Lorain County Community Guide - May 20, 2021

Coming Soon to Downtown Oberlin Jewelry & Repair

COMMUNITY GUIDE

$1.25

LORAIN COUNTY

AMHERST NEWS-TIMES • OBERLIN NEWS-TRIBUNE • WELLINGTON ENTERPRISE Thursday, May 20, 2021

Submit items to news@lcnewspapers.com

Volume 8, Issue 20

‘The world needs truth-seekers’ New York Times reporter speaks at Oberlin College commencement

Masks come off

Most pandemic orders to end June 2, says DeWine

JASON HAWK EDITOR

JASON HAWK EDITOR

OBERLIN — What the world needs are more truth-seekers and truth-tellers, Peter Baker said Friday in a challenge to the Oberlin College Class of 2021.

Baker, who attended Oberlin for two years in the mid-1980s and was editor of the student newspaper, has dedicated his life to a long search for truth.

Today, he is the chief White House correspondent for The New York Times, and has covered the administrations of presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden.

"Truth was not just a precious commodity, but a dangerous one," Baker said in a morning commencement address at Bailey Field, recounting his years chronicling the rise of Vladimir Putin's regime and documenting terrorism in Russia, crossing into war-torn Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan and reporting from inside Iraq during Saddam Hussein's reign.

The proliferation of conspiracy theories and "alternate" facts is what frightens Baker now.

Today, Americans don't agree on the most fundamental of facts, he said, whether it's climate change, COVID-19 or the outcome of the presidential election, he said People live in vastly different realities, seeking out information that's convenient to their beliefs.

"Never have we seen truth under assault the way we do now," said Baker.

The truth is neither Democrat nor Republican — Baker said he's been lied to by both parties — but the assault on facts reached its height under Trump,

and the 1858 march south to Wellington to rescue John Price from slave-catchers.

The college is also known for becoming one of the first colleges in the nation to in 1835 admit African-Americans. But Hicks said that step wasn't done with charity in mind — it was a financial decision meant to help the college survive.

Oberlin College made the

Ohio's COVID-19 health orders will almost all be canceled June 2, Gov. Mike DeWine announced in a televised address last week.

“It’s time to end the health orders.

It’s been a year. You’ve followed the protocols,” he said. “You’ve done what we’ve asked.

You’ve bravely fought this virus.”

Vaccines have proven to be a “tested and proven weapon” against the virus, said DeWine.

All Ohioans ages Gov. Mike 12 and up are now DeWine eligible to be vaccinated against the coronavirus.

On Monday, after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new guidance that vaccinated people can largely stop using masks, DeWine sped up his plans and dropped Ohio’s statewide mask mandate to match.

The governor has long said he would cancel health orders once new cases slowed to just 50 for every 100,000 people living in the state.

DeWine praised Ohio's recovery, but the numbers are nowhere near his goal. As of his address last Wednesday, the new case rate was at 123 per 100,000, admittedly lower than all neighboring states.

He said the state is now averaging fewer than 200 new cases per week in nursing homes, and 78 percent of Ohioans ages 65 and older — the most vulnerable age group — have availed themselves of vaccinations.

The danger of remaining unvaccinated is "crystal clear," DeWine said, and "the vaccinated among us feel liberated."

For those who haven't received shots yet, the danger posed by

TRUTH PAGE A3

ORDERS PAGE A3

Photos by Jason Hawk | Oberlin News-Tribune

Graduating seniors prepare to turn their tassels and say farewell as their time at Oberlin College draws to a close. Commencement was held in morning and afternoon ceremonies Friday at Bailey Field.

Summer term begins May 24 Move-in dates for the summer term at Oberlin College will be Thursday, May 20 and Friday, May 21. Students returning to campus are mostly sophomores, or have been studying remotely through the year.

Any students who have not yet been fully vaccinated must report to Hales Gym for COVID-19 testing upon arrival. Those who have Peter Baker, chief White House correspondent for the New York Times, implores Oberlin College graduates to seek out the truth. and now some elected officials are trying to convince the public the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol didn't happen, he lamented to students.

In his two years at Oberlin College, Baker said he learned

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

to look at the world with a critical eye and to question everything, to listen and keep an open mind. He also learned failure can be as important a lesson as success.

Henry Hicks IV, student representative for the Class of 2021, also talked about learning from failures of the past.

Oberlin's progressive legacy, he said, includes being a stop along the Underground Railroad, the fight for abolition

Copyright 2021 Lorain County Printing & Publishing Company

SUMMER PAGE A3

LCCC graduates more than 1,800 CARISSA WOYTACH THE CHRONICLE-TELEGRAM

ELYRIA — Lorain County Community College’s 57th commencement celebration saw the first baccalaureate graduates from a community college in Ohio.

Jared Dumont, DeAndre Lurry and Brandon Filker earned bachelor of applied science degrees in microelectronic manufacturing, or MEMS. They were among the more than 1,800 individuals earning degrees or certificates from the 58-year-old institution Saturday morning — putting it

“In an era of rapid change, you have remained focused on your future and you completed your degree.”

LCCC President Marcia Ballinger

one step closer to its goal of 10,000 individuals by 2025.

President Marcia Ballinger noted half of Saturday’s graduates are the first in their families to earn a college

degree, and 94 of LCCC graduates earned an associate degree while still in high school through College Credit Plus or Early College programs.

Another 365 graduates are earning degrees through the college’s University Partnership program, the largest class in its 25-year-history.

“When the pandemic began in 2020 and turned our lives upside down, you made the bold choice to continue forward with your education,” she said during the virtual ceremony posted to the college’s website.

“Faced with challenges, you chose LCCC PAGE A3

INSIDE THIS WEEK

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

traveled internationally must quarantine for seven days.

Oberlin College is not requiring students to be vaccinated to attend. Director of Communications Scott Wargo previously said the hope is that enough of the campus community will voluntarily be immunized that a mandate will

Amherst

Oberlin

Wellington

Beaver Creek trail gets messages of hope • B1

Holocaust survivor shares memories with students • B1

Wright earns OEA support staff recognition • B1

OBITUARIES A2 • CLASSIFIEDS A4 • CROSSWORD B2 • SUDOKU B2

Page A2

Thursday, May 20, 2021

Lorain County Community Guide

OBITUARIES Rita A. Lefler

Norman C. Craig

Lona June Indenbeisen

Rita A. Lefler, 87, of Wellington, died Saturday, May 8, 2021, at her residence.

Born in Elyria on May 28, 1933, she was the daughter of the late Louise (nee Slauf) and Ross Baumgardner.

She graduated in 1951 from Elyria Catholic High School and lived in Florida for most of her life before moving to Wellington to be near family.

Rita was a legal secretary for many years, receiving an American Business Women's Association award for her expertise. She enjoyed and excelled in arts and crafts, interior design, flower arranging, knitting, crocheting and making ceramics. Rita also liked to sell her art at crafting shows and donated hundreds of hats, scarves and blankets each year.

Left to treasure her memory is her son, Dennis Stewart of Chuckey, Tennessee; stepchildren, William Lefler, Jr. of Colorado and Mary Jane Lefler of Willoughby; five grandchildren and siblings, Dolores Bean of Oberlin and Norma Downs of Wellington.

She was preceded in death by her loving husband, William Lefler; daughter, Rita Louise; sons, Daniel and David Stewart and siblings, Leo Baumgardner and Marcella Kelling.

A Memorial Mass will be held Saturday, May 22, 2021 at 10 a.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 410 W. Lorain Street, Oberlin, OH 44074. Burial will follow at New Russia Township Cemetery.

Arrangements are entrusted to Norton-Eastman Funeral Home and expressions of sympathy may be given at www.norton-eastmanfuneralhome.com.

Norman C. Craig, 89, died Sunday, March 7, 2021, at Kendal at Oberlin in the presence of family. He was born in Washington, D.C. He graduated in chemistry from Oberlin in 1953 and married Ann Williams in 1955. With a Ph.D. from Harvard, he returned to Oberlin College in 1957 to serve on the faculty until 2000 and continued research and publication as professor emeritus until 2020. Over a 63 year career, Norm championed undergraduate research and excellence in teaching, as recognized by multiple national awards. For achievements in chemical science and service to society, he was inducted as an inaugural American Chemical Society Fellow. He was a trusted mentor and an expert on Charles Martin Hall's aluminum process discovery. Alumni donations at his retirement funded the Oberlin College Science Center's Craig Lecture Hall.

Norm was active in the First Church in Oberlin, in the Lorain Interlake sailing club, in ensuring free and fair elections and in his scientific collaborations at Wooster, Kent State, Ohio State and Case Western Reserve.

Norm is survived by his wife, Ann; their three children, Julie (Ralph), Mary (Markus), David (Jocelyn) and grandchildren, Margot (Kris), Nathan, Miriam, Claudia and Eliza and his sister, Betty.

He is preceded in death by his grandson, Simon.

The family wish to recognize and thank the caring staff at Kendal at Oberlin.

A memorial service will be held Monday, May 24, 2021.

Those interested in joining may contact First Church in Oberlin for details.

Funeral arrangements were in the care of Dicken Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Elyria.

Donations may be directed to the new Norman C. Craig Legacy Fund for Student Research at Oberlin College.

For online condolences, visit www.dickenfuneralhome. com.

Lona June (Thornton) Indenbeisen, 71, of Ashley, died peacefully Friday, May 7, 2021, at the Countryview of Sunbury Care Center. She was born May 25, 1949, in Lodi, to the late Keith W. and Betty J. (Rogers) Thornton.

She was a graduate of Wellington High School, Class of 1967, where she was active in the choir and Home Economics Dept.

She was a former member of St. John Neumann Catholic Church and retired from B.F. Goodrich after many years as a Clerical Worker. June loved to sing, music and all kinds of puzzles. She was an excellent cook, loved to experiment rather than follow a recipe, not always successfully.

In addition to her parents, June was preceded in death by her husband, Richard B. Indenbeisen; sisters, Beth Norberg and Sue Peoples and brother, Gordon Thornton.

She is survived by her loving daughter, Patrisha Indenbeisen; granddaughter, Haley Squires; grandson, Wesley Squires, all of Ashley; brother, Keith Thornton of Clearwater, Florida; twin sister, Lola Jean (Dave) Wagenvoord of Clearwater, Florida; sisters, Kathy (Bob) Wacker of Westerville, Ohio and Kelly (Keith) Urban of Hilliard and sister-in-law, Susan Didrickson of Placerville, California.

Private family service.

Contributions may be made to Bella Care Hospice, 2215 Citygate Drive #E, Columbus, OH 43219, in June's memory.

The DeVore-Snyder Funeral Home is honored to serve the Indenbeisen family.

Please visit www.snyderfuneralhomes.com to share a memory of June or a condolence with June's family.

Lenore Mayhew Laycock Lenore Mayhew Laycock died in Welcome Nursing Home in Oberlin on Thursday, May 13, 2021, aged 96. Born Rosetta Lenore Mayhew on May 29, 1924, in Ogden, Utah, she graduated in 1946 from Mills College in music history.

Following graduation, she married Frank Laycock on Aug. 16, 1946, in Berkeley, California. They lived in Chico and Riverside in California before settling in Oberlin in 1962.

An accomplished poet and poet-translator, she taught courses in Japanese literature in translation at Bowling Green State University and Oberlin College. Her translations of poetry from several languages appeared in numerous anthologies and journals. Notable publications of collaborative translation work included A Gold Orchid: Love Poems of Tzu Yeh (1972) and Poem Without A Hero & Selected Poems (1989), a translation of works

by Anna Akhmatova. Her translation of Basho School linked poetry with selected haiku was published as Monkey's Raincoat (1985). Her original poetry was also published in anthologies and journals, beginning at age 13, and a collection of her poetry was published as After Dreaming in 2016. She was a lifelong lover of art and music, and a talented and enthusiastic cook, gardener, and pianist.

She is survived by her children, Vera (in the UK), Christopher of Pennsylvania and Megan of Maryland; grandchildren, Jonathan and Tamsin (in the UK) and Frances and Katherine (in the U.S.) and great-grandchildren, Henry, Kate, Charlotte, Isabella, Edward and Clara (in the UK).

Her husband, Frank died in 2011 and her daughter, Deirdre in 1976.

There will be a private family graveside service in Westwood Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that any donations be made to Alzheimer's Disease or Lewy Body Dementia research.

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

For information about placing an obituary or death notice in the Community Guide, call 440-329-7000.

ROXANNE V. DEIDRICK (nee Maiden), 80, lifetime resident of Elyria, passed away Wednesday, May 12, 2021, at her home following a lengthy illness. Hempel Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

HELEN JOSLYN (nee Motzer), 94, passed away peacefully Thursday, May 13, 2021. Hempel Funeral Home is handling arrangements.

JERRY “THE BULL” JONES, 73, of Sheffield Township, passed away Saturday, May 15, 2021, at his home, following a sudden illness. Hempel Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

ALFRED SELENT, 91, of Lorain, passed away Saturday, May 8, 2021, after a long illness at the New Life Hospice Center in Lorain, following a full and meaningful life. Hempel Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

CLICK IT QUICK

Bruce Bishop | Community Guide

Lindsey McConihe sprints around a Jeep during the Marion L Steele High School Buckle Up Bowl event held Monday in Amherst. Students throughout the county are competing to see how quickly the students can go from seat to seat and buckled up. The campaign operated by Lorain County Public Health is part of an effort to get students to remember to use seat belts during the 100 deadliest days of the year for student drivers.

LETTERS Letters to the editor should be: • Written to the editor. We do not allow open letters or those to specific residents, politicians, or groups.

• Concise. There is a limit of 350 words on letters.

• Polite. Letters that use crude language or show poor taste will be rejected.

• Opinions. We reserve space for letters that share a unique perspective. Press releases are not letters and will be considered for publication in other parts of the paper.

• Free of advertising, product or service endorsements or complaints, poetry, language that could raise legal problems, or claims that are measurably false.

• Signed. Include your name, address, and daytime telephone number for our records. Up to two signatures.

• The deadline to submit letters is 10 a.m. each Tuesday. They are used on a space-available basis. We reserve the right to edit any submission for length, grammar, spelling, and clarity, or to reject any submission.

SOLUTION TO CROSSWORD ON PAGE B2

SOLUTION TO SUDOKU ON PAGE B2

ABOUT THE COMMUNITY GUIDE LORAIN COUNTY COMMUNITY GUIDE (USPS 673-960) is published every Thursday, 52 weeks per year by Lorain County Printing & Publishing Company, 225 East Ave., Elyria OH 44035.

SUBSCRIPTION RATES: $40 for 52 weeks in Lorain County; $45 in Erie, Huron, Ashland, Medina, and Cuyahoga counties; $50 in all other Ohio counties; $55 outside Ohio.

Periodical postage paid at Wellington OH.

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

Thursday, May 20, 2021

Lorain County Community Guide

Page A3

TRUTH

FROM A1

wrong choice by embracing a policy of "separate but equal" and segregating Black students, said Hicks.

He implored fellow graduates to blaze ahead and search for solutions to longstanding problems, saying the climate crisis, the pandemic and racial inequities — demand action.

"You have to choose to be a change-maker," said Hicks.

"Oberlin has given us a firm foundation, but it's on each of us to make that choice."

Joshua Rhodes, a second student representative, said classmates should follow in the footsteps of town namesake John Frederick Oberlin. As the community's minister for 59 years in the late 1700s and early Provided photo 1800s, he paved roads, taught Joshua Rhodes, one of two student representatives for the Oberlin languages, was the local medical College Class of 2021, delivers a commencement speech Friday. practioner and introduced new systems of gardening and irrigation.

Awards and degrees "It was his dedication to help where help was needed, seeking The Oberlin College Alumni Medal was Thanks for the honor," she said. little to no recompense, that led presented Walter Galloway, who has Honorary degrees were bestowed on to him finding and growing and been deeply involved in alumni activities, several recipients, including Baker. exploring the meaning of life," events and fundraising for decades.

Renata Adler is an author, journalist said Rhodes — now Oberlin's After graduating from Oberlin in 1969, and was a staff writer for The New Yorker name is recognized all over the he served in the Peace Corps and enmagazine. She is also the former chief world. joyed a long career with the Environmen- film critic for The New York Times.

Christopher Canavan, chair tal Protection Agency as a chemist and Adler reported on some of the pivotal of the college board of trustees, manager, retiring in 2012. events of the past half-century, including acknowledged that students are The Award for Distinguished Service the civil rights movement in the United being sent out into a complicated to the Community was presented to Gail States, Middle East and Africa. world.

Horn Wood, a retired teacher who spent John Harbison is a MacArthur FellowThe proof was plain to see, her 37-year career at the Western Reship and Pulitzer Prize winning conductor with masks and social distancserve and Oberlin City school districts. and composer. ing required at a commencement A 1970 graduate of Oberlin College, He has crafted more than 300 works, split into two ceremonies, each Wood served on the Oberlin Schools including three operas, seven symphowith about 300 graduates and Endowment Fund board, was president nies, a ballet and a substantial body of 600 proud family members, to of the Oberlin Heritage Center board of jazz. reduce the risks of COVID-19. trustees, championed the Firelands AssoMichael Sorrell is the longest-serving Canavan urged graduates to celciation for the Visual Arts and has been a president in the history of Paul Quinn ebrate the simple joy of gathering counselor for the AARP Tax Aide program College. together en masse. After a year in Lorain County.

He has helped to financially right and observing pandemic protocols, "I'm glad that over the last 51 years I secure accreditation for the historically they have learned what it means could help make Oberlin a better place.

Black institution. to be separated from each other.

ABOVE AND BELOW: Oberlin College graduates march into Bailey Field, where commencement was held this year instead of the traditional Tappan Square venue.

SUMMER

FROM A1

not be needed.

An 80 percent vaccination rate is the goal set by administrators. As of May 10, the college had reached a rate of 68 percent, according to its ObieSafe initiative.

No one on campus has tested COVID-positive since the week of April 19. Only 12 people at Oberlin College tested positive during the spring semester.

As of Friday, the campus mask requirement remained in effect. Wargo said no decision had been made about dropping the mask mandate, despite new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance that fully-vaccinated people no longer have to wear masks in almost any situation, whether inside or outside.

Classes will begin Monday, May 24.

ORDERS

Photos by Angelo Angel | Community Guide

Dhakar Robinson, Zarria Todd and Jacob Costello pose together Saturday for their graduation pictures at Lorain County Community College.

LCCC

FROM A1 to see the opportunity before you. In an era of rapid change, you have remained focused on your future and you completed your degree.”

The theme for the class of 2021 is opportunity. Twenty-one doors decorate the campus, recognizing the opportunities provided by LCCC’s programs, partnerships and certificates.

For Student Senate President Zarai Aquino, opportunities come from saying “yes.”

Aquino, who is working toward her degree in organizational leadership from Cleveland State University via the University Partnership Program, never thought she would go to college. The youngest of seven children, she grew up in Puerto Rico, graduating high school there at age 16. She expected to spend her time working with her mother, until Hurricane Maria decimated her home in 2017.

After a month without water, electricity or work, she and her mother moved to Washington, D.C., to stay with family. From there, Aquino came to Lorain to stay with her sister and eventually enrolled at LCCC. “Class of 2021, I encourage you to keep saying yes,” she said. “You already have said yes to new opportunities by being here today and earning your degree. … Keep saying yes when new doors of opportunity show up. Be sure to walk through them with hope and confidence.”

Erica Bigham and Jeriel Byron-Dixon pose together for their graduation pictures.

This year’s commencement had two keynote speakers: U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and Ohio Department of Higher Education Chancellor Randy Gardner.

“COVID-19 might be able to prevent you from walking across a stage ... but i would contend that no virus can diminish what this achievement truly means,” Gardner said.

He highlighted the three MEMS graduates, who all have full-time jobs in their field of study.

Cardona pointed to the community of support each graduate cultivated — from classmates to family members. Life changed drastically in March 2020, yet Saturday’s gradu-

ates came together with friends and family, volunteered at LCCC’s food pantry or sewed masks with the theater department.

“Tomorrow is a blank canvas and today, you’re equipped with the right tools and skills to fill it with vibrant colors,” Cardona said. “Today, you’re prepared to define your life and make your mark on the world. I encourage you to color outside the lines, and if you ever find yourself needing to tear out the page and start over, know that you have a strong, proud LCCC community for support to help you get back on track.”

The virtual commencement ceremony is available through May 23 at commencement.lorainccc.edu/.

FROM A1 COVID is just as great as ever — higher, actually, due to the spread of more aggressive variants, DeWine said.

Nearly 100 percent of new hospitalizations for COVID are now occurring among those who aren’t vaccinated.

DeWine's pledge to lift Ohio's health orders are a political necessity. The move comes as Republican legislators threaten to scrap them by a majority vote, which the party's state leadership promised would come June 23.

That's the day a new state law goes into effect giving the General Assembly power to strip emergency orders put in place by the executive branch. DeWine vetoed the bill, but lawmakers overrode the veto with a party line vote.

DeWine spun the situation as being about anything other than politics. There "comes a time when individual responsibility simply must take over," he said.

Health orders for nursing homes and other extended care facilities will remain in place after June 2.

It is likely cases will continue to drop as warm weather pushes residents outside, where they tend to naturally distance from each other. COVID numbers last summer remained extremely low before booming in October and November with the onset of colder temperatures in Northeast Ohio.

But the biggest factor in the state's recovery will be vaccinations, according to DeWine, Lorain County Health Commissioner David Covell and other experts.

Nearly 5 million Ohioans have at least started the vaccination process to date — that's still less than half the population.

In Lorain County, the numbers are a bit higher. As of May 13, the local rate was just over 45 percent, with 139,936 people at least starting vaccinations.

To convince others to roll up their sleeves for the shot, DeWine announced a $1 million per week lottery for adults who have received at least their first dose. The high-dollar incentive will run by random drawing on Wednesdays for five weeks.

Young people who are vaccinated can register for a drawing to win a four-year full ride to any Ohio public university.

hartblacktop@yahoo.com

1-800-619-7808 • 24 HOURS Locally Owned • Free Estimates

Page A4

Thursday, May 20, 2021

Lorain County Community Guide

State offers new guidelines for ‘Vax-a-Million’ STAFF REPORT

State officials outlined the procedure Monday to take part in Ohio's "Vax-a-Million" lottery for vaccinated residents.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said previously that residents automatically would be enrolled in the lottery, which will give away $1 million prizes to five adults and five full-ride scholarships to Ohio state schools to those under 18.

But Ohio Department of Health Director Stephanie McCloud and Lottery Director Pat McDonald said that participants will have to opt in.

Participants can enter online at www.ohiovaxamillion.com or by calling the health department call center at (833) 427-5634 between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m.

Registrations will be accepted through the end of the day June 20. Eligibility requirements are: • Must be a living citizen of the United States and a permanent resident of the state of Ohio.

PIRATES PROMENADE

• Must be at least 12 years of age.

• Must not be incarcerated (in prison or jail) for a felony conviction under the laws of this state, another state, or the United States.

• Must not be an employee or officer of the Ohio Lottery Commission, the Ohio Department of Health or the Ohio Governor's Office, or any blood relative or spouse of such an employee or officer living as a member of the employee's or officer's household.

• Must have received at least the first COVID-19 vaccination if receiving the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or one dose if receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, prior to the drawing date.

Winners will be announced Wednesdays, starting May 26, around 7:29 p.m., the same time as evening lottery numbers are drawn, and ending June 23.

Locally, the drawings will be announced on WEWSTV, and posted afterward on the Vax-a-million website.

The money to pay for this campaign comes from federal relief funds.

Photos by Russ Gifford | Wellington Enterprise

Black River's prom was held at the Ashland University Convocation Center.

ABOVE: Lilly Nixon and Trace Bricker are the Black River prom queen and king for 2021.

LEFT: Black River’s Andon O’Neal and Wellington’s McKenna Chappell share a smile and a dance.

BELOW: Pirates softball players Ashley Kalman, Kennedy Petruzzi, Rhianna Fulk, Emma Stief and Sydney Simonson pose for a shot.

Repairs force planned Oberlin power outage OBERLIN — A citywide power outage is planned for roughly 8 a.m. to noon Sunday to fix an issue at the source of First Energy's feed for the entire city of Oberlin.

A failed cross-arm brace was discovered on the 69,000-kilovolt transmission line located between Quarry and Pyle roads, according to a release from Oberlin Municipal Light and Power Systems Director Doug McMillan.

He said First Energy must take the line out of service to make repairs, which will take three to four hours.

The Sunday work is tentatively scheduled and could be changed later in the week.

Emergency services will not be interrupted during the outage, McMillan said.

Lady Nesters Golf League plans its 45th anniversary

There are openings for new members in the Lady Nesters Golf League, which plays at Pheasant Run Golf course in LaGrange.

During May, members play for practice and establishment of handicap. From the beginning of June through the end of August, they play on Thursday afternoons with tee off times from 4-5:30 p.m. There are prizes throughout the season and an end- of- year celebration with food and prizes.

This is a fun group of ladies from Wellington, Oberlin and surrounding areas. If you are interested in joining, call Pat at (440) 567-2387 or Barb at (440) 935-1976.

CLASSIFIEDS LEGALS PUBLICATION OF LEGISLATION The following is a summary of legislation adopted by Lorain City Council on May 3, 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 19-21 Submitting a ballot question to the electors of the City of Lorain, changing the terms of members of the legislative authority and the President of Council from 2 to 4 year staggered terms.

Ordinance 68-21 Auth the S/S Director to enter into a contract w/ Coldwater Consulting LLC for prof services related to the Martin's Run Wetlands & Stream Restoration Project.

69-21* Auth S/S Director to file, receive and execute all paperwork to apply for and receive, if awarded, grant funding through the ODNR Erosion Emergency Assistance grant.

70-21 Auth the S/S Director to enter into a contract with the lowest/best bidder- HEPACO LLC for the Black River AOC Remediation & Restoration Program & Seep Remediation System Improvement Project.

71-21* Auth the issuance/ sale of notes in anticipation of bonds, maximum amount

of $2,835,000 to refund notes issued to pay the cost of the Broadway Streetscape Project improvements, together w/ necessary appurtenances and costs of issuance of said bonds. 72-21 Approving the CBA between the City of Lorain and the FOP Lodge #3 (1/1/20-12/31/22). 73-21* Auth all City of Lorain employees to have/use paid vaccine leave in order to receive and COVID-19 vaccines or recover from the side effects. 74-21* Appropriation (*Denotes legislation was passed as an emergency.)

L.C.C.G. 5/13-20/21 20682341 LEGAL NOTICE IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS COUNTY OF LORAIN COUNTY, OHIO - TRUSTEES OF THE OBERLIN LODGE NO. 380, FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS OF OHIO, PLAINTIFF VS. THE UNKNOWN HEIRS, DEVISEES, LEGATEES, NEXT OF KIN AND ASSIGNS OF WILLIAM F. COBB, DECEASED, ET AL., DEFENDANTS, CASE NO. 21CV202839, NOTICE OF SUIT FOR DECLARATORY JUDGMENT AND TO QUIET TITLE. The unknown heirs, devisees, legatees, next of kin and assigns of William F. Cobb, deceased and the unknown heirs, devisees, legatees, next of kin and assigns of Nadiene J. Cobb deceased whose names and addresses are unknown and cannot by reasonable diligence be ascertained, take notice that on the 23rd day of February, 2021, The Trustees of the Oberlin Lodge

No. 380, free and accepted Masons of Ohio filed a Complaint in the Common Pleas Court of Lorain County, Ohio in Case No. 21CV202839 of the docket of the Court, the object of which is to request that a certain restriction contained in a deed for real property located at 12354 State Route 58, Oberlin, Ohio 44074 given to Plaintiff by William F. Cobb and Nadiene J. Cobb, dated June 6, 1970 and recorded at Vol. 1006, Pg. 896 of the Lorain County Records be declared, null, void and unenforceable; that the Court declare that Plaintiff holds title to the property free and clear of the restriction; that Plaintiff's title in and to the property be quieted against any claim or interest of the Defendants or any of them and all others claiming through or under them; that the Defendants be required to set up their claims, rights or interests or be forever barred and for all such further legal and equitable relief to which Plaintiff may be entitled.

The above named Defendants are required to answer within 28 days after last date of this publication which shall be once a week for six (6) consecutive weeks or they may be denied a hearing in this case and judgment may be entered against them.

Jon D. Clark, Esq. (Sup. Ct. #0061130), Severs and Clark Co., L.P.A. 5 South Main Street, Suite 100, Oberlin Ohio 44074, (440) 774-1278, email: jclark@severs-clark.com.

L.C.C.G. 5/6-13-20-27; 6/3-10/21 20681883

SPRING WORK Provided photo

Amherst Garden Club members Nancy Reichert and Michaelen Udovich are busy planting flowers at the Quigley Museum.

The Garden Club would like to thank Amherst Historical Society, Pandys and Don Molds for their support this year.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR Thank you to those who support Wellington students To the editor: Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. Wellington High School students heading to college benefit each year from three hometown heroes supporting college scholarships.

The Wellington Wrestling Federation created the Jason Hartman Memorial Scholarship in 2002 to honor Jason and his contribution to the Wellington wrestling program.

Jason’s accomplishments included four times as Lorain County Conference champion, National High School All-American and three-time state qualifier. Jason continued his education at Hofstra University on a wrestling scholarship.

Tragically, his life was cut short by a malignant brain tumor and he passed away in 1995. This scholarship, administered through the Wel-

lington Schools Endowment Fund, enables his spirit, drive and love of life to continue.

The Rex Brasee Memorial Scholarship continues the memory of Rex, who spent 12 years in the Wellington Schools. He lettered in football, basketball, baseball and track and volunteered to coach youth football and basketball. In 1988, Rex lost his life in an automobile accident. His family sponsored softball and golf tournaments to support a scholarship for Wellington athletes and in 2005 the family endowed a scholarship through the Endowment Fund to honor his memory.

The Wellington Fraternal Order of the Eagles supports many charitable causes each year and has donated over $800,000 to charities since 2004.

Close to home, that giving includes

providing college scholarships to deserving Wellington High School students. The scholarship, which gives additional consideration to students whose families are F.O.E. members, was created in 2004 through the Endowment Fund and has supported dozens of students in recent years.

Over the years, many Wellington families and organizations have created legacy scholarships to benefit future generations. The list, which you can find on the Wellington Schools website, is a history lesson of our village. On behalf of the Endowment Fund board and Wellington High students, thanks to all of these heroes for their support and encouragement for Wellington students.

David Moffatt Member, Wellington Schools Endowment Fund

Thursday, May 20, 2021

Lorain County Community Guide

Page A5

LORAIN COUNTY POLICE MEMORIAL

Yost rails against ‘defund the police’ JASON HAWK EDITOR

ELYRIA — The names of 22 fallen law enforcement officers were intoned last Thursday morning, their sacrifices remembered by those who gathered in uniform for the annual Lorain County Police Memorial ceremony.

The line-of-duty losses span 135 years, from the death of Oberlin Constable Frank Stone in 1881 to Ohio State Highway Patrol Trooper Kenneth Velez in 2016.

Speaking to a crowd assembled on Third Street in front of the old county courthouse, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost paid tribute to those who swear to enforce the law of the land.

"Each day they put on the uniform and the badge, and they walk out on the street to confront violence and evil at the risk of their own lives," he said.

The Officer Down Memorial Photos by Jason Hawk | Community Guide Page, a nonprofit group, memorializes more than 24,000 Ameri- A flag is carried forward by an honor guard comprised of officers from area law enforcement agencies on Thursday, May can law enforcement officers who 13, during the Lorain County Police Memorial in downtown Elyria. have died in the line of duty since ◄ Wellington Police Chief 1776.

Tim Barfield pays his reIn 2020, it counted 362 line of spects with a salute. duty deaths across the country.

The overwhelming majority — tion."

234 deaths — were attributed to The "vast majority" of AmeriCOVID-19, not violence. cans support law enforcement, The nonprofit's statistics show said Yost.

59 officers died last year by asAn Ipsos poll released in March sault or gunfire, not including showed 49 percent of Americans accidental firearms discharges. believe law and order is the most So far this year, there have important thing to ensure, while been 125 line of duty deaths 31 percent felt the most impornationwide, according to Officer tant protection is the ConstituDown. Of those, 72 were due to tional right to peaceful protest. the coronavirus, heart attacks or Those numbers are strikingly other health issues. sometimes plain injustice," said different than last June, when Yost, a Republican, used his Yost. "We can't deny that. But attitudes were split and protests time at the microphone to talk what we have to ask is whether against police brutality and racial at length about his opposition these incidents are the norm or biases were held nationwide. to a national call to "defund the the exception."

Now 69 percent trust local law police."

For every officer who makes enforcement to promote justice Doing so would entail movOhio Attorney General Dave Yost speaks about public a mistake or commits a crime, and equal treatment for people of ing money from law enforceperception of police officers in the United States. there are thousands who do the all races, up from 56 percent last ment budgets to social services, year, Ipsos' research found. downsizing the role of police in former Minneapolis police officer volving an on-duty police officer right thing, helping people in desperate need, he said. And At the same time, trust in the response to school discipline, Derek Chauvin. in the United States. steps are being taken to weed Black Lives Matter movement drug overdoses and mental health In the past year, 973 people Since then, the project has "bad actors" from the ranks. sank from 60 to 50 percent. crises — all of which Yost said have been shot and killed by podocumented more than 5,000 Yost compared the "small handYost objected to "knee jerk have been increasingly laid on of- lice, according to The Washingsuch fatal incidents. It found the ful of cops who do wrong" to demonization" of law enforceficers' shoulders in recent years. ton Post's ongoing "Fatal Force" FBI tally of fatal police shootthose doctors who commit malment, which he said is a noble Defunding the police has been project. ings was undercounted by half, and worthy profession. a central issue for the racial jusIn 2015, after an unarmed since police departments provide practice and harm patients.

Yet there are no calls for health He said every officer deserves the tice movement in reaction to the Black man named Michael that information to the FBI on a care to be defunded, he said, and presumption that they act in good killings of Black people by law Brown was killed by police in voluntary basis. "nobody shoots at doctors — faith to the best of their ability and enforcement, such as the 2020 Ferguson, Missouri, the Post "Like all things human, there that's not part of the job descriptraining until proven otherwise. suffocation of George Floyd by started logging every shooting in- are flaws and mistakes, and -Advertorial-

Local Company Ends Clogged Gutters Jim Carbone Elyria’s Gutter Cover Company

Gutter Protection products have many different designs, but the goal has always been the same- Keep the Leaves out and let the rainwater in.

Here are some strategic details to look for when choosing a gutter cover and who to call to install it. A good gutter cover needs to perform in certain areas in order to be successful: • Must allow debris like small leaves, needles, spinners, seedpods and roof shingle grit to naturally slide off the cover.

• Must handle heavy amounts of rainwater without overflowing.

• Must be wind resistant and strong enough not to “cavein” under heavy snow loads.

• Must not require any trips up the ladder to maintain performance.

• Cannot have vertical openings like screens or filters that can clog easily.

Don’t be fooled…All screens can clog!

The Gutter Cover Company has been installing Gutter Topper for almost 23 years.

Gutter Topper is proudly manufactured right here in Ohio and made to withstand our wicked weather. It is a smooth, solid aluminum cover that has no holes or gaps on top. A sloped, self-shedding design prevents spinners, pine needles, shingle grit or

seedpods from clogging the gutter. Gutter Topper can handle heavy downpours of up to 22 inches of rain per hour and 110 mph winds. It also features a lifetime transferable performance warranty. Many competing gutter guards require full replacement of both gutters and downspouts.

Gutter Topper installs over your existing gutters, and each installation includes cleaning, tightening, resealing and properly aligning your gutters. New seamless gutters are also available.

The Gutter Cover Company also offers a safe and effective way to stop big icicles and ice damming. An optional add-on product called Heater Cap can be installed with or without Gutter Topper that gently heats the gutter area with a self-regulated heat cable. Heater Cap can be installed on most existing gutter covers.

Hiring the right company to install the cover correctly is very important. The Gutter Cover Company has a proven track record of success in Northeast Ohio and the locals have been referring their friends and neighbors for years.

“Our company takes pride in solving gutter problems the right way. Our product, experience and attention to detail really make us stand out from the big box stores and other competitors. Free estimates are always punctual and

professional, but still friendly and casual.” -Jim Carbone, Owner You can reach The Gutter Cover Company at 440-3660688 or 1-800-335- 4367.

View short videos of Gutter

Topper and Heater Cap at: www.gutterguard1.com.

The Gutter Cover Company is your locally owned and operated source for the ultimate in gutter protection.

Schedule a free estimate by June 27, 2021, and receive a $300 discount on Gutter Topper or Heater Cap when you mention this story.

Additional discounts available for seniors and veterans.

Jim Carbone is the owner of Elyria’s Gutter Cover Company,

Shop Local and See the Difference!

TIME TO RETIRE YOUR LADDER!

INSTALLS OVER EXISTING GUTTERS

• Smooth, sloped and self-shedding profile works great for maple spinners, pine needles, roof grit and other small leaves.

• Lifetime Performance Warranty.

• NOT a screen or filter that can clog.

• Installation Includes: - Gutter & Downspout Cleaning - Resealing Seams & Tightening - Proper Slope Alignment

• Proven to handle heavy rains and 110mph winds.

• Patented “Bird Guard System” and comes in 14 colors.

• Proudly located in Elyria and locally owned since 1998.

FREE ESTIMATES • SENIOR DISCOUNTS • VETERAN DISCOUNTS

SPRING SPECIAL

$300 OFF

Your Order (Minimum footage required) Offer Expires 6/27/21

Always On-Time, Friendly and Professional

440-366-0688 gutterguard1.com

Heat Available For Open Gutters & Most Existing Gutter Covers

Page A6

Thursday, May 20, 2021

Lorain County Community Guide

Find Us On

Fligners/MeatUsHere

Ohio’s #1 Independent Grocery Store

By Ohio Grocers Association

1854 Broadway Lorain, OH (440) 244-5173

OPEN Daily - 8am - 6pm Sunday 8am - 2pm Flignersmarket.com

To receive up to the minute specials, text “Fligners” to 855-261-0566

Prices Good for These Days in MAY 2021

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

We Honor All W.I.C. And EBT

GROCERY HOME DELIVERY AVAILABLE NOW AT FLIGNERSMARKET.COM LET US DO THE SHOPPING FOR YOU!

Hind Qtr. 180-200 lbs. $349 Front Qtr. 200-220 lbs. $319 Full Side 380-400 lbs. $329

FREEZER BEEF

Ohio Beef from Ohio Farmers

No Family Pack Required For Savings

ALL OUR FRESH MEAT IS CUT BY ONE OF OUR “ARTISAN MEAT PROFESSIONALS”

BONELESS TOP

CHOICE

ROUND ROAST CUT INTO STEAKS FREE

4

$

ROUND STEAKS

4

99

$

LB.

LB. LEAN

BABY

CUBE STEAKS

SPARE RIBS

29

99

10 LB. BOX

FRESH

7 $ 99 5

99

$

99

GREAT FOR SMOKING!

5

$

LB. LEAN MEATY

99 LB.

FRESH

PICNIC HAMS

1

$

PORK STEAKS

CHILEAN SALMON FILLETS

BEEF BRISKET

TWIN PACK

4

95 $

$

PACKING HOUSE BONELESS

39 LB.

FRESH - NEVER FROZEN

CHICKEN LEG QUARTERS

LB.

FRESH

ATLANTIC COD FILLETS

2

LB.

29

99 $

$

Fligner’s Catering...

LB.

99

40 LB. CASE FLIGNER’S OWN HOMEMADE

POLISH PIEROGI

We use only the finest and freshest ingredients in all our recipes.

Side Dishes Available

along with full line of catering!

POTATO & CHEESE • POTATO & ONION • LEKVAR SAUERKRAUT • CORNED BEEF • SWEET CHEESE

OUR OWN HOME-MADE

Special Events like weddings, graduations and more! www.flignersmarket.com

TROYER

ECKRICH

HAM OFF THE BONE

4 $ 99 4

POLISH STUFFED CABBAGE HOFFMAN

ALL MEAT BOLOGNA

1 $ 99 4 TOMATOES ¢ 99 ¢ $ 99 99 2 CLEMENTINES ¢ 39 $ 99 ¢ 3 99 $

99

$

LB.

KRETSCHMAR

OVEN ROASTED CHICKEN

LB.

JUMBO ROMA

99 LB.

ECKRICH

CORNED BEEF

LB.

JUMBO SLICING

TOMATOES

HOT PEPPER CHEESE

4 $ 99 4

$

29 LB.

KRETSCHMAR

HONEY TURKEY

LB.

JUMBO HI-COLOR MANGOES OR JUMBO HASS AVOCADOS

LB.

RUSSET

POTATOES 10 LB. BAG

LB.

GREEN

3 LB. BAG

CABBAGE

99

¢

EACH

FRESH SWEET

STRAWBERRIES

LB.

HEAD

LETTUCE

EACH

Full Service Carry Outs

ATM Available Money Orders 59¢ Each

We Carry Ohio Beef From Ohio Farmers Play Ohio Lottery and Mega Millions Here

We Carry A Fine Selection of Beer, Wine & Tobacco at State Minimum Prices

You Can Now Pay Your Gas, Light, Cable And Many Major Credit Card Payments At Fligners!

$

1

We Carry Fligner’s Gift Cards and Gift Certificates

We Accept Debit, Master Card, Visa, Discover & American Express.

99 LB.

We Reserve the right to Limit Quantities Not Responsible for Typographical Errors

Photos by Jason Hawk | Amherst News-Times

Family and friends of the late Devin Hayes gather Thursday, May 13, 2021, at Marion L. Steele High School in Amherst to remember their friend.

Hayes died June 26, 2020, in an ATV crash in Carlisle Township.

Cherry tree planted in late Steele student’s memory JASON HAWK EDITOR

AMHERST — Tears watered the roots of a flowering cherry tree planted last Thursday in memory of the late Devin Hayes.

Had his life not been cut short by an ATV crash last June in Carlisle Township, the 17-year-old would have been a junior this year at Marion L. Steele High School in Amherst.

Family and friends gathered on stone benches on the southeast corner of the high school to pay their respects.

School counselor Sarah Rigda said they waited for warm weather to plant a tree donated by Don Mould's Plantation in Hayes' memory, and dedicate a marker stone engraved by Amherst Memorial Studio.

Hayes was a friendly and sensitive student who meant the world to a tight circle of friends from Amherst, as well as former Keystone classmates, Rigda said.

He had "a lot of personality. He was just outgoing, liked to have fun, very social," she said.

"His memory will live on, just as this tree lives and grows and sprouts new

life," said Student Council President Isaac Davis.

He read a eulogy penned by Hayes' sisterin-law, Alexandria Cyrus. It recalled Hayes' goofy dance moves, the way he loved his Devin Hayes friends and his penchant for cheering up those around him.

"Devin, I struggle not knowing if you can hear me when I talk to you or when I'll see you again," Cyrus wrote. "The only thing that I do know is I feel closest to you when it is quiet and still, when I take a moment to breathe and see the day for what truly is I feel your spirit and your energy."

Emily Bailor, who dated Hayes, said he was her true love and found her at a dark time in her life. He didn't see her as broken, but as a girl trying to make her way in the world like anyone else, she said.

"He saw strength when I thought I was weak, and he saw beauty when I didn't think it existed," she said.

About 7,000 younger teens in LC now eligible for shots JASON HAWK EDITOR

ELYRIA TWP. — In-school clinics will not be used to vaccinate younger teens against COVID-19 as the spring semester winds down, according to Lorain County Health Commissioner David Covell.

The nation's top advisers on on the virus at both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics met last week and endorsed the use of the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 12 to 15.

About 17 million Americans — a little more than 5 percent of the country's population — fall into that age range.

In Lorain County, there are about 7,000 kids newly eligible for shots following the decision, Covell estimated.

However, he believes only 10 to 20 percent will step forward. Children tend to have far milder symptoms of the virus and are rarely hospitalized, he said, so the push to vaccinate them is less urgent.

The best argument for immunizing the 12-to-15 set is to keep them from spreading the coronavirus to older, more vulnerable family members, he said.

"It's just a layer of protection that will help the community, but then also can help Mom and Dad feel more secure their child is protected," said Covell.

Instead of offering shots in a school setting, as was done with 16- and 17-year-olds last month, Lorain County Public Health is planning family clinics.

They're intended to have parents be more involved in the vaccination process. While a 17-year-old may be emotionally and mentally equipped to make the decision for themselves, a 12-yearold probably isn't, said Covell.

Families of newly-eligible children who have underlying health conditions should also consult their doctor before

signing up for a vaccine, Covell said.

The county health department is already planning a family Pfizer clinic for the first week of June, when many kids will be out of school.

Covell said it will look a little different than the mass clinics that have been held to date.

"When they come, we know Mom is going to have more questions than we've been hearing," he said. "So it's going to be a little slower. We're going to make more time to give them answers, and we're going to provide more nurses than at a normal clinic."

Only the Pfizer vaccine has been cleared for use among young teens. The Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccines have been authorized for ages 18 and up.

From the onset of the pandemic last March through the end of April 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has tracked about 1.5 million COVID cases in kids ages 11 to 17.

“Having a vaccine authorized for a younger population is a critical step in continuing to lessen the immense public health burden caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. “With science guiding our evaluation and decisionmaking process, the FDA can assure the public and medical community that the available data meet our rigorous standards to support the emergency use of this vaccine in the adolescent population 12 years of age and older.”

In a clinical trial for ages 12 to 15, the most common side effects of the Pfizer vaccine were pain at the injection site, tiredness, headache, chills, muscle pain, fever and joint pain, according to the FDA. Those reports were consistent with the results of clinic trials for 16- and 17-year-olds.

B

OUR TOWNS

Lorain County Community Guide • Thursday, May 20, 2021

Cops stun man in apparent ‘suicide by cop’ attempt JASON HAWK EDITOR

AMHERST — A Cleveland man who allegedly tried to goad police into killing him Sunday evening was instead stunned and is now behind bars.

Amherst police found Cameron Ryan, 32, through a random vehicle registration check just after 7 p.m. in the parking lot of Savea-Lot on Cooper Foster Park

Avenue, according to an incident report released Monday.

Ryan was labeled as "armed and dangerous with violent tendencies," according to Amherst police Lt. Dan Makruski.

He was wanted on warrants for contempt of court on a domestic violence charge out of Lorain, and a third-degree felony count of abduction through the Ohio Parole Authority.

When Ryan left the grocery store, officers tried to make

contact but he took off during daylight hours, running, the report said. and the four officers who At one point he stopped took part in the chase "and began making suicould clearly see Ryan cide by cop remarks and was bluffing. gestures with his hands "It could have been a and arms as if he posvery different situation. sessed a gun," the report The eyes of the whole Cameron said. nation are watching Ryan He told them, "You'll situations just like this to have to kill me," accordsee how police respond," ing to Makruski. said Makruski. "It could have The lieutenant said he was returned out with a much different lieved that the incident happened outcome, a much sadder out-

BLAZING A NEW TRAIL

come."

There was no gun, he said, so police had no need to respond with deadly force.

After another short foot chase, they instead used a Taser. Makruski, who was off duty and arrived on the scene shortly after, said Ryan had charged at officers, and it took three shots with the electric weapon to stop him.

He said the entire incident STUNNED PAGE B2

Holocaust survivor shares her memories JASON HAWK EDITOR

Photos by Jason Hawk | Amherst News-Times

Megan Ciura, a junior at Marion L. Steele High School in Amherst, paints an inspirational message on the loop trail at Beaver Creek Reservation Metro Park on Wednesday, May 12.

Messages of hope for Beaver Creek park visitors in crisis JASON HAWK EDITOR

AMHERST — A little positivity can go a long way, and maybe even save a life.

Rollers in hand, Marion L. Steele High School students who are preparing for medical careers put the power of positive thinking to use last Wednesday morning. They painted messages like "Encourage yourself the way you would encourage a friend" and "If someone doesn't have a smile, give them one of yours" on the 0.75-mile loop trail at Beaver Creek Reservation Metro Park on North Lake Street.

"We're painting them on the trail for people who maybe they're not doing well mentally or they've stuck in a really negative mindset," said junior Megan Ciura. "When they come to clear their minds, they'll see all the colors and the message that the world is very beautiful and that they should have hope."

The quotes painted along the asphalt trail — dubbed the Transformation Trail — may sound like they're straight from an inspirational poster.

But don't downplay their effectiveness, said Rebecca Jones, a clinician for the Mental Health, Addiction and Recovery Services Board of Lorain County.

As a licensed professional clinical counselor and chair of the county's suicide prevention coalition, she said the trail project is incredibly valuable.

Clinical studies show simple messages of hope, reminding people they have value, do a lot to disrupt negative thoughts in people dealing with depression or anxiety, Jones said. The evidence has been measured in terms of neurotransmitters, not wishful thinking.

Positive messages "really interrupt the brooding part of the brain," said Jones. "It forces them to focus on something positive, especially when partnered with physical movement in TRAIL PAGE B2

Need to talk?

Dealing with an ever-changing world can be difficult. Here are some resources that can provide support when you need it: • Crisis Text Line: Text "4HOPE" to 741741 • 24/7 Mental Health Crisis Hotline: 800-888-6161 • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255 • The LCADA Way drug and alcohol addiction and recovery support: 440-989-4900 • Domestic violence support via the Genesis House: 440244-1853 or 440-323-3400 • Lorain County Child Protection Services: 440-3295340 or call the after-hours line at 440-406-5121 • If you are in need of immediate medical attention or in a line and death situation, dial 911 first.

Wright wins OEA support staff award STAFF REPORT

WELLINGTON — Karen Wright, who has served 30 years as the secretary at Wellington High School and is set to retire at the end of the year, has received the Ohio Education Association's 2021 Support Professional Award.

The association called Wright "a true union leader." She has been president of the Welling-

ton Schools supstaff, paraeducaport staff union tors, health servicfor more than 15 es, food services, years, serving on transportation and numerous comcustodial staff, mittees at both among other posithe local and state tions. levels.

The OEA Board Karen "Karen selfof Directors apWright lessly volunteers proved a special her time, perhaps annual honor, the because unionism is so OEA Education Support strong in her and her fam- Professional Award, to ily,” said OEA President further emphasize the Scott DiMauro. contributions of education Education support prosupport professionals to fessionals include clerical their schools, communi-

ties and all education workers.

Wright was nominated for the honor by several of her colleagues, who described her as caring, knowledgeable, dedicated, dependable and as having an exceptional work ethic in the numerous letters of recommendation submitted on her behalf.

On June 30, Wright will leave WHS. She is looking forward to spending time with her family and grandchildren.

OBERLIN — Helen Marks' memories are faded after 77 years, but she still remembers the sounds of bombs exploding and terror of the pitch-black cellar where she once hid from Nazi soldiers.

As a three-year-old Jewish girl uprooted from her home in Belgium and sent to live with a Catholic family while her parents fled, Marks didn't understand the horrors of concentration camps.

"For many, many years, I wondered why I lived and 1.5 million children died," she said Monday in a video call with sixth-graders at Langston Middle School in Oberlin. "I Zoom Helen Marks, am in and of myself nothing who survived the special... I'm just me."

Now a Northeast Ohio resi- Holocaust as a small child, shares dent, the 80-year-old retired her experiences social studies teacher said and insights with she feels a responsibility to share her story, especially with sixth-graders at Langston Middle so few Holocaust survivors School in Oberlin. remaining.

She said she delivers talks about her experience "because I give you a face to all the numbers" of people threatened by Hitler's regime.

Marks said the trauma of World War II remains etched in her mind. She knows she is lucky — she is the only Jewish child from her village who was hidden and saved, while in the next town three were turned over to the Nazis and killed.

Marks' parents also both survived the war. Emaciated on his release from a camp, her father lived long enough to walk her down the aisle in 1962, dying months later.

Her mother died in 2005.

Both suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, Marks said.

An unsettling discovery under her late mother's bed proved just how deeply rooted the terror remained 60 years later. "She was still afraid of the Nazis and she had an ax to defend herself," Marks told students.

She carries her own scars. Marks told Langston sixthgraders she couldn't recall how she felt while in hiding, but their questions revealed disturbing memories.

The tiny girl was terrified of anyone in uniform — the Nazis, naturally, but also of Allied soldiers. When HOLOCAUST PAGE B2 1960-2021

Celebrating 61 years in service!

Beriswill

INSURANCE AGENCY, AGENCY, INC. INSURANCE INC. home - farm - auto - health - life - business home-farm-auto-health-life-business Call or stop in for a FREE

INSURANCE QUOTE.

Full service independent insurance agency.

Protecting What’s Important Scott Beriswill Daniel Beriswill

35881 Grafton Eastern Rd. Grafton, Ohio 44044

Denise Breyley

173 Depot Street Wellington, Ohio 44090

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

SUBMIT YOUR NEWS TO: NEWS@LCNEWSPAPERS.COM

Page B2

Lorain County Community Guide

Thursday, May 20, 2021

BRIGHTON 4-H

TRAIL

FROM B1 a green space."

Jennifer Bracken, assistant director of the Lorain County Metro Parks, said people experiencing mental health crises often retreat to public parks.

That's become especially true during the COVID-19 pandemic, she said.

"You often hear people say, 'Go take a walk. Clear your head.' We have been very lucky through this pandemic that the parks have been re-energized," Bracken said. "They've become a respite for people who were otherwise sheltering in place. This is a safe place."

Trail markers and restrooms at parks countywide already have crisis hotline information posted. Bracken said more can be done to help people in need.

She recounted the story of Kevin Hines, who in a 2018 visit to Lorain County told of his attempt to end his life by leaping from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

En route to the bridge, Hines gave himself an out — he said he'd turn on his heel and go home if just one person offered a kind word.

At the time of his talk

Metro Parks employee Aimee Potonic shows Steele High School students how to stencil positive messages onto the asphalt trail.

The past few meetings hosted by the Brighton Buckeyes 4-H Club have been very interesting and eventful. The officers for the club have been elected, and are as follows: President Jillian Stannard, Vice President Adele Dowdell, Secretary Heather Reininger, Treasurer Adam Dowdell, News Reporter and Historian Kitiara Hill, Education Officer Gabriella Miller, and Recreation Officer Daisy Bockmore.

Along with the election, there has been a selection of club activities that has shown many aspiring minds what their peers have been doing.

For instance, Scott Hook whipped up a presentation about pack goats, and the Hill family made matching 4-H themed masks for every member of the club. Bockmore even went out of her way to plan games for the club to enjoy.

We have also been included in a fundraiser where members went out and sold doughnuts from Lerch's Donuts to provide funding for the club. We went with this instead of our annual car wash and bake sale, which was sadly canceled due to COVID-19. After a month of hard work, we raised over $800, as calculated by Dowdell.

We hope in the future we can have more fun opportunities like this to raise money for future projects.

— Kitiara Hill, Brighton Buckeyes 4-H

STUNNED

Junior Grace Cord and sophomore Bella Dellipoala paint stepping circles on the Beaver Creek Reservation loop trail. here, Hines was one of only 25 people to survive a jump from atop Golden Gate. On average, about 30 people die by suicide there each year.

Hines' tale of survival illustrates how important it is to be kind to everyone you meet, said Bracken.

"You just don't know what someone else is going through," she said.

That message is stressed in an "Empathy Walk" section of the Beaver Creek trail painted by Steele students. It invites walkers to step into painted shoes of varying colors and shapes — to put yourself in someone else's shoes just for a minute.

That's an important lesson for students learning to one day step into health

care jobs, said Steele teacher Kim Haney.

She said her teens want the public to know there is help out there when it's needed most.

"There are going to be days that are darker than other days, and that's OK as long as you know there's hope out there and how to reach out," Haney said.

SCREEN-FREE PLAYTIME ACROSS 1. Ivory, in the bathroom 5. Letter of the ____ 8. Kiln for drying hops 12. Marine eagle 13. Muffin Man’s Drury 14. Zest 15. Landlord’s collection 16. Chieftain in Arabia 17. Frequently precedes “nonsense” 18. *Tabletop fun (2 words) 20. Passage in a coal mine 21. Clear the whiteboard 22. Sean’s mom Yoko 23. Alpine structure 26. Slabbered 30. Clothing border 31. Incense burning container 34. Gauche or Droite, in Paris 35. In a frenzy 37. Unagi 38. Fancy necktie 39. Eye protection, sing.

40. Not dangerous to health 42. Dwight the President 43. Worked the dough 45. *Screen-free message 47. Hairpiece, slangily 48. Libra symbol 50. Buenos ____ 52. *Dirty hobby?

56. African prairie 57. Like family lore 58. Don’t let it hit you on your way out 59. *Ten-pin establishment 60. Challenge 61. Purse to match a gown 62. Lake of Scottish lore 63. *Between ‘game’ and ‘match’ 64. Deliver a tirade DOWN 1. Belgrade native 2. Dessert sandwich 3. Pavlova, e.g.

4. Tube-nosed seabird 5. Tibetan priests 6. Japanese cartoon 7. Used to be 8. *Explore the great ____

FROM B1 played out in less than five minutes, and ended in the parking lot of the nearby LorMet Community Federal Credit Union.

Ryan was taken to the hospital for treatment because the stun gun probes were lodged in his skin, according to Makruski. He was booked at the Lorain County Jail about two hours later.

Two police officers reported minor injuries resulting from the foot chase.

Later, Ryan was charged with a third-degree felony count of violating a temporary protection order, a fifthdegree felony count of obstructing official business and a less count of resisting arrest.

Makruski said he asked to see his children one last time before being arrested — which would have been another violation of the existing restraining order.

Lorain police charged Ryan Monday with violating a protection order, domestic violence and a fourth-degree felony count of motor vehicle theft.

Ryan pleaded guilty in 2018 to abduction, attempted felonious assault and having weapons under disability, according to the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas. Counts of domestic violence, aggravated menacing, grand theft, receiving stolen property, evidence tampering, falsification and obstruction were dropped as part of a plea deal.

He also pleaded guilty to robbery in 2009, and to felonious assault and having weapons under disability in 2008.

That same year, a jury found him guilty of aggravated robbery, court records show.

HOLOCAUST

FROM B1 they offered her chocolate, she thought it must be poisoned, and when one officer blew a bubble with gum, she assumed it was an explosive.

"Little children don't understand politics. And if all you have ever seen is war, that's what you think life is like," Marks said.

Oberlin students had questions: Why did Hitler hate Jews so much? When did the war start and end? How did she feel when it was finally over?

Marks said she didn't have all the answers. She did have some advice.

"If you are not part of the solution you are part of the problem," she told students. She also said they must each do their part to repair the world.

Teacher Amanda Kochmit said the talk was invaluable for young Langston students.

"There's not that many Holocaust survivors left. To be able to hear her story right from her is pretty amazing," she said.

9. ____ spumante 10. Editor’s mark 11. Craggy peak 13. Official emissary 14. Bird-deposited fertilizer 19. Same as schlock 22. Famous Bobby, on ice 23. *Sidewalk art medium 24. Macho man 25. *Tell jokes, e.g.

26. Sub station 27. Permissible 28. Extract a memory, e.g.

29. Try to prevent 32. It’s not a want 33. ____ Bernie Sanders, abbr.

36. *Guessing game 38. Administer an oil 40. “Don’t make me ___!”

41. With pleasure 44. Full of bunnies?

46. Full of gentleness 48. Ranee’s wrap 49. *Macrame or wood carving, e.g.

50. Expunge 51. Bodily disorders 52. Hermes and Apollo 53. ‘I’ in Greek alphabet 54. Person, place or thing 55. John Wayne’s “True ____” 56. Delivery vehicle

SOLUTION CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE A2

SOLUTION CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE A2

Thursday, May 20, 2021

Lorain County Community Guide

Page B3

WHAT A KICK!

Angelo Angel | Community Guide

Members of Kiwanis clubs and Good Knights of Lorain County work together Friday to sand planks for bed frames at the Good Knights of Lorain County headquarters in Amherst.

Kiwanians, Good Knights team up to build kids beds ANGELO ANGEL THE CHRONICLE-TELEGRAM

AMHERST — Local Kiwanis clubs and the Good Knights of Lorain County came together to build beds and greet the Kiwanis International president as he visited Amherst on Friday.

President Arthur Riley made the stop at the construction site where members of both organizations were busy at work and was impressed with the turnout and work ethic he saw.

“We spend a lot of time talking about serving the children of the world and the great thing about that is that it can take many forms,” Riley said. “And this is, from what I’ve seen so far, is a great example of how local Kiwanis clubs sees what needs to be done in their area.”

All around the building site, no hands were left idle as bed frames were assembled, planks of wood dipped into preservers and drill machines kicking up sawdust.

Roger Dorsey, founder of the Good Knights, was happy to see the turnout for the bed construction and couldn't thank the Kiwanis organization enough for supporting his passion to ensure that no children would have to sleep on the floor.

“Terry Mazzone, the lieutenant governor of the Wellington Kiwanis Club, reached out to us and said they wanted to do a district wide service project.” Dorsey said.

“So they brought together out all eight of the Kiwanis groups based in Lorain County and they were able to get the international president to come and be a part of today.”

President Riley and his associates arrived at the building site where the

volunteers took a break to hear him and others speak about the exciting partnership they’re building with the Good Knights.

“I want to congratulate each one of you for participating, thank each of you for being Kiwanians and serving the children of your community,” Riley said. “When you approach someone to ask them ‘would you like to spend three hours a month helping the children,’ who can say no to that?"

Dorsey then took the floor and gave an impassioned thank you to the people who came out to help.

“My heart goes out to you guys. Being a kid who slept on the floor, a lot of these kids that we serve don’t have anything, nothing that they have belongs to them, until when we give them a bed.” Dorsey said. “Many parents have called us over the years and said ‘we can’t get them out of the bed.’ We get there (to deliver beds) around 9 or 10 in the morning and the kid wants to be in bed by noon.”

Before the volunteers resumed work, various members of Kiwanis Club leadership presented Dorsey with several checks that amounted to $4,900, as well as nearly $2,000 in online donations.

Jeremy Randon, a volunteer with the Kiwanis Club, was moved by Dorsey’s upbringing and felt pride he could contribute to his passion.

“I’ve done habitat for humanity and a few other things but this is my first time building beds. Their story is amazing, especially when you hear about how many kids sleep on the floor and for (Roger) to go through that experience,” Randon said.

“It really touches you and how could you now want to be a part of that, building beds so kids won't have to sleep on the floor."

Provided photo

The Rev. John Elder presents the Al Carroll Peacemaker Prize to Oberlin College senior Bethany Gen on May 8.

Gen awarded the first Al Carroll Peacemaker Prize STAFF REPORT

OBERLIN — As a first-year student at Oberlin College, Bethany Gen took a class called "Dangerous Allies of Latin America," which opened their eyes.

Now, preparing to graduate, Gen was awarded Saturday, May 8 by Community Peacemakers with the inaugural Al Carroll Peacemaker Prize.

Following its weekly peace vigil, the Oberlin organization held a ceremony for Gen on Tappan Square.

Gen's journey started by learning about power, privilege and oppression in Latin America. As a second-year student, they studied peace and conflict, and had what "felt like a semester-long light bulb moment," they said.

"Looking back, this class gave me

hope for a truly violence-free future," said Gen, who went on to double-major in politics and psychology, with a concentration in peace studies.

Trained as a social justice mediator via the Oberlin Yeworkwha Belachew Center for Dialogue, they are now interviewing for a research position in Rhode Island to develop prevention programs related to sexual violence aimed toward middle school boys.

Gen said they dream of a career as a therapist, hoping to one day work with young people of color and LGBTQ populations.

"After graduating, no matter what I end up doing I plan to build on the work that I have done here and continue to build community, foster strong, healthy relationships, and reduce interpersonal and systemic violence in any ways I can," they said.

Photos by Jason Hawk | News-Tribune

A kickball tournament was the highlight of Friday's "Wellness Day" at Oberlin High School. The event gave kids a chance to blow off a little steam after a tough year, with music, food and "minute to win it" challenges. ABOVE: Silas Skvor kicks a double. BELOW: Sanayah Wilborn makes an inning-ending catch. RIGHT: Isaac Thompson pitches.

Bill Long Foundation awards $71,750 to local nonprofit groups Members of the Bill Long Foundation held their annual meeting online April 7 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

They elected new board members Brandon County, Liv Hanson and Evyn Lundy, and returning board members Michael Reynolds, Deborah Roose, and John Memmott.

Members also considered grant applications and voted on the level of funding to be awarded for each proposal.

This year, 19 organizations submitted 22 projects with funding requests totaling $65,765. The membership voted to award $65,475 of the requests.

Another $6,275 in donations were added to those amounts during the meeting, bringing the award total to $71,750.

Applications for grants are submitted in early February with determination of funding at the annual membership meeting in April. Detailed information about the Bill Long Foundation, photographs from past projects and the grant process for next year can be found at sites.google.com/ site/billlongfoundationorg.

This year's grant awards: • $6,325 for Barefoot Dialogue/Shagbark Haven — Stipends for dialogue facilitators and workshop materials.

• $625 for the Bonner Center for Service and Learning — Three or more

local community-based, Oberlin College studentinitiated projects.

• $1,250 for Common Ground's Cindy Nord Center for Renewal — Summer Camp Kits.

• $2,620 for Community Action to Save Strays, or CATSS — Assistance for care of cats in stressed need homes.

• $1,000 for Credo Music — Create designated programming for local residents and offset Credo Festival costs.

• $3,000 for the Firelands Association for Visual Arts — Scholarships for participation in education programming.

• $2,050 for the MAD Factory — General operating support.

• $1,175 for Neighborhood Alliance Senior Services — Home delivery of essential personal care and health supplies for at-risk older residents.

• $3,550 for Neighborhood Alliance Senior Services — Support for in-home wellness checks to at-risk older members.

• $2,725 for the New Agrarian Center — Maintenance of straw bale cooler and driveway.

• $2,500 for the Northern Ohio Youth Orchestra — Financial aid for musicians to participate in half-price instrumental lessons.

• $6,855 for Oberlin Community Services — Support for emergency services.

• $3,050 for Oberlin Community Services — Post-COVID Community Celebration of Diversity Barbecue.

• $1,550 for the Oberlin Community Mural Project.

• $2,375 for Oberlin Community Music School — Scholarships for students who need assistance for summer music lessons.

• $5,200 for the Oberlin Underground Railroad Society — Renovation for energy efficiency at the Oberlin Phillis Wheatley Center.

• $7,150 for Oberlin Weekday Community Meals — Operating expenses.

• $5,800 for the OberlinKids Community Collaborative — Scholarships for high-quality preschool program attendance.

• $2,550 for the OberlinKids Community Collaborative — Provide monthly family engagement literacy and learning kits.

• $5,550 for Providing Oberlin With Efficiency Responsibly, or POWER — Home repair materials and labor for weatherization, home safety and conservation.

• $2,350 for Road to Hope Margeau House — Purchase a new washer and dryer.

• $2,500 for the Ruby N. Jones Community Scholarship Fund — Higher education scholarship support for three to five students.

85 SOUTH MAIN STREET OBERLIN OHIO 44074 MAY 20, 2021 BOARD AND COMMISSION MEETING DATES ALL MEETINGS WILL BE Live Streamed @ http://oberlinoh.swagit.com/live MAY 21, 2021 ..................COMPREHENSIVE PLAN COMMITTEE – 8:00 A.M. MAY 21, 2021 ..................CITY RECORDS COMMISSION – 2:30 P.M. MAY 24, 2021 ..................RESOURCE CONSERVATION & RECOVERY COMMISSION – 5:00 P.M. MAY 25, 2021 ..................OPEN SPACE COMMISSION – 5:00 P.M. NOTICE: DISABLED MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY WHO MAY NEED ASSISTANCE, PLEASE CALL 775-7203 OR E-MAIL: banderson@cityofoberlin.com NOTICE REQUIRED: TWO (2) WORKING DAYS IN ADVANCE OF MEETING (48 HOURS) CLERK OF COUNCIL’S OFFICE.

Page B4

SPORTS

Lorain County Community Guide

Thursday, May 20, 2021

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

SPECIAL OLYMPIANS SHINE

SENIOR DAY VICTORY

Photos by Kristin Bauer | Amherst News-Times

Amherst Steele High School hosted a districtwide Special Olympics event on Thursday, May 13. Due to the pandemic, the 2021 Lorain County Special Olympics were canceled, but Amherst students were still able to compete with each other while following health guidelines.

ABOVE: Nord Elementary School student Jacob Jurecko runs his race along side of Andrea Dolacki and Cornelia Rivenburg, both teacher aids.

LEFT: Powers Elementary School student Olivia Pozywak holds sunglasses belonging to Lindsey Donat, a classroom aid after running her event.

Photos by Russ Gifford | Wellington Enterprise

The Dukes found their groove in the fifth inning Friday and opened up a 6-1 Senior Day victory over Edison. Key to the win were Wellington's four seniors on the roster: Brayden Cole had a sacrifice bunt to move Tyler Moore into scoring position. Cameron Brinker, Jacob Evans and Wyatt Sasack racked up a row of singles to run up the score. Riley Reyna was the winning pitcher, striking out six Edison batters in five innings on the mound and allowing a single run. ABOVE: Wellington's Wayde Bowman steps on home plate before the tag against Edison. BELOW: The 2021 Wellington Baseball Seniors pose for a shot after their win over Edison. Cameron Brinker, Wyatt Sasack, Brayden Cole and Jacob Evans.

NON-CONFERENCE LOSS

PHOENIX SENIOR STARS Photos by Erik Andrews | Oberlin News-Tribune

Oberlin dropped a 12-2 decision at home in non-conference action against Mansfield Christian. ABOVE: Senior catcher Andrew Streator receives the pitch.

RECORD-SETTING PACE Russ Gifford | Wellington Enterprise

Black River's Tyler Mrakuzic throws to second base for the out against New London. The Pirates racked up 5-3 and 5-1 wins in a non-conference doubleheader Saturday. Those are the team's 19th and 20th wins this spring, putting it on pace to break Black River's 1986 school record for victories. "We're very excited," speedy senior left fielder Ryan Schultz said.

"We've been looking at this (record) since the 13th win. We knew it was coming up, and we knew we could accomplish it."

The potentially record-breaking game was set for Wednesday after press time against either Norwayne or Lutheran West in the Creston Division III sectional final.

Photos by Erik Andrews | Oberlin News-Tribune

ABOVE: Congratulations to Oberlin softball seniors Casey Amato, Jenna Tatum and Magerly Ayala Sanchez. They were honored prior to their recent game against Lutheran West. BELOW: Congratulations to Oberlin baseball seniors Andrew Streator, Ezekiel Locklear, Darreon Barnes and Jack Page. They were honored before a recent game with Mansfield Christian.

Thursday, May 20, 2021

Lorain County Community Guide

LEAGUE OF LEGENDS

Page B5

CAP cadet promoted

The Lorain County Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol has announced the promotion of a local cadet.

Andrew Phillips of Amherst was awarded the Wright Brothers Award and promoted to cadet staff sergeant on April 27. The Wright Brothers Award is named for Orville and Wilbur Wright, the first men to achieve powered, controlled, sustained heavier-than-air flight.

Blue Star Museum Program at OHC

The Oberlin Heritage Center will join museums nationwide in the Blue Star Museums initiative, a program that provides free admission to currently-serving U.S. military personnel and their families this summer.

The program began on Armed Forces Day, which was May 15, and will end on Labor Day, which is Sept. 6.

Blue Star Museums is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in collaboration with Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and participating museums nationwide.

Blue Star Museums include children’s museums, art, science and history museums, zoos, gardens, lighthouses and more in all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The free admission program is available for those currently serving in the U.S. military and up to five family members.

Qualified members must show appropriate ID.

Photos by Russ Gifford | Wellington Enterprise

Competition was fierce at the Lorain County League track and field championships. Brookside took top honors in girls events, while Keystone took the top spot for boys events.

ABOVE: Firelands’ Shawny Hess clears the bar in the girls high jump. Hess took first place at the conference meet.

OHC annual meeting

The Oberlin Heritage Center will hold its 2021 Annual Meeting from 6:30-7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 2 via Zoom.

The virtual program is free and open to the public, although pre-registration is required at www.tinyurl.com/OHCmeeting.

The OHC will honor Community Award recipients, welcome new board members, thank outgoing board members and share announcements.

A special update from the Wilson Bruce Evans Home Historical Society, recently formed to preserve the national historic landmark at 33 East Vine St., is also on the agenda. Learn more about the legacy of the Evans family in Oberlin and beyond and local African-American history during this special presentation.

There will also be a 50-50 raffle to support the Pat Murphy Endowment for Heritage Preservation.

RIGHT: Oberlin's Anna Fritz makes a jump.

Fritz took first place in the girls long jump.

BELOW: Wellington's Dylan Lawson throws the shot put. Lawson placed third at the conference meet.

UH joins national vaccination campaign

University Hospitals is collaborating with a coalition of 60 of America’s top hospitals and health care institutions on a nationwide campaign to encourage adults to get vaccinated for COVID-19.

Led by Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic, “Get the Vaccine to Save Lives” is designed to reassure the public that vaccines are safe, effective and necessary to achieve herd immunity and a return to normal activities.

“From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, University Hospitals has made patient health and safety a priority,” said Cliff Megerian, CEO of University Hospitals Health System. “We have collaborated with other health systems for the betterment of our communities, which includes doing what we can to inform and inspire individuals to take the necessary steps to prevent their illness. As health care professionals, we rely on science and evidence-based practices to drive our actions, so naturally that means we want to help our neighbors understand the importance of getting vaccinated and how that will help protect them against COVID-19.”

The campaign hopes to reach adults who are hesitant to receive a vaccine, including racial and minority ethnic groups and people living in rural communities. According to a Kaiser Family Foundation survey published March 30, 17 percent of the public intends to take a wait-and-see approach before getting vaccinated, and another 20 percent say they will never get a vaccine or will only get it if required to do so for work, school or other activities.

To achieve herd immunity and help end the pandemic, leading health officials say at least 75 percent of the population needs to receive a vaccine.

Herd immunity occurs when a large portion of a community becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely.

Energy audits

Home energy audits by Providing Oberlin With Efficiency Responsibly have resumed. Funding assistance is available to Oberlin residents to help make their homes more energy efficient and save money in the process.

For more information, visit www. poweroberlin.org. To schedule an audit, contact Greg Jones at (440) 935-0995 or oberlinpower@gmail.com.

Providing

Support • Stability • Comfort

Since 1926 For all foot types & foot conditions

GREAT YEAR ON THE COURT

Bunions • Hammer Toes Arthritis • Diabetes Heel Pain • Arch Pain Plantar Fascitis Tendonitis • Swollen Feet Neuromas • Metatarsalgia Over-Pronation Flat Arches • High Arch Foot Pressure Relief Foot & Ankle Alignment Improve Balance & Gait For Women, Men & Children

SHOE FITTINGS

BY APPOINTMENT Call (440) 984-7463 Option 3

207 North Leavitt Rd., Amherst Across from Drug Mart on Route 58 www.januzzi.com • (440) 984-7463

Erik Andrews | Oberlin News-Tribune

Stavros-Richard Ananiadis, the lone senior on the Oberlin tennis roster, finishes up the year with a match against Lake Ridge Academy. The Phoenix finished the year with a stellar 9-2 slate.

YOUR ONLINE FOOTWEAR ASSESSMENT Begins at www.januzzi.com

Page B6

Thursday, May 20, 2021

Lorain County Community Guide

Historic train depot could become Amherst public park JASON HAWK EDITOR

AMHERST — Negotiations to obtain new public park land are underway, as the Nordson Corporation seeks to hand over ownership of its old train depot on Franklin Avenue to the city.

"They would like to see it used more for the community," said Mayor Mark Costilow. "They do have some nonprofit groups using it, but the family and organization really feel it could be used more."

In its heyday, the station was used for passenger and industrial rail. After burning to the ground in 1905, it was rebuilt by the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway.

A passenger platform was demolished in the early 1950s, according to Amherst historian and Fire Chief Jim Wilhelm, but trains continued to carry people from time to time until 1963.

Trains still use the nearby tracks, but for decades the historic depot has been owned and operated by Nordson as an event hall. It can be reserved for nonprofit and civic groups with up to 80 guests.

Now Costilow said he's worked out a gift agreement that will go to City Council for consideration Monday.

He is still in talks with Nordson for a financial gift that would help pay for maintenance of the depot, and the possibility of playground equipment at no cost to the city.

In a phone interview, Costilow floated the idea of moving the Office on Aging from its longtime home on Cleveland Avenue to a small portion of the depot.

The city department, which provides services such as Meals on Wheels for seniors, has two parttime employees and wouldn't need much space, he said.

Provided photo

Steve and Simone Gall, directors of the Amherst Community Chorus, present Susan Pack with a $1,000 scholarship.

Chorus provides $1,000 scholarship Bruce Bishop | Community Guide

A train passes by the Nordson Depot at 706 Franklin Ave., Amherst.

The Nordson Corporation wants to donate the proprty to the city of Amherst for a park.

"It would give them more room to do things like card games or movie afternoons or bingo," Costilow said.

The Nordson deal was raised in a discussion Monday night with City Council over the sale of existing park land on Cooper Foster Park Road to Tyson Foods.

Over the objections of Councilman Ed Cowger, the deal was pushed through in a 6-1 emergency vote ahead of a June 1 deadline.

Cowger said he was contacted by residents concerned about "what kind of message it would send to others" who may donate land to the city in the future.

In a deal brokered by Law Director Tony Pecora, Amherst sold nearly 6 acres of unused park land at DePaola Park for $385,000.

Tyson intends to expand parking so employees no longer have to walk along a commercial roadway to get to work.

NOW OPEN! FRESH MEAT COUNTER FROZEN AVAILABLE

"The question is a worker safety question," said Council President Jennifer Wasilk. "And there are several hundred workers that it will make their walk between their parking space and their work space safer."

Costilow painted the transaction as necessary for economic growth, since Tyson intends to expand its job offerings: "The more employees we get quicker to the city, the more tax dollars," he said.

The Nordson Depot land is roughly the same acreage as the parcels sold to Tyson, but will be much more useful, he said. There are currently no public parks on the south side of Amherst.

If the gift agreement is approved

by Council, Nordson will retain naming rights to the depot and deed restrictions will be put in place to prevent the property's sale in perpetuity, said Costilow.

AMHERST — Even though the Amherst Community Chorus has disbanded after 24 years, it's keeping alive the tradition of giving a scholarship to a student who is majoring in music.

This year's recipient, Susan Pack, a 2020 graduate of Marion L. Steele High School in Amherst, received a $1,000 scholarship.

Pack started at Findlay College as a pre-veterinary medicine major. After the first semester, she decided to follow her dream and change her major to music education at Cleveland State University.

While in high school, Pack was in the marching band, wind ensemble, concert choir and Madrigals.

AAA predicts Memorial Day travel surge

More than 37 million people are expected to travel 50 miles or more from home in the United States over Memorial Day weekend, according to projections by AAA. That's about 60 percent more travelers than last year, at the onset of the pandemic, when many stay-at-home orders were in effect across the country. This year's number is also still about six million short of pre-pandemic travelers, said AAA. “As more destinations open and vaccines are administered, we’re seeing an increase in consumers who are ready to get out and enjoy the unofficial start of the summer travel season,” said Bevi Powell, senior vice president of AAA East Central. “The pent-up demand for travel could also be a sign of things to come this summer, as more people feel comfortable hitting the road and making new memories with family and friends."

©

CUSTOM PROCESSING WE ALSO SERVICE RESTAURANTS, GROCERY STORES & CAMPGROUNDS

NORTHEAST OHIO’S ONLY FARM TO TABLE MARKET!

Follow us on Facebook!

HOURS: Monday-Friday: 8AM-6PM • Saturday: 8AM-4PM • Sunday: CLOSED

LOCATED 1 HALF MILE SOUTH OF RT. 20 ON RT. 58 15788 OH. RT. 58 OBERLIN, OH • 440-775-FARM (3276) MCCONNELLMEATSANDFARMMARKET.COM