Lorain County Community Guide - April 23, 2020 by Lorain County Printing and Publishing

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AMHERST NEWS-TIMES • OBERLIN NEWS-TRIBUNE • WELLINGTON ENTERPRISE Thursday, April 23, 2020

www.lcnewspapers.com

Volume 7, Issue 17

SCHOOL’S OUT STAFF REPORT

FOR THE SUMMER

School doors across Ohio will remain closed for the rest of the spring, Gov. Mike DeWine said Monday, bringing many aspects of the year to a close. While remote learning will continue, the announcement confirmed the suspicions of Lorain County superintendents — and the implications of the deci-

sion brought up mixed emotions among them. Many said remote learning has been successful and students’ safety must come first, but at the same time it is a difficult circumstance for the Class of 2020. Seniors have long waited for their last few months in school with friends, and now will most like miss both prom and commencement. Districts across the area are taking steps to recognize and honor

their seniors. Monday night, high school stadiums in Ohio were illuminated for 20 minutes in a show of support for soon-to-be graduates. The time chosen for the display — 8:20 p.m. — was selected because it translates to 2020 in military time.

AMHERST The decision had been expected for some time, but once it slipped SCHOOLS PAGE A3

Teachers finding balance between students, family

CALLING ALL PARENTS COVID-19 is robbing the Class of 2020 of its time in the spotlight. So we want your help to honor local high school seniors.

Here’s how: Send us a photo of your graduating senior along with their name, the name of the high school they’re graduating from, plans for after graduation (college, major, military, work options, etc.) and an idea of their aspirations for the future. Email to news@lcnewspapers.com! If the coronavirus pandemic cancels commencements, then we’ll bring a ceremony to you in our pages!

COST OF THE VIRUS

JASON HAWK DYLAN REYNOLDS

For teachers who find themselves without a brick-andmortar building to work at due to school closures, the line between educating their classes and parenting their own children has been blurred. Roberta McCarty, a Spanish teacher at Wellington High School, said she has struggled to find the right balance between work and parenting during the coronavirus pandemic. "My kids are a little younger, and I don't know whether that makes it easier or harder," she said. Declan is two and Maizie is five. McCarty said the days of diapers are over, but there are spills to clean up, juice boxes to hand out and accidents to handle every time she turns around. At the same time, 105 students are relying on McCarty via email, text messages, video chats and online lessons. "It's doable, but it can be frustrating," she admitted. "I definitely feel like I'm working more now than normal, TEACHERS PAGE A3

U.S. Postal Service Use Only

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

Kristin Bauer | Chronicle

Darrell McCarty, co-owner of Olde Town Pizza in downtown Amherst, cashes out Zoe Sekletar of Amherst for a carryout pizza order.

Devastating month for restaurants JASON HAWK EDITOR

Keeping a small restaurant up and running through the coronavirus pandemic has been draining, both financially and emotionally, said Christine Buzaleski. Bread-N-Brew, located in downtown Wellington, is surviving with a staff of just two — Buzaleski and her daughter — after laying off six other employees. The eatery is doing about a third of its normal business. "I'm hoping and praying that with what I'm getting in daily, it's keeping up with my bills," said Buzaleski, who has applied for a small business loan in hopes of keeping afloat.

Before the month was out, many in Lorain County temporarily shut their doors, such as The Brew Kettle in Amherst, Winking Lizard Tavern in Avon and Kim's Family Restaurant and Bistro 83, both in North Ridgeville. Some are hoping to stage comebacks. For example, Smitty's Place in Elyria plans to reopen for carryout in the first week of May. Those that have stayed open are on life support. They've made big changes to stay alive — like Uncle Bo's Slow-NLow BBQ. The Elyria restaurant is only open for drive-through service Wednesday through Sunday, has a limited menu and won't take phone RESTAURANTS PAGE A4

INSIDE THIS WEEK

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

Restaurant dining rooms were ordered closed March 15 to limit the spread of COVID-19. One month later, the industry has suffered staggering losses. "We've seen more than 51 percent of restaurants have closed. There is a small percentage of them that have closed permanently," said Homa Moheimani, spokeswoman for the Ohio Restaurant Association. The numbers are unreal, she said: In the first 22 days of March alone, the industry lost an estimated $698 million in Ohio and more than 100,000 people lost their jobs, according to the association. During the same period, Ohio restaurant operators reported a 45 percent drop in sales, and two-thirds laid off workers.

Amherst

Oberlin

Wellington

UH workers get burgers from star athletes • B2

Synapse Biomedical gets OK to use ‘Superman’ device • B1

Farms dumping milk as restaurants are closed • B1

OBITUARIES A2 • CLASSIFIEDS A4 • KID SCOOP B4

Page A2

Thursday, April 23, 2020

Lorain County Community Guide

OBITUARIES Anne "Nancy" Gardner

Lura Jane Dotson

William Phillips Haessly

Anne "Nancy" (nee Mirkil) Gardner, 93, died peacefully of old age Saturday, April 11, 2020, in Cranston, Rhode Island, with her daughter, Megan at her side. Anne Morris Mirkil was born June 1, 1926, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, sole daughter of I. Hazleton Mirkil, Jr. and Charlotte Morris Mirkil. She was raised in the Philadelphia area and graduated from the Springside School in Chestnut Hill. She studied at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston and later studied Early Child Learning and Behavior at the Hartford Seminary Foundation and Adult School. In addition to Philadelphia she resided in Princeton, New Jersey, the San Francisco Bay area, Chapel Hill, North Carolina and Oberlin. It was her beloved New England where she lived the longest. She raised her three children primarily in Simsbury, Connecticut and Amherst, Massachusetts, followed by her residing in Townshend, Vermont. As an early childhood educator, she taught for many years at Knight Hall Nursery School in Hartford and Roaring Brook Nature Center in Canton, Connecticut and with the Head Start Program in southern Vermont. She also served for several years as the innkeeper at the Windham Hill Inn. Her joys and passions were many, including chamber and choral music, summers on Martha's Vineyard, trips to Europe, poetry (especially that of her friends Galway Kinnell and W.S. Merwin), the natural world's simple and elegant beauty, the covered bridges and dilapidated red barns of New England, Democratic and progressive politics, fine dining, repertory theatre, cross-country skiing, the Boston Celtics and BB King. It was furry and feathered animals, primarily dogs, that were first among all things in her life. A dog was always by her side and would be frequently named first when speaking of her children. She is survived by her three children, David Hazleton Gardner of Santa Monica, California, Megan Elizabeth Gardner of Cranston, Rhode Island, Daniel James Gardner and daughter-in-law Ellen Morrow Sayles of Richmond, Virginia; grandchildren, Lucy Sayles Gardner, Henry Marshall Gardner, Abigail Presocia Gerrish, Madeleine Elizabeth Gerrish and Timothy Dale Gerrish, father of Abigail and Madeleine. She also leaves and loves her many friends and "adopted" children of all ages and places, both of the two- and four-legged variety. Nancy was preceded in death by her much loved brother, Hazleton "Terry" Mirkil III in 1969. A memorial service celebrating her life will be held at a place and date to be determined. In lieu of flowers, please send donations in her memory to the ASPCA (https://secure.aspca.org/donate), Greenpeace USA (https://engage.us.greepeace,org) or The Natural Wildlife Federation (https://support.nwf.org). Visit NardolilloFH.com for online condolences.

Lura Jane (Sanders) Dotson of Wellington left this world behind to enter into the presence of Jesus Christ, her Lord and Savior, on Thursday, April 9, 2020. She was born in Coeburn, Virginia to Alonzo and Lillie (Spears) Sanders on October 4, 1932. She was one of 10 siblings and held many fond memories of her wonderful parents and her years in Virginia. In 1952, she was crowned Miss Wise County but, having entered the competition on a dare, she chose not to proceed to the state level. On December 17, 1952, Lura Jane wed Cornell Dotson, who survives her and with whom she shared 67 years of marriage. They were blessed with four children: daughter, Rita (1955-2010); son, Stephan of Lorain County; daughter, Donna (Dale) Adkins of Columbia Station and daughter, Lura Marae (Thomas) Keller of West Salem. She was a grandma to 17 (two preceding her in death) and greatgrandma to 36 (one preceding her in death). In addition, she leaves behind seven loving siblings, Jackie Sulfridge of Coeburn, Virginia, Sonia (Kyle) Rose of Clintwood, Virginia, Doris Campbell of Kingsport, Tennessee, Rebecca (David) Fesler of Hartwell, Georgia, Joseph (Patti) Sanders of Coeburn, Virginia, Samuel (Sharon) Sanders of Castlewood, Virginia, Susan Markham of Coeburn, Virginia; numerous nephews and nieces, as well as greatnephews and great-nieces. She was also preceded in death by her brother, Everette Sanders of Elyria; sister, Nancy Nealon of Castlewood, Virginia and numerous others related by marriage. Lura Jane had varied interests over the years. She and Cornell shared a delight in bowling for many years and spent time together hunting on occasion. Some of her hobbies included making afghans, sewing and painting, with the bulk of her work being still-life pictures. Her love of life and people flowed over into her involvement in the lives of her family members and friends. When she was able, Lura Jane relished in fixing your favorite dish or simply sharing a cup of coffee or tea with you while you chatted. She was a member of Faith Christian Church of Spencer, where until recent years, she loved to sing with her church family. Lura Jane will be sadly missed but is now victorious with Christ. To all those she knew and loved, her last words would be consistent. Therefore, in the words of Lura Jane Dotson, "I love you!" Given the current COVID-19 crisis, a private burial will be held in Jackson Cemetery. Pastor Thomas Keller of Faith Christian Church presiding. Norton-Eastman Funeral Home of Wellington is handling arrangements. Online condolences may be expressed at www.nortoneastmanfuneralhome.com.

September 25, 1958 - April 7, 2020

HERBERT KEATHLEY, 83, and a resident of Lorain, went home to be with his Lord and Saviour Wednesday, April 15, 2020, at Mercy Regional Medical Center in Lorain. Hempel Funeral Home is handling arrangements.

November 20, 1954 - April 05, 2020

JAY BRYAN BICKLEY, 69, of Amherst, died Friday, April 10, 2020, due to sudden heart problems. Arrangements by Hempel Funeral Home. ALAN R. KNEISEL SR., 82, of Lorain, passed away Friday, April 17, 2020, at his home, following a brief illness. Arrangements by Hempel Funeral Home. GRACE ALICE WENTINK (nee Settle), 88, a resident of North Ridgeville, went home to be with her Lord and Savior Saturday, April 18, 2020, following a full and meaningful life. Arrangements by Hempel Funeral Home. To place an obituary or death notice in the Lorain County Community Guide, call our parent company at 440-329-7000 during office hours, Monday through Friday.

LETTERS Letters to the editor should be: • Written to the editor. We do not allow open letters or those to specific residents, politicians, or groups. • Concise. There is a limit of 350 words on letters. • Polite. Letters that use crude language or show poor taste will be rejected. • Opinions. We reserve space for letters that share a unique perspective. Press releases are not letters and will be considered for publication in other parts of the paper. • Free of advertising, product or service endorsements or complaints, poetry, language that could raise legal problems, or claims that are measurably false. • Signed. Include your name, address, and daytime telephone number for our records. Up to two signatures. • The deadline to submit letters is 10 a.m. each Tuesday. They are used on a space-available basis. We reserve the right to edit any submission for length, grammar, spelling, and clarity, or to reject any submission.

Robert Anthony Gaines "But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:31 On Palm Sunday, April 5, 2020, at the age of 65, Robert "Tony" Anthony Gaines won his fight against cancer and was granted the greatest reward of meeting his Heavenly Father. As a lifelong resident of Oberlin, Tony was dedicated to his community and believed whole-heartedly in the strength, endurance, culture of his beloved town. As a youth, Tony was a gifted athlete and a brilliant student. He would later serve many years as a Sheriff's Deputy with the Lorain County Sheriff's Office and volunteered his time to many organizations throughout Oberlin and Lorain County. He was blessed to have been a mentor to many and friend to all. Tony was devoted member of The Oberlin House of the Lord Fellowship, Reverend A.G. Miller, Pastor. Tony's greatest and most satisfying accomplishment was his family. Tony loved hard and was blessed to share his life with his wife of 37 years, Linda (Anderson) Gaines; sons, Korre and David Gaines and daughters, Diana (Justin) Williams and Melanie (Omar) Ramirez. Tony is also survived by his brothers, Michael Gaines, Eric (Vicky) Gaines and sisters, Patricia Bell and Melissa (Gabe) Valdez. Anyone that knew Tony knew that his children and grandchildren were his most precious gifts and there is nothing he wouldn't do to see them smile. Tony was preceded in death by his parents, Lois M. Gaines and Robert H. Gaines. Tony leaves behind a lifetime of love and friendship and while he is sorely missed on earth, we know that he is finally at peace, safe in the arms of Jesus. A memorial service will be at a later date. Condolences may be sent to 428 Washington Circle, Oberlin, OH 44074.

Bill Haessly, 61, of Oberlin, died Tuesday, April 7, 2020, of complications of advanced multiple sclerosis at Welcome Nursing Home, where he had made his home for several years. Born in Cleveland, Bill moved with his family to Asheboro, North Carolina before he was a year old. He lived there until 1968, when the family moved back to Cleveland, settling in Bay Village, where he attended elementary, middle and high school, graduating in 1976. He attended Cornell University, graduating in 1980 with a B.S. in chemical engineering, then pursuing a master's degree in chemical engineering at Ohio State University. He then worked at B.F. Goodrich in Avon Lake. He enrolled in SUNY-Buffalo, where he earned the Ph.D. in chemical engineering, specializing in plastics molding. He then worked at Kodak in Rochester, New York, where he worked on blow molding plastic bottles. In the late 1990's, he changed his life course and applied to the Peace Corps, taking an assignment teaching chemistry and physics at a Christian school in highland Papua New Guinea. While stationed there, he traveled in Asia, Australia and New Zealand. When continuing inter-tribal violence in Country escalated, Peace Corps removed all volunteers from Papua, and Bill continued around the globe, traveling to the United States via Asia and Europe. He taught sciences at two small colleges, Martin Methodist College in Pulaski, Tennessee and later Virginia Intermont College in Bristol, Virginia. In 2007, he made another life change, moving to Oberlin, where he first made his home with his sister, Lynn and her family, husband, Andy Young and sons, Ray and Rex Young, becoming fond of his nephews. His mother, Rita Haessly, soon also moved to Oberlin, and they enjoyed a close relationship. He purchased a home outside town and renovated it to be energy efficient, installing a Finnish soapstone heating furnace. He taught physics briefly at Lorain County Community College. He became active with an informal group of environmentally minded folks. He earned a certificate in Perma Culture. In 2013, however, his health deteriorated, and he learned he had secondary progressive multiple sclerosis, and he moved first to Golden Acres Nursing Home and later to Welcome. Bill is survived by his mother, Rita Haessly; his sister, Lynn Haessly; his nephews, Ray and Rex Young, all of Oberlin, and his dear friend, Bryan Burgess, also of Oberlin. He was predeceased by his father, William J. Haessly, in 1985. Because of shelter at home orders, a celebration of life will be scheduled in the future.

Nursing homes, prisons become virus epicenters JASON HAWK EDITOR

More testing has led to an explosion of coronavirus cases in Lorain County in the past week. There were 320 as of press time Tuesday, with 63 hospitalizations and 19 deaths. The county health department reported 463 people were quarantined and 232 were being monitored. The same day, 85 people had been ruled completely recovered from the virus. Despite lockdowns, nursing homes have become an epicenter for the spread of COVID-19. For example, O'Neill Healthcare North Ridgeville confirmed that 58 residents had tested positive as of Monday. All residents were being tested, regardless of whether they showed symptoms. The numbers experienced similar growth statewide. There were 13,250 confirmed cases in Ohio, with 2,779 hospitalizations and 538 deaths linked to the disease. State officials confirmed outbreaks in prisons across the state, revealed as Ohio started intensively testing inmates. Testing at one prison dorm in Marion found that more than 50 inmates, nearly four in 10 housed there, tested positive for COVID-19, although they didn't show any symptoms. The situation could be much worse. Gov. Mike DeWine said Ohio's extreme social distancing measures are "flattening the curve." That doesn't mean the coronavirus is being held at bay, but the virus isn't sweeping the state as ferociously as it would have unchecked. Beginning May 1, the governor intends to start allowing businesses to reopen in phases. Getting the economy back on track will be done over a long period of time to minimize health risks, DeWine said. A coordinated plan will be rolled out with the governors of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. "We must continue to assume that everyone has this disease because it is not going away until we have a vaccine," he said. "As we gradually, carefully, and responsibly start to reopen Ohio, it will be important that we all continue to work together to protect each other."

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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POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Lorain County Community Guide, PO Box 4010, Elyria OH 44036.

Thursday, April 23, 2020

CARES ACT RELIEF

Oberlin College, Lorain County Community College and the Lorain County JVS all received relief funds through the CARES Act. In total, $338 million was distributed to higher education in Ohio from the Department of Education as part of the COVID-19 response: • Oberlin College received about $1.4 million. • LCCC received about $4.9 million. • The Lorain County JVS received about $35,000.

WINTER CRISIS PROGRAM

Ohio’s Winter Crisis Program has been extended through May 1 and the Lorain County Community Action Agency has installed a secure drop box at its Lorain office for providing documentation. Modifications to service delivery have been made in response to the COVID-19 crisis. LCCAA has suspended face-to-face appointments and closed its satellite offices. Online applications are encouraged and can be made at www.energyhelp.ohio.gov. These applications are being directed to LCCAA and you will be advised if additional documentation is needed. Residents can also call 855-806-9620 to make an appointment, which will be conducted by phone. Documentation can be dropped off at 936 Broadway Ave., Lorain, using the drop box by the rear door near the parking lot. Copies of your documents should be left in the drop box. Original documents should not be placed there. For a list of required documents, visit www.lccaa.net. Be sure to place everything in an envelope and date it.

DISASTER ASSISTANCE

Working capital loans to help small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives and most private and nonprofit organizations of all sizes make it though the COVID-19 pandemic are being made available through the U.S. Small Business Administration. Applicants must have a credit history acceptable to SBA and show the ability to repay the loan. Collateral is required for all loans over $25,000. SBA takes real estate as collateral when it is available. The agency will not decline a loan for lack of collateral, but will require the borrower to pledge collateral that is available. Interest rates are determined by formulas set by law and fixed for the life of the loan. The maximum interest rate for this program is 3.75 percent. The law authorizes loan terms up to a maximum of 30 years. SBA will determine an appropriate installment payment based on the financial condition of each borrower, which in turn will determine the loan term. The law limits loans to $2 million for alleviating economic injury caused by the disaster. The actual amount of each loan is limited to the economic injury determined by SBA, less business interruption insurance and other recoveries up to the administrative lending limit. If a business is a major source of employment, SBA has the authority to waive the $2 million statutory limit. Applicants who have not complied with the terms of previous SBA loans may not be eligible. This includes borrowers who did not maintain required flood insurance or hazard insurance on previous SBA loans. Economic injury disaster loans cannot be used to refinance long term debts. For more information, visit www.disasterloan.sba.gov/ ela, call 800-659-2955 or email disastercustomer service@sba.gov. People who are deaf or hard-of-hearing may call 800-877-8339.

Lorain County Community Guide

Page A3

SCHOOLS

FROM A1 from DeWine’s lips, it was still hard to accept, said Amherst Superintendent Steve Sayers. "I'm just at a loss to describe how I'm feeling right now," he said, expressing frustration that students — especially seniors — will have to end the year stuck at home. Sayers played basketball in his senior year, and he said he can’t imagine what it would have been like to have that experience stripped away by a pandemic. He is upset for Comets seniors closing out their careers without being able to seek glory on the diamond or track one last time. Most Amherst seniors are on track to graduate, he said. Commencement remains an elusive target, with a backup date planned in July, and Steele High School staff looking at alternative ways to celebrate. "We are going to do our best to find creative ways to celebrate all of our students here over the last month of our school year," Sayers promised. "It's just so difficult to wrap our arms around," he said. “... "This is the hand that we've been dealt, and it's our job to make the very best of it.” AVON LAKE Avon Lake Schools staff had been anticipating DeWine’s announcement that students won’t return to brick-and-mortar buildings this school year for a while. “We have been waiting for the announcement, but we haven't been waiting to plan until he announced it,” said Superintendent Bob Scott. He said every day under remote learning is another day that teachers and administrators grow more effective at educating their students from afar. “We’re going to have learned some things that are really valuable for us,” Scott said. “Our teachers are going to have a completely different set of skills that they might not have had otherwise. Kids are going to have a completely different set of skills that they might not have had otherwise. There is some silver lining in here.” Still, he said there is a sadness around not being in school, and it is “frustrating and worrisome” that remote learning is not optimal for some students with different learning needs. “We know that we’re going to get back to school in the fall, and we need to be set to go,” he said. “You can’t get that time back, so we are trying everything we can to not only get learning done today but look out there in the future.” For members of the Avon Lake Class of 2020 that won’t all be under

the same roof again, Scott said there are some surprises in store that will be announced closer to summer break. ELYRIA Elyria Superintendent Ann Schloss was prepared for the school buildings to be closed for the rest of the school year. Last week, the district released a plan for each grade level and course for the high school for the fourth quarter. The district moved to a pass or incomplete grading basis for the rest of the school year. The curriculum calendars were distributed to parents and guardians for pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, and available online for the other grades. But Monday’s focus was on the seniors. In a letter to senior students, Schloss told Elyria’s Class of 2020 has been “dealt an unprecedented hand.” “No one can pretend to fully understand what high school seniors in Elyria and across America are feeling,” Schloss said. “But never doubt that your parents, your family, your teachers and school community wish they could change the course of events to properly commemorate these special moments with you.” Schloss didn’t have an answer for what would happen with graduation yet. She said a virtual graduation ceremony is a “distinct possibility,” but it’s still unknown. The future of prom and award ceremonies are also still unknown. “We know end-of-year ceremonies will not happen as normally planned,” Schloss said. “But we also all know that your achievements should nonetheless be recognized to the fullest extent possible.” The Elyria district has planned ways to continue to formally recognize senior’s accomplishments, which Schloss said students will find out more about in the coming weeks. Schloss invited seniors to send senior pictures and short descriptions of plans for after graduation to ask@ elyriaschools.org. “Despite all this, there are still important things that we do know,” Schloss said. “We do know that high school seniors will graduate. We know that the awards and recognitions you’ve earned along the way will endure in the histories of Elyria High School.” NORTH RIDGEVILLE Superintendent Roxann RamseyCaserio said DeWine’s announcement did not come as a surprise, and she has no concern that teachers

will continue to engage and educate students remotely for the remainder of the school year. To the best of her knowledge, she said, every student in the district has been provided with access to the devices needed to complete their work. However, Ransey-Caserio said her heart is breaking for students who are missing out on the traditional end-ofthe year activities, especially seniors who were preparing to walk through those traditions for the last time. Some have emailed her to express their concerns. “Being able to see your friends, sign yearbooks, attend prom — those questions are on the minds of our kids,” she said. The district is working on alternative dates for big events like prom and graduation, understanding that the situation continues to evolve as the pandemic develops. Administrators also have “a couple surprises up our sleeves for the seniors,” RamseyCaserio added. “They are little things, but nonetheless they need to know that we are here and we care,” she said. WELLINGTON "I think, based on the data, it's the right decision the governor had made, for sure,” said Wellington Superintendent Ed Weber. “I wish it wasn't, that the virus had passed, but that doesn't look like it's going to happen anytime soon.” With in-person schooling finished for the year, he is looking at ways to extend remote learning into the summer for those students who need it. Weber is also looking toward the fall, when a blended learning model might again revolutionize the way students are taught. If some COVID-19 restrictions are still in place in Ohio, school districts may have to consider moving all students to “the old kindergarten model,” he said, promoting social distancing by splitting attendance into morning and afternoon groups. The Wellington Schools plan to send out a survey to find what families need, especially as some parents start to return to work, leaving kids at home. Weber said he worries about the long-term stamina of teachers and students over the next weeks and months. Remote learning, while finding many successes, is not the optimal way to reach young learners, he said. Virtual classes and homework have a role, but some students are suffering because they don’t have face time with teachers, instant feedback in areas where they struggle and oneon-one tutoring.

TEACHERS

FROM A1 and I work a lot." McCarty said she feels less organized at home — and like many students she's been thrown out of rhythm by the statewide quarantine. She's tried keeping classes as similar as possible to how they were when held inside a brick-and-mortar school, just to give her students a feeling of consistency. But teenagers have adapted quickly to "the new normal" and have time-shifted their school work. They're not sticking to traditional schedules. McCarty said she's gotten a lot of messages between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m., and she feels bad that as a mother she can't always respond to them immediately. "I'm trying to adapt. I'm pretty flexible," she said. "But this is hard." Teaching from home, the separation between work and home have eroded, McCarty said, which has deepened her identity crisis. She's had to put boundaries in place, setting aside time every day that is just for her children and making sure they get all her attention during that time. Her husband, Edward, has eased the load. A nurse, he has a schedule that has allowed them to split parental duties, she said. "He's kind of been my life support," McCarty

said. "I think we make a really good team." Another Wellington teacher, Nathan Morris, joked that he is "cheating" his way through the trials and tribulations of teaching from home. His wife, Angela, has taught online classes for 11 years, and was primed to help set up an at-home workspace for the high school math instructor to teach his 98 students. "Anything that I've done, I've stolen from her," he said. The Morrises are parents to three girls: Fynlee, a third-grader; Camryn, a sixth-grader; and Taylor, an eighth-grader. Each has a designated workspace, and parents and kids keep the same school hours, scheduling regular breaks for heading outside, playing online and videochatting with friends. "We're all working at the same time, essentially. And if they need help, we make time after," Nathan Morris said. He is thankful that school is still being held virtually. Without assignments to complete and grades to get, the shutdown would be far more challenging, Morris said — instead of a grind, school "is definitely an outlet for them," he said. The family is missing the social aspects of the school year, such as theater pro-

ductions, travel basketball and track. "There's definitely some different stress that goes along with it all ... but I feel like we're functioning OK," Morris said. Avon Schools teachers Mike and Kim Fitch are no strangers to seeing each other at work. The husband-and-wife duo teach math in side-by-side classrooms at Avon High School. But now they are working more closely than ever before, teaching more than 250 students combined from the same house, all while looking after their own kids, Parker, Addison and Case. “When we are at work normally, we have a routine and we know what is going to happen when,” said Kim Fitch. “I feel like now, I am bouncing back and forth trying to teach my kid to read in kindergarten and then jumping over to my computer five minutes later to respond to an email, or trying to make a video lesson while my kids are screaming in the background.” Mike Fitch said it has been difficult to make the transition online and not see his students on a regular basis. “I know why we went into education is the relationship with kids and the interactions, and that’s

gone,” he said. Learning math over a screen is not as simple as on a whiteboard, some students have expressed to him. But for his own children in elementary school, he said it has been beneficial for them to have weekly Zoom calls with their teachers and classmates. “They need that. That’s what half of education has been down there. It’s just the social interactions and everything,” he said.

The transition to remote school work has gone better for some students than others, Kim Fitch has noticed. She said some of her typically reliable students have been struggling to complete assignments because of their home situations. “Kids who normally are up to date with doing their homework all the time, I’m noticing, ‘Hey you didn’t turn your assignment in,’” she said. “When I reach

out, they say, ‘I’m sorry, there’s just a lot going on at home. I have five kids in my house right now and we’re all fighting in computer time.’” Despite the challenges, Kim Fitch said this experience has been eye-opening for her. She and other teachers she has talked with miss their students so much, she said, that it has renewed her faith in the education system.

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Page A4

Thursday, April 23, 2020

Lorain County Community Guide

Interviews for new principal move online during crisis JASON HAWK EDITOR

AMHERST — Hiring a new principal to lead Powers Elementary School is proving no mean feat in the age of the coronavirus. April and May are the months when hiring is done for the next fall's

administrators and teachers. Social distancing is forcing those interviews online, said Amherst Schools Superintendent Steve Sayers. "We're working the best we can to make the best of the situation," he said. About 70 candidates have applied to step into the shoes of Principal Beth

Schwartz at Powers. She is taking a part-time role to spend more time with her children. Sayers said the position is highly sought-after, in part because of the brandnew Powers building that opened in January, and got just two months of use before schools statewide were closed due to the

pandemic. Fifteen candidates have been screened in interviews via the video-chat application Zoom, and Sayers said the next round will be narrowed to six or seven. Moving online even seems to have made some candidates more comfortable and relaxed, according to Assistant Superintendent

Michael Molnar. Sayers expects to call back three finalists for inperson interviews. "We'll all be a minimum of eight to 10 feet from each other, using good common sense and working our way through that process as best we can," he said. "These are obviously big

decisions, long-term decisions, and to hire someone without meeting them makes us all a bit nervous." Sayers said he expects to have a recommendation for a new principal when the Board of Education convenes in May. Teacher hirings will follow, with most contracts in place by June 1, he said.

Thank you walk for Oberlin grocery store workers BROOKIE MADISON

THE CHRONICLE-TELEGRAM

Steve Manheim | Chronicle

Annette Levine holds a sign in support of Oberlin IGA workers on Monday, April 20.

OBERLIN — Residents of King Street social distanced and walked to Oberlin IGA on Monday to show their appreciation for grocery stores workers who show up and provide food during the COVID-19 pandemic. Resident Dinah Volk raised the idea with neighbors a week ago when they were all outside making noise for health care workers. “It just occurred to me that we so depended on IGA and that they do such a wonderful job,” Volk said. “It was suggested and people joined in.” Volk said IGA provides a safe environment, has weekly bulletins about deliveries and food item availability. IGA owner Leo Braido said his customers are a blessing

and that the store couldn’t do what it does without them. “I moved here five years ago to make a living and make a difference,” he said. “We work hard everyday and I’m blessed to have a great crew and we’re humbled and very thankful.” IGA worker Peggy Rucker said the people holding signs of support were appreciated. “Even when they come in they thank us for being here,” she said. “That means a lot because they come in here and they’re not staying home.” Eve Sandberg also joined in the thank you walk. She has been shopping at IGA for 30 years. “These people have been wonderful. They’re at risk every day,” she said. “They are as cheerful and helpful as can be. Who could survive without them? They’ve done it with such grace.”

RESTAURANTS

FROM A1

orders or credit cards. "It's not bad, but it's not good either," said Pepi Danailovski, manager at Chris' Restaurant in Lorain. "We're just hanging around, taking care of the bills, but very little other than that." Restaurants that rely heavily on alcohol sales are among the hardest hit. One is The Bulldog Pub and Grille in LaGrange, a British-style establishment that's been reduced to carryout only. Craft beer, wine and signature cocktails were huge sellers. While take-home alcohol sales now allowed

by the state have helped a little, it's not enough, said owner Karen Hilberg. "We're basically bringing in just enough money to cover the lease and the utilities," she said. Her family opened the Bulldog in May 2019. With the business' first anniversary coming up, they've kept their full-time jobs and aren't taking any income from the restaurant. All other workers were let go. "It's been heartbreaking," Hilberg said. At least 50 percent of revenue has dried up, she said — and with Lent and

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Easter over, she's worried that Friday night fish and chips sales will plummet. "We're not going down without a fight, that's for sure," Hilberg said. In Amherst, business is as slow as Sonya Zelez has ever seen it in 13 years working at Sal & Al's Diner. "It sure isn't booming," she said. Zelez said she saw a sharp uptick in Friday night perch sales during the Lenten season — "Maybe more than we sold ever, and the phone was ringing constantly" — because fish fries by organizations such as the VFW and American Legion couldn't be held. But now sales have again slowed to a crawl, and Zelez said diner owner Dan George has delayed opening the new George's Tin Roof ice cream parlor next door until the pandemic is over. Olde Town Pizza House in downtown Amherst is "hanging in there" after also taking a large hit, said owner Darrell McCarty. The state's shutdown order cut 40 percent of his business right away, and his insurance won't allow Olde Town to start up deliveries to make up for the loss. Carryout has been busy each day from 4:30-7 p.m., and the restaurant's dining area has been marked off every six feet to allow about 16 people inside at a time. Customers picking up food have been generous with tips, for which McCarty and his wife,

co-owner Denise McCarty, said they're grateful. But once the sun goes down, people stay at home and don't order food, they said. "Thank God, we've been around here 35 years, and I really believe we're going to be able to weather it," Darrell said. "A lot of younger businesses probably aren't going to last." Ron Larson, owner of Strip Steakhouse in Avon, said he doesn't know how long he can keep his doors open. "Staying open to service people, customers, through curbside... we're not even paying for our operating expenses, to turn on the ovens, the lights," he said. "It's not working." A lot of the employees he's had to furlough haven't received their unemployment payments, he said, and there's no good idea when they'll be able to return to work. The steakhouse is just barely operating day-today, in large part because some laid-off workers are volunteering their time. "We want to put on a good face every morning. We want to say we're strong and we'll survive. But everything is working against us," said Larson. After 27 years in the business, he said everything changed "in one Sunday afternoon" one month ago. Larson said the Olde Avon Village has become a ghost town. At Aladdin's Eatery in Oberlin, manager Anna

Ondich said carryout orders and curbside pickup are keeping her restaurant open. "We have lost a lot of business, but probably within the last couple of weeks we've picked up a lot from when the pandemic started," she said. Ondich said the Lebanese restaurant was hurt when nearby Oberlin College sent students home for the semester, and the cancellation of in-person commencement will be another blow. Memorial Day, when graduation is typically held across the street on Tappan Square, is one of the biggest sales days of the year, she said. Chain restaurants are also bleeding, said Jeff Linden, who owns four Subway franchise locations in Oberlin, Wellington and LaGrange. "Business is tough, just like every other restaurant. We're not immune from that. We're not vaccinated from that," he said. Ohio's closure of nonessential businesses means his lunch break crowd has been decimated. Linden said it was obvious on March 15 that he would have to make drastic changes. "I went to my staff and talked to them right away and said our number one goal is to take care of them and make sure they have jobs," he said. About 20 percent of his staff voluntarily left because they were uncomfortable with the risks involved

with serving the public during the crisis, he said. Some were high school or college students who decided staying home was the best course. "We were able to do that without really causing hardship for the other people who needed those jobs," Linden said. In the meantime, he said his Subway locations are "on an important mission to service people who need food during this time." Linden has partnered with the Oberlin Rotary to provide $500 in free meals to firefighters, police officers, health care workers and nursing home employees. Some restaurants are reacting to the crisis by becoming "grocerants," Moheimani said. They plan to sell groceries from their now-empty dining rooms, stocking everything from eggs to avocados to toilet paper. While grocery stores are overwhelmed, trying to keep up with demand and experiencing delivery backups, Panera Bread, Big Boy and others hope to carve out a new niche, she said. The change-up is an example of how resilient the restaurant industry is, she said: "I know they will not give up." At the same time, the Ohio Restaurant Education Foundation has launched a relief fund for people who have been laid off from jobs in the food service and hospitality industries. You can give at www.ohio restaurantsrelief.org.

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LEGALS

LEGAL NOTICE In the Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division, 225 Court Street, Elyria, Lorain County, Ohio, 44035. Case No. 20DR087552. Lena Clifford, 165 Groveland Street, Oberlin, OH 44074,

Plaintiff vs. Charles Irvin Clifford, Defendant. Charles Irvin Clifford, whose last known address was Las Vegas, NV but whose address other than as set forth is unknown and cannot with the exercise of reasonable diligence be ascertained, and upon whom service of summons cannot be had in the State of Ohio, will take notice that on April 6, 2020, Lena Clifford, as Plaintiff, filed her complaint against him in the Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division, of Lorain County, Ohio, being Case No.

20DR087552, requesting a divorce from Defendant, and an award of a reasonable sum for any costs, expenses, and attorney's fees in this action, and for such other relief as shall be proper and necessary, based upon the grounds that the parties are incompatible, and that the parties have lived separate and apart without cohabitation and without interruption for at least one year. Said above named defendant will further take notice that he is required to answer the complaint on or before the 18th day of June, 2020.

LENA CLIFFORD, Plaintiff By: CHRISTOPHER P. REWAK, (#0085957), 300 Fourth Street, Elyria, OH 44035, Attorney for Plaintiff L.C.C.G. 4/16-23-30; 5/714-21/20 20661752 LEGAL NOTICE DATE: Wednesday May 6th, 2020 TIME: 9:00 A.M. PLACE: Council Chambers

ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS AGENDA

Disposition of minutes from previous Zoning Board of Appeals and Planning Commission Meetings. B.A. # 8-2020 2306 East Erie Ave. Variance requested to erect fence, five feet from public right of way on corner lot. Section 1125.04 (E ) On corner lots no fence shall be erected within twenty feet of right of way. R-1 Zoning Edith Banfy, applicant. B.A. #9-2020 1026 Lakeview Dr. Variance requested to

build garage one (1) foot from property line, and thirteen (13) foot six (6) inch to midpoint in height. Section 1129.03 (D) foundations for accessory structures shall not be located within three (3) feet of property line. Section 1129.05 (A) Accessory buildings may not exceed twelve feet in height measured at midpoint between eave and ridgeline. R-1 Zoning Ricardo Soto, applicant. Richard G. Klinar, ACTING SECRETARY, LORAIN CITY PLANNING COMMISSION AND

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Lorain County Community Guide â&#x20AC;˘ Thursday, April 23, 2020

Dairy farms dump milk after backlogs CARISSA WOYTACH THE CHRONICLE-TELEGRAM

Kristin Bauer | Chronicle

Nick Ziegler, a fifth generation farmer at Lettuce Heads, speaks about the micro-greens now sprouting at the Wellington farm.

Conrad Farm was there before the road was. Despite its longevity, the familyowned dairy farm in Grafton, like many in the county, is weathering the pandemic as best it can. For the first time brothers Rick and David Conrad can remember, they have had to dump milk down the drain. Dairy farms across the country have had to dump milk after processing plants were unable to handle the volume coming in as their supplies dried up. Rick Conrad said until the pandemic, he didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t realize about 40 percent of

the milk processed by Borden in Cleveland is used in restaurants. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Without a market to move that product out, they're getting real backlogged,â&#x20AC;? Dave Conrad said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And so the fluid milk coming in, they're just not able to move it fast enough and they're trying to redirect different plants and what they process and where it's going and trying to get the stores... to stop limiting the amount of milk that they're taking. The farm has about 250 milk cows, caring for 500 total, including calves and other cows not producing milk. The milk they are getting processed is also going for a lower price. FARMS PAGE B3

College issues refunds, some students still on campus

LIFE-SAVING TECHNOLOGY

JASON HAWK EDITOR

Provided photos

Dr. Raymond Onders shows how new technology is being used to wean a patient from a respiratory ventilator. Onders is chief of general and gastrointestinal surgery and the Remen Chair in Surgical Innovation at University Hospitals and professor of surgery at Case Western Reserve University.

Oberlin labâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Supermanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; device can be used during the pandemic JASON HAWK EDITOR

OBERLIN â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Paralyzed by a fall from horseback, "Superman" star Christopher Reeve was among the first back in 2003 to test a device designed to help patients move off respiratory ventilators. That early model has grown into a more advanced one, built at Oberlin's industrial park on Artino Street, and today it's helping people diagnosed

with COVID-19. Synapse Biomedical received emergency authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last week to provide its TransAeris diaphragm pacing stimulator to hospitals during the pandemic. The electronic device uses small electrodes implanted through surgery to stimulate the muscle that inflates the lungs. The Oberlin-based company is ramping up

Some of Ohio's businesses may be allowed to start reopening on May 1, as long as they take strict precautions, said Gov. Mike DeWine. He is one of seven Midwestern governors coordinating a long-haul plan to get people back to work as the coronavirus continues to wreak havoc. Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin have joined Ohio in the effort. "Reopening" local economies will happen in waves, like the initial

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COLLEGE PAGE B2

EARS?

The TransAeris Diaphragmatic Pacing Stimulator System is a handheld device that uses implanted electrodes to stimulate breathing, much in the SYNAPSE PAGE B2 same way a pacemaker stimulates the heart.

closure, but local officials cautioned businesses need to be prepared for a "new normal" amid the ongoing health crisis. Amherst Mayor Mark Costilow said his gut feeling is that schools will remain closed for the remainder of the year, but heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s relieved to see some light at the end of the tunnel for businesses. Restaurants and bars, however, probably will be among the last to be able to reopen, along with movie theaters and other places where large numbers of people gather, he said. "Those are the places with the biggest chances of passing it on to people you don't know. When you

OBERLIN â&#x20AC;&#x201D; After closing campus early in the semester, Oberlin College will reimburse 60 percent of students' room and board. Billing statements are being received this week, giving families some options: receive a refund check, apply the amount to next year's costs, use it to reduce student loans or donate the money to the college. "I have heard from numerous students about their sense of loss from a semester cut short," Oberlin College President Carmen Twillie Ambar said in a letter to families. "Particularly moving are the notes from seniors whose last days on campus and Commencement Weekend were taken away by overriding concerns for personal and public health." March 13 was the last day of classes, and the college required all students who were able to travel to leave campus over the following weekend. Professors moved their courses online at the end of the month. Now only about 250 students remain at Oberlin â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

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Page B2

Thursday, April 23, 2020

Lorain County Community Guide

FOOD DISTRIBUTION

A drive-though food distribution event will be held from noon to 3 p.m. on Thursday, April 23 at the Lorain County Fairgrounds in Wellington. Second Harvest will hand out free boxes of assorted shelf-stable food and more to provide relief during the coronavirus crisis. Be sure to stay in your vehicle. Food will only be placed in your trunk, and cannot be loaded into the front or back seat, so make sure the trunk is clean and clear of all items. If your trunk isn't clean, you'll be asked to pull off and will only be allowed back in line once the trunk is empty.

LETTERS Thankful for Eagles donation To the editor: On behalf of the Lorain County Sheriff's Office, I would like to thank the Ohio State Eagles Charity Fund and the Fraternal Order of Columbia Eagles for their kind donation of $2,000. This is not the first time that the Columbia Eagles has donated monies to the Lorain County Sheriff's Office. These monies will be put to good use in helping the DARE program, K-9 program and equipment for deputies. The Lorain County Sheriff's Office is not only doing the township schools for DARE, but has also added schools in the cities of Lorain and Elyria. I want to publicly thank the officers and members of the Columbia Eagles for their kind donation as they are keenly aware of the communities' needs and support many agencies. Phil R. Stammitti Lorain County Sheriff

Roundabouts pose hazard To the editor: On April 4, a motorcyclist fell as he tried to negotiate one of the new roundabouts on Pyle Road in Oberlin. Three police cars and an ambulance hurried to the scene. Fortunately the man was not hurt, but this accident did not need to happen. When I wrote last June with doubts about the planned mini-roundabouts, I did not anticipate the hazards. The concept alone – a low hump that one may drive straight over, whether inadvertently, intentionally or by necessity – is absurd. But worse, ours were engineered to be off-center. They were to “calm traffic,” but instead, they are an invitation to violation. Motorists in one direction must slow drastically to negotiate a tight curve, while those in the other direction glide through at any speed they wish. Drivers who do slow down waste no time regaining their speed, often noisily. Since traffic is typically light, many drivers choose to go left of center. I have seen others purposely speed up to go straight over the hump. Also, cutting left of center for a turn is much easier than following the 270-degree path dictated by the signage. Last week, I witnessed a near-accident: Two cars approached, one behind the other. There were no other cars in sight. As the first diligently followed the curve, the second tried to pass by speeding left of center. They nearly collided, and the affronted car rightfully leaned on the horn! The hazards have also increased for non-motorists. Both pedestrians and bicyclists can feel threatened if they are in or near a roundabout, because oncoming cars, ordinarily polite about getting over to give them room, cannot do so, confined as they are by the roundabout. Most of us have seen proper traffic circles. They are all over the world. Approaching Cleveland on I-71, a large traffic circle at the Tremont exit nicely controls a heavy flow of traffic. This is not our situation. Three mini-bumps and a “refuge island” at the golf course (allowing carts to stop in the middle) do not fill their intended purpose. Instead, they have added noise, annoyance, and hazards that were not there before. Rod Knight

COLLEGE

FROM B1 international students who would not be able to return to the United States if they left, and others with extraordinary circumstances. Tony Chi, a freshman, is among those who have stayed in the dorms. Flying home to China is out of the question, he said. "Going back to Beijing, it's about $5,000 for a ticket, even higher," he said. That's not much of an exaggeration. One-way flights from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport to Beijing this weekend are listed at $1,104 to $4,251, and would take 63 hours due to a large number of stops. There's also the small matter of a Level 4 travel advisory — a "do not travel" warning — issued in late March by the State Department due to the global impact of the virus. Remaining on an almost-empty campus is not the college experience Chi imagined — the gym is closed, there are no concerts and his classes are all online, even though he's on campus. He said the move to online learning has been tough. "You're not there, looking at a professor, one-on-one with a person," he said. Staring at a screen all day makes it hard to concentrate, and spending long periods in his dorm room makes time start to run together, said Chi. An emergency fund of more than $50,000 has been established through contributions from parents, faculty and alumni. It will be used to help students with financial difficulties related to COVID-19. "In these challenging times, we all are coping with the unexpected impacts of this pandemic. We appreciate your patience as we analyzed the pandemic’s financial burden on our families and the College," Ambar said.

BURGERS FOR HEROES

Star athletes support doctors and restaurants with lunch gift to UH JASON HAWK EDITOR

AMHERST — Piping hot burgers were delivered to front line medical workers Monday at University Hospitals facilities across Lorain County. Midway Oh Boy sent boxes stuffed with about 300 meals to UH workers in Amherst, Sheffield and Avon with a little help from some star athletes. The free lunch was a way to say thank you to professionals fighting the coronavirus, while also financially supporting restaurants that have been devastated by quarantine restrictions. "We're trying to essentially throw them a lifeline as best we can by purchasing these meals," said Rob Canton, founder of the Athletes and Causes Foundation. The nonprofit teams up with folks like Houston Astros pitcher Lance Mccullers Jr., Tampa Bay Buccaneers Receiver Chris Godwin and former Cleveland Indians fielder Matt Laporta to help charities. But fundraising events have almost all been canceled since the pandemic started, so Canton and company are using their

Jason Hawk | Amherst News-Times

Dr. David Branch and caregivers Adam Engel and Theresa Rak gather around University Hospitals media spokeswoman Kristen Kutina for lunch on Monday, April 20 at the UH Amherst Health Center. muscle to serve health care heroes. "The reality is that some of these nurses don't have time to grocery shop, and by the time they get to the store a lot of the food they need to cook for themselves and their families just isn't there — let alone the time to cook after a 12-hour shift," he said. Some of Monday's beneficiaries were UH Amherst Health Center caregivers Adam Engel, Theresa Rak and Dr. David Branch.

Engle said medical professionals have seen a lot of generosity in recent weeks, with gift baskets and Girl Scout cookies pouring in. While grateful, Rak said taking care of people with infectious diseases and protecting themselves from contagion is part of a normal day for health care workers. "We don't think of ourselves as heroes. It's just what we do," she said. That's not what NBA reporter Allie LaForce, who originally hails from

Vermilion, and former Indians pitcher Joe Smith believe, though. They worked with Canton to send the Oh Boy burgers, and shipped food from Cleveland organic cafe REBoL last week to about 200 Mercy Health employees in Lorain County. Tapping a vast network of star athletes, LaForce has been a force to reckon with, said Canton. "She's reaching out to the Dwayne Wades of the world to get them involved," he said.

Kiwanis donates $1,000 to Well-Help The Wellington Kiwanis Club has donated $1,000 to Well-Help to meet a growing demand for assistance in southern Lorain County. ‘This is awesome,” said Well-Help office coordinator Bernie Raab. “We’ve seen a demand increase from local families who have never had to ask for assistance before. We’ll stretch that $1,000 as far as we can.” In March, the food pantry served about 325 southern Lorain County residents, including 18 new families. Members of the 96-year-old Kiwanis club authorized the donation at

a special online meeting last week. President Paul Wilson said the club’s annual Morris Furcron Memorial Nut Sale last fall and the club’s Pancake Day in February produced excellent results. “We had outstanding community support," he said. "We have been supporting the Duke Pride Carnival and the Wellington High Community Day. When those events had to be canceled due to the pandemic, we decided to redirect those funds to serve the community in a different way. Kiwanis’ mission is all about helping

kids. This is just another way we can serve the community.” Well-Help is a nonprofit food pantry. During the COVID-19 crisis, it has been distributing food from 10 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday from its drive-through distribution center at the First United Methodist Church next to Town Hall. Well-Help purchases food from Second Harvest and Village Market in Wellington. Donations of food or money can be sent to Well-Help Inc., 194 South Main St., Wellington, OH 44090.

Spring meet canceled, so Comets pass the torch AMHERST — Runners won't be able to show their speed and stamina Saturday at the 65th Annual Comet Relays, so they're "passing the torch" online. The spring event, normally held at the Richard S. Cooley Track at Steele High School, has been canceled due to the COVID-19

pandemic. Amherst track and field athletes are clearing that hurdle by hosting the 2020 Virtual Comet Relays instead. Registered teams were challenged to create two-minute videos showcasing their school spirit. You can see the fun at www.CometRelays. com and vote for your favorite.

Amherst teens filmed themselves passing relay batons — OK, they pass cats, shoes, a chihuahua, toilet paper and more — in a wacky attempt to set a school record for wackiness. Voting will be open through Friday, and the winner will receive a Comet Relays spirit trophy.

States within another two years. That wait may now be as small as a year, thanks in part to the data that will be collected during the coronavirus pandemic, he said. The handheld device is akin to a pacemaker, but instead of stimulating the heart, it helps the diaphragm, Ignagni said. One of the biggest challenges during development has been making the implanted electrodes durable, he said. At 12 to 20 breaths per minute, the average human will breathe in and out 23,000 times per day and 8.4 million times per year. "If you take any kind of wire and flex it that many times, it's going to break. We've had thousands of these in people, and we've never had a wire break," Ignagni said. Now his concern is meeting demand. Production is scaling up to 10 times more devices than Synapse Biomedical has built in the past, he said, with all fabrication in town. Ignagni worries that won't be enough. About half of his 30 employees are working from home, and the others

are involved in production. And the Oberlin lab is taking steps to prevent employee exposure to the coronavirus that could further delay TransAeris production. COVID-19 patients aren't the only beneficiaries. Anyone in an intensive care unit could use the device for up to 30 days with a doctor's recommendation, helping to free up ventilators, said Ignagni. Synapse Biomedical is obligated to tell those patients that TransAeris hasn't undergone the same type of review as an officially-approved medical device. Its use also carries some risks, including potential infection, lung injury, pain, interference with heart rhythm and, rarely, death during the implantation procedure. The company also acknowledges doctors won't be as familiar with the new technology as they are with traditional ventilator weaning methods. The same patient fact sheet balances the risks against the dangers of being on a ventilator for a prolonged time: pneumonia, lung injury, damaging the airway and death.

SYNAPSE

FROM B1 production at three laboratory "clean rooms," said President and CEO Tony Ignagni. The technology will significantly cut the time coronavirus patients are hooked up to ventilators, according to Dr. Raymond Onders, a pioneer in diaphragm pacing at University Hospitals and Case Western Reserve University. The hospital system claims the technology could reduce ventilator burden in COVID-19 patients by 26 percent. “The ability to decrease the need for mechanical ventilation will allow more ventilator units for other patients at need,” Onders said. The technology has proven helpful in intensive care units, especially for cardiac patients, according to UH. “In spinal cord injured patients, we have decreased time on ventilator from 30 to 10 days,” said Onders. “Patients with pneumonias have a significantly decreased amount of ventilator days when (diaphragmatic pacing) is used.” Ignagni said TransAeris has been approved for Europe, and was on pace for FDA approval in the United

Thursday, April 23, 2020

Lorain County Community Guide

Page B3

FAMILY BUSINESS

Steve Manheim | Chronicle

Wellington police investigate a car-into-house crash Sunday on Kent Street.

Car crashes into house STAFF REPORT

WELLINGTON — A Ford Focus colliding with a house in a residential Wellington neighborhood Sunday ended with only the vehicle’s driver requiring medical treatment. The driver was traveling

south on Prospect Street toward the intersection at Kent Street, where the road comes to a dead end, Wellington police said at the scene. He continued past the stop sign, sending the sedan up onto a porch and through the front door of the house, where the vehicle came to a stop.

Naloxone was administered to the driver, who was transported for medical treatment, police said. The driver’s condition was unknown. The car’s airbags deployed and there was frontend damage. The house was not believed to have suffered major structural damage.

FARMS

FROM B1 Ty Higgins, director of media relations for the Ohio Farm Bureau, said his organization has kept an eye on the situation since mid-January when the first COVID-19 cases were discovered in China. Since then, milk and livestock prices have plummeted. “We hear the word 'unprecedented' over and over and over again with this, but there's no better word to describe it. I mean, this is something that not only have we never seen before, this is something that you could never plan for. And it's unfortunate, you know, even you and I outside of agriculture couldn't plan for this.” He added, “there are so many uncertainties with agriculture as it is. We have to worry about the weather constantly, trade, the markets. But this type of uncertainty that the levels have never been seen before has, has just added a new wrinkle that none of us were ready for. And unfortunately, agriculture is taking a hit because of it.” In Penfield Township, Jim Sheffield of Jaloda Farm is in a similar situation. A mix of his name — James, his wife’s name, Lora, and their children’s names that all start with “da” — the farm has been in the family since 1916. Notwithstanding snow storms preventing milk pickup, he’s never had to dump the product before. Watching milk go down the drain, he dumped about $3,000 worth from two days of milking. His farm has about 130 milking cows, 240 total including calves. “Right when the virus first hit people went to the stores and actually took more milk than they needed and they ran them out of milk and then after that they decided to put a limit on it but then that ended up hurting us in the long run because at some point... The processors were geared up to put milk in the stores but the stores weren't taking it because they had the limit on it and that ended up kind of hurting us.” Lorain County used to be a big dairy area, he said, estimating about 100 farms in Penfield Township during its heyday that have dwindled to two. Processing and cheese plants dotted the county, including in Oberlin and Wellington, before many started using larger processors to the north. Many of the dairy farms in Northeast Ohio ship milk to Dairymens in Cleveland, owned by Borden Farms. In a statement, the dairy processor agreed with Higgins that the current situation is something the industry has never seen before. “We have been going to great lengths to maintain our relationship with local farmers, including shipping their milk to other plants in Alabama, Mississippi and Kentucky,” wrote Adrienne Chance, Senior Director of Corporate Communications, in an email. “These activities have resulted in significant extra costs to Borden. We are working with the Federal Order market administrators, who are in turn working with the USDA, to see how best to address this issue and what aid can be provided to the farmers who still had to dump milk.” Higgins said some processing plants have had to shut down, not just in the

dairy industry, but for meat as well. “It's not going to affect our food supply here in the short term, but it is having a major impact on farmers because when your product's ready to sell, whether that be a beef cow or a hog, when it's ready to go, it's ready to go. And they're already losing money with every head. And so if they actually continue feeding beef cattle in the pasture or with grain, they lose money every time they feed that, that head of cattle. Same thing goes with hogs. The more you keep them, the more it's going to cost you to, to maintain them.” From wholesale to doorsteps Others, like Lettuce Heads in Wellington are changing their current community-supported agriculture, or CSA, to fit socialdistancing needs, and helping other Ohio farms in the process. Cousins Kurk and Nick Ziegler have run the CSA for about five years. The orders have been expanding weekly, Kurk Ziegler said. Since the stay-at-home order, the farm has been moving to offer weekly deliveries of their grocery boxes — from a vegetable-only option, the bulk from Lettuce Heads, to an omnivore one that includes milk, eggs and rotating cuts of meat, Nick Ziegler explained. “Our partnerships, really we're buying it from them at a wholesale price and retailing it at their recommended price,” Kurk Ziegler said. “That works well — except for when we run out of things and then we have to drive all over creation to get it — but it's been very easy to call and say, 'This is what we'd like to do, do you want to be on our order form?' and then we'll do it on a trial basis and if it works we expand that." He added, “As far as the dairy farms, they came and dropped off on Wednesday and we loaded like 20 (empty) crates into their truck and they were like 'Holy cow, you sold all this?' They were pretty shocked how fast it's selling. They're a small dairy farm that is in the right business right now, because if you know anything about large dairy farms it's not a very fun time to be a dairy farmer.” Conrad Farm’s Rick Conrad said there is an initiative to get excess milk in the hands of the countries’ neediest families, through partnerships with local food banks. Dave Conrad said often food banks give out nonperishable items, but donations can be earmarked. But as dairy and much of agriculture continues to take a hit, farms like Jaloda and Conrad are worried how long they can last. “The scary part is, even though they've been around for five or six generations one year like this can put them out of business,” Higgins said. While optimistic, Dave Conrad agrees. “It's not just our (farm), it's the whole dairy industry,” Dave Conrad said. “If they don't come up with some way to correct the problem, it's not just Conrad's, it's the whole dairy industry all across the state of Ohio, all across the county just can't produce a product for where the prices are today.”

Photos by Jason Hawk | Oberlin News-Tribune

Ed Neugebauer and his daughter Amelia show their 3D print farm, where they are making face shields to help protect against the coronavirus.

Pro-Mold VP making face shields with 3D printers JASON HAWK EDITOR

NORTH RIDGEVILLE — An almost musical whirring filled Ed Neugebauer's home Thursday, a symphony created by an orchestra of 3D printers. The machines whirred away, laying down layers of plastic that would become headbands for face shields. Neugebauer and his eight-year-old daughter, Amelia, clipped transparency sheets to the bands, creating a covering that hangs down past the chin. The goal is to give a measure of safety to "second-line" workers at essential businesses. "Obviously you wouldn't have these for doctors in an intensive care unit," said Neugebauer. "There are people out there in other places that can use them, like nursing homes and police officers... This is the new world we live in, and people need this level of protection." Neugebauer is vice president of ProMold, a plastic molding plant in Kipton that creates trading card and memorabilia cases. The family-owned plant has been shut down under Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine's COVID-19 orders. Workers have

been laid off, and the huge 20,000- to 30,000-pound molding machines are idled. So Neugebauer decided to put his knowledge to work at home. His 3D print farm can make 150 to 200 plastic headbands in a 10-hour day. A part that takes 20 minutes to print at home would take just 10 to 15 seconds to make at Pro-Mold in Kipton, he said. "The problem is the mold to make this would take a few weeks, and obviously we don't have a few weeks," he said. "So we're kind of improvising, doing what we can with what we have." So far, Neugebauer has made face shields for Northcoast Endodontic Specialists, Hofmann Plumbing, Northridge Health Center and Lake Ridge Academy, where Amelia is a student. Most recently, Hospice of the Western Reserve took 300 of the printed units, he said. Using shop towels, Neugebauer also created protective masks for the Cleveland Police Department. They look much like N-95 masks, but are slightly less effective. Neugebauer said he believes they filter 92 percent of particles as small as 0.3 microns. By comparison, the coronavirus is about 0.125 microns in size.

REOPEN

FROM B1 health and economic issues are critical,” he said. “From our perspective, we want to see more of the details, but we appreciate moving forward to some level of normalcy.” Oberlin City Schools Superintendent David Hall said his district is waiting for more guidance from the Ohio Department of Education on how to reopen. “We will collaborate and meet and develop a plan,” he said. “We definitely want to make sure our students are safe. Students’ and staff safety is priority one.” Wellington Mayor Hans Schneider said slowly reopening the village’s stores, restaurants and offices won’t mean Wellington is in the clear. "I'm really afraid May 1 we open things up, and everybody goes gangbusters like it's the last day of school and we're all kids," he said. "I think we need to be cautious, vigilant and aware of our surround-

ings.” Many of the village’s manufacturers are closed, and restaurants such as Dog Tracks Diner, Dimitri’s Corner Restaurant and Fort’s Tavern have been struggling. But Schneider said he feels uncomfortable “trading public health to help the economy, not that they’re not both important, because they are.” His advice to residents: "Being open doesn't necessarily equate to dropping everything we've done," Schneider said. He recommends wearing masks out in public for several months and continuing a strict regimen of washing hands, keeping a 6-foot distance from others and using sanitizer." Cautionary steps will be critical throughout the summer in preventing a second outbreak of COVID-19, he said.

85 SOUTH MAIN STREET OBERLIN OHIO 44074 APRIL 16, 2020

BOARD AND COMMISSION MEETING DATES ALL MEETINGS WILL BE Live Streamed @ http://oberlinoh.swagit.com/live 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, April 23, 2020

Lorain County Community Guide

Trees are Terrific!

On Arbor Day, people celebrate by planting trees. Why? According to The National Arbor Day Foundation, there are many reasons to plant and care for trees. 1. 2. 3. 4.

When is Arbor Day?

ational Arbor Day is the last Friday in April, but many states observe Arbor Day on different dates according to their best tree-planting times. To find out when your state celebrates Arbor Day, go to arborday.org.

Trees help clean the air! Trees bring songbirds. Trees make your neighborhood more beautiful. Trees save energy by shading houses in the summer and blocking cold winter winds. Can you think of some more reasons to plant trees?

Tree-Vial Pursuit

Answer each Tree-vial Pursuit question. What color do the leaves of most maple trees turn in the fall? A. black and blue B. brown C. red, yellow and orange Magnolia trees are famous for: A. big, beautiful flowers B. little stinky flowers C. pink leaves The shagbark hickory is named for its shaggy: A. fruit B. leaves C. bark What do people traditionally plant on Arbor Day? A. potatoes B. trees C. eggs

Planting Plan

Tammy wants to plant five trees in order of height. Use the clues below to list the trees in order from tallest to shortest.

The ideas for Tree-vial Pursuit are adapted from the arborday.org website.

Draw your favorite tree here:

Howmanymaple leaves do you see?

How many differences can you spot between these silly trees?

Which of these leaves appears most on this page?

What is the People’s Choice for America’s National Tree? The Arbor Day Foundation asked people to vote for the tree they thought should be America’s national tree. More than 400,000 responded to their poll.

16 + 5 + 2 =

Here are leaves and needles from the five trees that got the most votes. Add the numbers above the leaf or needles of each tree. The one that adds up to an even number is the people’s choice for America’s National Tree.

DOGWOOD

19 + 19 + 4 =

SUN

MON

TUE

6 + 3 + 12 =

3 + 3 +5 = PINE

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

SAT

Standards Link: Mathematical Reasoning: Use a variety of strategies to solve problems.

Trees areTerrific

Look through the newspaper for pictures and stories that show why trees are terrific. Write a letter to the editor using the information you find in the newspaper to support your opinion. Standards Link: Writing Applications: Write formal letters and persuasive compositions.

REDWOOD

OAK

Sam is looking for squirrels. On Sunday he spotted 3 squirrels. Each day since then, the number of squirrels he has spotted has doubled. In which week and on what day of the week will Sam spot more than 1,000 squirrels? SUN

11 + 8 +8 =

MAPLE

MAGNOLIA NATIONAL SHORTEST HICKORY FLOWERS DOGWOOD GLANCE STINKY ENERGY ARBOR TREES MAPLE BARK DAY OAK

Seeds of Change

Look through the newspaper for ideas and inventions that have made big changes in people’s lives. Describe the idea and explain what changes it caused. Standards Link: Research: Use the newspaper to locate information.

S H O R T E S T G N

S I Y G R E N E L A

T C A K E D T A A D I K I R A L N O N O

N O T Y B O P N C O

K R A B I O A A E W

This week’s word:

TRADITIONAL

The adjective traditional means something based on a custom handed down from age to age.

Y Y L T A R R B M G

In our town, it is traditional to plant trees on Arbor Day.

R N S R E W O L F D

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

O M A G N O L I A O

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

WhyTrees?

Do people really need trees? Write an opinion piece expressing your opinion about this.