Lorain County Community Guide - June 4, 2020

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LORAIN COUNTY

AMHERST NEWS-TIMES • OBERLIN NEWS-TRIBUNE • WELLINGTON ENTERPRISE Thursday, June 4, 2020

www.lcnewspapers.com

Chiefs condemn racism, brutality

Volume 7, Issue 23

Children of conflict

JASON HAWK EDITOR

As protests rage across the nation in response to the killing of 46-year-old George Floyd, three Lorain County police chiefs have penned letters condemning the brutality of the Minneapolis officers responsible.

Floyd, who is black, was killed by now-fired officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, on May 25.

A video of the incident shows Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck as he gasped and pleaded for his life.

Floyd lost consciousness and died on the ground.

Oberlin Police Chief Ryan Warfield told City Council on Monday that he has always talked to his three sons about social issues and challenges he’s faced in 27 years as an officer. Their questions have always provided food for thought.

Warfield’s son Noah helped him pen an open letter to the Oberlin community, which the chief read during Monday’s meeting. It publicly calls out the Minneapolis officers’ actions as “inexcusable” and offers condolences to Floyd’s family.

“As a police chief, a black man and a father of three black men, tragedies such as this always hit home,” Warfield wrote. “I want you to know the anger you may feel is justified, and I share it with you.”

RACISM PAGE A5

Photos by Jason Hawk | Wellington Enterprise

Grace Dudziak gets ready to receive her diploma Sunday during a drive-up ceremony at Wellington High School. While other districts opted to record students in ceremonies that were far more socialdistanced, Wellington’s was one of the most traditional, though still vastly different than normal.

9/11 babies graduate amid protests and pandemic JASON HAWK EDITOR

Kristin Bauer | Chronicle

A protest march for racial equality and justice travels down Tower Boulevard in Lorain toward Lighthouse Village Shopping Center on Sunday. Lorain Police Chief Jim McCann joined the march participants.

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

WELLINGTON — Taking a deep breath and holding back tears, Courtney Kroll dedicated her commencement speech Sunday to those who have lost their lives in 2020.

The Wellington High School Class of 2020 salutatorian took the stage as mass protests swept the nation, and she used the platform to publicly mourn the victims of COVID-19, racism, hate, war and "being in the wrong place at the wrong time."

This year's graduates were born into a world in conflict and have grown through momentous times, said Kroll.

Most were babies or still in the womb when terrorists flew airplanes into the World Trade Center and Pentagon in September 2001. They were small children when Barack Obama was elected the nation's first black president, a team of Navy SEALs killed terrorist Osama bin Laden when they were third-graders and their senior year was marred by the pandemic.

"Throughout these past

Copyright 2020 Lorain County Printing & Publishing Company

◄ Valedictorian Alexis Starner smiles as she delivers her commencement address to the WHS Class of 2020, trying hard to highlight the best seniors accomplished and not just the strange end to the school year.

GRADUATION PAGE A3

INSIDE THIS WEEK

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

▲ Wellington Class of 2020 salutatorian Courtney Kroll waits with her parents for her turn to take the stage.

Amherst

Oberlin

Wellington

Methadone clinic opens on city’s north side • B1

Classmates mourn death of recent graduate B1

Firefighters, prosecutor still on hunt for 2017 arsonist • B1

OBITUARIES A2 • CLASSIFIEDS A4 • CROSSWORD A5 • SUDOKU A5 • KID SCOOP A6

Page A2

Thursday, June 4, 2020

Lorain County Community Guide

A GIVING SPIRIT

OBITUARIES Mary Beth Hartson Ryan McCalla Mary Beth Hartson Ryan McCalla passed away peacefully Friday, May 15, 2020, after celebrating her 98th birthday with friends and family at Kendal at Oberlin, where she had lived for the last 20 years.

Mary was born Feb. 4, 1922, in Grinnell, Iowa, the youngest of three children (Robert and Dorothy Helen) of Louis Dunton Hartson and Mary Reed Hartson.

The family moved to Oberlin when her father joined the Oberlin College faculty and she attended Oberlin schools, graduating from Oberlin College in 1943. Mary then earned a "Certificate in Business" from Radcliffe College. In those days young women could not enroll in the Harvard Business School, but because so many young men were serving in the Military, the Harvard "B" school professors crossed the river and taught the "girls". Her business training included apprenticeships in New York at Time Magazine and with Halle Brothers in Cleveland.

Toward the end of World War II, she joined the Club Programs for the American Red Cross in the European theater (Italy) and while managing the Red Cross Club in Venice, met both her first and second husbands. In 1946, she married Robert A. Ryan, a First Lieutenant in 88th Infantry/U.S. Army.

As an Army wife Mary lived in Italy, Germany, Washington, DC, Columbus, Georgia, Towson, Maryland and on the campus of West Point Military Academy. After Robert separated from Military Service, she lived in Hope Valley, New York, near Northville, a small town in the Adirondack Mountains. During those Adirondack years, she learned to expect bears in the meadow and to live with spring floods and winter nights when the temperature dropped to as much as 40 degrees below zero. She revived the skiing skills she had learned in 1933 Germany when her family spent a sabbatical year in Vienna and she and her brother studied at a boarding school in the Bavarian Alps. In addition to teaching her children to ski, she was a gardener, a knitter, a Brownie and Girl Scout troop leader and earned a second graduate degree, a MAT in Education. She taught in Wells, New York and then, following family moves, lived and taught in Middletown, New Jersey, Clarkson, Ontario (Canada) and Sarasota, Florida.

Mary and her family spent their summers sailing. It was a common weekend adventure to cross Lake Ontario from Oakville, Ontario to the Niagara River, a 30-mile journey.

In 1968, Mary and her husband, Bob and daughter, Mimi sailed their 1930's vintage wooden sloop from Annapolis, Maryland to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. This six-week journey down the Intracoastal Waterway included a rescue by the coast guard and a "minor" hurricane. During quieter days aboard, Mary home-schooled Mimi.

After her divorce from Robert, Mary had a fairy tale romance and second marriage. Donald McCalla, who had fallen in love with Mary in 1946 in Venice, but who had kept his love to himself for many years, reached

out and found Mary after he himself was widowed. In 1976, she married Don and moved to his home, Sidney, Ohio, where she resided for 24 years until Don's death. While in Sidney Mary helped found a chapter of Planned Parenthood, which cost her any opportunities to continue teaching, but brought her great satisfaction. Mary was often described as sweet and kind, but her respect for others did not lessen her commitment to the rights of women, often reminding people that her own mother had only been able to vote for the first time right before Mary was born. Mary was very active in the American Association of University Women including serving as president of her local chapter. She also took up master's swimming and competed regularly and successfully in the Senior Olympics. At Don's death Mary returned to Oberlin.

While at Kendal Mary was very active with the RAF shop and in early years enjoyed biking around the campus and town she loved. In later years, even as her memory began to fail, she spent hours completing jigsaw puzzles and remained a competitive bridge player, posting many winning scores, most often when partnered with niece Kathy.

Mary and Robert had three children, all of whom survive, Mary Elizabeth "Liz" Ryan Cole (Charles) of Thetford, Vermont, Robert A. "Bob" Ryan (Joan Mariani) of Berwick, Maine, Emily Alice "Mimi" Ryan (Gus Zeising) of Burlington, Vermont; stepdaughter, Cindy McCalla; granddaughter, Aimee Campbell of Mansfield. She is also survived by grandchildren, Noah (Meredith) of Portland, Oregon, Ethan (Suzanne) of Lebanon, New Hampshire, Audrey (Ricky) of Bristol, Vermont, Thomas and Adrian of Rockport, Maine, Silas (Esther) of Oakland, California, Jonas (Madeline) of Thetford, Vermont; great-grandchildren, Lindsey, Augustus, Eben, Sabine, Liam and Mikko; three cousins; two nephews and three nieces, including Kathy Caldwell who has been her neighbor and friend at Kendal.

If there were one quote she might want to make certain we all kept in mind it would probably be, "Two wrongs don't make a right."

In addition to a private family memorial, a Zoom based memorial will be held Sunday, June 6, 2020, at 4 p.m. at Kendal at Oberlin. If you do not live at Kendal but are interested in joining the online memorial for Mary, please contact Dicken Funeral Home & Cremation Service, (440) 322-3224 for the Zoom Contact information. Once travel is possible, her ashes will be interred both her husbands in Westwood Cemetery, Oberlin.

If you wish to make a donation to honor her memory, please consider Planned Parenthood.

Arrangements are in the care of Dicken Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Elyria.

For online condolences, visit www.dickenfuneralhome. com.

FRENCH "ONION" CRISP, 81, a resident of Vermilion, passed away Wednesday, May 27, 2020, at New Life Hospice Center in Lorain, following a full and meaningful life. Arrangements by Hempel Funeral Home.

IRENE M. GHOLSON (nee Jones), 72, of Amherst, went home to be with her Lord and Saviour on Wednesday, May 27, 2020, at New Life Hospice Center in Lorain.

Arrangements by Hempel Funeral Home.

How to cope and find hope during the outbreak Anxiety, stress and fear — we're all feeling a little strange while facing the coronavirus pandemic. Strong emotions are normal in times of crisis. Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton has offered some recommendations for coping: • Know that feelings of distress will fade.

• Eat nutritious food, exercise, get adequate sleep, stay hydrated, avoid alcohol and drugs and make time to relax and unwind.

• Incorporate stretching or meditation into your routine. Take deep breaths when feeling overwhelmed.

• Stay connected with friends and

family. Discuss your concerns and be supportive of theirs.

• Keep participating in hobbies and activities that do not expose you to close contact with others in confined spaces.

• If you have a mental health condition, continue with your treatment plan and monitor for any new symptoms.

Call your health care provider with any concerns.

• Recognize the signs of distress — are you feeling numb? Have you had changes in appetite or energy levels?

Do you have difficult concentrating or sleeping, nightmares or upsetting thoughts? Are you suddenly experiencing headaches, body pains, stomach

problems or a rash? Do you feel angry and short-tempered? Are you relying more on alcohol or tobacco?

Call your healthcare provider if your feelings overwhelm you for several days in a row.

If you need help: • Contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s national disaster distress helpline by calling 800-985-5990 or texting TalkWithUs to 66746.

• Reach the Ohio crisis text line by texting the keyword 4HOPE to 741741.

• Reach the Ohio Mental Health and Addiction Services help line at 877-2756364.

Provided photo

To address local needs during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Wellington Eagles held a food drive benefitting the nonprofit Well-Help and pledged to match up to $1,000 in cash donations. Aerie member and local business owner Steve Neff of Wellington Music donated the first $1,000. That inspired Eagles Trustee Bill Schramm to match that contribution from his business, Schramm’s Shirts & Cards. David King of King Realty contacted the Eagles and added another $1,000. Eagles President Bret Markel and members Mike Lutz and Christina Lutz recruited members Dreama Bolen, Jay and Chris Miller, Jeff Miller and Dan Jordan to man the food drive. On May 16, they had raised $4398 in cash and checks, along with half a trailer of food, toiletries and other supplies. At the end of the day, the Wellington Eagles chose to contribute an additional $4,000, bringing the total contribution to $12,398.

Collins named FFA 100 Percent winner

Wyatt Collins of Wellington was recently presented with the 100 Percent Award for going above and beyond his duties as a member of the FFA chapter at the Lorain County JVS. Collins is an industrial equipment mechanics senior at the vocational school.

The award, sponsored

by AgCredit, is available to the three FFA chapters Wyatt Collins in the county.

Instructor Mason Bremke said Collins was instrumental in every FFA event. “Wyatt did not just complete a task or participate in an event, he would try his best to ensure everything would work properly and be completed," he said. "He is a great leader, is task oriented and helpful to others. He is an outstanding student and FFA member!”

Collins received an FFA state degree as a junior and earned a gold rating this year on his treasurer’s book, something only one other treasurer has done before, said adviser Beth Berthold.

“I am very thankful for this award,” said Collins, who plans to continue working on his family’s dairy farm.

AgCredit, a cooperative agricultural lending institution specializing in lending for farms and rural property, presented him with a $50 gift with the award.

SCHOLARS PAIGE LANDIN and TAYLOR PRIEST, both of Wellington, have earned master of music degrees from Kent State University.

SHELBY HELMICK of Wellington has graduated cum laude from Baldwin Wallace University, earning a bachelor of science degree in neuroscience and psychology.

KATHARINE KRUEGER of Wellington has been named to the president's list for the Fall 2019 semester at Youngstown State University.

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 SUDOKU ON PAGE A5

SOLUTION TO CROSSWORD ON PAGE A5

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.

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

Thursday, June 4, 2020

Lorain County Community Guide

Page A3

▲ Maddie Soboslai, senior class president, talks about finding an extended family at Wellington High School.

▲ MiKailah Godsey is the first Sunday to cross the stage, receive her diploma and be filmed turning her tassel.

▲ Brittanasha Smith picks up her diploma. ▼ Ryan Munyan crosses the stage and picks up his diploma.

GRADUATION

FROM A1 13 years, our class has faced several trials and tribula◄ Bianca Massey receives the Citizenship tions," said Kroll. "Through these events, instead of Award, which recognizes a student who has cowering in the face of adversity, our class rose to the been respectful and helpful to others while exoccasion. We haven't allowed these challenges to divide pecting nothing in return. us — rather, they have only brought us closer together."

Her classmates have learned not to take "the little things" for granted, she said, like walking through crowd‘Our kids are ready’ ed grocery stores, shaking hands, gathering under the "If I had to describe the Class of 2020 in one word, it Friday night lights and going out to eat with friends. would be resilient," said Principal Tina Drake during comStanding in front of dozens of cars assembled for a mencement on Sunday. Circumstances forced this year's social-distanced, drive-up commencement ceremony in seniors to be strong and move forward against incredible the school parking lot, Kroll said she never realized how odds, she said, and they proved themselves. much small personal interactions meant until the pandem"It is now time to let go. Our kids are ready," Drake said. ic disrupted daily life.

"Class of 2020, I have no doubt you are ready for the Valedictorian Alexis Starner said she almost decided not chapter in your lives." to talk about the coronavirus at all in her commencement address, and wanted to focus on the positives.

She said the WHS Class of 2020 should be remembered ◄ Jenna Calfo receives the Community Service for beating athletic rivals — for Nick Laposky's buzzerAward for giving back to the community and those in need. The Wellington Class of 2020 com- beater basket to take the Dukes to the sectional finals, for pleted almost 4,600 hours of community service, Grace Dudziak's game-winning tackle to beat Oberlin, for topping Lutheran West to win a basketball conference title of which 785 were done by Calfo. and end a 20-year drought.

The Dukes girls won two conference championships in soccer and the first Lorain County League title. In softball, the Dukes won districts and went to regionals.

But the virus' effects on the Class of 2020 have been monumental. Starner said this year's graduates will always carry "what ifs" with them — what if they had ended their senior year normally? What if they hadn't missed prom or their senior awards banquet?

The experiences of Spring 2020 will "be a looming shadow over our long list of accomplishments and the good we have done," she said.

Sitting in vehicles decorated with maroon and white balloons, and parked every other space for safety, classmates agreed the ceremony was a difficult one.

"It kind of feels unreal. It's not what I was expecting but I'm still excited about it," said Kallie MacKrell, who plans to become a trauma surgeon. ▲ Vocational honor student Eva Hartwig takes Graduate Courtney Wallace, who plans to study nursing, the stage for a speech. "My years at JVS have said it was was hard not to see and hug and hold friends, taught me how to be flexible, responsible and how to be a good team leader," she said. While to snap photos together that would last a lifetime. "It's closed buildings and a drive-up graduation were emotional. But it's better than what some others have gotnot the way students wanted to end the year, ten," she said. the Class of 2020 has a knack for overcoming Class president Maddie Soboslai said graduates are obstacles, said Hartwig — and COVID-19 is no united by what they have endured. different.

She called the Class of 2020 "a family with the rarest resilience. And from my perspective, our class has been one ▼ Landon Bella poses for pictures after receiving of the most united groups to ever cross WHS. I personally his diploma. consider each and every student and staff member as my very own family."

Soboslai said family isn't always about DNA, revealing in her speech that her parents did not attend the ceremony.

Yet she felt loved by fellow seniors, and thanked teachers for supporting her dreams.

"Remember to find a way, even when the chips are down, you feel broken, life has seemingly taken a turn for the worse and a pandemic decides to break out," she told classmates. "Find the strength to rise back up."

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Thursday, June 4, 2020

Lorain County Community Guide

LETTERS In-person voting is a threat To the editor: If we’ve learned anything over the last several months, it’s that elections have consequences, and not just of the political kind.

During these unprecedented times, our very health is threatened by voting in person at a polling location. As an election poll worker, I know firsthand how many people can be lined up waiting to use the same voting booth used by others. It’s a difficult situation to control from a public health standpoint.

This is why the Ohio Legislature must push for safe and secure elections for all Ohioans. That means a streamlined and fully funded vote-by-mail option for the general election. Currently, the vote-by-mail system is complicated; the multi-step process confuses and dissuades many voters. But it doesn’t have to be that way. The Legislature could fully fund a vote-bymail system with postage paid for both applications and ballots, allow Ohio voters to request a ballot online and allow more than one early vote center and secure drop box per county.

The foundation of our democracy, our vote, our voice, is threatened by this pandemic. Should Ohioans have to choose between their health and their right to vote? Secretary of State Frank LaRose doesn’t think so. He already supports many of these measures and the Legislature must act without delay to support these needed reforms to strengthen and protect our elections.

Kate Rivet

Sewing community delivered To the editor: Oberlin sewers reaped generous rewards in the form of gratitude last Saturday. Residents from all over the city came to Martin Luther King Jr. Park to choose their favorites from over 500 hand-sewn masks. At the end of four hours, only a couple dozen remained. And there were lots of smiles beneath those masks!

The donated masks are not medical grade, but, along with other measures such social distancing and frequent hand-washing, they help protect against the transmission of the virus.

The idea for the Great Mask Giveaway came from local residents Janet and Dominique Michal, who had made hundreds of masks during this pandemic and already given many away. A call was put out for other sewers as well as those who might contribute supplies for the event. The list of those, in addition to the Michals, who made this community event possible is a long one: Marce Allen, Deborah Banyas, Bonnie, Bliss, Heather Brown, Conleth Crotser, Marybeth Ebben, Janet Garret, Tracie Haynes, Kass Hillard, Sharon Miranda, Debbie Moennich, Kristina Pao, Kristin Peterson, Marcia Peterson, Pat Serio, Linda Slocum, Diana Steele, Lori Taylor and others.

I would like to express deep appreciation to all those who came together to make this Great Mask Giveaway a great success.

Linda Slocum

COLUMN

The importance of buying local food Local food has a variety of definitions, but one common meaning is food grown within 100 miles of its sale or consumption.

Buying locally reduces our carbon footprint, reduces food waste and supports local business and agriculture. Fortunately, Oberlin residents have a variety of ways to buy and eat locally and support our goals for a more sustainable community.

Buying food locally substantially reduces the carbon footprint related to the transportation of your food. One of the most important ways buying locally helps the environment is by reducing your food miles, or the distance your food has to travel from where it was produced, packaged and sold to eventually arrive on your table. By shopping locally, you are purchasing goods grown or produced in the region, which dramatically decreases the need for overseas plane travel or long truck trips, cutting down on fuel consumption and air pollution, and also reducing the need for shipping facilities, packing facilities or refrigeration.

For farmers and vendors operating within our region, it is easy to bring their products to nearby consumers like us. Take the Oberlin Farmer’s Market, for example (www. oberlinfarmersmarket. info). Consumers are able to easily access a variety of locally produced goods

CHANGING BY DEGREES

LINDA ARBOGAST

without venturing too far from home. You can even walk or bike to the market to reduce your carbon footprint even more!

Also, when shopping, consider buying from local producers whose products are organic, hormone free and pesticide free – even if it costs a bit more.

Not only is this beneficial to health of you and your family, but it’s also beneficial to the environment. Keeping harmful toxins like pesticides and herbicides out of the soil and air not only improves the crops being grown, but also improves the soil, water and air quality.

By buying and eating locally, we can all enjoy produce at the peak of its freshness since it doesn’t have to travel too far to reach us. Because the produce is fresh and brought directly from farm to table, there is less food waste as well. Many large retailers have significant food waste

due to items going bad before they are bought.

On a smaller scale with a more direct farm-to-table approach as with buying from local producers, this food waste is significantly cut down.

Lastly, in buying locally from local farmers and businesses, you are supporting your local economy. This allows farms and businesses to remain locally owned and operated instead of being sold to larger developers.

You can also support local foods by frequenting local restaurants that buy their food supplies locally. When you purchase locally produced goods from farms, stores or restaurants, you are not only supporting your local economy, but your local workforce as well. The people who produce your food, or work in the stores and restaurants in town are all potentially your friends and neighbors!

Want fresh local produce delivered to your door?

Consider buying food from either City Fresh (www.cityfresh.org) or the Oberlin Food Hub (www. oberlinfoodhub.com), both of whom source their products within a 100-mile radius.

If you’re interested in growing your own food, but don’t have space for a backyard garden, consider working with one of the community gardens in town. Legion Field garden is open to anyone

to maintain an individual plot or volunteer in the cooperatively cultivated area of the garden. You can contact Peter Crowley at 440-396-6237 or Bobby Taylor at 440-935-6011 for more information. The Oberlin Village garden is another great option to get involved in a garden supporting youth and seniors.

Contact OberlinVillageGarden@gmail.com for more information.

It’s also important to point out that fresh local foods are available in Oberlin, regardless of your financial situation. Oberlin Community Services stocks fresh local foods in their food pantry through gleaning from local farms, donations from gardeners, from their own People’s Garden and through donations from a program called “Build a Garden” that supports low income residents in building their own backyard gardens.

Contact Oberlin Community Services for more information about their food or garden programs at 440-774-6579 or ocservices@oberlincommunityservices.org.

Spring is upon us and the joys of eating fresh food come with the season. For your health, for the environment and to support local businesses, make your next meal a locally grown one.

Linda Arbogast is the sustainability director for the city of Oberlin.

THE VALUE OF A BUCK

Strength of forgiveness To the editor: There is no better time to be alive than today, even if we are the poorest of Americans, if we are among those willing to forgive the former police officer charged with the killing of George Floyd.

It is easy, almost instinctive, to condemn and consign to hell those whose actions or crimes are repulsive. Yet few of us have minds so clean and pure that there has never been not even a second of a repulsive thought that had we acted on that impulse would have put us at the deepest center of hell.

God read those thoughts, for it was he who made us. And it was he who pulled us from the precipice of disaster, all part of his plan, and it is to whom we must pray for forgiveness when we actually behaved poorly, which is often, because we are eternally fallible in all that we do.

Of course, we must inflict the just punishment on those whose actions are despicable even as we pray to God to forgive them. We are in the best of times, well armed to overcome the coronavirus, racism, sexism, etc., particularly because we try to forgive and love not only those who are family and friends but also those who are not, those who have committed heinous crimes.

First and foremost, we have to do all we can to have good thoughts, to surely behave properly, to try to create and make a much better world, not merely a better America, though that's a good start.

Booker C. Peek Submit letters to news@lcnewspapers.com.

Jason Hawk | Wellington Enterprise

Seven-year-old Braesyn Hagg ran a car wash at his Lakeside Drive home last week, charging $3. The part-time job was intended to teach him the value of a buck, said his parents — and Hagg said he was saving up to buy a Tesla.

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LEGALS PUBLICATION OF LEGISLATION

The following is a summary of legislation adopted by Lorain City Council on May 18, 2020.

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

Reso. 19-20 Recognizing & commending Demond Nicholson & LPD Officer Brent Payne for their heroic, lifesaving actions during a motor vehicle accident on 5/5/2020.

20-20 Recognizing & commending the graduating class of 2020. 21-20 Recognizing & commending the efforts

and dedication of all teachers during the 2020 Covid-19 Pandemic. Ord. 37-20* Auth the S/S Director to convey the real estate describe in Ex. A to the Lorain Port Authority. 38-20* Auth the Auditor to pay an invoice submitted by the Utilities Dept. invoking the Then & Now Certification Exception process ($4000).

39-20 Approving the acceptance of a FY2020 Coronavirus Emergency Supplement Funding grant from the Dept. of Justice totaling $68,789.

40-20* Approving the City of Lorain's PY2020-2024 CDBG & HOME Consolidated Plan along with the 2020 One-Year Action Plan which includes CDBG-CV funding. 41-20 Auth the S/S Director to enter into an option to purchase portions of 2 parcels of land owned by Eschtruth Investment llc for

the purpose of flood mitigation along Martin's Run Creek.

42-20* Appropriation. 43-20 Auth the S/S Director to enter into a lease agrmt w/ International City Youth Baseball for the premises known as Campana Park. 44-20 Auth the S/S Director to enter into a contract with the Auditor of the State of Ohio to conduct a performance audit of the Utilities Dept. 4520* Re-Appropriation. 46-20 Creating certain exemptions to Ch. 909 of the Codified Ordinances w/ respect to the "Waterfront Community Entertainment District" identified by way of Ord. 190-14. 47-20* Auth the S/S Director to enter into a contract for repair work to be done to the 7490 Industrial Pkwy storm sewer w/o formal bidding & advertising.

48-20* Auth the S/S Director to enter into an agrmt amend-

ing contract with Agri-Sludge for the hauling and disposal of liquid sludge. (*Denotes legislation was passed as an emergency.)

L.C.C.G. 5/28; 6/4/20 20663803

LEGAL NOTICE DONNELL RUSSELL, whose last known address is 1430 W. 23rd Street, Lorain, Ohio 44052, is hereby notified that Eva M. Hall has filed a Complaint naming Donnell Russell as a Defendant in the Lorain County Court of Common Pleas, Case Number 20 CV 200605, and is asking that the Court grant an award for damages arising from the motor vehicle accident that occurred on February 25, 2018. Donnell Russell is required to answer

within twenty-eight days following six successive weeks of publication of this notice to the Lorain County Court of Common Pleas, 225 Court Street, Elyria, Ohio 44035.

Stephen G. Meckler (#0014013) Attorney for Plaintiff 1551 West River Road, North Elyria, Ohio 44035 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 of 2020

L.C.C.G. 5/21-28; 6/4-11-1825/20 20662461

PUBLIC NOTICE TO THE OWNERS, OCCUPANTS, MORTGAGEES, LESSEES AND ALL PARTIES HAVING AN INTEREST IN THE REAL PROPERTY LISTED HEREIN BELOW: The list of the properties below

have been deemed dangerous buildings in the City of Lorain.

As a dangerous building, the building constitutes a public nuisance. City of Lorain Ordinance Chapter 1523 defines these properties as Unsafe Buildings, according to Lorain Codified Ordinance 1523.01.

These properties are considered Dangerous Buildings and according to LCO 1523.03 shall be considered Nuisances to the City of Lorain. Pursuant to LCO 1523.05, the Chief Building Official (CBO) of the City of Lorain has declared the properties listed below as dangerous buildings and by virtue thereof public nuisances.

A hearing is scheduled on the 3rd Thursday of June the 18th 2020 at 9 AM at Lorain City Council Chambers on the first floor located at: 200 W. Erie Ave Lorain, Oh 44052 be-

fore the Lorain Demolition Board (Board) pursuant to LCO 1523.06 for the purpose of presenting the determination of the CBO to the Board for its determination. All parties who have an interest in such parcels are entitled to attend and participate in the hearing.

-1685 E 32nd St -1129 W 11th St -2528 E 37th St -1928 E 29th St -1601 W 11th St -3130 Grant St -4723 Norfolk Ave -2217 E 35th St -826 W 17th St

L.C.C.G. 6/4-11/20 20664041

LEGAL NOTICE Public Notice of Public Hear-

ing, Wellington Community Fire District, 2021 Proposed Tax Budget Notice is hereby given that the monthly meeting for the Wellington Community Fire District will be July 1, 2020 @ 7 pm LIVE on Facebook.

We will be presenting the 2021 Budget for review. Anyone with questions or concerns are welcome to call in 440-6472245. A copy is available upon request.

By order of the Board of Trustees President Fred Pitts Fiscal Officer Vanya Pfeiffer

L.C.C.G. 6/4-11/20 20663702

PLACE YOUR AD! CALL US: 440-329-7000

Thursday, June 4, 2020

Lorain County Community Guide

Mercy allows visitors for first time since lockdown STAFF REPORT

Limited visitors are now allowed at two Mercy Health locations in Lorain County for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Doors were opened Thursday morning at Mercy Health Lorain Hospital and Allen Hospital in Oberlin.

Visitation hours are 9 a.m. to noon and 4-7 p.m. daily. Each patient in the hospital and emergency department will be allowed one visitor per

day, including mothers in labor and delivery.

A release from Mercy spokesman Jonathon Fauvie said there will be exceptions for end-of-life situations and other extenuating circumstances.

Children are still not able to go inside — all visitors must be at least 18 years old.

COVID-19 patients — whether their case is confirmed or suspected — will not be allowed visitors. Nor will patients in the behavioral health unit.

If you're planning to visit Mercy Health, be

prepared to wear a mask.

Take your own if possible, otherwise hospital staff will provide masks.

Temperature screenings are still being done at the door.

Visitors must register at less than 100 degrees to enter, and can't have symptoms including cough, sore throat shortness of breath, muscle pain or chills.

If you're denied entry because of a positive screening, Mercy Health Lorain will still help connect you with your loved one inside through video chat.

suspects are in handcuffs and secured, we as law enforcement must change gears into caretakers.”

Amherst Police Chief Joseph Kucirek issued his own open letter Sunday night denouncing excessive use of force.

Regardless of what Floyd did, he did not deserve to be killed, Kucirek said. “It is the job of law enforcement officers to protect and serve the community and their constitutional rights, while at the same time preserving life and liberty,” he said.

“There is no place for biased enforcement or unjust treatment from law enforcement in our country.”

He pledged Amherst officers will treat everyone with respect “regardless of whom they are or where they live, while at the same time being effective in resolving problems.”

Calling Floyd’s death “horrific,” Kucirek said his officers are “more than willing to stand alongside any person to protest and condemn that type of treatment from the police.”

In the past few days, images of tear gas-filled streets, flaming cars and shattered glass storefronts have poured in from Los Angeles, New York, Nashville, Salt Lake City and other cities.

Thousands filled the streets in peaceful protest Saturday in Cleveland, where police have a troubled history of using force against people of color, including the November 2014 fatal shooting of 12-year-old Tamir Rice.

Through the night, Twitter filled with reports from people who claimed to be eyewitnesses, saying Cleveland police launched tear gas

and flash bang grenades into crowds unprovoked, and that planted agitators — not protesters — turned violent.

Also on Saturday, the National Guard was deployed in Columbus. That action had sad historical implications for the city, which on Memorial Day had observed the 50th anniversary of the Kent State shootings in which guardsmen killed four student protesters.

The story was much different Sunday in Lorain.

Fists were raised in the air peacefully as an estimated 150 people marched from Oberlin Avenue west to Lighthouse Village Shopping Center.

Lorain police officers were with the crowd, showing solidarity with angry residents. They promised reforms, including the creation of a use-of-force advisory board that’s intended to improve the department’s relationship with AfricanAmerican residents.

RACISM

FROM A1

He asked for those who exercise their right to protest to remain peaceful.

“Although this incident did not take place locally, it creates distrust between law enforcement and communities all across the country,” Warfield said.

“Unfortunately, the evil actions of any officer can put a stain on the badges of many that we will have to work overtime to try and remove. I want to reassure you that the vast majority of officers join the force for the right reasons, and that is to protect and serve their community.”

Lorain Police Chief James McCann also released a letter over the weekend condemning Chauvin and three other Minneapolis officers who stood by while Floyd was killed.

“The death of George Floyd was tragic and inexcusable,” he wrote.

“The men and women of the Lorain Police Department stand with those who wish to peacefully protest against the use of unnecessary, brutal force against any citizen, and we stand ready to support and join you in your peaceful protest.”

People have the right to express their grief and anger, said McCann, but he warned that frustration must not lead to more violence.

In a public Facebook post last week, McCann had more strong words, calling for murder charges against the Minneapolis officers.

So far, Chauvin has been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

Sometimes suspects resist arrest and “sometimes it’s a battle for our lives,” McCann wrote. “But once those

Free workout videos

The partners of United We Sweat have teamed up to provide free workout videos, featuring routines you can do from the comfort of home.

Ranging from 14 to 25 minutes, they include lower body workout, stretches, upper body strength, meditation, core and upper body and chair meditation.

Stream the videos on YouTube using this link: www.tinyurl.com/UnitedWorkouts.

Canceled

The Black River Audubon Society has canceled all of its summer hikes and programs until further notice due to COVID -19.

For more information, contact blackriveraudubon@gmail.com or call 440365-6465 and leave a voicemail message.

Your call will be returned within 48 hours.

LCCC kids courses

Registration is open for Lorain County Community College’s summer College for Kids and Teens online courses.

Sessions include art, investing, golf, tennis, fitness, nature, STEAM maker camp, kindergarten prep, the popular

lemonade day business camp and more.

Many courses are free or low cost.

The non-credit programming runs now through August. To register, visit www. lorainccc.edu/college4kids.

For more information, contact Michele Henes at mhenes@lorainccc.edu or 440366-4038.

Project Lead the Way

Black River Middle School has been recognized as a 2019-2020 Project Lead The Way Distinguished School for providing learning opportunities for students in science, technology, engineering and math.

It is one of only 176 middle schools across the country to receive the award.

The STEM program allows students to learn in a hands-on way while finding solutions to real world problems, said Principal Cathy Aviles.

“Seeing how engaged these students are in PLTW and what they are learning and able to accomplish is amazing,” she said. “I am proud to be able to take part in such an influential educational program and even more honored to have our school recognized for its participation. Our PLTW teachers are awesome and very deserving of this award.”

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OUTDOOR FUN ACROSS 1. Sacred song 6. Chowed down 9. Acoustic repetition 13. Capital of Vietnam 14. 4 qts.

15. Teamsters’ group 16. Affair, in Paris 17. Bit of binary code 18. Part of TNT 19. *Sleeping under the stars 21. *Horticulturist’s hangout 23. Articulate 24. Combustible pile 25. Joe Louis move 28. Epiphany guests 30. Forgo 35. WWII side 37. *Bonfire fodder 39. Royal topper 40. Tiny river 41. Pond buildup 43. Miners’ passage 44. Best not mentioned 46. *What seekers do 47. Fairytale beginning 48. Same as “slow down” 50. Upper hand 52. Toni Morrison’s “____ Baby” 53. Threads 55. Pie ____ ____ mode 57. *a.k.a. shuttlecock 60. *Flying saucer 64. 2 halves of a diameter 65. Pilot’s deadline 67. *Fire starter 68. Triangular road sign 69. ____ Luis Obispo 70. “Die Lorelei” poet 71. Other than what is 72. One laid 73. Poker stakes DOWN 1. First-rate, slangily 2. Ditto 3. Soon, to a bard 4. They are usually drunken 5. Biblical prophetess 6. Full of excitement 7. *Sun kiss 8. Funereal lament 9. “National Velvet” author

SOLUTION CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE A2

Page A5

____ Bagnold 10. Give a ticket 11. Sound warning 12. Lennon’s wife 15. State of agitation 20. African antelope 22. “Who ___ we kidding?”

24. a.k.a toes 25. *Banned lawn darts 26. Type of rotation 27. “The Hobbit” hobbit 29. *Played with a driver 31. Bye in Palermo 32. Lacked, for short 33. The oldest Goldberg sibling 34. *Skier’s turf 36. Snail-like

38. *Volleyball turf 42. Painter Degas 45. Beat the Joneses 49. Interesting person, acronym 51. Eli Manning’s first name 54. Ganders’ companions 56. *Famous ski town 57. Get-out-of-jail money 58. ____ of March 59. Make someone angry 60. Jack London’s “White ____” 61. *Fisherman’s supply 62. Marine eagle 63. Augments 64. Pastrami partner 66. *”You’re it!” game

SOLUTION CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE A2

Page A6

Thursday, June 4, 2020

Lorain County Community Guide

How to Draw a Unicorn © 2020 by Vicki Whiting, Editor Jeff Schinkel, Graphics Vol. 36, No. 26

Did unicornsever exist? Explore the mystery on today’s puzzling Kid Scoop page!

or thousands of years, people all over the world have told stories about a magical, mysterious one-horned animal: the unicorn. In some of these stories, unicorns were huge and in others they were tiny and playful.

Some were pure white; others had horns and bodies of many colors.

Some were Cut out these fierce and boxes. Put brave. Others them together were peaceful. in the correct order and color the unicorn.

Some people think that unicorn stories started from sightings of a one-horned rhinoceros or a gazelle in profile.

The unicorn is usually described as an ideal being, possessing qualities people admire. While the animal does not exist, the qualities do.

Each unicorn below has a puzzle piece in its mouth.

Match each piece with an identical piece that contains a word describing a unicorn quality.

Standards Link: Literary Analysis: Students understand the origin of legends.

Several hundred years ago, people sold mysterious horns that were said to be unicorn horns. These horns were straight; most animal horns are curved. Some were more than seven feet long and had spirals running down the entire length.

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angry gent le

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sneaky

Standards Link: Reading Comprehension: Follow simple written directions.

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The name bagaceratops means “small horned face.”

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n 1968, The Unicorn Song became a top ten hit on the radio. The song, written by children’s book author Shel Silverstein, told a story about the unicorn playing when he should have been boarding Noah’s ark.

Find the two dancing unicorns that are identical.

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Standards Link: Life Science: Students know that some animals that once lived on Earth have completely disappeared.

UNICORN DINOSAUR NARWHAL MAGICIAN SNEAKY FIERCE RADIO PEACEFUL PEOPLE HORNS SPIRALS MEAN FACE PIECE HUGE

Can you find a person in the newspaper who demonstrates the qualities people associate with unicorns?

More drawing fun!

Step-by-stepinstructions show you how to draw more than two dozen animals in Kid Scoop’s A Kid’s Guide to Drawing Cartoon Animals.Available now on amazon.com,target.comor at foxchapelpublishing.com

Standards Link: Character Education: Identify positive character traits in others.

U E L U F E C A E P N L H P N I L C M S

C P U O I A R R A N

Y O G N H E E N G R

This week’s word:

IDEAL

K E E W I S C M I O

The adjective ideal means something that is perfect or the absolute best.

E A R U A S O N I D

Katie’s volcano project featured an ideal use of baking soda and vinegar.

A P R F A C E E C H N P A O I D A R A G S S L A R I P S N E

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

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

Best Book of the Summer

Magic Headlines

Abracadabra! You can be a magician by changing a factual headline into an opinion statement. Can you find a headline that expresses an opinion? Change it into a factual headline.

ANSWER: Take away his credit cards.

Standards Link: Reading Comprehension: Distinguish facts from opinion.

lov ing

Unicorn People

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Connect the dots to see what bagaceratops looked like.

mean

Today we know that many of those horns were from a shy sea animal called a narwhal. Cut out and assemble the puzzle pieces to learn a surprising fact about these “unicorns of the sea.”

Standards Link: Life Science: Animals have features that help in survival.

cientists have found the bones of a “dinosaur unicorn.”

The bagaceratops was a small, plant-eating dinosaur that was about three feet (1m) long and lived in Asia about 80 million years ago.

ve bra

Tell other kids about a book you think they should read this summer. Have fun describing the book, but don’t give away the ending.

B

OUR TOWNS

Lorain County Community Guide • Thursday, June 4, 2020

COVID-19 tests becoming more widely available JASON HAWK EDITOR

When all hell broke loose in mid-March, your chances of getting tested for COVID-19 were pretty slim, even if you were coughing and hacking.

A lot has changed in two months, said Lorain County Public Health Commissioner

David Covell.

Now local hospital systems have "a significant amount of testing capacity," he said, and the strict rules about who can be tested have been relaxed.

Let's say you've got a fever, sore throat and body aches — Mercy Health Allen Hospital in Oberlin accepts walk-ins at its flu clinic and will screen for symptoms that could be coronavirus

red flags.

Tents that were erected to keep potential cases outside have been taken down. "Essentially what we've done is take the flu clinic that was outside the hospital and move it inside the hospital," said Mercy spokesman Jonathon Fauvie.

That doesn't mean everyone who goes to the flu clinic will get a COVID-19 test — "They're still

mostly using it for symptomatic people or people who are high risk," said Covell.

Hospitals countywide are now testing all patients who undergo any procedure, even if they don't show symptoms, he said.

To receive a COVID-19 test from University Hospitals, a physician's order is still required.

The first step is making an appointment with your doctor or

video conferencing with health care experts at www.virtualvisit. uhhospitals.org.

“Any patient who suspects they may have coronavirus due to their symptoms or recent travel history may contact their University Hospitals health care provider," said a statement provided by spokeswoman Kristen Kutina.

"The provider will determine TESTING PAGE B3

'He touched a lot of lives' Town offices are now open STAFF REPORT

WELLINGTON — Town Hall is once again open to the public.

Third floor administrative offices, including the utilities and planning and zoning departments, were reopened Monday, according to Village Manager Steve Dupee.

A clear glass divider has been installed at the utilities billing counter as a safety precaution.

Anyone visiting Town Hall is asked to wear a face mask, although, they aren't required, Dupee said in a memo to Village Council. Disposable masks are available on the third floor.

The gymnasium on the first floor is open to walkers only.

Wellington's recreation park on Johns Street remains closed to the public, with the exception of walking and biking. Playgrounds, pavilions and basketball courts are still closed across Ohio by executive order, and there is some debate over the safety of splash pads.

The park's closure will be reevaluated on July 1, according to Dupee.

Photos by Kristin Bauer | Chronicle

The rock in front of Oberlin High School was painted in memory of recent high school graduating senior Jeremiah "Bullfrog” Sutton.

Phoenix remember Sutton and retire No. 73’s jersey JASON HAWK EDITOR

OBERLIN — Even as they mourned Jeremiah Sutton's death, those who knew him best couldn't help but smile.

"That's just the kind of guy he was," said Phoenix head football coach Mike Akers. "Everybody just liked him. He was the nicest kid we had."

Sutton, who took his own life over the weekend, was remembered as Oberlin High School's toughest player, a solid young man who kept his grades up, was a natural leader and had plans to join the Navy.

Teammates came together Tuesday outside the school to sign No. 73's jersey, which will be retired.

Other friends showed up too, talking with counselors about the loss of a beloved Class of 2020 graduate.

Football coach Tom Hicks called the offensive guard and defensive tackle a "gentle giant."

Jeremiah Sutton ◄ Oberlin High School football coach Mike Akers signs a jersey in memory of one of his lineman, Jeremiah Sutton.

Head coach Mike Akers remembered how Sutton got the nickname "Bullfrog" — his name was Jeremiah, after all.

"Since he was a pudgy little guy, we called him tadpole," Akers said.

"That was when he was a

15-year-old sophomore, baby-faced."

As Sutton shed fat and replaced it with muscle, his role on the team also grew.

Soon, he was squatting more than 400 pounds and deadlifting more than 450, and took a turn as team

captain.

And when it came time to raise funds for the team, Sutton was the man — he could outset any other player, said Akers. Hand him a stack of coupon cards to sell, and Bullfrog would return a couple of days later with $400 in SUTTON PAGE B2

MedMark opens Methadone clinic JASON HAWK EDITOR

AMHERST — A new methadone clinic is now up and running, helping its first patients overcome life-threatening addiction to heroin and other opioids.

MedMark Treatment Centers Amherst opened May 20 at 530 North Leavitt Rd. Director Michelle Ann Richards is a lifelong Lorain County resident and

a graduate of Southview High School in Lorain.

A health care consultant since 2009, her outlook changed after a 2017 car crash.

"It was a real eye-opener for me.

I was on a lot of prescriptions, and learned it was easy to get addicted.

Thank God I didn't," Richards said.

Medical Director Patrick Beeman also hails from Lorain and is a graduate of Lorain County Community College, Cleveland State and the University of Toledo. A medical doc-

tor, his specialty is treating obstetrics patients with substance use disorders.

Over the last three years, parent company BayMark has looked at where opioid addiction services are most needed, and took notice of the large number of overdoses in Lorain and Huron counties.

The company purchased the Amherst commercial building in April 2018 and embarked on the two-year process of locking in the necessary METHADONE PAGE B2

Prosecutor wants tips in 2017 arson at Wagner/POV JASON HAWK EDITOR

WELLINGTON — Some hot leads are needed to solve the cold case arson at the nearly 150-year-old Wagner/POV birdseed factory three years ago.

Investigators haven't given up on finding the culprit.

In the last few weeks, the Wellington Fire District has renewed its promise of a $5,00 reward for information leading to a conviction.

"We're trying to get it out there in front of people," said Assistant Fire Chief Bill Brown. "There's still quite a few leads that came up initially, with some suspects."

Only a small percentage of arsons are ever resolved with a conviction. But Brown said he has hope, and the Lorain County Prosecutor's Office is still on the case.

"We've gone over the evidence several times and we've tried to run down several leads," said county Prosecutor Dennis Will on Wednesday.

He said his office is intensifying the investigation and has brought an explosives expert on board to help.

Anyone who has knowledge of what happened — whether first- or second-hand — should call the tip in to 440-328-2352.

"I think every arson is a difficult case, but like any case you have to start with what you have and work toward it," Will said.

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Page B2

City workers start back on normal shifts JASON HAWK EDITOR

AMHERST — City employees returned to a regular 40-hour work week on Monday, Mayor Mark Costilow said.

"We've been getting everything done, just not everybody at the same time," he said.

Workers weren't furloughed, and there were no pay cuts. but most of the more than 100 Amherst employees have been on standby from home since COVID-19 hit in mid-March.

That doesn't include police and others who are crucial for public safety.

In most offices, though, one supervisor and one employee have remained on duty at all times, while others have been on standby to work as needed.

"As water breaks happened, we'd call enough employees in to fix the water break," Costilow said.

That meant city workers had to be dressed and ready for dispatch during their regular shifts. They couldn't be the sole caregiver for children at home, said Costilow.

Now shifts are starting to go back to normal, though start times and breaks are being rotated to keep workers safe, he said Friday, while working on scheduling.

Workers also won't be going inside houses and other buildings to complete tasks like utility meter replacements, the mayor said.

Amherst Town Hall and the San Springs building — which houses utilities, technology, the building department and financial offices — will remain closed to the public a bit longer.

Some of those work spaces are too small to safely reopen right now, while social distancing rules are still in effect, Costilow said.

Residents have adapted well to using drive-through and online services for paying bills and other tasks, he said.

"We seem to be providing all the services we need to," he said. "As long as things are operating efficiently, I don't see any problems with continuing the way we are for a little while."

Like other cities, Amherst took the first steps in midMarch to limit city workers' face-to-face contact as much as possible.

The city ordered all non-essential services suspended, including projects that would take longer than a day to complete.

ARSON

FROM B1

went up in flames in the early morning hours of Sept.

17, 2017. The four-alarm fire drew crews from as far away as Amherst and Vermilion to help battle the blaze.

They worked shoulder-to-shoulder with firefighters from the village and surrounding townships — 16 departments in all — but the birdseed factory on the CSX tracks was a complete loss.

Brown said there were two other fires that night, and part of the investigation has been piecing together whether or how they might be related.

"From the first hour, we had people that we needed to be talking to, and we have. The police department has done quite a few interviews, as has the state fire marshal," he said.

The problem with arson cases is that physical evidence is often destroyed, Brown said. It's clear, however, that the blaze was intentionally set and what remains to be done is connecting the dots.

Thursday, June 4, 2020

Lorain County Community Guide

JVS seniors awarded $65K in local scholarships during online ceremony STAFF REPORT

PITTSFIELD TWP. — Careertechnical certificates were presented to 364 Lorain County JVS graduates on May 15 in a virtual ceremony due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thirty-two students were named Outstanding Seniors in their tracks, and 27 were awarded $65,500 in local scholarships.

“Certainly this is not the ceremony we would like for our graduates, but let’s look at this in a positive manner,” said JVS Superintendent Glenn Faircloth. “COVID19 has changed our lives forever, but how we deal with this will make us stronger. Just think, Class of 2020, the story you will be able to tell. You are so inspirational to your family, friends and to us here at JVS. We are proud of you and we celebrate you.”

Student achievement during the pandemic and while working remotely, with school buildings closed, speaks to the Class of 2020's resiliency, said Principal Tina Pelto said.

Logan Ramsey, who studied carpentry at the JVS, was chosen as the senior speaker.

“We are doing what we love and the trades have become our passions, our hobbies and what makes us feel good," he said. "Every day is a different challenge, we get to use our hands and our minds to solve problems and be creative. All that we have done to get to this point in our lives, and all that we have had to overcome, shows that we can tackle anything that life wants to throw at us in the future."

Top scholarship recipients included teacher education exploration students Amber Allen and Jarod LaPointe and allied health sciences student Ariel Weese, who each received the William R. Burton Scholarship in the amount of $6,500.

Other scholarships: Amherst • Matthew Arcuri received the Sandra Dodson Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $500.

• Hadleigh Fain received the William Randall Scholarship in the amount of $1,000.

Avon Lake • Joseph Hale received the Julie L Hogan Scholarship in the amount of $1,000.

• Claire Lavelle received the William R. Burton Scholarship in the amount of $1,000 and the PTA/ LCJVSTA Scholarship in the amount of $4,500.

Provided photo

Corey Helmlin of Keystone plays the National Anthem on guitar to begin the Lorain County JVS virtual senior recognition ceremony.

• Sara Steinman is the recipient of the JVS Tribute Scholarship in the amount of $3,000.

Brookside • Madison Torres received the Julie L. Hogan Scholarship in the amount of $1,000.

Clearview • Megan Rataj received the William Randall Scholarship in the amount of $1,000 and the Pam Faragher Culinary Scholarship in the amount of $6,500.

• Ariel Weese received the William Randall Scholarship in the amount of $6,500.

Columbia • Joshua Morlock received the Ryan Woodrum Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $1,000 and the Linda Diedrick Teacher Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $4,000.

Elyria • Anna Hale received the William R. Burton Scholarship in the amount of $1,000.

• Joseph Nichols received the JVS Tribute Scholarship in the amount of $1,000.

Firelands • Sydney Clark received the Sandra Dodson Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $500.

Keystone • Emma James received the Vitalant Community Blood Services Scholarship in the amount of $1,000.

• Grace James received the Vitalant Community Blood Services Scholarship in the amount of $1,000.

• Jarod LaPointe received the Wil-

liam R. Burton Scholarship in the amount of $6,500.

Midview • Amber Allen received the William R. Burton Scholarship in the amount of $6,500.

• Chayla Herner received the Sandra Dodson Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $1,000.

• Jessica Kucera received the Robert and Janet McMinn Scholarship in the amount of $4,000.

• Meghan Newton received the Sandra Dodson Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $500.

North Ridgeville • James Matthew Johnson received the Ray’s Auto and Truck Service Scholarship in the amount of $1,000.

• Danielle Lesiw received the Julie L. Hogan Scholarship in the amount of $1,000.

Wellington • Christopher Beat received the James A. Berthold Board of Education Scholarship in the amount of $2,000.

• Grace Dudziak received the J. Edgar Martin Scholarship in the amount of $4,000.

• Morgan Hunter received the Julie L. Hogan Scholarship in the amount of $1,000.

• Kallie Mackrell received the William Randall Scholarship in the amount of $1,000.

• Madison Mull received the PTA/ LCJVSTA Scholarship in the amount of $500 and the Sandra Dodson Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $500.

• Hailey Staffeld received the Sandra Dodson Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $1,000.

SUTTON

FROM B1

hand.

"He never had a bad word to say about anyone. Always a smile on his face," Akers said.

"Phenomenal young man," said business teacher Denita Tolbert-Brown, choking back tears and composing herself.

She developed a relationship with Sutton in his freshman year. When he went to the Lorain County JVS to study maintenance services, Sutton would ride the bus back to the high school and every day made a point of checking on Tolbert-Brown.

"He just wanted to make sure I was OK, that I had a good day," she said.

She was troubled, though, that Sutton had never shown any warning signs of being in trouble.

Tolbert-Brown said he would have been the last person she suspected of needing help because he was "just so bright, joyful, lovable. Anything I could possibly say would not be enough to tell you what a wonderful young man he was. He touched a lot of lives."

If the high school needed to set up chairs for an event, Sutton was the first to volunteer and the last to leave, said Principal Chris Frank.

"If I had a word — generous," he said, describing Sutton. "He was generous with his time, generous with his effort. He was always the first to want to help."

Football teammate Sam Thompson launched a GoFundMe drive online to raise money for Sutton's family.

As of Tuesday afternoon, it had reached $12,500 in pledges.

"I just saw a family in need and figured if anyone was going to step in, it should be me," he said.

The two boys had known each other since seventh grade. Thompson remembered helping him find his way on the Phoenix squad, and the trouble Sutton had in his early days.

"He took his licks like anyone else, and he never quit.

That's why I gained so much respect for him," he said.

Kristin Bauer | Chronicle

MedMark Treatment Centers Amherst Director Michelle Ann Richards speaks about what someone visiting the treatment center would experience upon coming to the center.

METHADONE

FROM B1 approvals, including clearance by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency.

The outpatient clinic employs seven people and treats patients with methadone, a synthetic narcotic that's taken orally.

An "opiate agonist," taken daily it relieves withdrawal symptoms and blocks the euphoric feelings caused by opioid use.

Treatment helps patients avoid relapse, improve the outcome of pregnancy, get support for long-term recovery and find and keep

jobs, Richards said.

Medicine is only one aspect of treatment, she said.

MedMark connects patients with counseling and other support systems, and has partnered with Lorainbased Let's Get Real, a nonprofit that helps people with addiction recovery.

Richards said the journey to wellness can include art therapy, yoga and help getting a high school degree. After completing the first week of treatment, patients each get a journal, which helps cope with

their feelings.

Now is a crucial time for providing help, Richards said — that's because the COVID-19 pandemic has inflamed existing problems with addiction.

Many times, when someone has a substance use disorder, they also have underlying mental health disorders, she said. "That alone brings anxiety. When you have COVID-19, all of us are anxious. Many of us have a vent — some people write, some people exercise and some people turn to

drugs."

"It takes a lot for someone to climb that mountain and get help. We want to treat them with empathy and respect and we want to give them all the resources they need," she said.

Richards claimed MedMark was the first to open a methadone clinic in Lorain County, and said the next-closest facility was in Cleveland.

However, Elyria Treatment Center, which opened in November, also uses methadone.

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Lorain County Community Guide

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Armed men stand guard at Council passes downtown Amherst intersection utility late fee forgiveness

DYLAN REYNOLDS THE CHRONICLE-TELEGRAM

AMHERST — A small group of men, some carrying semi-automatic rifles, stood watch at the five-points intersection near Amherst City Hall on Sunday afternoon, vowing to protect people if violent activity or rioting broke out.

They feared violence was possible as a result of protests in surrounding areas, including a downtown Cleveland demonstration that turned to rioting Saturday.

The men, all Amherst residents, were inspired to “to protect the community, make sure that everything on both sides — on the side of the police and the side of any potential rioters — are in check,” said Troy Dodson, 19.

Although he said he’d previously heard rumors of protests planned in the city, ultimately, no major demonstrations or rioting were reported in Amherst on Sunday.

Dodson said he is a member of the National Rifle Association and Gun Owners of America, but the group in Amherst was not representing any particular gun-rights group and members are not affiliated with a local militia.

“I’m 19. I see the future of my country and my rights, and it makes me worried that in 20 years I might not be able to own this,” he said, referring to his rifle. Dodson said protesting further gun control measures was an additional motive for him.

Reactions to the demonstration ranged from honks of approval from passing motorists to middle fingers, Dodson added.

“Not everybody agrees and that’s part of America,” said Kerry Rock of Amherst, who stood with the group.

Another small group of demonstrators shared the same corner, peacefully holding signs supportive of racial justice. Amherst resident Lauryn Songer, 16, was there with members of her family. She said it was important to her to speak up in

JASON HAWK EDITOR

Bruce Bishop | Chronicle

Troy Dodson, front, stands on guard at the bandstand in downtown Amherst. Leah Songer, behind, went downtown with her mother and sister to make a Black Lives Matter statement. The Amherst residents, both 19, turned out Sunday to make their own statements. the wake of the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

“White privilege is such a big thing and a lot of people don’t see it,” she said.

As for where the armed men stood, Dodson said he is not partial to any protester or counter-protester and just wanted to provide safety if things got out of hand.

AMHERST — Utilities payments to the city are lagging behind by about $157,000 as of Friday afternoon, with roughly 1,000 customers' accounts delinquent.

At one point in mid-May, there were about $600,000 worth of bills that hadn't been paid to the city.

In a 15-minute meeting Tuesday, Amherst City Council voted to waive late fees on late payments during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The vote was swift and discussion was sparse.

Two weeks earlier, it had been another story as two councilmen, Phil Van Treuren and Ed Cowger, expressed reservations about fine forgiveness, leading to a debate over what kind of help officials should give residents during the public health crisis.

Cowger was mainly concerned about renters who moved and left landlords with unpaid electric bills. He reversed course this week and supported the waived fines.

Van Treuren said that letting fines slide was unfair to residents who paid on time, and argued that some people would take advantage of the city.

He cast the lone dissenting vote Tuesday as the ordinance passed 6-1.

Mayor Mark Costilow, who championed waiving fines as "the right thing to do" while families struggle with lost jobs, promised to keep Council informed about how many accounts slid into non-payment.

By Friday, coming up to a June 1 payment deadline, he said payments were flowing in.

"I honestly think people are starting to get their stimulus checks, and some responsible people are starting to pay, those who can," he said.

About one in every six utilities customers in the city was delinquent by at least 30 days, with some exceeding 90 days.

Costilow said that was nowhere near as high as other cities he reached out to for comparison. Some told him they had as high as 20 percent non-payment, he said.

Other cities in Lorain County and beyond reportedly told Costilow their electricity usage had dropped off by as much as 30 percent.

Amherst's has held relatively steady, down only five percent while schools and businesses have been closed.

Towns with more large factories and big box retailers have seen greater declines because those businesses use more power, Costilow said. Amherst is doing better because it's more of a residential community.

"Which is good. We really depend on that electric usage to pay our employees, pay for equipment and pay for our infrastructure," Costilow said.

TESTING

FROM B1

their risk, the level of care they need, and whether or not a COVID-19 test is needed."

Drive-through patient testing will be available starting Monday, June 1 at the UH Avon Health Center emergency department carport. It will run from noon to 3 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

The Cleveland Clinic offers drive-up testing at select sites in Northeast Ohio with a doctor's order.

The service isn't for everyone — it's for symptomatic patients who are either up to 36 months old, at least 61, or who have had contact with a known COVID-19 patient.

Regardless of age, tests may be available to people with heart or lung disease, kidney failure, HIV/AIDS, organ transplants or who are on immunosuppressive therapy.

Testing priorities In Ohio, COVID-19 tests are still going first to people who are hospitalized and health care workers, Gov. Mike DeWine's office said Thursday.

Because tests are more available, changes are being made to who should be tested next, based on the advice of clinical experts.

Second-highest on the list are residents of long-term care and group homes, police, firefighters, paramedics, public health workers and people whose jobs are critical to the functioning of the state.

The group also takes in seniors age 65 and up, as well as people with underlying medical conditions.

The state says racial and

ethnic minorities with serious health needs should also be given priority for testing, since they are at an increased risk for COVID-19.

The third tier for testing priority are people who are getting essential surgeries and procedures, whether they have symptoms or not.

"Expanded test availability will allow individuals in lower-risk tiers to be tested and to help further contain and respond to COVID-19 in Ohio," said DeWine.

Other options Pharmacies are starting to make tests available as well, though there don't appear to be any participating stores in Lorain County.

Rite Aid offers tests at no cost for adults in Parma, Holland, Girard and Akron through its "Project Baseline." You must schedule an appointment and complete a pre-screening online.

Walgreens has also started testing in a partnership with LabCorp, a private laboratory company, but so far that service is available in 16 states, not including Ohio. The closest are Michigan and Kentucky.

Similarly, CVS has launched drive-up testing for free in some states. It expanded those services into Ohio late last week, with the closest participating store on Lorain Road in North Olmsted.

Quest Diagnostics offers swab and blood tests in a variety of ways that still require a doctor's order.

Results are typically available in three days.

The company says on its website that it's steadily increased testing capacity

since March 9 and so far has processed more than 940,000 active infection tests. It can run up to 50,000 per day if needed.

Updated state rules were announced Thursday to allow pharmacies to order and administrate tests for COVID-19, so expect more locations to start offering those services.

"As frontline health care providers, pharmacies are critical in our state’s response to this pandemic," DeWine said. "I have asked the Ohio Board of Pharmacy to make sure that Ohio pharmacies have what they need to test for COVID-19."

The state also unveiled a county-by-county map yesterday at www.coronavirus.ohio.gov to show the locations of private testing centers. It showed none in Lorain County on launch day.

Several Lorain County Health & Dentistry locations appear on the map as community health centers.

They will begin offering testing on June 1, by appointment only, for medical patients who are symptomatic.

Nasal vs. antibody There are two types of tests.

The first is done nasally, and isn't comfortable. A swab on a long stick is inserted through the nostril and pushed back into your face to collect a mucus sample.

The swab is going to slide and push against the back of your throat and may make you gag.

Covell said the nasal swab is only for people

who have symptoms, and it's not worth the time and discomfort if you're asymptomatic.

If you've been exposed to COVID-19, your body will try to fight it off by manufacturing its own microscopic defenders. So the second type of test looks for those antibodies in your blood.

It's not as good as the nasal version, said Covell, and he doesn't recommend going the antibody test route until it's improved.

Either way, if your test comes back negative it's sure to give some peace of mind. But Covell said it's important to remember those results are only good for one day — tomorrow you could contract the virus.

What's next?

Even with more testing being done, the number of new cases in Lorain County

hasn't exploded, said Covell.

The state's painful quarantine rules have been extremely effective. Fears of a "surge" in late April to mid-May were allayed as social distancing measures and business closures helped keep the infection from spreading.

Dr. Amy Acton, who heads the Ohio Department of Health, had at one point predicted 10,000 new cases per day across the state without strict measures in place.

Covell seemed relieved Wednesday discussing the curve, but said the danger isn't over.

"The first week in June is when we're going to see something if we're going to," he said.

County health experts are watching to see whether the number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths stay steady or sharply rise as businesses reopen.

Covell said hospitals

are also on alert and much better prepared than two months ago.

Bed capacity is not an issue right now, he said.

If the gradual reopening doesn't result in an explosion of cases by mid-June, it will mean restrictions on Ohioans can be pulled back even more. But Covell said residents won't be able to breathe safely until a vaccine is widely available and there is complete herd immunity.

"I think we will have a vaccine as early as this fall," he said. "Now, that's a little optimistic, but I think we will."

At the latest, he believes a vaccine will be available to the public in January.

In the meantime, it's just as important as ever to keep a six-foot distance from each other, cover your mouth when you cough and frequently wash your hands.

85 SOUTH MAIN STREET OBERLIN OHIO 44074 JUNE 4, 2020 BOARD AND COMMISSION MEETING DATES ALL MEETINGS WILL BE Live Streamed @ http://oberlinoh.swagit.com/live

JUNE 9, 2020 ...........PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION - 6:00PM JUNE 10, 2020 .........OURCIT - 3:00PM JUNE 11, 2020 .........ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS - 4:00PM RE: TO DISCUSS A VARIANCE APPLICATION AT 222 ELM STREET 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.

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Lorain County Community Guide

Pirates set sail in three-day Black River commencement JONATHAN DELOZIER WELLINGTON ENTERPRISE

SULLIVAN — A three-day commencement was held last week at Black River High School, presenting the Class of 2020 and family members with a memorable ending to a term marked by unprecedented circumstances.

Eighty-nine Pirates received their diplomas over the course of three days in the school's 60th annual commencement. All three ceremonies are being combined into a video presentation set to air online June 12 with YouTube being the most likely forum, Superintendent Chris Clark said.

"We had considered the Medina County Fairgrounds as a venue for a larger, outdoor commencement, but it just wasn't possible after consulting with our local health department," he said. "Once we got that news, our staff has worked tirelessly since April to make sure our kids still have a special day to look back on. We're all very proud of that effort and how things have come together."

The Class of 2020 earned roughly $2 million in combined local scholarship money and offers from colleges or universities.

Twelve graduates earned a Career Tech, Academic, or STEM Honors diploma with five securing two of the three, including valedictorian Kaitlyn Clifford.

Clifford is set to attend Mount Vernon Nazarene University this fall where she'll run cross country and work toward becoming an elementary school teacher.

"Things have been difficult but I have a goal to strive for and I'm determined to get there," she said while taking in her moment with family. "I've wanted to be a teacher ever since I was little

Photos by Jonathan Delozier | Medina Gazette

Black River High School Class of 2020 valedictorian Kaitlyn Clifford is surrounded by family during the school's 60th commencement ceremony. and people here really helped my embrace that. I love school and I love working with kids. Plus, I have family members that have been an inspiration in the field."

Longtime BRHS teacher Cynthia Berry is Clifford's aunt.

"Today's a bit different than what everyone's used to but we're all excited for today," said Clifford. "I'm looking forward to the fair over the summer because I'm showing animals and I'll always be thankful for cross country and the new people it let me meet."

Fellow graduate Jimmy Barco wants to become an electrician and recalled some of his athletic success at BRHS, which included disruptive defensive line play on the football field and setting a 650-pound school deadlift record.

"Right now, I'm just going to keep working until I figure out what trade school I want to go to," he said. "Coaches and teachers here helped me out a lot in setting goals for myself and finding the best way to reach them.

"It feels like what's happened

the past couple of months has helped us be prepared for things that come up in life out of nowhere. That's just how life is sometimes, making decisions that you didn't know you'd have to make."

Class member Andre Brown credited school intervention specialist Jeremy Bradford with helping him stay on a successful path.

"Through taking some online classes and Mr. Bradford's help, I'm actually graduating about a year early," he said. "I was going

to just try and get my GED at the beginning of this year but Mr. Bradford kind of slowed by down and showed me this other pathway. So, I took advantage of it and did what I could. He knew my family and how much they wanted to see me graduate. I had to do whatever it took."

BRHS second-year Principal Tracey Lambdin said that earned scholarship money has amounted to the top 25 class members having their college tuition essentially paid for without having to take on loans.

"These kids have worked so hard," he said. "They deserve everything that's coming to them and that's come through grit and resiliency. Our football team had a deep playoff run, our Academic Challenge team has performed wonderfully, and our band was able to bring in hardware in everything they did and march at Ohio State University.

"Our students really understand the importance of teachers and staff. They know how supportive they've been and how hard it is to be successful without them.

Our parents have reached out to let us know how proud they are of what we've been doing with online learning. It was a big adjustment that took a community effort to get right."

Clark also touched on online learning and other measures taken since COVID-19 brought on a premature end to in-person classes.

"This class has gotten to experience a brick and mortar education as well as an online education," he said. "That's going to breed resiliency and the ability to adapt as they go into the adult world. As a whole, this class has been very resilient. They've had friends pass away. They've faced all sorts of adversity and have bounced back from all of it."

▲ Graduate Jimmy Barco receives his diploma from Principal Tracey Lambdin. ► Displays lining the gymnasium show just how far graduates have come.

AMHERST POLICE REPORTS • May 10 at 1:55 p.m.: Officers responded to a report of a domestic dispute on Middle Ridge Road.

• May 10 at 9:26 p.m.: Responding to a psychiatric situation, officers found a man left home with a firearm and planned to harm himself. He was later found by Avon Lake police and taken to a hospital for treatment.

• May 10 at 10:34 p.m.: Israel Bowen, 22, of Amherst, was charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated, display of lights and not driving in marked lanes.

• May 11 at 5:52 p.m.: April Spence, 38, of Lorain, was charged with petty theft after a complaint at Giant Eagle on Kresge Drive.

• May 11 at 6:24 p.m.: An officer was dispatched to University Hospitals Amherst Health Center to assist the Ashland County Sheriff's Office.

• May 12 at 12:36 a.m.: A vehicle that was allegedly involved in a hit-skip incident was located at Friendship gas station

on Cooper Foster Park Road.

A passenger was found to be in possession of possible narcotics and paraphernalia, police said.

• May 12 at 10:08 a.m.: Officers responded to a drug overdose at Motel 6 on Route 58. The woman was taken to the hospital.

• May 13 at 10:22 p.m.: Andrew Ortiz, 25, of Lorain, was charged with possession of marijuana, drug paraphernalia and license plate illumination. Daniel Rodriguez, 22, of Lorain, was charged with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

• May 14 at 7:54 a.m.: A theft was reported from a home under construction on Hidden Cove.

• May 15 at 7:20 p.m.: Steven Ward, 25, of Amherst, was charged with assault and criminal damaging. A report said the incident happened in the parking lot at Dollar General on Milan Avenue.

• May 15 at 11:03 p.m.: Police responded to a report of an altercation between a father and son in the parking lot at Motel 6 on Route 58.

• May 18 at 7:05 p.m.: Mark Lewis Jr., 20, of Amherst, was charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated, failure to keep a clear distance, failure to stop after a crash, possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

• May 18 at 7:06 p.m.: A vehicle started smoking in the intersection of Route 58 and Kresge Drive.

• May 19 at 1:41 a.m.: John Pizarro, 22, of Lorain, was arrested on a warrant through the Lorain County Sheriff's Office for failure to register his address.

• May 19 at 11:05 p.m.: Officers responded to an overdose on Woodhill Drive. A male was taken to Mercy Health Lorain Hospital.

• May 19 at 5:44 p.m.: A lawn mower was reported stolen on North Main Street.

• May 20 at 7:06 p.m.: A person said their daughter was assaulted near Amherst Town Hall several days earlier.

• May 20 at 11:21 p.m.: A 17-year-old Amherst boy was

charged with underage possession of tobacco products.

• May 21 at 7:30 p.m.: Police spoke to a boy about a drug use complaint and he allegedly admitted to arranging the purchase of drugs on several occasions.

Parents turned over a cell phone for further investigation into the drug sales, a report said.

• May 21 at 10:50 p.m.: Terrance Brown, 29, of Cleveland, was served with a warrant through the Amherst Police Department on a count of theft.

• May 22 at 4:20 p.m.: Officers responded to a possible assault complaint but said the victim was uncooperative.

• May 23 at 9:01 a.m.: A 72-year-old woman said her son assaulted and threatened her.

An adult suspect was taken to Mercy Health Lorain Hospital for a mental evaluation, and police said he would be charged upon release.

Editor's note: Though charged, defendants are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Long barn sale

The Amherst Historical Society will hold a sale from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, June 12 and Saturday, June 13 at the long barn at the Sandstone Village, 763 Milan Ave. There will be antiques, glassware, knick-knacks, books, pictures, linens, purses, jewelry, games and puzzles, tools, small kitchen appliances and miscellaneous kitchen items in the long barn.

In the pine tree building, there will be furniture, home decor, luggage, Longaberger cookbooks and more. The pine tree building is now open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. each Wednesday.

The Society is taking COVID-19 precautions seriously — volunteers and shoppers must wear masks.

The number of shoppers allowed in at one time will be limited and everyone must observe social distancing practices both inside and outside.

Road closure

State Route 113 has been closed for a culvert replacement between State Route 58 and Oberlin Road in Amherst Township.

The closure started Monday with a timeline of 30 days.

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CELEBRATING SENIORS

We’re featuring local seniors whose final year has been cut short by the COVID-19 crisis! Your senior can be included in an upcoming edition: Send a photo and the student's name, the name of the high school they’re graduating from, plans (college, major, military, work options) and an idea of their aspirations for the future to news@lcnewspapers.com.

KAYLIANA BARBEE has graduated from Oberlin High School. She plans to attend Heidleberg University to play volleyball and major in psychology.

BAILEY SMITH has graduated from Amherst Steele High School with honors and plans to attend Bowling Green State University to study biology on the pre-med track. Her goal is to become an emergency room physician.

MATTHEW KIRSCH has graduated from Amherst Steele High School. He plans to attend Lorain County Community College to major in education. He hopes to teach social studies and coach cross country and track.

XAVIER PERDUE has graduated from Amherst Steele High School. He is going to boot camp for the Marine Corps this summer, then will go to school for aviation electronics. He plans making a career out of the Marine Corps.

As more cuts come down the pike, Amherst Schools say outlook is good JASON HAWK EDITOR

AMHERST — Hit with a state funding cut of $730,000 to end the school year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Amherst Schools now expect to lose another $1.46 million in aid for Fiscal Year 2021.

District Treasurer Amelia Gioffredo hopes to retain about $14.6 million in basic aid from the state in Fiscal Year 2022, but that amount will hinge on what Ohio legislators decide when crafting the next biennial budget.

The cuts — along with dire predictions about delinquent property tax collections, lost educational revenue that comes from casinos, a lack of new construction and a sluggish housing market — are all part of Amherst's new five-year forecast.

Gioffredo presented the numbers in an early-morning virtual meeting Wednesday. Despite the bad news, she said the school system has built a healthy financial position by carefully watching spending in recent years.

In fact, the Amherst Schools plan to spend less next year on their two biggest budget items, which are employee salaries and benefits, than they did a decade ago, Superintendent Steve Sayers said.

Salaries and benefits are about 76 percent of the budget, said Board of Education member Ron Yacobozzi. That's lower than the typical 80 percent statewide, according to the Ohio Legislative Service Commission — and Yacobozzi remembers when the number was closer to 90 percent.

While dealing with cuts, Amherst hasn't cut educational offerings, said school board member Rex Engle. It's added them at every school building.

That includes all-day kindergarten, Spanish for all grades, an orchestra and a spate of new electives at Amherst Junior High and Steele High schools.

Sayers said it is frustrating that cuts handed down by the state time and again and outside the district's control.

"What our focus needs to be is on those things we do have control over, namely our expenditures," he said.

Cuts will have a huge impact, but Sayers said the focus will continue to be providing a good return on taxpayers' investment in education.

Gioffredo said the district took in $38 million in Fiscal Year 2019, the biggest chunk coming from property taxes.

It will go into the next year with about $16 million in cash reserves.

The forecast also does not reflect about $270,000 in funds expected from the federal CARE Act, passed to provide COVID-19 pandemic relief. The district is also anticipating more than $400,000 in state wellness funding in 2021.

The Amherst Schools are expected to remain stable through at least 2023, she said, and the next ballot issue will be an operating levy renewal in 2022.

Predictions of health come coupled with a disclaimer, however. The financial road map could change drastically if there is a deep recession, and if the state announces more cuts.

SHIANN SMITH has graduated from Amherst Steele High School. She plans to attend Ohio University through Lorain County Community College on a full ride partnership. Her goal is to become a nurse practitioner.

MADISON SZUDAREK has graduated from Amherst Steele High school.

She plans to attend Lorain County Community College to become a pediatric nurse.

JORDAN HARCULA has graduated from Amherst Steele High School. She plans to attend Kent State University to study biology and further her education at Ohio State University to become a veterinarian.

BROOKLINN DAMIANO has graduated from Wellington High School. She plans to attend Cleveland State University for the physician’s assistant program with plans to focus in dermatology in graduate school.

JOEY SOLKIEWICZ has graduated from Wellington High School.

He plans to attend John Carroll University to major in biochemistry and pre-health, hoping to go on to become an anesthetist.

ORION DOUGLAS has graduated from Oberlin High School. He plans to attend Lorain County Community College to study criminal justice, then attend the police academy.

CLAY CARPENTER has graduated from Amherst Steele High School. He plans to attend Akron University to study aerospace engineering.

JUSTIN WOSSILEK will graduate with honors from Firelands High School. He plans to attend the University of Akron to study mechanical engineering.

Library meeting

The Amherst Public Library board will meet at 6 p.m. on Monday, June 8 at the library. The meeting is open to the public.

Reward offered

Wellington Assistant Fire Chief Bill Brown posted Saturday that he would pay $100 from his own pocket for the identity of a vandal.

Someone scrawled graffiti on the fire department’s southern station at Town Hall, with the letters “ACAB.” The acronym, as used during protests, stands for “all cops are bastards.”

The graffiti appeared as protests raged nationwide against police violence, sparked by the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis officers.

LCCC Wellington

As of May 28, the LCCC Wellington Center has reopened with limited days of operaiton.

Its hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday and Thursday. The hours from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. will be reserved for individuals who have a higher health risk. All visitors are required to wear masks and follow social distancing guidelines.

For more information, call 440647-1776.

Scottish Games

The Ohio Scottish Games, long held at the Lorain County fairgrounds

in Wellington, were moved this year to the Cuyahoga County fairgrounds in Berea.

However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual celebration of Celtic pride has been canceled, according to the Scottish-American Cultural Society of Ohio.

Youth football

Sign-ups for Wellington Youth Football will be held from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, June 27 at the varsity stadium parking lot on Dickson Street.

Stay in your vehicle, pick up the registration form at the western entrance, fill it out and drop off the form as your exit. Be sure to follow the signs.

Players will not be sized and no money or paperwork will be collected on June 27 due to ever-changing public health guidelines. When the state green-lights the season, a July date will be set to complete the remaining steps.

Play levels include K-2 flag football, 3-4 padded flag, 4-5 rookie tackle and 5-6 varsity tackle.

For more information, email wellingtonyouthfootball@yahoo.com or call Amanda at 440-864-1312.

Energy Challenge

Efficiency Smart has launched the Home Energy Challenge to reward Oberlin Municipal Light and Power and Wellington utilities residential customers for learning about their electric use and committing to lower

it.

The challenge encourages residents to investigate items that use electricity in their homes and identify ways to reduce their consumption. The challenge is free to enter and consists of three steps: completing a home energy use scorecard, taking a free online home energy assessment and committing to an action that will save energy.

Residents will also receive two 9-watt LEDs, two 11-watt LEDs and an LED nightlight for completing the challenge. They will also be automatically entered to win either a Nest Thermostat E (grand prize) or a Philips Hue starter kit (two runner-up prizes).

“Spending more time at home means using more electricity, which leads to higher electric bills,” said Jamie Abrusci, program manager for Efficiency Smart. “Fortunately, your energy use is within your control.

The Home Energy Challenge is a fun way to reward residents for learning how they can reduce their electric costs and an activity that the whole family can do together.”

Residents have until Sept. 30 to complete the challenge. To take part, visit www.efficiencysmart.org, select your community and click on the Home Energy Challenge banner.

Summer solstice

The summer solstice will happen at 5:43 p.m. on Saturday, June 20.

That’s the “longest day of the year,” with the most sunlight hours, after which days will get shorter again.

OBERLIN POLICE REPORTS • May 9 at 1:45 p.m.: Unauthorized withdrawals were reported from a man's credit union account.

• May 12 at 4:15 p.m.: Police responded to a domestic dispute on South Cedar Street.

• May 13 at 7:33 p.m.: A male said he was attacked by another male while taking out his garbage. Nathaniel McCormick, 24, of Oberlin, was charged with disorderly conduct by intoxication.

• May 14 at 12:26 a.m.: A man said he was assaulted by a woman who accused him of selling her daughter for crack cocaine. The man told police the woman was drunk and accusing him of "pimping out" her daughter several years ago. The matter was referred to the city prosecutor for consideration of charges.

• May 14 at 1:28 p.m.: A girl was taken to the Lorain County Detention Center after her mother called police.

• May 14 at 9:29 p.m.: A woman called police to say her boyfriend took her phone and her "pot." While investigating, officers confiscated the marijuana.

• May 15 at 10:05 a.m.: Douglas McGraw was served with a warrant through Oberlin Municipal Court for failure to report to jail on an original charge of petty theft.

• May 17 at 9:35 p.m.: Jason Brown, 41, of Cleveland, was charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated and driving under suspension.

• May 20 at 11:33 p.m.: A woman said her 16-year-old daughter left

home without permission. An uncle took her to the police station the next day.

• May 23 at 3:31 p.m.: A 19-yearold took his own life.

• May 26 at 9 a.m.: Two iPhones worth an estimated $2,119 were reported stolen from Verizon on State Route 58.

• May 26 at 3:04 p.m.: A woman said her daughter was being harassed by an ex-boyfriend.

• May 26 at 3:52 p.m.: A wallet was reported stolen from a vehicle and its owner said there were fraudulent purchases made with a debit card.

Editor's note: Though charged, defendants are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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Lorain County Community Guide

Hook’s Greenhouse 50740 State Route 18 Wellington, Ohio 44090 440-647-5480 5/31-6/6 CALL FOR AVAILABILITY!

Dear Valued Customers, Family and Friends, We have been planting many fresh crops of flowers and veggies to provide season-long availability. This year has been unusual for many reasons but as it has been especially hard to keep product on the shelf. We are selling out of so many plants, flowers and veggie quickly.

While we still have a lot to offer you may notice when you’re here that our shelves might look a little bare. Our amazing staff have spent many long hours restocking and planting new crops for the weeks to come. We want to thank you for your support and continued patience.

We still have a beautiful selection of flowers and all our plants are looking happy and healthy! AND fear not we are taking note of what we need to grow more of next year so that we can provide more to you, our amazing customers. Thank you for your continued support.

Liz and Charlie Hook

NEW HOURS

SUNDAY 12-5PM MONDAY - SATURDAY 10-6PM SENIOR SHOPPING 9-10AM SENIOR SHOPPING 11-NOON THE RUSTY HOOK JUNK SHOP IS NOW OPEN!

STILL A NICE SELECTION OF VEGGIES

CONTAINER GARDENING

- Tomatoes - Peppers - Cabbage & Cole Crops

ASSORTED ANNUAL POTS

NICE HOUSE PLANT SELECTION!

HERBS:

FLOWERING SHRUBS AND EVERGREENS

GALLON PERENNIALS:

$14.99/Flat

$4.59 and Up

Rosemary, Sage, Parsley, Stevia and More.

$4.59 and Up

$9.99 And Up

$8.99 And Up

ANNUAL FLATS $14.99 FLAT • $1.69/pack

Stay Tuned to Social Media for Many UPDATES! www.hooksgreenhouse.com gardenhelper@hooksgreenhouse.com Call or Text 440-647-5480