived by his two children, Dr. Leigh A. Willis (Aliya) of Atlanta and Geneva E.A. Willis of Nashville, Tennessee; two granddaughters, Khalilah Wimbley and Layla Willis; four brothers and a sister, Gerald Willis, Willie Willis (Evelyn), Margaret Singleton (Fred), Joseph Willis (Sheila), Leland Willis (Shirley); as well as many loving extended family members and friends.

Mr. Willis was cremated Wednesday, March 10, 2021. Given the COVID-19 pandemic and the families desire to follow CDC guidelines there will be no burial service. There will be a private memorial at a later time.

Online condolences may be made to www.cowlingfuneralhomeoh.com.

RANDALL A. KURTZ, 54, of Lorain, was called home to be with the Lord, peacefully in his sleep on Monday, March 15, 2021, from his home. Hempel Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

DANIEL EDWARD MEREDITH, 74, of Elyria, passed away Monday, March 22, 2021, at his home, following a brief battle with cancer. Arrangements by Hempel Funeral Home.

CLASSIFIEDS LEGALS PUBLICATION OF LEGISLATION The following is a summary of legislation adopted by Lorain City Council on March 15, 2021. 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 Nancy Greer @ 204-2050 (Nancy_Greer@ 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 15-21 Reso of

appreciation to US Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur for her diligent support and dedication to the City of Lorain. 1621 Reso of appreciation to Senator Sherrod Brown for his diligent support and dedication to the City of Lorain. Ordinance 30-21* Amending Ord. 47-18, Section 10.2, establishing the compensation, benefits & terms of employment for all classified and unclassified non-bargaining employees.

31-21* Amending Ord. 48-18, Section 11.2, establishing the compensation, benefits & terms of employment for managers and professional employees. 32-21 Amending ordinance 8-21 and the agrmt w/ Southeast Security Corp for procurement & installation of cameras & wifi at Oakwood

& Central Parks. 33-21 Auth ODOT to perform various repairs at the underpass on SR6. 34-21 Auth S/S Director to extend an agrmt w/ Unifirst Corporation for uniform services through 2/28/2024. 35-21 Approving the proposed CBA between the City of Lorain and Lorain Professional Firefighters IAFF Local 267. 36-21* Transfer. 37-21* Appropriation.

38-21* Appropriation. 39-21 Auth S/S Director to enter into an agrmt w/ Sustainable Strategies Hull & Associates for professional services related to securing state, federal and philanthropic funding. (*Denotes legislation was passed as an emergency.)

L.C.C.G. 3/25; 4/1/21 20679745

Firelands FFA creates care buckets for Hondurans suffering tragedies HENRIETTA TWP. — Moved by stories of human suffering coming from Honduras, Firelands High School students decided they had the means to make a difference.

Firelands FFA partnered with the Christian-based humanitarian relief group Central American Medical Outreach to create "buckets of care" filled with supplies for families moving into temporary shelters.

Roughly 3.8 million people were affected by Hurricanes Eta and Iota in Honduras, where the Category 4 storms destroyed 61,000 homes.

More than 130,000 people are still living in

tightly-packed shelters, where COVID-19 has spread like wildfire, according to Firelands FFA adviser Shanna Finnegan.

The chapter set a goal of making 25 buckets, each with two sheets, two large bath towels, a comb and brush, four plastic cups, four plastic plates, a spatula and a frying pan.

With help from donors, they ended up with 55 complete kits and enough to start 28 more, to be completed by CAMO. To contribute to the cause, email Finnegan at sfinnegan@firelandsschools.org or CAMO Provided photo representative and FireNoah Galloway, Gabe Gargasz, Olivia Galloway lands alumna Mary Sayler and Madison Witter make buckets of care to be at marys@camo.org. shipped to Honduras.

COVID-19 vaccine providers in Lorain County Charak Center for Health and Wellness 347 Midway Blvd., Suite 210, Elyria (440) 324-5555 www.charakcenter.com

Discount Drug Mart 814 North Main St., Wellington (440) 647-6634 www.discount-drugmart.com

Marcs Pharmacy 34800 Center Ridge Rd., North Ridgeville (440) 353-1601 www.marcs.com

• Rite Aid 2853 Grove Ave., Lorain (440) 277-6181 www.riteaid.com/pharmacy/ covid-qualifier

CVS Pharmacy 3230 Oberlin Ave., Lorain (440) 282-9189 www.cvs.com/immunizations/ covid-19-vaccine

Giant Eagle Pharmacy 34325 Center Ridge Rd., North Ridgeville (440) 327-8085 www.gianteagle.com/covidvaccine

Marcs Pharmacy 170 Sheffield Center, Lorain (440) 233-7874 www.marcs.com

• Rite Aid 100 South Leavitt Rd., Amherst (440) 244-0593 www.riteaid.com/pharmacy/ covid-qualifier

Discount Drug Mart 110 Chestnut Commons Dr., Elyria (440) 366-6785 www.discount-drugmart.com

Giant Eagle Pharmacy 2201 Kresge Dr., Amherst (440) 282-7651 www.gianteagle.com/covidvaccine

Discount Drug Mart 12289 Leavitt Rd., Oberlin (440) 774-5212 www.discount-drugmart.com

Giant Eagle Pharmacy 5231 Detroit Rd.,Sheffield (440) 934-5377 www.gianteagle.com/covidvaccine

Discount Drug Mart 2253 Colorado Ave., Lorain (440) 288-0191 www.discount-drugmart.com Discount Drug Mart 300 Leavitt Rd., Amherst (440) 984-2439 www.discount-drugmart.com Discount Drug Mart 33382 Walker Rd., Avon Lake (440) 933-2327 www.discount-drugmart.com Discount Drug Mart 33552 Detroit Rd., Avon (440) 937-4510 www.discount-drugmart.com Discount Drug Mart 4208 Liberty Ave., Vermilion (440) 967-3000 www.discount-drugmart.com Discount Drug Mart 500 Abbe Rd., Elyria (440) 365-8319 www.discount-drugmart.com Discount Drug Mart 5298 Detroit Rd., Sheffield (440) 934-3840 www.discount-drugmart.com

Giant Eagle Pharmacy 4453 Liberty Ave., Vermilion (440) 967-1220 www.gianteagle.com/covidvaccine Giant Eagle Pharmacy 31990 Walker Rd., Avon Lake (440) 933-9598 www.gianteagle.com/covidvaccine Giant Eagle Pharmacy 320 Market Dr., Elyria (440) 324-1742 www.gianteagle.com/covidvaccine LaGrange Pharmacy 540 North Center St., LaGrange (440) 613-1300 www.tinyurl.com/LaGrangePharmacy Lorain County Health and Dentistry 1205 Broadway, Lorain (440) 240-2121 www.lorainhealth-dentistry. org

Midview Drug Pharmacy 35053 Royalton Rd., Grafton (440) 748-2137 www.midviewdrug.com Rite Aid 267 North Main St., Wellington (440) 647-2121 www.riteaid.com/pharmacy/ covid-qualifier • Rite Aid 4106 East Lake Rd., Sheffield Lake (440) 949-6239 www.riteaid.com/pharmacy/ covid-qualifier • Rite Aid 479 Main St., Grafton (440) 926-2126 www.riteaid.com/pharmacy/ covid-qualifier • Rite Aid 142 Broad St., Elyria (440) 322-7780 www.riteaid.com/pharmacy/ covid-qualifier • Rite Aid 4580 Liberty Ave., Vermilion (440) 967-2018 www.riteaid.com/pharmacy/ covid-qualifier • Rite Aid 2709 Broadway, Lorain (440) 244-1950 www.riteaid.com/pharmacy/ covid-qualifier

Sam's Club Pharmacy 5225 Cobblestone Rd., Sheffield (440) 934-4310 www.samsclub.com Southside Pharmacy 2811 Fulton Rd., Lorain (440) 277-0655 www.facebook.com/ Southside-Pharmacy-147446308616344 Walgreens 33760 Center Ridge Rd., North Ridgeville (440) 327-1330 www.walgreens.com Walgreens 5411 Leavitt Rd., Lorain (440) 960-7225 www.walgreens.com Walgreens 32798 Walker Rd., Avon Lake (440 930-5873 www.walgreens.com Walgreens 2730 Broadway, Lorain (440) 244-0593 www.walgreens.com Walmart Pharmacy 35901 Chester Rd., Avon (440) 937-4760 www.walmart.com/store/5066avon-oh

List source: Ohio Department of Health Also visit www.loraincountyhealth.com/signup

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.

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• 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 25, 2021

Lorain County Community Guide

JVS chefs advance to state competition PITTSFIELD TWP. — Ten culinary arts students from the Lorain County JVS have advanced to the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America state competition, which will be be held virtually in April.

Students competed virtually in the regional competition in February.

“I am extremely excited for all of the students,” said chef and culinary arts instructor Tim Michitsch.

“Because of the time frame for these competitions and them being virtual, I was not going to have the students compete this year, but the seniors were persistent and wanted to do it. The juniors had no experience, but once they heard the seniors were going to compete, they set their minds to it as well.”

Senior Kali Seddon said she was happy she and classmates got to compete.

“It was definitely a learn-

Provided photo

Hannah Smith of Amherst mixes butter cream frosting during her cake decorating event at the FCCLA state competition. ing curve trying to figure out how to do everything and we went through a lot of bumps along the way," she said. "Trying to learn the video piece and making sure we hit the deadline was tough, but I’m so happy that we did it and I’m excited

for the next level.”

Michitsch, who will be retiring at the end of this school year after 33 years of teaching, said he couldn’t be more proud of his students.

“It didn’t matter where the students placed, just the

fact that they stayed on task, and did what they had to do," he said. "As a teacher, you couldn’t be any more proud.”

Participating students by their home districts include: • Amherst: Junior Hannah Smith competed in the cake decorating event.

• Avon: Senior Alex Pruchnicki competed in the garde manager event.

• Elyria: Junior Aisha Charley competed in the culinary team event.

• Firelands: Junior Zackary Hunkin competed in the garde manager event.

• Keystone: Junior Cameron Heston competed in the culinary math management event and junior Leah Bacsi competed in the pastry tray event.

• Midview: Seniors Kali Seddon and Gino Segedi competed in the culinary team event, and juniors Sandy Luke and Donavyn Pasters competed in the culinary team event.

A parade of tractors — old and new, large and small — lines up in the parking lot outside Firelands High School on Friday.

TRACTORS

FROM A1 disappearing at an alarming rate.

"People are building developments. It's going away, becoming suburbs," he said.

Freshman Tristan Born also said the agricultural lifestyle is fading.

"Sometimes people don't get that you need this as well as big cities and businesses," he said, gesturing at open fields across the road from Firelands High.

Born's tractor — a Case STX425 — was by far the largest of the crop Friday morning, a hulking behemoth with tires as tall as most of his classmates.

He said it was fun to show off, but Born hopes people understand how dangerous it can be for farm kids and adults out on rural roadways.

FFA adviser Shanna Finnegan said she loses sleep worrying about her students, knowing many are

working on farms before and after school.

"Every time I see a tractor on the road, I have a moment of pause," she said. "We farm, and it makes me nervous every time my husband goes out on the road, and certainly for these kids out working hard, I

worry about their safety."

Tractors will increasingly be sharing the roads with other traffic as the weather warms, Finnegan said. She said she hopes Drive Your Tractor to School Day raises awareness among drivers that farm families need their help to stay safe.

Page A3

Hospice volunteers being sought

Hospice of the Western Reserve is seeking volunteers to support people who are facing life limiting or terminal illnesses.

Now more than ever, volunteers are needed to support patients through phone calls, sending cards and virtual visits.

A virtual volunteer training series will held from 9 a.m. to noon on Mondays and Wednesdays, April 19, 21, 26 and 28; or Tuesdays and Thursdays, April 6, 8, 23 and 25.

To sign up, visit hospicewr.org/volunteer or call (216) 255-9090.

VACCINES

FROM A1

DeWine said there is a "moral imperative" to get vaccinations done as quickly as possible.

Lorain County Health Commissioner David Covell was in Cleveland for the announcement, which he had been expecting.

The plan from the start was to get all high-risk Ohioans vaccinated between January and April, and shots in the arms of the rest of the population by June, he said.

"I did have some people saying, 'Boy, that's awfully optimistic.' But hey, I think it's going to happen," he said. "It's where we are."

Covell said demand in some parts of the state is much lower than in Lorain County. That's left some health departments with open vaccination appointments, and pushing for more people to be made eligible.

Demand for the vaccines in Lorain County has always eclipsed the number of doses available, he said. Clinics run out in an hour or two.

"I'd rather have that than vaccines sitting on the shelf somewhere, not going in someone's arms," Covell said.

His public health workers are planning ahead for larger clinics. They'll grow from about 1,200 patients at a time to 3,000 at the start of April, when more singleshot Johnson & Johnson doses are available.

Some large businesses have approached Lorain County Public Health asking to host distribution points for up to 1,000 people. Covell said his staff is starting to set dates and pick locations for those events.

Smaller businesses with 30 or 40 workers will be asked to join up with larger clinics, he said.

At full bore, Lorain County's health department could vaccinate up to 40,000 people per week.

For now, there aren't enough shots to do so — Covell's crew is getting about 3,000 first doses and 3,000 second doses to distribute.

With DeWine's announcement, that amount is expected to soon double, not only for health departments but also private pharmacies such as Discount Drug Mart, Giant Eagle, Rite Aid and Walgreens, according to Covell.

The numbers will be pumped up by the arrival of 3,000 to 5,000 Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses each week, he predicted.

"If they gave it all to us at once, we could go bigger.

But I don't think the reality of production works that way, frankly," he said.

Within two months, everyone who wants a COVID vaccine should be able to get one, both Covell and DeWine said.

"I would suggest that supply and demand will level out sometime in the first week of May," said Covell — after that, it will be very easy to get a shot without much of a wait, he said.

DeWine's announcement was a relief for people who have been anxiously awaiting their turn to get vaccinated, said Covell. There are many who have wanted to get the shots but didn't want to "step in line" in front of someone older or more vulnerable to the virus.

"This is a big step. All of them are big steps," he said.

"The more steps we have toward everyone getting vaccinated and us getting out of this pandemic, the better."

ASIAN

FROM A1 up another 6.8 percent.

Asian American women reported incidents 2.3 times more than men.

More than a third of all complaints originated from businesses, and a quarter happened on public streets.

Ambar's office said it stands in solidarity with Oberlin College students, staff and faculty and all other community members who have been impacted by anti-Asian violence.

About 11.7 percent of Oberlin students are Asian or Asian American, according to Director of Media Relations Scott Wargo.

This is not the first time the college has addressed the specter of racist attacks, even in 2021.

Oberlin’s Comparative American Studies Department, East Asian Studies Department, International Student Resource Center and Multicultural Resource Center issued a joint statement March 11, before the Atlanta killings, denouncing violence against people of Asian heritage.

It came on the heels of the murder of 75-year-

old Pak Ho in Oakland, California, on March 9. Ho was assaulted and suffered traumatic head injury and brain damage during his daily walk through his neighborhood.

The incident disturbingly mirrored the Jan. 28 death of an 84-year-old Thai American named Vichar Ratanapakdee in San Francisco. He too was shoved to the ground and died of head trauma.

"In the United States, such attacks have no doubt been stoked since the onset of COVID-19 through inflammatory and xenophobic rhetoric against Asians and Asian Americans," the joint condemnation letter from Oberlin College said.

Stop AAPI Hate reported in late 2020 that about 30.5 percent of violent incidents were specifically anti-Chinese. Of those, a majority were linked to "virulent animosity" and scapegoating Chinese people as the source of the pandemic.

A smaller but still sizable number of run-ins — 19.4 percent — were attributed to general hate of immi-

grants.

College workers said in the March 11 release that it is unacceptable to stay silent in the face of such hateful attacks.

"We deplore and condemn racism and bigotry in whatever form, directed at any group. An attack on anyone in our diverse community is an attack on all of us," they wrote.

Another condemnation came even earlier, on March 7, from Meredith Gadsby, associate professor of Africana studies and comparative American studies, and Bill Quillen, dean of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music.

As co-chairs of Oberlin College's Presidential Initiative on Racial Equity and Diversity, they laid partial blame for attacks on "our national leadership in recent years," obliquely criticizing former President Donald Trump.

They said attacks on not only Asian Americans but also people who are Black, Latino, Jewish or belong to other oft-targeted groups are offensive to "our sense

of human decency and values."

"Many in our communities hold multiple identities with which they navigate the messiness of American racial dynamics," they wrote. "Ultimately, antiracism is a shared goal that demands collaboration and solidarity, not division and alienation."

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Page A4

Golf league openings

The Amherst City Golf League has openings for regular weekly players, individuals or two man teams, and/ or subs for the upcoming season.

This is a men's league of mostly retirees playing Tuesday afternoons at Forest Hills. The emphasis is on fun competition with handicaps and weekly prizes. All skill levels are welcome.

For details, call Gregg Roberts at (440) 277-7349.

Easter Bunny visits Oberlin

The Easter Bunny will parade through Oberlin on a fire truck starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 3.

The parade replaces the annual egg hunt sponsored by OberlinKids.

For a map of the parade route, visit www.oberlinkids. org/events or www.cityofoberlin.com/easterbunny.

Dukes mattress sale

Wellington High School will host a mattress sale fundraiser from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 24 to benefit all classes and the senior prom.

Twin mattresses will be sold for $199, full from $299, queen from $349 and king from $599. More than 25 styles will be on display, delivery will be available and all forms of payment will be accepted.

For more information, text Duke21 to 484848.

Oberlin library meeting

The Oberlin Public Library board of trustees will meet at 5 p.m. on Thursday, April 8 via Zoom. The meeting is open to the public. Visit www.oberlinlibrary.org for an access link.

Amherst library meeting

The Amherst Public Library board of trustees will meet at 6 p.m. on Monday, April 12 at the library. The meeting is open to the public.

Historical society garage sale The Amherst Historical Society will hold a garage sale from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, March 26 and 27 and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, March 31 at the Sandstone Village, 763 Milan Ave. The Long Barn, Pine Tree and Gallery will be open during the sales.

Additional dates include Saturdays, April 10 and 24 and May 8 and 22; and Wednesdays, April 14 and 28 and May 12 and 26.

Drive-thru Easter Bunny event

The Easter Bunny will be at the Sprenger Health Care Elms Retirement Village from 4-7 p.m. on Friday, April 2.

People are encouraged to remain in their vehicles and snap photos while getting free goodies from the bunny.

The Elms Retirement Village is located at 136 South Main St., Wellington.

Income tax reminder

City of Oberlin income taxes are filed through the Regional Income Tax Authority. The filing due date is April 15. Local residents can e-file for free by visiting www.ritaohio.com. For more information, call (800) 860-7482.

Wine tasting

A dinner and wine tasting to benefit the Amherst Historical Society will be held May 1 at the Sandstone Event Hall, 113 South Lake St., Amherst.

Seating is limited and reservations are required. The cost is $30 per person. To purchase tickets, call (440) 988-7255.

LaGrange fish fry

The LaGrange Lions Club will hold a fish fry by carryout only from 4:30-7:30 p.m. on Fridays, March 26 and April 2 at 240 Glendale Rd., LaGrange.

The menu includes a lake perch dinner for $12, shrimp dinner for $12, half perch and half shrimp dinner for $12, a half dinner of either for $8, macaroni and cheese for $6 and a non-Lenten kids meal for $4.

All purchases are cash only. No phone orders.

Audubon seeks board members The Black River Audubon Society, which serves the Lorain County area, is seeking passionate and energetic board members to help protect all wildlife and their habitats through science, education, advocacy and conservation.

Potential board candidates should have a passion for birds and conservation. Other skills could include strong community connections and some knowledge in fundraising and event planning. Previous nonprofit or board experience is also helpful.

If interested, contact blackriveraudubon@gmail.com or text (440) 610-8626.

Thursday, March 25, 2021

Lorain County Community Guide

OPINION

Memories of cookies, tea and talks I used to make cookies when my children were growing up. I had to make so many because they would bring their friends home, and sure enough, the cookies that took all day to bake vanished within minutes.

I would also make two one-gallon jars with iced tea, which they all loved — they would rather have that than pop — and I'd have to make more tea every day.

My kids' friends always loved coming to my house.

Tonya's friends would come home some nights with her.

I'd be in bed reading, and they would all gather on my bed to talk about everything, including their problems. I really enjoyed that.

My mom made a lot of different cookies for us when I was little, too. I loved her homemade cake doughnuts and peach cobbler the best — she even made yeast doughnuts.

But it was Grandma Irish, mother of Lloyd and Floyd Irish of Irish's Meat Market, who made the biggest cookies I ever saw. They were on the soft side, which I always

liked better. I really loved her sugar cookies. When my sister Phyllis and I spent the night, Grandma Irish would have us her make those sugar cookies.

Those were the good ol' days. I would love to go back in time. There's things I would change.

Until next time, enjoy these recipes!

Quick Kolacky • 4 1/2 cups flour • 3 tsp. baking powder • 1 lb. butter or margarine • 1 1/2 tbsp. sugar • 1/2 pint sour cream • 4 eggs Combine all ingredients. Knead until dough is smooth and roll out over powdered sugar. Cut into three-inch squares and fill with nuts, poppy seed of prunes filling. You can cut with a cookie cutter and put filling in the center.

Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.

Peanut Butter Logs • 2 tbsp. margarine, melted • 1 cup peanut butter • 1 cup powdered sugar • 1 1/2 cup crisped rice cereal • 1 bag chocolate or butter-

PENNY’S PANTRY PENNY CASE

scotch chips Mix first four ingredients well. Press into a well-greased pan and pour melted chips over the top.

Cool, then cut into bars.

Chocolate Crackles • 1 pkg. devil's food cake mix • 1 tbsp. water • 2 eggs, beaten • 1/2 cup shortening Mix and shape into balls, then roll in powdered sugar. Bake at 375 degrees for eight to 10 minutes.

Philly Thumbprint Cookies • 1 1/2 cup margarine

• 1 1/2 cups sugar • 8 oz. cream cheese • 2 eggs • 4 1/2 cups flour • 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder • Powdered sugar • Jam Cream butter, sugar and cream cheese. Beat in eggs. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Chill one hour. Shape dough into one-inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Press your thumb into the center of each cookie and fill with your favorite flavor of jam. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Oreo Cookie Balls • 1 large bag of Oreo cookies • 1 pkg. white almond bark • 8 oz. cream cheese Crumble Oreo cookies and mix with cream cheese.

Shape into one-inch balls.

Chill to harden. Melt almond bark and dip cookie balls in until covered. Place on wax paper and chill.

Penny Case is a lifelong resident of Wellington who loves to cook and share recipes.

Where is the real border crisis?

Marlen Reyes left Guatemala earlier this year after receiving threats that her daughter and son, ages 8 and 5 respectively, would be killed if she didn’t pay.

She knew it was real because a friend was tortured and killed even though his family had complied with the demands. She is seeking asylum, hoping to join her mother, a legal permanent resident, in Miami.

More than 15,000 unaccompanied migrant children are currently in the care of U.S. Health and Human Services and Customs and Border Protection, a calamity by any measure. And yet, it’s hard not to detect a gleam in Republican eyes as they lean into what they are calling “Biden’s border crisis.”

Just two months into the new administration, and the disaster they foretold is already here. “This crisis is a result of President Biden's open border policies,” Texas governor Greg Abbott proclaimed, while warning of a flood of “COVID-infected” migrants. Senator Lindsey Graham hinted that children seeking protection in the United States today “could easily be terrorists tomorrow.” And former President Donald Trump upped the ante: “They’re destroying our country...

It is a crisis like we have rarely had and, certainly, we have never had on the

border.”

Hyperbole aside, if this humanitarian emergency indicates that President Joe Biden’s desire to dismantle his predecessor’s anti-immigrant policies will take time, it also makes clear that billions can be spent on walls without alleviating in the slightest the intense human suffering that leads people to flee their homes in the first place.

STEVEN VOLK At 49, Edgar Lopez left COMMUNITY PEACE BUILDERS Guatemala in an attempt to reunite with his wife and three children in Carthage, unaccompanied minors and families remain lower Mississippi, where he had than at various points lived for more than two during the Trump admindecades. A parish leader istration, including during at his local church, Mr. Spring 2019. In 2000, BorLopez was detained in der Patrol agents detained 2019 during a raid on the an average of almost poultry factory where he worked, and was deported 137,000 undocumented migrants per month on after a year in detenthe southern border. In the tion. In January 2021, he 2021 fiscal year until Febwas one of a group of 13 ruary, the average was just migrants massacred by over 76,000 a month.

Mexican police officers, Delmy Suyapa Galdajust shy of the U.S. border, mez fled Honduras with as he made his way back her 2-year old daughter to his Mississippi home.

Evelyn in February. She According to Customs left after losing everything and Border Patrol, “The when two deadly hurnumber of encounters at ricanes struck within two the border has been rising weeks of each other last since April 2020 due to November. Last month, ongoing violence, natural her nephew was murdered. disasters, food insecurity After a month-long trek, and poverty" in Central America. And this isn’t the Suyapa waited at a bus station in Brownsville, first surge of migrants to desperate to reach her the border.

According to the nonpar- sister-in-law’s house in Louisiana. tisan Pew Research Cen“With the help of God, ter, the encounters of both

we can move forward.

And while it’s very hard,” she said, “there’s nothing else I could do.”

So, is there a “crisis” at the border? Absolutely, although not for the reasons that most Republicans proclaim. The crisis lies in the eagerness of politicians to turn human tragedy into political gold, and Republicans know this well since the emergency at the border offers them a political lifeline.

The crisis at the border lies in the fact that we are doing little to address the roots causes of migration, including political violence and climate disaster, many of which are a direct result of U.S. policies. The crisis at the border lies in the way that that Delmy, Edgar, Marlens and thousands of others have been turned into objects to be batted back and forth across a political net. The crisis at the border lies in how we have lost the will to respond to the suffering around us, to recognize it as real, and to see those who are suffering as worthy of the dignity that every human deserves.

The crisis at the border is our crisis.

Steven Volk is Professor of History Emeritus at Oberlin College and codirector of the Consortium for Teaching and Learning of the Great Lakes Colleges Association.

SCHOLARS JASON BELAK of Amherst has been named to the dean's list for the Fall 2020 semester at the University of Delaware.

EMILY ZICHI of Amherst has been named to the dean's list for the Fall 2020 semester at Cedarville University.

KAMRYN DZIAK of Amherst has been named to the president's list for the Fall 2020 semester at Georgia State University.

Dziak is majoring in political science.

MAXWELL MENNER of Amherst has been named to the president's list for the Fall 2020 semester at the University of Alabama.

The following Amherst students have been named to the dean's list for the Fall

2020 semester at Youngstown State University: • MICHAEL TODHUNTER, a criminal justice major.

• SYDNEY WALKER, major undeclared.

FAITH ALLEY of Wellington has been awarded the Ken Walerius Student Involvement Scholarship and Marjorie M. McGranahan-Mildred F. McGranahanShafer-VanDorn-McGranahan Scholarship at the University of Findlay.

HANNAH DUNLAP of Wellington has graduated summa cum laude from Baldwin Wallace University with a bachelor of science degree in early childhood education. She is a graduate of Wellington High School.

Thursday, March 25, 2021

Lorain County Community Guide

Page A5

Valor Home gets $250,000 for expansion County jail staff eye $50 million in state grant cash JASON HAWK EDITOR

ELYRIA — A dispute over funding for veterans was hashed out last week by the Lorain County commissioners.

They earmarked $2.8 million for veterans services in the county's 2021 general fund budget. That amount includes $250,000 to help with expansion of the Valor Home of Lorain County.

The facility, located on West 21st Street in Lorain, is building 12 more units to help veterans escape homelessness.

Commissioner David Moore said the Valor Home's project could become a model for others across Ohio. Instead of having residents share community showers and kitchens, it places those amenities in each unit, and costs less.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, building material costs have skyrocketed, said county Administrator Tom Williams.

"If we didn't have COVID, they would have had the money to go through and actually do the program on their own," he said.

Commissioner Matt Lundy objected, saying Moore and board President Michelle Hung opposed using general fund money earlier this year to support pandemic relief efforts.

On Jan. 13, Hung and Moore sided against Lundy in a 2-1 vote to revoke $4.6 million approved by former commissioners in 2020. They argued the money improperly came from general fund dollars, not the federal CARES Act. Accusing colleagues of having "a change of heart about general fund dollars and how they're used," Lundy said last week that commissioners should fulfill their "broken promise" to nonprofit agencies that had been set to receive pandemic aid.

Those recipients include senior centers, Alpha

House, Genesis House, Blessing House, The LCADA Way, the Lorain County Office on Aging, Second Harvest Food Bank and many others.

"I understand Commissioner Lundy's concerns. I have the same concerns," said Moore — but he was part of a 3-0 vote to give general fund money to the Valor Home.

Moore said he only supported the measure because it was paired with another resolution to do away with a Veterans Services Fund created by commissioners on Dec. 9, 2020.

The previous board created it so unused veterans funding could be returned and used to provide assistance such as workforce development opportunities for veterans and their spouses, Lundy said.

About $300,000 was left over from the amount budgeted last year, he said.

Lundy said it appeared that $300,000 was shifted to the Valor Home project, which he said was not responsible or ethical.

When Moore immediately objected to being labeled unethical, Lundy retracted his comment "for the sake of having civil discussion," but still said "it's the wrong thing to do."

Seeking to clear up what she deemed "misinformation," Hung read an email dated Dec. 1, 2020, from former county Administrator James Cordes: "Worked out everything with Veterans Services last night," he wrote.

"They understand counsel caution and reasoning.

They are good to go with what is proposed and pay increases."

Hung said her team contacted about a dozen officials across Ohio — in addition to state senators, representatives and lawyers — about using a Veterans Services Fund like the one established last year.

"Due diligence was performed on behalf of the taxpayers with regard to this issue," she said. "The resounding message from

all of them is that this is an uncommon practice in the state of Ohio."

Several used strong language to stress the potential for abuse, she said.

"The problem is this other fund they're trying to create had zero oversight from this board," Moore said.

According to Lundy, a similar approach is used in Cuyahoga County, and the Ohio Revised Code dictates how money can be disbursed.

"It's almost insulting the credibility of the veterans services board by even insinuating they might not use the dollars properly, or recklessly in some way, because they've always acted responsibly and effectively to serve the veterans in the community," he said.

Hung said other counties don't allow such funds to be used, including Erie, Medina, Ottawa, Ashland, Wayne, Holmes, Knox and Stark counties.

She said the veterans fund is not a pilot program, as Lundy framed it. Instead, it's a special revenue fund, and "once placed into this special revenue fund, they would have control, complete control of the money that could build unless the commissioners asked for it back at a date in the future."

Hung said she looked at the past three years of funding for the Lorain County Veterans Commission and found the average was $2.5 million per year, which is $300,000 less than allotted for 2021.

"The relationship between the Veterans Commission and this Board of Commissioners has been good since we started, and it has always been good in the past in the recent history, from what I've been told," she said. "It will continue to be good, and they will have an open door with the board."

Should the $2.8 million allotted be exhausted, the Veterans Commission would be welcome to request more, Hung said.

The Veterans Service Fund was rescinded in a 2-1 vote, with Lundy dissenting.

Later in the meeting, Hung hit back at Lundy, calling his comments on the use of general fund dollars "disturbing."

The Lorain County Sheriff's Office and jail are the two most important services for quality of life for local residents, she said.

"I cannot and will not agree with the notion that instead of keeping our residents as safe as we possibly can, that we would just give away those general fund dollars," she said.

"This is partisan posturing designed to hurt the residents of Lorain County."

Hung said a number of resolutions passed by former commissioners in late 2020 were incorrectly designated as being funded by CARES Act money.

It's the commissioners' responsibility to accurately write resolutions, she said. She also accused previous board members of failing to read resolutions before passing them.

Resolutions with nonprofit funding were incomplete, because they did not include the necessary provisions for accounting and clarity of usage for the funds, Hung said.

"What was done to these charities was unconscionable," she said. "... To the charities, we are very sorry that this happened to you. However, Commissioner Moore and I were not on the board when you were used as pawns in their political gamesmanship."

All resolutions pertaining to distributions of the American Rescue Plan signed into law by President Joe Biden on March 11 "will be written legally and professionally," she said.

"This board will not vote on any measure that grants, awards or gives any dollar amount or any entity without the proper language and account number and the actual document before us to review prior to voting," Hung said.

JASON HAWK EDITOR

ELYRIA TWP. — Lorain County Jail staff are hoping they can cash in on a portion of $50 million the state is making available for corrections facilities projects.

After talking with Sheriff Phil Stammitti, county Commissioner Matt Lundy said last week that he anticipates applying for funds for renovations.

Capt. Jack Hammond, who has overseen operations at the Murray Ridge Road jail since 1999, said it's in better shape than similar jails in other counties. The facility just received a nearly-$800,000 security system upgrade last year, for example.

Still, money is needed for upkeep — at the top of the priority list, the jail's flat-top roof is nearing the end of its life span, Hammond said.

Commissioner Michelle Hung, after touring the Lorain County Jail for the first time Friday, also identified a roof replacement as a project that would extend the facility's life.

She said Stammitti's staff are working to learn what types of projects might qualify for state funding, but said she understands there may be other counties with greater need.

Hammond said $50 million "is nothing to sneeze at," but must stretch when divided among Ohio's 88 counties.

He said project requests are certain to be weighted based on need, and there are facilities in the state that are more than a century old.

Hammond said he has a grand vision for the Lorain County Jail, which may or may not be possible under the state's funding model.

"My dream would be to add on a mental health and addiction treatment dormitory to serve our population," he said.

Drugs and alcohol are problems for a very large percentage of the inmates who end up at the Lorain County Jail, he said, and they often contribute to a cycle of crime, as well as mental health issues.

Hammond said the jail should help break that cycle, because it is as much a part of the mental health ecosystem as nonprofits like The LCADA Way and the Nord Center.

The deadline to apply for a portion of the state's $50 million is in June.

Hung said the American Rescue Plan passed by congressional Democrats could also provide dollars for the jail, law enforcement, fire and 911 services, which she feels are a top priority.

Food services grant

The Oberlin City Schools food services department has received a grant to help provide meals to students.

Breakfasts and lunches have been made free to students throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. That isn't enough for Director of Food Services Mark Craig — he also wanted to ensure all meals are also nutritious and healthy.

“When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, it made our department become more aware of the food insecurity within homes," he said. "It also made us realize that not every child has the opportunity to receive a healthy meal."

Craig successfully applied for a $33,000 grant through the Children’s Hunger Alliance.

The primary purpose was to provide a new walk-in cooler at Oberlin High School. A portion will held with carryout supply cost and labor to put together meals every day for students who rely on them.

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$68M county general fund budget adopted Commissioners move ahead cut-free thanks to the American Rescue Plan JASON HAWK EDITOR

ELYRIA — Building on a $25.48 million carryover from last year, the Lorain County commissioners voted last week to pass a $68.79 million general fund budget for 2021.

Putting together the budget is "always a big challenge. It's a heavy lift. It's a lot of work," said Commissioner Matt Lundy.

It can also be fraught with political disagreements. The lone Democrat on the board, Lundy said he was unhappy Republican counterparts Michelle Hung and David Moore used a "fire in the auditorium" approach to the budget-making process, raising worries about possible cuts.

Moore said it would be hard to justify cuts when Lorain County expects to receive more than $60 million from the American Rescue Plan.

The $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package was passed by congressional Democrats and signed by President Joe Biden on March 11.

The county is "not going to get a check for $60 million next week," Hung said. The cash is expected to arrive in two chunks.

Moore said his concern for Lorain County's budget isn't for 2021 or 2022, but down the road.

"I know we're fine this year. I know we're fine next year," he said. "My concern is when there's no more sugar daddy in D.C. throwing money at us."

Lundy said he is thankful for stimulus cash coming from Washington, but said the amount earmarked for Lorain County is "definitely on the generous side."

When the federal government offers dollars, you either use them or someone else will, he said.

"We've got lots of ticking time bombs out there that need to be fixed, whether it's at the jail or some other areas that need to be addressed," Lundy said.

County Administrator Tom Williams said the amount the county receives could fluctuate.

Townships, which were originally part of the formula, were removed by the Senate in what he believes was an oversight.

In a follow-up interview, Williams said he wouldn't be surprised if the final allotment to Lo-

rain County drops by $1 million or $2 million.

Overall, Moore said he's not happy with how county officials are spending tax money.

Looking back to 2015, he questioned why the budget went from $53 million to more than $70 million, and said spending has to be balanced.

He said the county shouldn't be deficit spending, and that he is working on a budgetary analysis for 2022.

A native of Michigan, Moore said he remembers what happened when auto industry employees went from working 70 hours a week to working 40 or 30.

"I saw the devastation when people were living, when you get an influx of cash like this, and then everybody's happy because the budget's great, the budget's healthy," he said.

A net-neutral budget for Lorain County would be around $63 million, Moore said — that's what he was angling for throughout the process.

Moore was the only commissioner to vote against the budget, which was adopted 2-1.

Hung said she agreed with Moore that spending needs to be carefully watched.

She also said she was pleased the budget would allow Sheriff Phil Stammitti to hire several deputies.

"That's something that's very important to me, so I'm pleased to see that we're able to do that for the public this year," she said.

Hung said she was "cautiously optimistic" about the county's financial situation in the coming two years.

The goal for now, according to Lundy, should be to end 2021 with a new record carryover, and to put the $60 million in federal funding to good use.

"We've got a long way to go. We've got struggling families that need a lot of help, people looking for work," he said.

Any budget has items individual commissioners might like or dislike, agree or disagree with, he said.

But Lundy believes this one will be propped up by economic growth, and a quarter-percent sales tax that will continue to be collected through June.

Other financial disputes The budget wasn't the first disagreement commissioners voiced last

week.

Discussing requisitions earlier in the meeting, Lundy objected to using a private law firm for work he believes the Lorain County Prosecutor's Office could be doing.

All three commissioners voted at the start of the year to hire Ulmer & Berne LLP. Lundy said he thought the firm was going to assist in certain negotiations and personnel matters, but it has accrued an $84,130 bill.

About a quarter of the billing was for work on litigation over sewers in Columbia Township.

"But the taxpayers shouldn't be saddled with these hefty legal bills when I believe the prosecutor's office is there to do the work of the people, and do it in a more affordable approach than the path that we're now on," Lundy said.

Moore's reply was limited by several discussions that would happen in an executive session and couldn't be disclosed. "I can tell you right now this bill today is well worth every penny by bringing this law firm in," he said.

Moore said he has no issues with the prosecutor's office, but wanted to feel comfortable that the taxpayers are being protected.

"And when the time comes, you will see they were," he said. "But right now we're not at liberty to discuss this, which puts us, or me, in a bad and awkward situation to debate this issue."

Moore said he had his own issues with requisitions for about $20,000 in advertising by the Lorain County Emergency Management Agency via radio stations WEOL, WDLD and WOBL. The largest portion, about $14,000, went to WEOL, which is owned by the Community Guide's parent company, Lorain County Printing & Publishing.

"What about WNZN?" asked Moore. "We have smaller local communities that need to know why they're being ignored.

Why aren't we getting this [sic] advertising dollars?

This is a minority-owned radio station that's getting nothing from this county."

WNZN CEO Marcus Ballard is "doing a great job trying to create something positive" in Lorain with a nonprofit station, Moore said. He said the county could be more equitable in sharing its wealth.

The advertising dollars in question come from grants.

Akron Children's offering training for Mercy Health Akron Children's Hospital will now offer its pediatric expertise to the emergency medicine teams at Mercy Health Lorain and Mercy Health Allen in Oberlin.

According to a news release, the Akron Children's team will share processes, provide education and offer job shadowing to Mercy Health emergency medicine physicians and nurses.

Akron Children’s providers are available for real-time consultations, whether a Mercy Health emergency physician wants to speak to a pediatric specialist, collaborate with an emergency medicine

provider or transfer a patient to Akron Children’s Hospital for a higher level of pediatric care.

In August, Akron Children’s and Mercy Health Lorain announced a partnership to bring Akron Children’s pediatric health care services to Lorain County. Akron Children’s leads operations of three existing Mercy Health pediatric primary care offices in Lorain, Amherst and Oberlin.

Akron Children’s also began offering pediatric specialties including cardiology, neurology and gastroenterology at the Mercy Health – Bitar Medical Center in Amherst.

B

OUR TOWNS

Lorain County Community Guide • Thursday, March 25, 2021

STATE OF WELLINGTON

$628K Milan Avenue bridge job awarded JASON HAWK EDITOR

Photos by Jason Hawk | Wellington Enterprise

Wellington Schools Superintendent Ed Weber (left) and Treasurer Mark Donnelly (right) deliver portions of the State of the Schools address Thursday, March 18, 2021. Presented by the Kiwanis Club of Wellington, the event was virtual, streamed from a webcam at the LCCC Wellington Center.

Schools looking toward recovery JASON HAWK EDITOR

WELLINGTON — The state of the Wellington Schools is uncertain a year into the pandemic, but not necessarily dire.

Academically, efforts are focused on recovery, Superintendent Ed Weber said Thursday during the Kiwanis Club's fourth annual State of Wellington address.

Students suffered setbacks during last spring's statewide shutdown, and struggled to keep pace as they shifted into hybrid mode, then online in the fall and now finally back to fully inperson classes.

Weber said the district will offer comprehensive summer school options for any student who wants help regaining ground in 2021 and 2022.

The school system will offer core subject classes as well as a full slate of electives, he said. There will also be opportunities for Wellington High School students to earn credits that weren't available due to pandemic restrictions, and Weber hopes to also offer leadership workshops and field trips.

Wellington teachers are also offering free tutoring this year and next to help kids make up for lost instructional opportunities.

But playing catch-up is only step one. The Wellington Schools are already setting sights on step two, which involves a new set of goals to see the district through the coming decade.

“There is no profession quite like the school profession. We’re in the dream business. We get to help make dreams come true.”

— Wellington Schools Superintendent Ed Weber

Over the next six to nine months, Weber and company will be asking the public for help defining a vision for the future.

Facilities will be a big part of that planning, Weber said, referencing ongoing questions about the future of Wellington High School and Westwood Elementary.

"We did look at doing an improvement levy for our schools to repair some of the needs the schools have.

That hasn't been successful yet," he said.

The district's strategic plan can't be drafted without long-term financial stability, said Weber — that's where Treasurer Mark Donnelly is expected to step up.

Donnelly said the school system's estimated revenue for Fiscal Year 2021 is $14.15 million, and expenses are projected to reach as high as $14.44 million.

That imbalance isn't sustainable, he

Fundraising

The Wellington Kiwanis Club presented the fourth annual State of Wellington address in two parts.

Proceeds from event sponsors will go toward new playground equipment at Westwood Elementary, the new Union School Park and Wellington Recreation Park.

Kiwanis' youth program at Westwood has already helped raise more than $12,000 toward the effort.

Online options

The Wellington Schools are not seeking to continue providing a fully-online learning option after the pandemic, Superintendent Ed Weber said.

Demand for the service is too low to justify the cost, he said. Most families have opted to return to full, in-person classes.

However, students can choose to attend other online schools that have been available to Ohio students for years, he said. said.

It's possible that some expenses will be smaller than expected — bus repairs or special education costs could come in under budget, for example — but Donnelly said at best the Wellington Schools will break even.

SCHOOLS PAGE B2

AMHERST — A $628,809 contract has been awarded for extensive repairs this summer to the Milan Avenue bridge over the Beaver Creek.

After receiving three bids, Lorain County commissioners voted unanimously last week to give the project to R&I Construction of Tiffin.

Work will start on or before June 1 and wrap up

by Sept. 15.

The Ohio Public The Ohio Public Works Commission will fund 74 percent of the project, leaving the county to cover just $163,490.

Amherst Mayor Mark Costilow said the bridge has needed attention for a long time.

"To the average person's eye, they might not necessarily see the problems with it," he said. "It's a gorgeous structure, built a long time ago to stand up to many years of wear. But the engineers have looked at it and found erosion, problems they want to get ahead of so it doesn't fall apart in the future."

There are underlying problems with the base and rock the bridge sits on, said Costilow. And once bridges over streams start to deteriorate, they can do so rapidly.

Now is the right time for repairs, he said — they will be finished ahead of a $1 million paving project planned for Summer 2022 that will result in new asphalt for Cleveland and Milan Avenues.

That work will stretch from State Route 58 through the center of town and west to the Amherst city limits.

"We've gotten a lot better over the past four years BRIDGE PAGE B2

Landfill gas power plant to close, methane plant coming JASON HAWK EDITOR

OBERLIN — Energy company EDL plans to shut down its electrical generating station at the Republic Services Lorain County Landfill in 2022.

The plant is one of EDL's largest landfill gas-to-electricity power stations in North America.

But low natural gas prices have made business tough, according to Doug McMillan, director of the Oberlin Municipal Light & Power System.

He told City Council last week that EDL intends to build a new facility, vastly increasing the power Oberlin sells each year.

In an interview, McMillan said the company intends to clean captured methane gas to be sold as renewable natural gas.

The new plant will potentially be located on the northeast corner of Oberlin Road and State Route 511.

Undeveloped land there is owned by the city and has been set aside for use by industrial or technology-related companies.

A proposal for the facility has not yet been put in front of the Oberlin Planning Commission. McMillan said it's likely to materialize in the next two months.

LANDFILL PAGE B2 1960-2021

Celebrating 61 years in service!

Jason Hawk | Oberlin News-Tribune

New Spring Street playground opens JASON HAWK EDITOR

OBERLIN — The new Spring Street playground has gotten a soft opening, with $139,735 of equipment installed for kids to enjoy.

"Hopefully children are excited to go play in it, use it, exercise their brains

and their muscles," said Oberlin Recreation Superintendent Ian Yarber.

"Some have been inside a lot through the pandemic."

The former playground was 30 years old and in bad disrepair, he said.

The new one features more climbing features, spinners, a merry-goround, tire swing and several types of slides.

There's also a panel with sign language instruction at the top.

Yarber said the new area on Spring Street is now the largest playground in the city. It sits in a well-shaded park located next to the Oberlin Bike Path.

The project was completed with $61,500 in grant funding from the Lorain County commissioners.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held once new parking spaces are installed, Yarber said.

Further updates are in the works, he said. The city is getting quotes to replace the old wooden fencing around the playground, and there are plans to fix drainage issues at the park to eliminate standing water.

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Page B2

Capitol riot charge for Wellington man STAFF REPORT

WELLINGTON — A 20-year-old Wellington man has been arrested in connection with the Capitol riot on Jan. 6 in Washington, D.C. Following an FBI investigation, Clifford Mackrell has been charged with assaulting officers, knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted area with intent to impede or disrupt government business, obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder and violent entry and disorderly conduct on capitol grounds.

According to court filings, Mackrell allegedly attended the riots at the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6.

A private citizen filmed

some of the spray and throwing violence, showing barricades and other a male pushing objects at officers. back barricades Around eight and repeatedly minutes into the hitting a Capitol video, Mackrell police officer and strikes an officer grabbing at the multiple times, and officer’s gas mask Cliff Mackrell grabs at the officer’s on the lower tergas mask under the race as a crowd built up. officer’s face shield.

In the first four minutes of Just prior to that, anthe video, officers hold a line other member of the crowd at the front of an entrance to sprayed what appears to be the Capitol building, which bear-spray at the officers, acbegins to deteriorate as cording to the filing, which the crowd begins to break Mackrell allegedly attemptthrough the barricades, acing to expose the officer to cording to the affidavit. the spray.

One of those pushing During that footage, against the barricade is alleg- Mackrell reportedly identiedly Cliff Mackrell. fies himself to the person The video reportfilming as “Cliff, from edly shows members of the Ohio.” crowd grabbing at officers, According to an affidavit spraying officers with pepper from Special Agent Timothy

Kolonick with the FBI’s Cleveland Division, a tipster contacted the bureau and identified Mackrell as a 2018 graduate of Wellington High School.

A search warrant was issued to gain access to Mackrell’s Facebook page.

Posts and messages from Mackrell’s page confirmed he was at the Capitol.

During a Jan. 7 message exchange with an unnamed Facebook user, Mackrell states he was still in D.C. and had video footage but lost the camera when “the cops attacked.” In another thread from that day, he told a Facebook user he was still in the Capital and his head hurt after getting hit with a baton “10 to 15 times” and asked if something was in the news.

SCHOOLS

FROM B1 The good news is that income to the district has increased since November. State aid rose $125,000, the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation issued a $182,000 rebate and income tax collections weren't hit nearly as hard as feared.

Donnelly said that while unemployment is still high, Wellington's revenue has been kept afloat by better-paying jobs.

The pandemic has caused unexpected expenses, such as $215,000 to hire an online schooling firm, and hiring full-time teachers to make sure staffing levels weren't decimated by quarantines and illness.

But Donnelly said grant dollars have helped offset costs. Wellington received $141,256 in federal emergency relief, and $67,751 to provide reliable internet hot spots for rural students. Other grants helped pay for nursing staff, cleaning supplies and protective gear.

Now the district is looking to

Pancake Day

Kiwanis' annual Pancake Day — a tradition of 50-some years — will be held from 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 4-7 p.m. on Friday, April 16 at Wellington First Congregational Church.

Because of the pandemic, the event will be carryout only.

WHS air project

District officials are looking at a project to improve air quality at Wellington High School.

"We're trying to reduce costs and improve the ventilation system," said Treasurer Mark Donnelly.

Addressing the high school's aging heating, ventilation and air conditioning system would also limit the spread of airborne disease, he said.

The reason the WHS air system is being addressed before Westwood Elementary's is that electric bills there are much higher, Donnelly said.

Westwood has an old-fashioned steam system, and there's very little that can be done to improve that situation, he said.

Congress' American Rescue Plan, signed into law March 11 by President Joe Biden.

It provides $1.9 trillion in pandemic relief nationwide. "There should be some additional money in there for schools as well," said Donnelly. "That will help us continue the work of making sure kids who fell behind during this period of time, that we catch them up."

Weber said eventually the Wellington Schools — like all Ohio districts — will have to ask for a new infusion of levy money. The question is when.

"Schools are on a fixed budget.

Costs go up, but our income stays flat," he said. "... We will be back, but I think it's premature to state exactly when that will be."

5. Sashayed 6. Month of Purim 7. Abscess contents 8. Repair 9. Bear’s den 10. Gaelic tongue 11. Meat and potato dish 12. Not that 15. Take to one’s heart 20. ____ Grey and James ____ Jones 22. Noggin or dome 24. #24 Across players 25. *____ on Washington 26. Farewell in Paris 27. Address to a woman 29. Just a little 31. Young socialites, for short 32. Call forth 33. *Barbara Eden starred as

one 34. *First American astronaut to orbit the Earth 36. Table in Spanish 38. Type of bargain 42. Best not mentioned 45. Ultimate goal 49. Slightly pointed on a Hobbit 51. Pro bono 54. Scratchy’s nemesis 56. Chopin piece 57. Drift 58. Rod for a hot rod 59. One with pants on fire?

60. Street in Anytown, USA 61. Darkness or gloom 62. Relating to ear 63. Poverty-stricken 66. Cause of Princess’ downfall 68. Pig’s home

THE 1960s ACROSS 1. *Kennedy and Ruby 6. Credit card acr.

9. Just in case 13. Yemeni’s neighbor 14. Scheduled to arrive 15. *First full-disk image of it was taken in 1966 16. Alleviated 17. Wildfire remains 18. One born to Japanese immigrants 19. *”Catch-22” author 21. *Oscar-winning leading lady of “Mary Poppins” 23. Green or black beverage 24. Piercing woodwind 25. Mom in U. K. 28. ____ and drab 30. Good-for-nothing 35. *TV’s Batman, ____ West 37. Figure skater’s jump 39. Make happy 40. Hitchhiker’s quest 41. *”Wilt the ____” of pro basketball 43. Femur, e.g.

44. Cut it out 46. Away from port 47. Largest organ of human body 48. Like anti-cruelty society 50. Same as #42 Down 52. Even, to a poet 53. Roaster’s spot 55. *It’s the loneliest number 57. *Sam Walton’s company 61. *Haircut popularized by the Beatles 64. Relating to axis 65. PC brain 67. *Sting Ray and Mustang, e.g.

69. Threshing hand tool 70. *”On ____ Majesty’s Secret Service” 71. Dostoyevsky’s novel, with The 72. Seaside bird 73. Tibetan ox 74. Condemn DOWN 1. *Hasbro’s G. I. 2. Same as ayah 3. Four six-packs 4. Genuflected

Thursday, March 25, 2021

Lorain County Community Guide

SOLUTION CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE A2

Steele scholars Three Amherst Steele High School students are being celebrated for academic achievement, according to Principal Joseph Tellier:

Nathan Lawson has been named a Hispanic Scholar by the College Board.

Ty Weatherspoon has been named an AfricanAmerican Scholar by the College Board.

Michael Hughes has been named a National Merit Finalist. Of the 1.5 million who entered, the 50,000 highestscoring students are recognized each year by the National Merit Scholarship Program.

Only 15,000 are named finalists. Merit Scholarship winners are chosen from the finalist group — only about 7,600 will learn this spring that they have been chosen to win awards.

BRIDGE

FROM B1 or so about trying to coordinate needs and infrastructure projects," Costilow said. "So one doesn't get done and later you figure out another needs done, and you end up tearing up your progress."

There will be no direct cost at all to the city of Amherst for the bridge repair project.

Costilow said he expects there to be a detour posted, but the route has not yet been planned.

LANDFILL

FROM B1 EDL would need a lot of electricity for its new operation — it has pitched buying about 75 million kilowatt hours a year from OMLPS. That's roughly a 75 percent increase in what Oberlin sells annually.

"Believe me, I was pretty shocked when they started talking about this and saying how much electricity this would use," McMillan told Council.

EDL has used Oberlin's 69-kilovolt transmission system as a pass-through since opening at the landfill in 2001.

That arrangement has been more about exporting electricity than importing it, and Oberlin has charged the company $140,000 per year for the service. It's also generated a $500,000 per year energy credit for the city.

Oberlin has never had another company large enough to use its 69-kilovolt infrastructure, McMillan said.

So while there's an electrical rate for commercial customers, there's no large industrial service rate on the books.

McMillan asked City Council to establish one, not just for EDL but for any other large power-consumer that may move to town.

Council is moving through that process, with the understanding the large industrial rate and change in EDL's business will not affect power rates for other businesses or residents.

SOLUTION CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE A2

Thursday, March 25, 2021

Lorain County Community Guide

Page B3

Amherst FD orders anti-COVID gear with FEMA grant JASON HAWK EDITOR

AMHERST — Gear designed to protect firefighters from COVID-19 and hazardous materials is being purchased with a $56,000 Federal Emergency Management Agency grant received this week by the Amherst Fire Department.

Chief Jim Wilhelm said he has placed a purchase order

for a device that can quickly disinfect trucks or rooms at the Church Street fire station.

It can kill airborne and surface viruses in 15 to 20 minutes. While COVID is the concern right now, Wilhelm said the machine will be just as effective at protecting his crews from the flu.

As a bonus, it can get rid of another occupational hazard: the stench of smoke.

Wilhelm said he's also or-

dered 35 "bayonets," which are face masks fitted with filtration units.

They aren't meant for fullscale responses to building fires. But the bayonets can be used for more routine calls to areas where COVID or other toxic materials are known to be a hazard.

That might include hospitals or doctor's offices, where bigger, bulkier gear would get in the way, the chief said.

WELCOME, CLASS OF 2034

The masks will be particularly useful when doing salvage after a structure fire or conducting an investigation.

"It keeps us from breathing all that off-gassing from the fire," Wilhelm said.

In those situations, the air quality is dangerous but personnel don't need to wear heavy air tanks, he said.

The city of Amherst will pay only $1,100 toward the purchases, according to Wilhelm.

Roundabout at Baumhart and 113 gets county’s OK JASON HAWK EDITOR

Provided photos

About 55 new kindergarten students were screened by Westwood Elementary staff over a two-day period last week at the LCCC Wellington Center.

They are members of Wellington's Class of 2034 and will begin school in the fall. If your child is going to be six years old for the next school year and you have not registered them yet, call Westwood Elementary School at (440) 647-3636. ABOVE: Audrey Reynolds draws a picture of a person during her kindergarten screening appointment. BELOW: Alex Goble practices catching a ball with Westwood Elementary School teacher Brianne Burcl.

The Amherst Fire Department has found success with a long string of FEMA grant applications.

Wilhelm said he has already started another, seeking more than $57,000 for a compressor to fill firefighters' air tanks.

It would replace a model that's been in use in Amherst since 1984, and which "has done its job well for almost 40 years, but desperately needs replaced," Wilhelm said.

HENRIETTA TWP. — A contract for a new roundabout at State Route 113 and Baumhart Road was approved last week by the Lorain County commissioners.

The estimated project cost is $267,324 and will be covered entirely by the Ohio Public Works Commission, meaning the county won't have to pitch in a dime.

Surveyors are already out making final measurements, according to Ohio Department of Transportation District III spokeswoman Crystal Neelon.

She said the project will be bid out in April, and a 120-day closure is tentatively set to begin in June.

ODOT planning documents call for a single-lane roundabout with a drivable truck apron in the center, along with roadway drainage and lighting.

The project was picked based on a 2016 safety study that showed 22 crashes there in a three-year window.

"It's about preventing injury crashes.

The severity of injuries that occur in a crash at a roundabout are a lot less severe than the injuries that occur at (traditional) angled intersections," Neelon said.

Expect to see many more roundabout projects, she said — according to ODOT, they limit vehicle speeds to about 20 mph, "calming" traffic and reducing

crashes by about 44 percent.

But crashes that cause injury or death are where the real gains are made, Neelon said. ODOT claims they drop 72 to 87 percent when a roundabout replaces a traditional two-way stop, and by 60 to 78 percent when converting a signalized stop like the one in Henrietta Township.

"It's definitely the chosen intersection improvement at this time because of the safety benefits," Neelon said.

At least seven more roundabouts are planned for the very near future in ODOT District III, which covers Lorain, Ashland, Crawford, Erie, Huron, Medina, Richland and Wayne counties.

They include construction of one at State Routes 3 and 162 just outside Medina starting in June, another at US Route 20 and State Route 601 in Huron County in August and "figure-eight"style dual roundabouts at State Routes 83 and 303 in Grafton Township next summer.

Lorain County Commissioner Matt Lundy threw his support behind roundabouts during last week's meeting.

"I think they work very well, but they're certainly safer when they're single lanes, not double lanes," he said. "That's when you get into all the accidents. There's always going to be people who think they're NASCAR drivers and like to speed making the left turns all the way through."

Gerstin returning to help college launch new courses FOR THE NEWS-TRIBUNE

Native American at Oberlin chosen as Douglass Fellow STAFF REPORT

OBERLIN — Iesha-LaShay Phillips, an Oberlin College junior who hails from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, has been selected as a 2021 Frederick Douglass Fellow.

Fourteen winners were announced Wednesday, March 17 at a St. Patrick's Day roundtable, where fellows were congratulated

by Vice President Kamala Harris, Ireland Prime Minister Micheal Martin and Nettie Washington Douglass, the great-greatgranddaughter of 19th century abolitionist Frederick Douglass.

Phillips is a law and society and Africana studies double major at Oberlin College.

She will receive a full scholarship to take part in a summer study-abroad program co-sponsored by Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs.

Focused on leadership,

Iesha-LaShay Phillips intercultural communication and social justice, it will honor the 175th anniversary of the meeting between Douglass and the Irish reformer Daniel O’Connell.

Seeking refuge from persecution, Douglass visited the Emerald Isle in 1845, and was struck by the social acceptance he found.

"I gaze around in vain for one who will question my equal humanity, claim me as his slave, or offer me an insult," he wrote in his memoirs after sharing

tables, rides, lodging and church services with white Irish people.

He was taken with O’Connell's oratory skills when "The Liberator" delivered a speech in Dublin.

A brief encounter between the two had a profound influence on how Douglass fought slavery upon return to the United States.

Phillips was chosen as a Douglass Fellow largely because of her work supporting Native American youth. She is the ambassador and princess of the Muskogee Creek Nation, representing her tribe nationally and creating cultural workshops for youth.

“Frederick Douglass inspires me because he escaped slavery to chase his goals, run towards learning and liberation and expand his impact to a global scale,” Phillips said in her application video.

“His life’s journey inspires my ambition to expand my small impact to a much larger scale.”

A new integrative concentration in business will launch this summer at Oberlin College.

It will be geared toward students across all disciplines, not just those aiming for careers in business.

The concentration will be introduced through Foundations of Sustainable Business Management, a core course taught by renewable energy expert Jesse Gerstin.

A 2007 graduate of Oberlin College, Gerstin is director of sustainable business development for New York-based SimpliPhi Power. The company makes batteries for renewable energy projects.

According to the college, its new core course is meant to introduce

Jesse Gerstin students to social, environmental and governance issues facing business owners today.

“The business world is facing an existential crisis, and it’s adapting — although not quickly enough,” said Gerstin in an interview conducted by college communication staff. “The thinking in business for a long time has been focused on short-term results. The shift that’s happening now

is for companies to think in longer periods, what actions a company needs to stay relevant in 20 or 30 years."

That often means being more accountable in terms of environmental and social impacts, he said.

His focus at SimpliPhi Power is on how renewable energy projects can help communities that don't have access to electricity.

Gerstin said he wants students to understand how business and sustainability work so they can create lasting change.

“I’m not trying to convince every student to go into business," he said.

"It’s more about trying to shift the narrative about what we think of as a business — or where students can see themselves in shaping an equitable society using the tools of business.”

85 SOUTH MAIN STREET OBERLIN OHIO 44074 MARCH 25, 2021 BOARD AND COMMISSION MEETING DATES ALL MEETINGS WILL BE Live Streamed @ http://oberlinoh.swagit.com/live APRIL 1, 2021 ..... CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION – 5:30 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

Thursday, March 25, 2021

Lorain County Community Guide

PANDEMIC RETROSPECTIVE

‘It happened so fast’

Daughters share memories of love, isolation and loss LAINA YOST THE CHRONICLE-TELEGRAM

ELYRIA — When Kelvin Lurry died last June, nurses held up a camera and let his family say goodbye over Zoom.

Four days earlier, Lurry, 67, had been rushed to the hospital by his daughter. He had what felt like the common cold, but then couldn't catch his breath.

His daughter, Gina Lurry, was FaceTiming her other sister, Stacie Starr, in a panic. It felt like he was dying, Gina Lurry told her sister. She needed to get him to the hospital quickly.

“I knew I wasn't going to talk to him after that,” Starr said. “I just could feel it.”

“It happened so fast,” Starr said. “I said `I love you,' he said it back. But that's all we were able to do. Not being able to be with your loved one, I feel like we let him down because we couldn't be there. And I know that's not that way, but I think that's the trauma that has come from it.”

Lurry died of COVID-19 in a hospital with only a doctor in the room. He had no underlying conditions that would have indicated the virus would have been deadly.

Kelvin Lurry’s family didn’t know he had COVID-19 until he went into the emergency room.

Gina Lurry had been told earlier in the week that she had been exposed to COVID. Her boyfriend subsequently tested positive. Her youngest sister, Kayla Lurry, and Lurry both began showing symptoms around Tuesday. By Wednesday, Starr said her dad had lost his sense of taste and smell. He had stopped eating and drinking, and Starr was only able to coax him to eat a banana and drink Gatorade.

On Thursday, Starr got a call around midday from her sisters.

They were screaming.

“He won’t listen to us,” Starr said they told her. “He won’t go to the hospital. We want to call an ambulance.”

Starr jumped on FaceTime to talk with her dad. She said his panting was deep, like a dog pants after it runs.

“I said ‘Dad, you’re going to leave us parentless if you don’t go.’ I just burst out crying.”

Starr and her sisters’ mother had died of cancer in 2014.

Angelo Angel | Chronicle

Stacie Starr holds a portrait of her late father, Kelvin Lurry on March 6 in Lorain.

Gina Lurry, who had tested negative for COVID, rushed him to Mercy Regional Medical Center. He was at a 26 percent oxygen level. An oxygen saturation of 95 to 100 percent is a normal range.

Lurry coded twice that day, and doctors said he had a 50/50 chance of making it through the night.

Pneumonia had ravaged his lungs. His brain was too swollen for a CAT scan to see if there was any activity left. Lurry was put on a ventilator. His kidneys and organs were shutting down.

“I believe he was gone at that point,” Starr said.

After the swelling had gone down, a second CAT scan revealed what Starr feared. There was no brain activity. Starr said it was her dad’s wishes not to be kept alive on a ventilator. They made the decision to discontinue life support.

The hospital offered a Zoom link for the family to say goodbye before they turned off the support.

Lurry’s 90-year-old mother did not join. She didn’t want to see her son like that, Starr said.

Starr requested the nursing staff play Motown for Lurry in those last moments. Family members said their goodbyes.

The doctor said he would call when Lurry died. He passed within 15 minutes. Just the doctor stayed in the room with Lurry the whole time.

“You’re parentless at 42. It’s not supposed to be that way,” Starr said. “I’m not supposed to be the matriarch at 42 and keep my family together.”

Lurry was a girl dad, Starr said.

He had three daughters. Starr was 3 years old when Lurry came into her life and became her stepfather.

But that was just the legal term; Lurry always was involved.

Starr said he taught her everything she knew about life and how to treat others based on who they were, not what they looked like.

He was big into sports, and he never missed an event in one of his girls’ lives. Lurry was an outstanding shortstop in the Lorain area. Starr said it was something people knew him for.

He played baseball for the Black Athletic Club, Community Health Partners, Doctors, Invacare and many other teams. He was also an all-world shortstop for Showbiz Pizza.

He was born in Tennessee, but he had lived in Lorain since he was a young child.

Lurry was the life of the party; he was always making someone laugh, Starr said.

Most of all, Lurry loved his girls and his family. He’d just celebrated his 67th birthday that month.

Starr doesn’t know why her dad was the one taken from them. It’s the unknown, the uncertainty that she struggles with after Lurry’s death. She said she knows more

could have been done early on in the pandemic that may have prevented Lurry from contracting COVID and dying.

“I’m angry. I'm angry that it could have been different,” Starr said. “I'm angry that, why my dad? You hear of 90-year-olds that are making it out. Was it just too early? Did they not know enough yet? I think that’s the hardest part for me.”

Saying goodbye over Zoom wasn’t closure, Starr said. They couldn’t touch him, they couldn’t hug him. They couldn’t even get too close to his casket.

At that time in June, much was still unknown about the transmission of COVID from those who had died. Everyone at the funeral had to keep a distance. No one could comfort each other with hugs.

“You want to give your loved one a proper burial,” Starr said. “... The lack of human touch is something you never knew you missed. The uncomfortableness of people wanting to hug you but not being able to hug you.”

His unexpected death also led to difficulties with burial. The only thing he had was a plot he had bought to be next to his wife.

Starr said they had to put out a GoFundMe because they couldn’t afford to bury him. Their family home will go up for foreclosure.

There’s no funding for families of loved ones who die of COVID.

Starr has advocated for more support to Sens. Sherrod Brown, D-Cleveland, and Rob Portman, R-Cincinnati. She said she wants families going through what she has gone through to have the supports in place.

There’s a certain loneliness to COVID-19 deaths for family.

Starr said for months, she didn’t know anyone else who had someone die from COVID-19.

She knew they existed in Lorain County, but Starr either didn’t know them or they chose to remain silent.

“You're so thankful for people being there and wanting to support you but they don't get it. They don't understand it,” Starr said.

In a pandemic during which more than 500,000 people have died in the U.S., Starr said there has been little to no acknowledgement of the deaths. It has stunted the grieving process, she said.

Lurry’s death and the thousands of others need to be recognized, Starr said, so families can begin to heal.

“When (President Joe) Biden first did the acknowledgement of those that passed from COVID, it was so beautiful to me because I felt like my dad mattered,” Starr said. “I felt like he's just a number people talk about. (When my dad died) it's like 'Only 4 percent of the nation has passed,' but that's my dad, you know? I wanted him to matter.”

Lurry is among more than 530,000 Americans who have died from COVID-19. He is one of 427 in Lorain County.

Starr is hoping to bring an organization into Lorain County that would lay flowered wreaths in honor of everyone who has died of COVID in the county.

Starr has found comfort in writing during her grief. She’s posted on Facebook about what she’s been through, and how important it is to acknowledge deaths the pandemic has caused. Starr said others have reached out and thanked her for being honest with her emotions.

She has also held on to one piece of comfort — Lurry has reunited with his beloved wife, Denise.

“He loved his family very much,” Starr said. “And I think he really missed my mom, too. And I think that’s one thing that gives us closure is that he’s with her.”

Debunking vaccine myths that have no factual basis STAFF REPORT

Vaccines have been the target of misinformation, rumors and unfounded conspiracy theories for as long as they've been in use.

So it's no surprise there are myths about the new COVID-19 vaccines, too.

Here are answers to some of the most common misun-

derstandings and suspicions about them: Myth: The vaccine will change my DNA The COVID-19 vaccine — no matter which one you get — cannot alter your DNA, so don't worry about becoming a mutant and having to join the X-Men. "There is absolutely no effect on your DNA at all," Lorain County Health Com-

One millionth COVID-19 case

The state of Ohio reported its 1 millionth COVID-19 case on Monday, passing a milestone that has been creeping closer in recent weeks even as the number of new cases seen daily have decreased from their high point in the winter.

The Ohio Department of Health updated its data Monday to show a total of 1,001,194 cases were reported statewide since the start of the pandemic.

Lorain County, for its part, has seen cumulative totals of 17,944 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 4,618 probable cases in the pandemic as of Monday.

State data shows there are presumed to be about 30,465 total virus cases active in the state and about 757 active in Lorain County as of Monday.

Currently, vaccination against COVID-19 is open to all Ohioans age 40 and older, as well as those with certain health conditions. As of March 29, all Ohioans age 16 and older will be eligible for vaccination.

Minors will have to get their parents’ permission to be vaccinated.

missioner David Covell said.

The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines use a different technology than traditional vaccines, leading to confusion, rumors and innuendo.

Both use what's called messenger RNA to deliver instructions to the body's immune system, telling it how to recognize and fight off the coronavirus.

Essentially, the vaccines are letters in a bottle that teach healthy cells how to make a protein that triggers an immune response. "... The body responds by building antibodies to destroy the protein," according to the Ohio Department of Health. "This protein is what allows the virus to attach to cells. When the body kills the protein, it also kills viruses that are attached to it."

Myth: The government is going to force everyone to get vaccinated There is no army of United Nations blue helmets or National Guard units poised to force needles into everyone's arms.

The state of Ohio is not requiring anyone to get the

COVID-19 vaccine.

However, the more people who choose to get vaccinated, the less the virus will be able to spread, and the sooner remaining health orders, including mandatory masks, will be lifted — and the sooner festivals, concerts, stadium sports and other events will be able to resume as normal.

Virologists estimate about 70 percent of the population needs to have an immune response to stop the virus from spreading. As of this past week, vaccines were available to only about 34 percent of Ohioans, but Covell said that number is expected to grow much larger starting in April.

Myth: The vaccines can give you COVID-19 There's no COVID in the vaccines, period.

The Pfizer and Moderna shots carry instructions that teach the body to make a harmless "spike" protein that lets the coronavirus latch on to your cells. Then the immune system learns how to attack that protein — so if COVID does get into your system, your antibodies know how to fend it off.

The newly-approved Johnson & Johnson vaccine works a little differently.

It uses an adenovirus — a common cold virus — like a car to deliver its instructions for fighting COVID. That adenovirus isn't active in the vaccine.

Myth: Vaccines are being used to implant tracking microchips That's simply not happening.

For one, the government doesn't need vaccines to track you. Your phone already does that work.

If you're an Android user, visit google.com/maps/ timeline and you can see your phone has been tracking you. Or on your iPhone, go to "Settings" and click "Privacy," then "Location Services" and scroll down — you'll see a complete list of everywhere you've been, saved by Apple.

Any number of apps gain access to that location data and sell it off without users' knowledge.

Human Rights Watch and other watchdog groups raised concerns early in the pandemic about proposals for using location

data to track the spread of COVID-19. The American Civil Liberties Union is suing to bring transparency to government practices that include buying cell phone location information to secretly locate people.

"Among the questions we seek answers to is how the government can justify obtaining sensitive cell phone location data without getting a search warrant," the ACLU wrote in December.

Myth: Schools are going to force kids to be vaccinated against COVID-19 Ohio isn't making that a requirement.

Nor are there any vaccines that could be used for most kids. The Pfizer vaccine is recommended for only people ages 16 and up, and the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines have been cleared for use by adults only.

Sources: Lorain County Public Health, Ohio Department of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Human Rights Watch, American Civil Liberties Union

Thursday, March 25, 2021

Lorain County Community Guide

Page B5

PANDEMIC RETROSPECTIVE

How the numbers tell COVID’s awful story

DYLAN REYNOLDS THE CHRONICLE-TELEGRAM

I

t started with Lorain County Public Health’s announcement of a single case on March 14, 2020.

Then, 15 days later, a single death.

Over the last year, those initial cases and fatalities from COVID-19 in Lorain County have ballooned into more than 22,600 cumulative cases and at least 374 deaths locally, according to state and county health department data.

The numbers show just how many people have been affected by the virus. According to the data, there has been about one reported COVID-19 case in Lorain County for every 14 residents.

And at least one out of every 828 county residents has died from the virus.

Nearly 900 Lorain County students have tested positive, as have nearly 475 school staff members.

Across Ohio, there have been nearly 850,000 cases of the coronavirus confirmed since the pandemic began, and another nearly 150,000 cases that are considered probable.

At least 18,340 Ohioans are reported to have died as a result of their battle with COVID-19.

Among those patients who were reported to have lost their lives to the virus, the majority have been older adults. According to Ohio Department of Health data for the weeks ending March 14, 2020, to February 27, 2021, nearly half of those Lorain County residents

reported their symptoms began.

A summer spike peaked in the week ending July 11, when 183 new cases started.

But the third wave proved to be far and away the most devastating of the pandemic. In the week ending Jan. 2, 2021, there were 1,504 patients in Lorain County whose symptoms began. It was the worst week for the county in terms of residents becoming sick with the virus,

and numbers have generally been trending downward since.

Despite the recent decline in new cases, some pandemic tracking models have been showing the possibility of another increase in cases starting late this month or early April.

Concerns for another wave have led to even more focus on vaccination efforts, Lorain County Health Commissioner David Covell and local hospital presidents have said at recent meetings of the county's Community Protection Team.

Recent data from the Ohio             Department of Health, for now

at least, shows examples of

where vaccination against the virus has possibly had a role in case counts. Lorain

­

reducing County’s long-term care faciliwho died from COVID-19 ties, for example, reported a were age 80 or older. total of just five new resident Just one out of five people in

cases in the most recent reportLorain County who died from

ing period of March 10 to 16. the virus in that same time

In the most recent reportperiod was younger than 70. At

ing period for Lorain County least 208 deaths in the county schools, March 8 to 15, just have been tied to nursing

eight staff members were homes, according to state data

reported to have been diagfrom March 2020 to this week.

nosed with COVID-19. School The largest numbers of new

staff members in the county cases, at both the county and received their first dose of the state levels, have come durvaccine last month, if they opting three periods of increased and each increasing in severity shows that the first wave crest ed to get the shot, and second spread, sometimes called from the last. ed the week ending April 18,

doses are scheduled soon. “waves,” “spikes” or “peaks” In Lorain County, state data when 128 COVID-19 patients

Deaths by age group

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Page B6

Thursday, March 25, 2021

Lorain County Community Guide

© 2021 by Vicki Whiting, Editor Jeff Schinkel, Graphics Vol. 37, No. 16

S

ave for a rainy day is a phrase that reminds people to save money when times are good so they have money to use when there is a big expense, or the ability to earn money stops.

Most people save for a rainy day by putting a little money aside each week, or each month. They put these “savings” into a bank account or a piggy bank or even a jar.

Why have a rainy-day fund?

Missed the boat Fit as a fiddle Costs an arm and a leg

Can you draw lines to connect each umbrella’s twin?

Tomas had been putting 50¢ of his weekly allowance into a Rainy-Day Fund jar for a year. That totaled $26. So even though he wasn’t getting an allowance, Tomas still had some money if he needed it.

Wild goose chase Once in a blue moon By the skin of your teeth START

Piece of cake

How much is in Alma’s bank?

How much should go into a “rainy-day” fund?

Alma’s grandmother sends her $25 every year on her birthday. Alma is 11 years old, and her grandmother started sending the money to her on her 5th birthday.

Alma saved half of the money each year in her Rainy-Day Fund piggy bank. How much is in Alma’s piggy bank now? Write the amount on the bank’s label.

You don’t have to put a lot of money into your rainy-day fund all at once.

What matters most is putting a little bit of money into your fund on a FINISH regular basis. For example, if you get an allowance once a week, put part of your weekly allowance into your rainy-day fund every time you get your allowance.

Martina’s neighbor moved away last month.

Martina’s bike got a flat tire and she doesn’t have the money to get it replaced. She now wishes she had saved money in a Rainy-Day Fund jar like her cousin Tomas.

Can you think of a time when you could have used a Rainy-Day Fund jar of your own?

My Rainy-Day Fund Pledge

Expanded Numbers

I will put ____________ into my rainy-day fund each week.

This money will come from: Allowance A weekly chore A weekly job Other ___________

Coin Count

Kevin puts 50¢ into his Rainy-Day Fund each week. Amy puts 75¢ into her Rainy-Day Fund each week. Circle the coins that add up to 50¢ in orange. Circle the coins that add up to 75¢ in blue. Each coin can only be used once.

Definitions 1. In good health 2. Just barely achieving 3. Starting over 4. Something very expensive 5. A task that’s easy to do

Martina’s Money Mistakes

Martina earned $5.00 each week watering and weeding her neighbor’s garden. Unfortunately, Martina spent almost all of that money every week building up her sticker collection.

Idioms Back to the drawing board

Tomas’ parents gave him $2 every week for allowance. But when the pandemic caused his father’s company to close for a few months, his dad could no longer give Tomas an allowance.

By saving 75¢ each week, how much will When his dad’s company opened back up, be in Tomas’ jar after Tomas started getting his allowance again. one year?

But this time, he started adding 75¢ to his rainy day jar every week.

“Save for a rainy day” is an idiom. An idiom is a phrase that doesn’t literally mean what it says. Work with a parent to write the number of each idiom’s definition in the circles.

ALLOWANCE PANDEMIC REGULAR NUMBERS EXPENSE ACCOUNT SAVING RAINY MONEY CHORE COINS PIGGY BASIS GIVE PART

Look through the newspaper for five 4-digit numbers.

Rewrite each one in an expanded form using words instead of digits.

For example:

Standards Link: Math: Write out number amounts.

6. Lost an opportunity 7. A rare occurance 8. A pointless activity

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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

R R G S R E B M U N

A E C N A W O L L A C G O A I N E I N E

This week’s word:

EXPENSE

C U I Y E V S R Y R

The noun expense means a cost, an amount to be spent.

U A S G S I A S G H

The added expense of snacks at the amusement park was something I forgot to plan on before the trip.

O L N Y I I A D G O N R P A N D E M I C

T Y B Y M T R A P O

E S N E P X E N E Y Standards Link: Letter sequencing. Recognize identical words. Skim and scan reading. Recall spelling patterns.

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

Describe Dollars Look through the newspaper for words that

Standards Link: Vocabulary Development: Identify adjectives.

ANSWER: An umbrella.

can be used to describe money. How many can you find? Now have a parent try. Try to use as many as you can in one long sentence.

How do you earn money?

Do you do chores? What kind of jobs do you do?