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AMHERST NEWS-TIMES • OBERLIN NEWS-TRIBUNE • WELLINGTON ENTERPRISE Thursday, June 11, 2020
www.lcnewspapers.com
Volume 7, Issue 24
Justice marches fill streets
Photos by Jason Hawk | Amherst News-Times
Shoulder to shoulder with Amherst police officers, protesters walk down North Ridge Road on Saturday, June 6, chanting, "No justice, no peace." Protests were held in Amherst, Avon, Oberlin and Lorain that day.
Nine minutes of silence for Floyd JASON HAWK EDITOR
A protester carries a sign on Tappan Square in Oberlin, bearing the names of black people who have been killed by police.
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AMHERST — For a haunting nine minutes on Saturday, hundreds of people knelt in silence in front of Town Hall. As each second dragged on, they remembered the nine minutes George Floyd lay on the ground in Minneapolis, slowly suffocating to death, a police officer's knee hard against his throat. "A human being taking another human being's life in this manner, for what? Nine minutes is too long," said Mark Ballard II, who helped organize a protest march down Cleveland Avenue to Main Street. Some officers blocked traffic through the heart of Amherst, while others took to the streets in a show of support. "It's not enough to be saddened by racism anymore — you have to be antiracist," said Police Chief Joseph Kucirek, who marched at the front of the parade. "And it's not enough to be saddened by police brutality — you have to be against police brutality." On the 2.5-mile march, about 250 people of all backgrounds joined in with chants of "hands up, don't shoot," "black lives matter" and "no justice, no peace." They also called out the names of Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Sandra Bland, Philandro Castile and other people of color who have been killed. Ballard said black Americans are tired of dealing with systemic racism, and the issue has to be "addressed
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one city at a time." Protests started in large cities, but are moving into the suburbs. Amherst is a town of about 12,200, according to 2019 census estimates, and is 93.4 percent white. The Amherst Historical Society has celebrated the city's German heritage, which stems from immigrants who found employment at nearby sandstone quarries. Amherst's history is complicated by claims that it was a "sundown town" where a 6 p.m. bell allegedly signaled
it was time for black people to leave. The motive behind the alarm is hard to corroborate, but commenters, talking about the protest on local social media pages Friday and Saturday, said their families understood it to carry a menacing message. Bre Holly, another of the event's organizers, lives in Amherst and said she has black friends who are scared to visit the city. "We're just here because we want NINE MINUTES PAGE A4
INSIDE THIS WEEK
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Mark Ballard II speaks with a bullhorn atop the bandstand at Amherst Town Hall, calling for change.
Fireworks
Oberlin
Wellington
Towns debate how to pull off patriotic displays • B1
23 faith leaders call for Trump’s censure • B1
Officer Jeff Mecklenberg mourns for K-9 Argos • B1
CLASSIFIEDS A2 • OBITUARIES A6 • CROSSWORD B5 • SUDOKU B5 • KID SCOOP B6
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Kim is Oberlin Rotary’s Senior of May The Oberlin Rotary Club honors a high school senior each month during the school year. These young people are recognized for character and positive attitudes. The Oberlin Rotary Club will donate $25 to a charity or project of the student’s choosing in their name. DONNA SHURR OBERLIN ROTARY
The Oberlin High School senior honored for the month of May is Emma Kim. She has participated in Ohio Model United Nations for five years, starting in eighth grade, and was an author for three years. Her efforts have received honors each year: Outstanding Resolution in 2017 and 2018, Outstanding Leadership Award in 2018 and Outstanding Humanitarian Resolution in 2019. Playing saxophone in marching band for four years and participating as an actor and techie for drama club have been creative and fun experiences for Kim. A member of the Sustainability Club in her senior year, she and other students aimed to raise environmental awareness through demonstrations, letters to elected representatives and community clean-ups. Kim helped
organize Oberlin High School's environmental protest, which was partnered with Oberlin College’s SUNRISE environmental activist program. As vice president of Interact Club, the community service club at OHS sponsored by the Oberlin Rotary Club, Kim volunteered for many service projects including the weekly BackPack Program during all four years of high school. Believing in service, she also participated in the Rotary Speech Contest for the past three years. Students who participate must write, memorize and perform a speech on Rotary’s “Four Way Test.” In 2018, Kim won third place, then in 2019 and 2020 she won first place. Her excellent academic performance, character and service merited Kim membership in the National Honor Society her junior and senior years. Outside of school, Kim has participated in many academic endeavors. In 2019, she joined students from around the world in the Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Program. This is a U.S. State Departmentfunded, four-week program that brings together Iraqi and American high school students. Together, they learn about community building and participate in cultural dialogue.
Emma Kim The first week was spent in Vermont, where the students experienced extensive team building training. Then they spent two weeks in their host community, Tulsa, Oklahoma, where they learned about different American cultures and volunteered at community organizations. The program finished up in Washington, D.C. to study and visit government institutions. Kim has participated in the National History Day competition for three years. This year, her group created a 10-minute documentary on Oberlin College and sustainability in higher education. Last year, she and a friend created a documentary on the rise and fall of the steel industry in the Rust Belt. In her sophomore year, she helped create a website on the pioneers of coeduca-
tion, focusing on Oberlin College graduates. This year Kim and her group received third place in the Group Documentary category, National History Day regional competition, earning the opportunity to submit work for the state competition. The project also received monetary awards from the Early Settlers Association of the Western Reserve and Oberlin Heritage Center Hubbard Prize. Kim has taken classes at Oberlin College for the past two years, including an American politics class, an economics class, and two Russian language classes. Kim has received a National Security Language Initiative for Youth scholarship to study Russian in Moldova for the 20202021 academic year. NSLI-Y is a program of the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, which promotes critical language learning among youth. Due to COVID-19, it is uncertain whether the program can be fully implemented, but for the time Kim's plan is to participate in this program next year. Afterward, she will enroll at Oberlin College, although she has not yet determined her major. Kim is interested in history, politics, Russian and film.
SNAP expands online Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ordering can now be done online in Ohio. Residents who receive benefits can now use their Ohio Direction cards to use "food stamps" online through Walmart and Amazon, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services announced.
“We know many Ohioans are struggling and that food purchasing has been a challenge for many, especially older Ohioans and those with limited access to transportation,” said ODJFS Director Kimberly Hall. “We hope online purchasing gives individuals more options and makes it easier for them
to both stay safe and eat nutritiously.” Ohio SNAP recipients have previously been able to order groceries online from Giant Eagle, Walmart and some Kroger stores — but they had to pay inside the stores of at curbside. For more information, visit benefits.ohio.gov.
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LEGALS
LEGAL NOTICE Public Notice of Public Hearing, 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
Thursday, June 11, 2020
Lorain County Community Guide
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
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 before 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 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
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS Please be advised that Lorain City Council will host a public hearing on Monday, July 13, 2020 @ 5 p.m. in the Lorain City Hall Council Chamber, 200 W. Erie Ave., Lorain, OH, to discuss the following items: a. An application to rezone properties located on Oak Point Road (PPN 02-03-007000-237 & 02-03-006-103-020 & 05-00-001-000-298) from R-1A to R-PUD Residential Planned Unit Development, Tom Oster is the applicant (ZCA-3-2020). The Lorain City Planning Commission met on February 6, 2020, and recommend approval to Lorain City Council. b. An application to rezone PPN 02-03-006-103-019 Oak Point Road from R-1A to R-
PUD, Tom Oster is the applicant. (ZCA-4-2020). c. An application to rezone property located at 3725 Grove Ave. (known as 2239 Homewood Dr.) from I-1 Light Industrial to B-2 General Business District, Drew Crawford @ City of Lorain is the applicant. (ZCA-5-2020). The Lorain City Planning Commission met on June 3, 2020 and recommended approval of items b & c to Lorain City Council Copies of all documentation related to these proposal will be on view for public inspection in the Office of the Clerk of Council, 200 West Erie Avenue, Lorain, Ohio. Please contact Nancy_Greer@ cityoflorain.org for additional information. Due to the COVID pandemic, please contact the office for up to date attendance information prior to hearing @ 440-204-2050. NANCY GREER, CMC L.C.C.G. 6/11-18/20 20664417
Tri-M inducts members
Eleven Firelands students have been inducted into the Tri-M Music Honor Society in a virtual ceremony. The new members are Matthew Balas, Ashley Johnson, Paige McCully, Ella Meszaros, Amber Orlandi, Leah Pena, Veronica Prideaux, Isobel Pruitt, Olivia Selent, Lauren Soltis and Katelyn Truxall. Also honored are graduating seniors who will become Tri-M alumni. They are Kaylee Boggs, Julia Ennemoser, Samantha Walcott, Rebecca Hopkins, Brooklyn Ollis, Lauren Widener, Michael Campbell, Sierra Johnson and Maribeth Petrey. Tri-M is an international society open to middle and high school students.
Fire station donation
A local business owner has given $500 to help with graffiti clean-up at Wellington’s fire station next to Town Hall. “Ths is why we love this town and serving the fine people here,” the Wellington Firefighters Association posted on Facebook last week. “Keep your spirit up people...we live in a crazy time, but us Wellingtonians do the right thing.” The station door was tagged with a message that took aim at police officers, and as the Association pointed out, “Unfortunately, this individual isn’t smart enough to realize he tagged a fire station... not the police station.”
Alumni event canceled
The Sullivan Alumni Association meeting and dinner scheduled for June 20 has been canceled.
Coming next week
High school graduation season in Lorain County will wrap up next week, with coverage of Firelands High School’s farewell to seniors.
LETTERS Call for police oversight To the editor: The recent wave of national protests challenging police abuse of black citizens in the memory of George Floyd and all other victims of that violence are exposing the deeply flawed structures of policing in this country. Mr. Floyd is not the first victim of police violence, nor even the last since his death on May 25. It has also revealed the erosion of trust between the public and its servants in many communities. The systemic flaws and deeply ingrained white supremacist ideas about race and class are pervasive in our society and must be addressed at every level in every city, town and hamlet, including Oberlin. We cannot assume in this quiet town that its citizens and servants are free from bigotry and bias. In order to encourage the transparency and accountability a police department owes the citizenry, I am calling on Oberlin City Council to create a Civilian Review Board to examine citizen complaints and incidents of police misbehavior. We can not assume we live in a bubble immune from the fractures in our society. Every town is a possible Ferguson, Missouri, and every black citizen is a possible Breonna Taylor or George Floyd. As a community we have the ethical and moral obligation to prevent such occurrences from happening by doing the just work of a fair society. Charles Peterson
Help stop animal abuse To the editor: Hi, my name is Kylie. I am a fifth-grader at Prospect Elementary in Oberlin, and I am researching about animal cruelty for a school project. Animal cruelty is when an animal or animals are being abused. For example, the circus can be a place where animals are being abused. One thing we can do to stop it is that we can show how much we love animals. We can also stop it by helping out the shelters and give them the supplies that they need to help the animals stay nice and healthy. In conclusion, you should always love your animals as much as you love something that is important to you and you should always take care of your animals. Kylie Walter
LETTERS
SOLUTION TO SUDOKU ON PAGE B5
SOLUTION TO CROSSWORD ON PAGE B5
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.
ABOUT THE COMMUNITY GUIDE LORAIN COUNTY COMMUNITY GUIDE (USPS 673-960) is published every Thursday, 52 weeks per year by Lorain County Printing & Publishing Company, 225 East Ave., Elyria OH 44035.
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Thursday, June 11, 2020
Lorain County Community Guide
Mercy Health restores hours for walk-in care Walk-in care hours have resumed at six Mercy Health locations across Lorain County. People who need access to primary care can get it without an appointment from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. The sites returning to normal hours of operation after initial closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic include: • Mercy Health Avon Walk-in Care, 1813 Nagel Rd., Ste. 500 • Mercy Health Lorain Walk-in Care, 3600 Kolbe Rd., Ste. 106 • Mercy Health Oak Point Walk-in Care, 5940 Oak Point Rd., Lorain • Mercy Health Oberlin Walk-in Care, 224 West Lorain St. • Mercy Health Vermilion Walk-in Care, 1607 State Route 60
COLLEGE SIGNINGS
• Mercy Health Wellington Walk-in Care, 840 Patriot Dr. Face masks must be worn by visitors at all times at the walk-in sites. If you don't have your own, staff will provide masks. One adult family member or support person who at least 18 may accompany the patient. Others can remain in the waiting area. All Mercy Health facilities in Lorain County continue to have strict sanitation protocols in place as directed by the Ohio Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you are experiencing flu-like symptoms, be sure to visit a Mercy Health flu clinic. Locations can be found by clicking the COVID-19 tab at www.mercy.com or by calling the COVID-19 hotline at 888700-9011.
Vitalant begins testing all blood donations for COVID-19 antibodies ELYRIA — All blood donations to Vitalant, which supplies hospitals in Lorain County, are now being screened for COVID-19 antibodies. The nonprofit operates at 710 Leona St., Elyria, and provides blood to hospitals across the region. Reserves are at a critical low. The antibody test has been authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It will indicate if the donor’s immune system has produced antibodies to the virus. A positive test means the donor had the virus at some point and their body manufactured cells to fight it off, even if that person never showed symptoms. “While a positive antibody test does not mean that someone is immune to COVID-19, it does mean that they may be eligible to donate convalescent plasma in the future and help people with the disease,” said Cliff Numark, Vitalant’s chief of marketing. “Convalescent plasma can be given directly to patients currently battling COVID-19 to help boost their ability to fight their illness.” Vitalant began collecting and distributing convalescent plasma in April. To be eligible, donors must have been diagnosed with the coronavirus, show complete resolution of symptoms for at least 14 days, get a negative nasal swab
test and meet all the regular requirements for giving plasma. The antibody tests are part of a full panel of tests that Vitalant performs on successful blood donations. Donors are not charged for the tests and costs are subsidized in part by The Blood Center Foundation of the Inland Northwest and The Bonfils Blood Center Donor Advised Fund. Donors will be able to see their results about two weeks after donating by logging into their online donor accounts. Vitalant said it's possible that the broad use of antibody tests over time, coupled with clinical follow-up, will provide researchers with better understanding of whether someone who has recovered from COVID-19 is at a lower risk of infection. Donations of all blood types are critically needed, with an especially high need for type O, A-negative and B-negative red blood cells. Platelets are always needed by patients for cancer treatments, surgeries and emergencies. Because of its short shelf life of just five days, the supply of platelets must be continually replenished. You can donate by calling 877-258-4825 or visiting www.vitalant.org to set up an appointment. Do not donate blood if you're sick, the company warns.
WHS students picked for leadership program
Maya Feron and Adelle Pickering, students at Wellington High School, have been accepted into the Emerging Rural Leaders program this summer at the University of Chicago. While the on-campus program has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they remain eligible to take part in online courses. They have also been invited to the university in Summer 2021 for the program, said admissions director Marjorie Betley. The session allows high school freshmen to take a college course for free, while exploring what's like to live on a residential college campus. "This will no doubt hone our leadership skills, and lead to more opportunities down the road," Feron wrote to Superintendent Ed Weber. Only 60 students were selected to take part. Pickering and Feron won their spots with help from social studies teacher Joseph Saunders.
Jason Hawk | Oberlin News-Tribune
Four Oberlin High School graduates signed on the dotted line on Friday, May 26 to continue their athletic careers at the collegiate level. Kayliana Barbee will play volleyball for the Heidelberg University Student Princes. Victoria Jackson will play basketball for the Hiram College Terriers. Aaron Hopkins will play football for the Glenville State College Pioneers. Lauren Sands will play volleyball for the Oberlin College Yeowomen.
COVID-19 grant money to help Lorain County Health & Dentistry A $36,291 emergency grant will help Lorain County Health & Dentistry continue to serve local patients while dealing with the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. The money has been made available by the medical aid organization Direct Relief in partnership with the National Association of Community Health Centers. “Direct Relief stepped up when we needed them most. We are thankful for their support,” said LCH&D Board Chairman Todd Tilberg. Lorain County Health & Dentistry was among 518 federally qualified health centers to receive funding through Direct Relief’s $25 million COVID-19 Fund for Community Health. The fund recognizes the profound effect of the pandemic on the finances, services, staff and patients of community health centers. There are seven LCH&D centers operating in Lorain County. They can be found at 1205 Broadway, Lorain; 3745 Grove Ave., Lorain; 412 East River St., Elyria; 105 Louden Ct., Elyria; 260 South Main St., Oberlin; 6150 Park Square Ste. B, Lorain; and 6140 South Broadway, Lorain. The company will use the grant money to offset dental operating losses for the period when services were not available due to executive orders from Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton. While services have reopened, LCH&D said it is burdened by skyrocketing
More businesses are allowed to reopen STAFF REPORT
A large number of businesses, nonprofits and recreational facilities were allowed to be open in Ohio as of yesterday as coronavirus restrictions are rolled back. They include aquariums, art galleries, country clubs, ice skating rinks, indoor family entertainment centers, indoor sports facilities, movie theaters, laser tag facilities, museums, outdoor playgrounds, public recreation centers, roller skating rinks, social clubs, trampoline parks and zoos. "We can continue to limit the spread of COVID-19 while we safely reopen our economy. It is up to each of us to do what we can to keep each other safe and choose to keep six feet of social distance, wear masks, and maintain good hand hygiene,” said Gov. Mike DeWine. Casinos, racinos, amusement parks and water parks can reopen June 19. Outdoor visitation is now allowed, as of June 8, at properly prepared assisted living facilities throughout
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the state. The change does not yet apply to nursing homes as of our print deadline. Health care providers, including dentists, are able to now move ahead with all surgeries and procedures that had been on hold because of the pandemic. They must do everything possible to conserve personal protective gear, such as masks and gloves, and be ready to respond to an unexpected surge in COVID-19 cases if needed. Health care professionals should also use phones and video chat to meet with patients whenever possible. In other business, DeWine also directed the Ohio National Guard last week to beef up procedures that ensure guardsmen do not have ties to hate groups. The announcement was made after the FBI discovered a member of the Guard had made white supremacist statements online. As a result, the guardsman was removed from a mission in Washington, D.C. "While I fully support everyone's right to free speech, the men and women of our National Guard are sworn to
protect all of us, regardless of race, ethnic background or religion," said DeWine. "Our Ohio National Guard members are in a position of trust and authority during times of crisis, and anyone who displays malice toward specific groups of Americans has no place serving." Race is "indisputably a factor in all kinds of health, education and economic disparities. The divisions of race have plagued us since our country’s inception," DeWine said last week, announcing he will intensify efforts to improve issues of inequity. "While there are no simple solutions, we must be a positive voice in advancing change for all of those who are marginalized and in creating equity in health, education and economic opportunity," he said. The efforts will include plans to improve law enforcement access to quality training, enhancing transparency between the police and the public, recruiting more minorities to serve as peace officers and adding more oversight to Ohio's law enforcement agencies to ensure accountability.
There will also be a continuing focus on reducing infant mortality in the African-American community, increasing supports for at-risk moms, fighting the drug epidemic and improving mental health services.
costs for personal protective equipment, including N95 masks, face-shields, head coverings, gowns and gloves that are required even during routine dental care. “We look different dressed in full PPE, but our compassion for our community is still the same," said President and CEO Stephanie Wiersma. "During these challenging times, we remain true to our mission and continue to be the trusted community health care provider in Lorain County.” “Access to primary care is what keeps people healthy and out of the hospital, and the frontline work of Lorain County Health & Dentistry and other nonprofit community health centers across the US is more critical than ever with the onset of Covid-19,” said Thomas Tighe, Direct Relief president and CEO. “Direct Relief is doing everything possible to bolster the work and support the staffs at the safety net health facilities on which so many patients and their families rely for excellent care and trust for advice in this public health emergency." Nearly 30 million — that's about one in 12 — of the country’s most vulnerable residents rely on federally qualified health centers for their health care. That number is expected to rise as more people lose employer-sponsored insurance. In 2019, LCH&D provided services to 15,244 unduplicated patients in 51,255 visits. Of those patients, 94 percent had income at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty line.
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Thursday, June 11, 2020
Lorain County Community Guide
Oberlin protest calls for police reform LAINA YOST THE CHRONICLE-TELEGRAM
OBERLIN — At Tappan Square, protesters lay in the grass Saturday as organizers spoke on the unjust killing of George Floyd and injustices in Oberlin. Before marching down South Main Street to the post office, speakers urged change within the justice system and police departments across the United States. "Every day of my life, I'm aware of the fragility of our lives in the face of police violence," said Oberlin College professor Charles Peterson. "That violence for black bodies is in the DNA of this nation. It is constant as the sun and as Photos by Steve Manheim | Chronicle regular as the times." Peterson called for changes Protesters gather on Tappan Square in Oberlin on Saturday, within the Oberlin Police Departholding signs and listening to organizers speak about injusment as he said policing in America tices both historical and modern.
Police chiefs voice support The following statement was issued by Duane Streator, president of the Lorain County Chiefs' Law Enforcement Officers Association: The Lorain County Chiefs' Law Enforcement Officers Association collectively denounce excessive use of force by police. We further denounce inaction by any officers who witness the use of excessive force. Law enforcement officers are entrusted with a duty to protect the residents that they serve. We will not condone officer behavior that fractures the trust between our law enforcement agencies and the communities they represent. We are proud of our officers and deputies. We are confident that they serve our residents with the level of professionalism that is owed to our citizens. Our association has been actively involved in ongoing training of Lorain County law enforcement officers that has recently included use of force training. Included in the training was an opportunity for the public to collaborate on use of force issues. Lorain County is fortunate to be made up of a very diverse population. Law enforcement is cognizant of this and the need to continuously improve relations, including race relations, within our communities. We are committed to working together to achieve tangible results. We welcome the opportunity to work with our community members. Please do not hesitate to contact your local law enforcement agency with any concerns. Furthermore, we respect the freedom of speech and the right to peaceably assemble as provided by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. If an organizations wish to organize an orderly and peaceful assembly or protest, they will have the support of Lorain County law enforcement.
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must be completely changed across the country. He called for Oberlin City Council to: • Establish a citizen review board for the police department. • Conduct a complete and public review of the use of the city's force policy. • Use research-driven policies that reduce the use of force. • Enact a ban on choke holds and strangleholds. • Require officers to give warning before shooting and exhaust all possible options before shooting. • Require officers to intervene if necessary to stop unnecessary use of force. • Ban shooting at moving vehicles. • Require a use of force continuum. • Require extensive reporting of use of force.
An organizer of the Oberlin protest, Johnny Spinkston Jr., said there's a duty to stand and speak up against injustices like Floyd's death. He urged white people to hold conversations among themselves to discuss racism and systemic racism. "I've cared my whole life," Spinkston said. "I cared before I knew to care. The justice system has been making decisions for me and my family before I was born... It's important that we speak up against police. It's important that you speak up for people of color, white people. It is important to say Black Live Matter, and to say why black lives matter." In front of the post office, about 100 protesters in Oberlin took a moment of silence for Floyd and others who've lost their lives to police.
IN AVON
Photo by Steve Manheim | Chronicle
Avon High School students and recent graduates led a protest parade down Detroit Road on Saturday. The group, called The Change We Seek, led chants that called for justice for George Floyd and other black Americans killed by police. Avery Erskine just graduated this year and is going to West Point. She said that while she recognizes the privilege of growing up Avon, Erskine also knew from a young age that she looked different from many of her other classmates. "But even with all this privilege, I still experience racism," Erskine said. — Reporting by Laina Yost
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the same rights as everyone else. We just need to get our message across that we're the same," she said. "We should not be afraid to go to Amherst and feel like something is going to happen to us because we're black. We should be able to go anywhere we want and be treated like the white individuals." Organizer Chayla Weaver said she has felt targeted by police after visiting a mostly-white neighborhood and hanging out with white friends. "Once we all separate for the night, I drive off, and I can see police following me... They finally pull me over and say, 'Oh, I pulled you over because you don't look like you know where you're going,' " she said. Weaver said she was allowed to go without problems, but not all stories of black people stopped by white police officers end that way. Holly said she and Weaver talked to Kucirek and Mayor Mark Costilow, who gave assurances people of color will not be profiled or harassed. Lt. Mark Cawthon said he feels betrayed by officers whose actions have destroyed confidence in
police. "I'm frustrated that people make poor choices and do things that aren't just representative of the whole," he said. "That's out of my control, because I know what kind of officers we have on our department." When he learned that now-fire Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin had killed Floyd, Cawthon said he warned Amherst officers there would be far-reaching consequences, and likely changes in how police are held accountable. "Maybe it was long overdue," he said. Ballard said it's important for marches to be held in places like Amherst — not just cities like Cleveland — because some of the people who live in smaller towns are "the portrayers of systematic racism, too. They might not even know it." He said he wasn't surprised that social media pages in Lorain County were full of racist comments leading up to Saturday's march. "It shows that it's deeper, like I said, than police brutality. Systemic racism is a battle that we've been fighting since 1619, when the first few slaves were brought over to this coun-
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try," said Ballard. Only one man interrupted the demonstration. Dressed in camouflage and with an assault-style rifle slung across the back, he yelled at the crowd and trailed the protesters on their return march up Cleveland Avenue. He was largely ignored, except by police, who didn't take their eyes off him. Many more residents lined the streets with signs of support for the protesters. Among them was Megan Kalchert's family. "I'm setting the example for my kids," she said, waving to her three little ones. "I think they have to understand the world is Marchers fill Cleveland Avenue with chants for change, carrying signs full of colors and everyagainst racism and police brutality. one has to be treated fairly." She said her white son needs to understand he will be treated with more privilege than many children who are black. Amid rumors of a march last week, Kucirek and Mayor Mark Costilow penned a letter to protesters, lending the city's support. "There's no place in this world for police brutality," Costilow said in a phone interview. Kucirek said he wanted to show police everywhere that it's not acceptable to use excessive force — "We're not going to stand on the skirmish line with batons," Kucirek said, instead asking to walk in solidarity with any group being confrontational," he them and listening to what Kucirek said business who wished to demonsaid. was being said by people owners knew about the strate. Costilow reacted to the of color who are all too posts. "They're reacting After Floyd's death was footage of Floyd's death often unheard. as anyone would, but not capture on video, the with disgust, saying no Both the mayor and overreacting," he said. police chief sent a mesperson deserved to die at police chief also said they Costilow said he didn't sage to his officers: Use the hands of police, and were aware of comments take the comments as your heads, and know offering condolences to made on Facebook that credible threats, but said when to react and when to Floyd's family. seemed to target downhe understood the frustrawalk away. He said he was town businesses. tion was real. "I think our guys do a impressed by how police One told people "don't Yet he said it was unsetgreat job, figuring out you in neighboring Lorain stop rioting" and another tling to see angry people can get a lot further by embraced protesters last said they needed "to burn naming specific businessthinking and listening that weekend, marching with all their bars down." es in Amherst.
Thursday, June 11, 2020
Lorain County Community Guide
Page A5
Commissioners speak out on race amid protests DAVE O’BRIEN THE CHRONICLE-TELEGRAM
ELYRIA — Lorain County commissioners spoke at their meeting last Wednesday on the importance of having a dialogue about race and racism, praising peaceful protests while expressing worry about the state of the nation and its racial history. The comments come in the wake of mass demonstrations across the United States in reaction to the killing of George Floyd, a black man, by a Minneapolis police officer. Multiple protests have taken place in Lorain County in solidarity with those protesting around the nation. Commissioner Matt Lundy said the past week was "a difficult
week for all the families in America and here in Lorain County," with many having discussions about race and racism. "Racism is real, it's systemic," Lundy said. Lundy said he remembered disturbing, racist comments made by adults in his youth about his favorite baseball team growing up as a child, the Pittsburgh Pirates, "having too many black players" and racial slurs being used to describe them. "I remember being upset about that, those were my heroes," he said, and included future Hall of Famer Willie Stargell. Lundy said his parents "never had a conversation with me about what to do if you were stopped by the police," a conversation he said is all-to-familiar to black children.
"In a lot of families that conversation is held," he said. And while most police officers are "dedicated to their oath to protect and service, then there are others who abuse their authority, and there are some who if they see an African-American walking down the street or driving their car late at night see a possible suspect." Lundy said the message of the demonstrations this past week is about wanting equal treatment under the law, and that such change "needs to start now" and involve everyone so all can be a part of the solution. "We need to rise up and challenge racism," he said. "Our society has simply been silent for too long. We need to be the ones who start the conversation: Get to know a church member,
a neighbor, a co-worker who doesn't look like us. We may never end racism, but we must never stop trying. We must never stop trying." Commissioner Lori Kokoski said she believed George Floyd's death at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer will be "a turning point for change" in how Americans view race and racism. She said she is proud of how Lorain County residents have handled the turning point of the recent protests "with civility and eagerness for change." "We all need to pray for the soul of our country and our world," she said. "We need a spirit of unity whether it's regarding racism, abuse, addiction, hate, disease, poverty, anything that hurts people. We need to have a united desire to make change for
IN LORAIN
A statement on racism The following statement was issued by the Oberlin Heritage Center: Our nation is reeling and our hearts are with the family and friends of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery and all black people who have been killed, threatened, judged, searched, discouraged and unheeded. The horrific and senseless treatment, past and present, must end. The actions, the grief, and the outrage of today are direct responses to the racism and prejudice at the core of American and pre-American history. For those who will never experience racial injustice, let us get this right this time and once and for all. Meaningful change begins with every person, every family, every organization, every town. The Oberlin Heritage Center stands united with black community members and all who combat racism and hate in our country. In its unwavering commitment to its mission “to preserve and share Oberlin’s unique heritage and to make our com-
those who can't help themselves. ... We are in the United States of America, not the 'Divided States of America.' " Commissioner Sharon Sweda echoed her two colleagues' sentiments and offered her "prayers and concerns for both the oppressed and the oppressors." Raised in the 1950s, she said it is "frightening to see so many of these things over decades of time we've had to address and correct resurfacing, like it's seeping back in." Sweda thanked all those who contributed to peaceful protests in Elyria, Lorain and elsewhere in the last week. "I hope this just isn't a blip on the screen. I hope we unite and are able to say we've taken the right steps, and used our collective voices," she said.
munity a better place to live, learn, work and visit,” the Oberlin Heritage Center’s historical resources are as important as ever to current community members as well as the next generation of leaders. Despite its reputation as a bastion of equality, racism has existed throughout Oberlin’s history, and is overtly and casually recorded in letters, memoirs, newspaper articles, drawings, oral histories and the physical landscape of the community, as well as through notable absences in the historic record. To acknowledge and react to that history is just as important as celebrating ordinary and extraordinary accomplishments. As the Oberlin Heritage Center continues to seek and share the stories of all Oberlinians, we will reflect on ways that we can address the ongoing inequities in our society. Moving forward must include questioning the past, calling out the present and changing the future. We will find strength in each other to stand up and be active participants to end racism and discrimination.
Tracking police killings The independent Mapping Police Violence database tracked 1,098 police killings in 2019, which was down from 1,143 nationwide. Of the victims last year, only 406 were white. Black victims had the largest share of police-related deaths than any other racial group, at about 17 percent, or nearly three times the number of white victims.
Use of tear gas and other weapons The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio responded to the use of tear gas, pepper spray, sound and flash grenades, wooden bullets, media bans and over-broad curfews during protests across the state. They "illustrate the over-militarized police presence we have in this state and nation," said Executive Director J. Bennett Guess. "Metropolitan police departments have an undeniable track record of using excessive force against people of color, peaceful protesters, individuals experiencing homelessness, individuals in the LGBTQ community and individuals with a disability," he said. Systemic racism seen now in the death of George Floyd has a "long shadow" back to the days of slavery, he said.
Photo by Carissa Woytach | Chronicle
Organizer Kia Wrice speaks Saturday in Lorain, where protesters and police officers marched side by side down Broadway to City Hall. At City Hall, she gestured to several protesters with signs to stand up on the steps to the building. "Every sign represents a positive change," Wrice said, "that united we stand. We are Lorain proud and that is why we are here. We want to see a change. We are tired. Every time we look around another black or brown person is being killed. We know that if we come together, if we unite as one, we can begin to be that change that we want to see across America." Throughout the crowd, protesters were registered to vote. Lorain Councilwoman Joanne Moon, D-Ward 7, urged attendees to show up and vote so that they could see the change they wanted. "It's up to you," she said. — Reporting by Laina Yost
OPINION
The time for thoughts and prayers is long over JEFFREY ROBINSON ACLU TRONE CENTER
A police officer with his hand casually in his pocket knelt on George Floyd’s neck for almost nine minutes while several colleagues watched or knelt on other parts of Mr. Floyd’s body. The officers knew people were filming, but they were confident no one would stop them. They were right, and they killed Mr. Floyd without interference from anyone, apart from the cries of horrified bystanders. After all, they had badges and guns. On that day, Minneapolis police conducted a racial terror lynching of George Floyd in broad daylight that was filmed by onlookers and then sent across America. President Trump’s reaction tells you all you need to know about his commitment to seriously address racism in America. The president called Mr. Floyd’s family. The call was “so fast,” Mr. Floyd’s
brother Terrence recalled. “He didn’t give me the opportunity to even speak. It was hard. I was trying to talk to him, but he just kept, like, pushing me off, like ‘I don’t want to hear what you’re talking about.’” Once the call was finished, so was any expression of concern about the racism that enabled Mr. Floyd’s murder. When demonstrations turned violent, Trump quoted an infamous Miami police chief from the 60s: “When the looting starts, the shooting starts.” When people across party lines expressed outrage, Trump claimed he did not mean police should shoot people committing property crime. Yet when protesters showed up at the White House, he threatened to unleash vicious dogs and ominous weapons, later adding that the power of the federal military should be used. On a conference call with governors, Trump was as clear as he could be when he said, “You have to arrest
people, you have to try people, you have to put them in jail for 10 years and you’ll never see this stuff again.” He added, “You have to dominate. If you don’t dominate, you’re wasting your time.” His solution to the protests is the response that has always been embraced in America — suppress them aggressively. Send some people to prison. Harass some activists. Maybe next time, they will take the thoughts and prayers and shut up. These demonstrations are about more than murder by police officers. Earlier this year, Trump claimed that there was a need to study the impact of COVID-19 on Black America. This is necessary only if, like the president, you have turned a blind eye to history and fact. COVID-19 stripped away any cover we had to avoid seeing the true impact of inadequate health care, under-funded education, gentrification, and economic disparities — conditions in communities of color, and in black communities in particular,
that are the direct result of centuries of intentionally created structural racism. These are the things behind the unrest in America. However, the racism and hatred behind the murder of George Floyd has faded from our president’s focus because he has identified something more important than a racial terror lynching by police. He has identified the real enemy. Who is it? Well, depending on the circumstances, for Trump it is Mexicans, Muslims or the Chinese. This time, the real enemy is not the racism in America that let police officers choke the life out of a man in front of numerous witnesses with unfettered confidence. It is the demonstrators — Trump calls them “thugs” — many of whom are black Americans. So instead of actions to eliminate the racism that pressed the knee into Mr. Floyd’s neck, we get threats about what is coming for these “thugs.” Unless cities respond with an overwhelming law
enforcement presence, he will “deploy the United States military and quickly solve the problem for them.” If you wonder what he meant by domination, you have your answer. How many times can a country offer thoughts and prayers in the face of senseless death with no progress or solutions before it becomes clear that the thoughts and prayers were meaningless? George Floyd must remind you of Eric Garner. Breonna Taylor and Terence Crutcher should be alive today. Trayvon Martin and Ahmaud Arbery are dead because their blackness alone marked them as criminal. If thoughts and prayers made a difference, why are we living in this moment of crisis 99 years after the Tulsa Massacre, 52 years after the King assassination and 29 years after Rodney King was beaten? The federal government is pushing for cities and states to make a maximum effort to prevent property damage. The president is
willing to commit federal law enforcement resources and even the military to defeat the enemy, protect property, and reinstate the status quo. What would America look like if we ever put the same commitment and resources into the elimination of and reckoning with racism? Take a good look at Mr. Floyd’s lynching and the centuries of unaddressed racism in America. What’s it going to be this time — more thoughts and prayers, with Trump’s military threat waiting if anyone complains? Or, for the first time in our history, a maximum effort with dedicated local, state, and federal resources to transform America’s history of racism? Our president has given you his answer. America is going to have to answer the same question. Jeffery Robinson is the American Civil Liberties Union deputy legal director and director of the Trone Center for Justice and Equality.
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Thursday, June 11, 2020
Lorain County Community Guide
OBITUARIES Lucila Balcazar Echeagaray Lucila Balcazar Echeagaray fell asleep, awaiting the resurrection, Saturday, May 30, 2020, she was 91 years old. Lucila was born in beautiful Guadalajara, in the state of Jalisco, Mexico in 1928. She was the sixth of eight living children. She told her children about being taken to a private Kindergarten, run by her aunt, "Tia Nita", to be enrolled early since she kept waking up her baby sister to play. Lucila passed the entrance exam and managed to keep up with the other children, no surprise for this future scientist who always excelled in academics. The family kept doves as pets and Lucila lovingly cared for them, this led to a lifelong love of birds. She adorned her walls with framed photos of colorful birds and spent many happy hours watching them at LCMP Carlisle Visitors Center's Wildlife Observation Room. The family enjoyed a comfortable existence in Guadalajara as Lucila's father, Luis Balcazar Cambre, was a successful businessman and owner of the LUBAC Factory, which manufactured high quality skin and hair products. Lucila had fond memories of being allowed to help glue the labels onto the jars when visiting her father in his factory. In Lucila's preteen years, her father moved the family to Mexico City, seeking more opportunities to grow his business. Tragically, Lucila lost her father when she was 16 due to a chronic health issue. That experience became part of her inspiration to make her career in the sciences, to further research into safer treatments for common medical conditions. After Luis' death, life became difficult for the Balcazar Padilla family, but the family pulled together to make it through the hard times. As the older siblings graduated University and began working, they assisted their younger siblings with their higher education costs. Lucila earned money to purchase her college books by crocheting delicate lace collars and selling them to fellow students to adorn their blouses. She worked hard and earned university degrees in biology, chemistry and pharmacology from UNAM, Ciudad Universitaria, located in Mexico City. After graduating and before her marriage and subsequent move to the U.S., Lucila worked at a pharmaceutical company in Mexico. Lucila met future husband, Ignacio Echeagaray, through his sister, Maria Luisa, who was her college classmate and close friend. Ignacio had legally immigrated to the United States from Mexico years earlier. He was living in Cleveland and working at NASA as an engineer when his sister wrote him about the brilliant and beautiful science major he might like to meet. Ignacio and Lucila were both smitten from their first meeting! They wrote letters back and forth for several years before marrying in Mexico City April 2, 1956. Lucila loved to tell the sweet story of Ignacio's wedding gift to her. "Tell me what you want that will make you happy", Ignacio said to her. On the flight to her future home in Cleveland, Lucila had seen an ad for a top of the line Pfaff sewing machine, that's what she told Ignacio she wanted. She recounted that she realized how much Ignacio loved her when he didn't blink when told the price. She made very good use of that beautiful Pfaff! Even after going back to work full time, she spent many evenings sewing lovely dresses for her girls, shorts and pants for her boys and stylish work outfits for herself. Lucila passed that love of sewing on to her two daughters and to her grandchildren as well. Sewing is still an important part of the family's culture and it all started with a wedding gift given and received with so much love. Lucila had grown up listening to her older brother, Jorge, play classical music on his violin and he had taught her to love music as much as he did. Ignacio was a musician in his spare time so they had an appreciation and love for music in common. Lucila shared that love of music with her children and frequently played classical music records at home while cooking and doing housework, she remained a music lover for the rest of her life. When Lucila arrived in Cleveland, she knew very little English. She, along with Ignacio, took classes, studied hard and eventually mastered English so well they were able to help their children with their English homework, even up into the college years. This dedication to learning English so fluently led to many opportunities for them both. Ignacio was to write many editorials in local newspapers and Lucila was to be responsible for a bilingual weekly column in the Lorain Journal. Ignacio eventually left NASA to work at Gilford Instruments in Oberlin as an electrical engineer. The family subsequently moved to Oberlin where Lucila lived until her death. Lucila and family truly appreciated the sincere and warm welcome to Oberlin from Mrs. Margaret Portman, on behalf of the "Welcome Wagon" program. Mrs. Portman soon became Lucila's dearest and closest friend. During those early years in Oberlin, Lucila's niece, Maria (Maribe) Compagny, came to live with her for a few years and attended Oberlin High School. In later years, MILTON "MILT" DUDASH, 93, of Northbrook, Illinois, formerly of South Amherst, passed away Sunday, May 24, 2020, following a full and meaningful life. Arrangements by Hempel Funeral Home. CHARLES EUGENE ANDREWS, 87 and a resident of South Amherst, passed away Saturday, June 6, 2020, at his home following a long illness. Arrangements are being PATRICIA EARL (nee Waldecki), 80, a long time resident of the city of Amherst, passed away Saturday, June 6, 2020, at her home following a lengthy illness. Hempel Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Summer food available
All children are eligible to receive complementary meals between 11 a.m. and noon, Monday through Friday, at University Hospitals Elyria Medical Center, 630 East River Rd. The program will run through Sept. 4. There is no income qualification. Due to COVID-19 and the restrictions on large gatherings, meals are served as grab-and-go bagged lunches.
Lucila was to say that those first years in Oberlin were the happiest of her life. She had true friends, a loving husband, a beautiful home, a welcoming community and four healthy children. Having her beloved niece, Maribe, join the family only increased Lucila's happiness. Maribe had been a flower girl at her wedding and was very much like a daughter to her, they remained close throughout Lucila's life. Ignacio and Lucila made sure their own children got to know the family they had left behind in Mexico. They packed up the family nearly every summer and drove to Mexico City from Oberlin. It was a very enjoyable and educational road trip for the family. Lucila always had many humorous stories to share about those long car rides with four kids! Before going back to work, in the 1970's, Lucila was a member of the local chapter of AAUW (American Association of University Women) and participated in their fund raising activities for the Martin Luther King Memorial Park in Oberlin. Although Lucila enjoyed her association with other professional women in service to her community, she ended her relationship with the organization when she returned to work. It was just too much of a commitment with a full time job and four children at home. Lucila was a very loving and devoted mother who was very selective in how she spent her time outside of her home and away from her children. Once Lucila's youngest child was in school all day, Lucila began working at the Lorain Public Library in their "Project Libros" initiative to help increase literacy in Lorain County's growing Hispanic population. Her unique background and outgoing personality were tailor made for her new position. She was equally literate and proficient in both languages, so was able to effectively communicate with her colleagues and both the English and Spanish speaking patrons. Part of her job was organizing and conducting events at the library that brought the community together. Lucila conducted Latin American cooking classes (where she taught patrons how to make authentic tortillas from scratch amongst other popular dishes), Spanish Language movie nights and bilingual puppet shows for children. Lucila's programs were well attended and became very popular! She had a cheerful nature and infectious smile, these personality traits helped her really shine when working with children. Besides the puppet shows she performed, Lucila also visited local schools in Lorain, hauling a projector, to show students cartoons and movies in both Spanish and English. Lucila was also tasked with translation services at the library, translating public health pamphlets, fliers for community events and even personal letters from Spanish speaking pen pals. Her Project Libros duties also eventually included a weekly bilingual column in the Lorain Journal and taking part in a Spanish language radio show at a local station. Lucila never shrank back from, or avoided, opportunities to grow professionally. She bravely threw herself into all of the different opportunities made available to her through the library and Project Libros. With her natural charm, bubbly personality and innate intelligence, Lucila always managed to succeed in all she did. Over the years, Lucila's job at the library evolved and she became a reference librarian. She was tasked with maintaining a good selection of science themed books for the reference department. She was happy to have a chance to once again use her science degrees to help others while working in the reference department. One of Lucila's personal goals for her job at the library was to encourage Spanish speakers to learn English, knowing how much it would help them in their daily lives. No matter what department she worked in, that goal remained. Lucila spent her career at the library truly advocating for the Hispanic community and made it her personal mission to help integrate them into the community. Lucila did not retire until she turned 70. She was sad to leave the library and her colleagues who had become close friends, but, she had a goal for her retirement. "Don't buy me a rocking chair" Lucila told her children after her retirement party, "I won't have time to sit at home and use it since I will be spending even more time going door to door teaching people about the Bible". Lucila was very proud of the hard work she had done at the library for 25 years for both the English and Spanish speaking patrons, but was eager to have more time to share the comforting good news from the Bible with more people.
Sadly, Ignacio and Lucila got divorced after Ignacio's retirement. Neither remarried and she and Ignacio remained close and supportive friends until Ignacio's death. In the 1970's, two women had come to Lucila's door to read her a scripture. Lucila subsequently spent many hours reading her own Bible, which she knew was the word of God. She wanted to learn more so she began a Bible study. Lucila loved learning from the two women about a God of love, his personal name Jehovah (Psalms 83:18) and his many promises for the future. She became determined to share the Bible with others as those two women had done with her and was baptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses on May 3, 1980. Lucila remained a faithful and zealous Witness of Jehovah until her death. Her love for Jehovah and unshakeable faith in the resurrection hope gave her much courage and solace in her later years when she faced several life-threatening health issues. Lucila was always young at heart and was a very jovial and fun-loving person who never lost her sense of humor or wit. Many in the family will miss her laughter most of all. She was so young at heart that age differences melted away as she and her extended family talked and laughed together. Lucila had many joyful years enjoying the company of her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and other relatives. She was deeply loved and truly cherished by her entire family. Lucila enjoyed wonderfully good health until age 80 when she first became seriously ill. Due to her healthy diet, positive attitude and active lifestyle of sharing the Bible with others door to door, she was able to beat that illness and several more life threatening illnesses in her last decade of life. She somehow always managed to find the humor in all of her health struggles and never stopped smiling, or showing sincere concern for others, even when seriously ill herself. The world would be a much better place if we all treated each other the way Lucila treated everyone she met, with sincere warmth, kindness and love. Lucila worked hard to retain her cognitive health as she aged by living a healthy lifestyle, working crossword puzzles, keeping up with current events and diligent Bible reading and research. She was quite pleased that her efforts were successful. With her usual humor, she often boasted to family and friends that she "still had all of her marbles". Lucila was fiercely independent but grew more frail as she aged and needed help and care with some tasks. Lucila lived with main caregivers, Judy, Jeff and Tatiana, who provided most of her daily care needs with additional assistance from Lucila's other children. She was very proud of the way her children and grandchildren, showed love to her and to each other, by cooperating so well to care for her so she could continue to live at home with her family. Her dear Christian brothers and sisters also lovingly participated in her care. Lucila often commented that the loving help and care she received from family and friends was a great source of joy and comfort for her in her last years. Perhaps Lucila's greatest legacy was how she taught her family and others by example. She taught them how to love by the way she loved them, loyally, tenderly and abundantly! She is survived by sister, Maria Josefina Balcazar Padilla de Agraz; daughter (niece), Maria Berenice "Maribe" Compagny Balcazar de Villarreal; many beloved nieces and nephews, all of Mexico; daughters, Patricia Lucila Echeagaray (husband, Juan Machado), Judith Ann Echeagaray (husband, Jeff Junior) and sons, Al Echeagaray and Randolph Eric Echeagaray (wife, Christine (Scott) Echeagaray). She also has her grandson, Elocadio "Leo" Rojas Urias III (wife, Ashley Velazco); granddaughters, Tatiana Lucila Junior and Elizabeth Patricia Machado (partner, Calvin Nolan); two great-granddaughters who brought her such great joy in her final years, Vaida Elizabeth Urias and Mila Lucille Urias. Lucila also leaves many dearly loved friends and Christian brothers and sisters and she deeply loved all of them. She will be truly missed by many! Lucila was preceded in death by her mother, Maria de Refugio Padilla Velasco de Balcazar; father, Luis Balcazar Cambre; brothers, Oscar Balcazar Padilla (died in infancy), Francisco Balcazar Padilla (died in infancy), Luis Balcazar Padilla, Jorge Balcazar Padilla, Guillermo Balcazar Padilla and Javier Balcazar Padilla; sisters, Maria de Refugio Balcazar Padilla de Aztegui and Maria (Yoya) Balcazar Padilla de Compagny; as well as dear friend and former husband, Ignacio P. Echeagaray. A memorial service will be Saturday, June 20, 2020, at 2 p.m. Please check the funeral home website for service information on Zoom and via Live Stream on You Tube. Arrangements are in the care of Dicken Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Elyria. For online condolences, visit www.dickenfuneralhome. com.
JVS students receive honors at FCCLA regionals Students from the Lorain County JVS culinary arts, bakery and pastry arts and early childhood education programs recently participated in the regional competition of Family Career and Community Leaders of America, held at Four County Career Center.
From Amherst: • Veronica Janosik, an early childhood education junior, received a silver medal in the Chapter Service Project event. • Noelle McNatt, an early childhood education junior, received a gold medal in the Chapter in Review Display event. • Maddison Morrow, an early childhood education junior, received a gold medal in the Promote and Publicize FCCLA event. From Firelands: • Emma McCrann, an early childhood education junior, received a silver medal in the Early Childhood event.
Provided photo
Autumn White-Hupp of Midview and Maddison Morrow of Amherst pose at the regional FCCLA competition.
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OUR TOWNS
Lorain County Community Guide • Thursday, June 11, 2020
K-9 handler grieves death of his partner, Argos JASON HAWK EDITOR
Andrew Dolph | Chronicle-Telegram
Wellington police officer Jim Mecklenberg and his partner, Argo, a German Shepard interact with kids in September 2019 during the Fall In Love with Wellington Festival.
WELLINGTON — Argos was a best friend and a partner in solving crime, and Jeff Mecklenburg won't ever forget him. The Wellington police officer is mourning the loss of his K-9 companion, who died just weeks after being diagnosed with cancer. "He started slowing down. I took him to the vet. It's a hereditary type of cancer, small and aggressive through his liver, spleen and blood. There was nothing they could do," Mecklenburg said. Chemotherapy and surgery
would have only added a few days to his life, according to the veterinarian. Argos would have been nine years old in July. Mecklenburg said that's about the average expected lifespan for German Shepherds — "Anything after eight is lucky," he said. Argos was born in Germany, sired from a line that was bred in East Germany under Soviet rule. Mecklenberg said the K-9's great-great-grandfather "was on the other side of the Berlin Wall, barking at me 40 years ago." Argos had been in service since 2012, and specialized in tracking both people and drugs. While working with the Cleveland Heights Police Department,
Argos' nose was responsible for more than $150,000 in narcotics seizures and at least 20 arrests. The partners retired in 2017 and Mecklenburg bought Argos from the department for $1 so they could stay together. The duo was hired last August to help patrol Wellington. "It was a mutual relationship. I know every handler says their dog is special, but we made a really good team," said Mecklenburg. "He would build on my strengths and weaknesses, and I would build on his." He said Argos was "an awesome tracker" who got excited every time they went to work. ARGOS PAGE B2
Angry Oberlin faith leaders call for 'blasphemous' Trump's censure JASON HAWK EDITOR
Photos by Jason Hawk | Oberlin News-Tribune
Oberlin Fire Chief Robert Hanmer watches flames and thick plumes of smoke billow from the roof of a Parsons Road home in New Russia Township on Tuesday, June 2.
Pets die in Parsons Road fire JASON HAWK EDITOR
Nearly two hours in, and after the roof collapsed, firefighters continue to douse the flames using ladders and axes.
NEW RUSSIA TWP. — Two puppies and two cats died last Tuesday afternoon in a fire that destroyed a home at 43566 Parsons Rd. Firefighters responded after 3 p.m. and worked for hours, but couldn't save the two-story house, which sat near the Black River and Carlisle Reservation Metro Park east of Oberlin. The garage was quickly reduced to cinders and the roof caved in shortly after. Bright orange flames licked up through the top and out the windows, while thick black smoke billowed, caught by the wind and blanketing country roads to the east. Wellington resident Nathan Thorn said he was driving home from work at Gross Plumbing in Elyria, and saw smoke from Route 301. Suspecting a fire, he decided to change course and drive by — "It was pretty much all the garage and part of the upstairs roof already on fire, and it was working its way
down," Thorn said. "Something in the garage went boom and shot a flaming ball into the sky," he said. The property is owned by Richard and Shannon Earls. Christina Poland sat in the grass far from the fire, watching as it tore through her sister's house. She said two German Shepherd puppies, about six to eight weeks old, died inside. Older dogs escaped, but a pair of cats weren't so lucky. No people were home when the fire started, according to Poland. Her sister returned to discover fire engines from Oberlin, Wellington, South Amherst, Amherst, Carlisle Township and Florence Township parked along the road and the house a complete loss. "It's a devastating time because she lost her son four years ago," Poland said. "And everything they had was in there." Oberlin Fire Chief Robert Hanmer stationed firefighters at the property overnight looking for hot spots, and FIRE PAGE B2
Towns looking for ways to save fireworks JASON HAWK EDITOR
No Fourth of July fireworks will explode in the skies above Oberlin this year — the city is one of many that's chosen to either cancel or postpone patriotic displays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For some small communities, the trend could present a big problem.
On the far southern end of Lorain County, for example, organizers of the annual Rochester Homecoming celebration are trying to decide how to move ahead. If it's one of the only towns for miles offering fireworks, Rochester could attract large crowds and social distancing headaches, said Mayor Cindy Kurpely. The Homecoming's centennial was celebrated last
year. Kurpely said organizing committee members, which operate independently from the village and township, agonized in a recent meeting about whether it makes sense to go forward with year 101. "It was over an hour they tossed it back and forth. They're still looking at what can be done and how it can be done," she said. Grafton is larger than Rochester, but still a small
town compared to neighboring Elyria. Village Administrator Joe Price said Grafton plans to have fireworks around 10 p.m. on Friday, July 3 and on Thursday held meetings to talk about where to direct spectators. Among the options was creating socially-distanced spots at village parks — drawing white circles on the grass for families FIREWORKS PAGE B2
OBERLIN — Twenty-three faith leaders from a range of traditions — Baptist, Quaker, Catholic, Presbyterian, Unitarian and more — are calling for the censure of President Donald Trump. The Oberlin-area ministers are angered by what Trump called a "very symbolic" photo op Monday in front of St. John's Episcopal Church. With protesters marching across the nation, Trump walked from the White House to the historic church, where he stood holding a Bible in the air. Ahead of his visit, police wearing body armor used tear gas to force hundreds of peaceful demonstrators away from Lafayette Square Park. Trump went to the Pope John Paul II National Shrine the next day, in a move Roman Catholic Archbishop Wilton Daniel Gregory called "baffling and reprehensible." Oberlin ministers issued a statement Friday, saying “these acts of self-glorification on the part of our nation’s leader must be condemned as blasphemous and unconstitutional.� They mirrored the outrage expressed by Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, CENSURE PAGE B2
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Thursday, June 11, 2020
Lorain County Community Guide
Dukes resume No gas in tank for car-sharing plan workouts with COVID rules JASON HAWK EDITOR
JASON HAWK EDITOR
WELLINGTON — Teen athletes are back to workouts at the Dukes field house on Dickson Street, with strict rules still in place to prevent them from becoming ill. The Ohio High School Athletic Association and state health officials gave permission for school sports facilities to reopen May 26. Wellington Schools Athletic Director John Bowman told the Board of Education on Tuesday that Lorain County League members decided to hold off until at least June 1 for safety. They continue to encourage student-athletes to work out at home, since social distancing rules curb the number who can using lifting and training rooms, he said. The field house can normally hold up to about 40. The first day returning to workouts saw seven kids take part, Bowman said. He is capping the number that can take part at the same time at 15 — that number still exceeds the state's limit of 10 people gathering at once, but that doesn't apply to gyms, according to Lorain County Health Commissioner David Covell. Bowman said the field house, located at the Dukes football stadium and track, got a deep cleaning over Memorial Day weekend. "That place is still not the cleanest place, I'm not going to lie. But it's probably the cleanest it's been in the last 20 years," he told the school board. To use the facility, students will have to answer basic screening questions for COVID-19 symptoms. Any red flag will result in being sent home. Students can't use lockers or showers, and restrooms are for emergencies only, Bowman said. Athletes are expected to dress at home and they shouldn't show up early. Wellington coaches are not taking their athletes' temperatures at the door, which raised some eyebrows during the school board meeting. "I've been told no one else is doing it," Bowman said. The Cleveland Clinic said it will not send trainers out until that step is in place, he said. Board President Brett Murner said temperature checks wouldn't be difficult to do, and Bowman said he is considering buying skin temperature readers that have been widely used by hospitals and other businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
ARGOS
FROM B1 They were never separated, not even during vacations, and Argos was never boarded. The longest they were apart was when Mecklenburg went out to a restaurant, he said — otherwise, "If he couldn't go with me, we didn't go." He said raising Argos was just like having a human child. Their bond was that close, and since the K-9 never had to go to daycare or school, they spent much more time together than most fathers and sons. Argos' final ride came Sunday, May 31. He joined his dad to say goodbye to Wellington High School graduates as they paraded through town. While Argos was a valuable partner in fighting crime, Mecklenburg said his most important job was being an envoy to the public. Argos helped build bridges of trust between police and the community they serve, he said — "There were people who would come up and talk to Argos that would probably never come up and talk to a uniformed police officer. We got to know people, and to see him being interactive with the community was reassuring," Mecklenburg said. He said he is thankful for the warmth that Wellington has shown in the past year, and plans to continue to serve the town in uniform, even though his partner is gone.
FIRE
FROM B1 picked up the investigation in the morning. The following day, he said it still wasn't clear what had caused the fire. No vehicles had been in the garage when the fire started, and the reported explosion was possibly a propane tank, he said. The Red Cross provided shelter to the displaced family, he said.
OBERLIN — City council pumped the brakes last Monday on a plan to provide electric cars that residents can rent on an hourly basis. A car-sharing deal with Sway Mobility of Shaker Heights is on hold until fall. Oberlin Council members shied from signing it during the COVID-19 pandemic because residents haven't had much opportunity to weigh in. Climate change is the greatest threat humans have ever faced, said city Sustainability Coordinator Linda Arbogast, pitching the program. "The reality of climate change is that we have 10 years to be solidly on the path of carbon-free fuel sources," she said. Oberlin aims to become carbon-neutral by 2050. Providing two electric cars to the public would help meet that goal while giving residents another public transportation option, said City Manager Rob Hillard. "It not only provides for car share
opportunities, but it also provides for revenue enhancements back to the city so we can continue to invest" in sustainable living, he said. By contracting with Sway, Oberlin would get two electric vehicles — Nissan Leafs or Chevy Bolts — a charging station, insurance coverage and maintenance. The cost would be $168,610. Residents would pay $8 per hour to use the service. The city would share some of that money. Councilman Ray English said questions still loomed large in his mind, though. At the top of the list is insurance. With a deductible of $2,500, the program would not be workable for anyone who does not have auto insurance, he said. "We are also doing this during a pandemic, when it is hard to engage the community, though I think that's something that's absolutely essential that we do," he said. Councilwoman Mary Price said most people she spoke with were overwhelmingly positive. However, she heard some concerns "primarily
about the social justice aspect of this program," and said she did not fully understand those arguments. "I don't want it to get lost. I think it could be a really great thing for our community," she said. Calling in to Council's virtual meeting, John Petersen of West Hamilton Street voiced support for the Sway Mobility deal. Car-sharing would allow people to get to doctor appointments and shopping when needed, which isn't always an option with buses. Another advantage, he said, is that Oberlin residents would get the opportunity to experience electric vehicles. Arbogast said she wasn't comfortable with electric cars, either until Oberlin Municipal Light and Power Director Doug McMillan tossed her the keys to his department's Leaf. Car-sharing won't be the only piece in solving the public transportation puzzle, she said. "We'll likely want to incentivize those who buy electric cars and improve our electric infrastructure" while expanding access to Lorain County Transit, said Arbogast.
ORANGE PROTEST Jason Hawk | Oberlin News-Tribune
Protesters hold signs at noon Saturday on Tappan Square in Oberlin, calling for gun safety reforms. They wore orange, the color Hadiya Pendleton's friends wore in her memory after the Chicago 15-yearold was shot and killed in 2013.
CENSURE
FROM B1 who said Trump's visit was made to share "a message antithetical to the teachings of Jesus." “We join many other faith leaders who have termed the president’s actions ‘blasphemy,’" said John Elder, retired former pastor of The First Church in Oberlin United Church of Christ. "Although many members of Congress, like clergy across the religious spectrum, have expressed dismay and disgust at what the president did, the seriousness of his actions demands a much stronger response," Elder wrote. The Oberlin ministers, who represent mostly Christian congregations, are calling on Ohio Sens. Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman as well as Rep. Jim Jordan to begin formal censure proceedings. Censure is a formal reprimand from the House of Representatives, the Senate or both for presidential conduct that does not befit the Oval Office. Unlike impeachment, it's not written into the Constitution, nor does it carry the weight of a criminal charge. Elder said Trump swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution, and protesters' right to peaceably assemble, guaranteed by the First Amendment, was violated. He said now "is the time for our elected representatives to give a clear warning that this behavior will not be tolerated." Framed as a letter to the three congressional figures, it warned that if no action is taken, Trump "may feel empowered to speak and act with even more authority, as if somehow he has divine blessing."
The Rev. A.G. Miller of Oberlin House of the Lord Fellowship said he believes the president "continues to move this country in a direction that is dangerous." Referencing harsh words from former Secretary of Defense James Mattis, he said Trump's actions are leading the nation into fascism. Miller also said he is "highly critical" of Christians who look up to Trump as a religious role model. "They disregard all of the messages in the Bible about loving your neighbor, about seeking peace... they ignore all of the scriptures about what it means to respect human life," he said. "They've bought into a notion of 'God, Mom and apple pie' at the exclusion of others." Fr. David Trask of Sacred Heart Catholic Church said he saw Trump's photo op and visit to the shrine as disingenuous. "For me, anybody if they're living their faith, there needs to be authenticity," he said. Asked what words he would share with parishioners who have questions about protests and their root causes, he quoted the words of Jesus in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. "You go back to the commandment — to love the lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind," he said. "The protests are highlighting the fact that we're not loving everybody like we love ourselves." Clergy who signed the letter included: • Fred Bell, Mt. Zion Baptist Church
• David Cann, United Methodist Church • Ruth Ann Clark, United Church of Christ • Rollin Conway, United Methodist Church, United Church of Christ • David Dorsey, multi-faith chaplain • June Hardy Dorsey, Episcopal Church USA • John Elder, Presbyterian Church USA, United Church of Christ • Milton Ellis, United Church of Christ • Ann Francis, Oberlin Friends Meeting • Mary Grigolia, Unitarian Universalist Association • Mary Hammond, Alliance of Baptists • Steve Hammond, Alliance of Baptists • David Hill, United Church of Christ • Edward Long Jr., retired Presbyterian scholar of Christian ethics • A.G. Miller, Oberlin House of the Lord Fellowship • Sarahann Nelson-Olin, United Methodist Church • Laurence Nevels, Christ Temple Apostolic • Gary Olin, United Methodist Church • Erica Saunders, Peace Community Church • Sarah Shofstall, Christ Church Oberlin • Rebecca Thompson, United Church of Christ • Ralph Thompson, American Baptist Churches of America • David Trask, Sacred Heart Catholic Church
FIREWORKS
FROM B1 to stay within. The shape the village's Fourth of July celebration takes will depend on how state guidelines change in the next month, Price said. Because Grafton is small, it's been lucky to have a low number of COVID-19 cases, he said. He doesn't want that to change. "The village of Grafton would like to show people that life is moving forward in the village," Price said, later adding, "We're feeling good right now but we want to make that every-
one is safe." A much larger venue, the Lorain Port Authority still aims to have fireworks at dusk on Saturday, July 4, or the next day in the event of rain. They're launched out over Lake Erie each year from the Mile-Long Pier on Lakeside Avenue. Executive Director Tom Brown said the Rockin' on the River concert series is still on as well, with the first show set for July 3. "We're cautiously optimistic some restrictions will be loosened," he said. "We're looking to give
people a little normalcy and a nice Independence Day" — but if Lorain County Public Health or state officials say it's not safe, the festival will be shut down. County Health Commissioner David Covell said fireworks were a topic when he met with mayors last Wednesday morning. The lingering concern, he said, is whether public gatherings will still be limited at that time to 10 or fewer people. That's not the general director Gov. Mike DeW-
ine seems to be moving. This past week, he's lifted orders that closed a wide variety of businesses. That includes dates for allowing movie theaters, amusement parks, zoos, casinos, water parks and museums to open. "We'll see what the governor does between now and July 1," when the current order limiting on gatherings is set to expire, Covell said. That will be too late for most communities, especially considering the logistics and expense that
go into fireworks shows. Understanding what was in the cards at the beginning of May, the Wellington Chamber of Commerce canceled its fireworks display, parade, patriotic concert and annual ice cream social. "I know it wasn’t an easy decision for them to make but I respect the reasons behind it," Mayor Hans Schneider said. The Columbia Homecoming Festival, set for June 25-27, has also already been canceled. It normally features fire-
works for Columbia Station and township. Avon Lake's fireworks are canceled; in Avon, the Lake Erie Crushers' season has been suspended, and there will be no Friday night fireworks without games. A company spokesman said there's no determination yet on the Fourth of July. No decision has been made yet about North Ridgeville's Star-Spangled Celebration and Fireworks, tentatively set for July 3 at 7 p.m. at South Central Park.
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Lorain County Community Guide
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Third try would be referendum on closing Westwood JASON HAWK EDITOR
WELLINGTON — One last shot at repairs for the 60-year-old Westwood Elementary School is likely to go on the ballot in November, in a referendum on whether the public wants to keep its doors open or see it shut down for good. The Wellington Board of Education discussed its levy options last week, hedging toward a cash request that looks different than its last two failed attempts. "We don't want to do the same one a third time," said Superintendent Ed Weber. Rebecca Princehorn, a financial consultant from Bricker & Eckler Attorneys at Law in Columbus, said the school board has big
decisions and two votes it must cast by Aug. 5 to make the fall ballot. She raised the possibility of asking for a combined operating and permanent improvement levy that would provide cash for day-to-day costs as well as paying for buildings, vehicles, maintenance and equipment. Weber said Wellington could need help paying for operating expenses soon, with hints that more state cuts are on the way. He said he's heard the state may short its funding to districts by another 20 percent as Ohio deals with the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. That would mean a loss of $1 million for the school system on top of the $229,000 it already ate for the end of this year. "The Legislature will
give you lots of ways to go to your people for money. They won't give you more money, but they'll give you lots of ways to ask," Princehorn said. Board member Ayers Ratliff said Westwood needs to be the focus of the levy, and if rejected again the voting public's message will be heard loud and clear. The result would be closing the building and moving students into rooms at McCormick Middle School, he said. That is would result in an estimated savings of $500,000 to $600,000 per year. About $4.5 million is needed to make roof and boiler repairs — the district had previously asked for $8.5 million for even more work at both Westwood and Wellington High School.
Ratliff called for a 3.5mill permanent improvement levy over five years. But that's not the only option on the table. Princehorn said the district can ask for a number of types, and they could last for a set number of years or go on the books forever. Her suggestion was a hybrid levy that could be used to both pay the bills and fix up Westwood. "A levy like this would give you more flexibility, and it wouldn't all be going for operating," she said. Board member Kevin Stump said the pitch that goes to voters needs to be the right one, and should be well thought-out — even if it means waiting until the spring. "We know we need the money. We've needed the money for a long time now," he said.
The last bond issue passed by Wellington Schools voters was in November 2012, and paid for the construction of McCormick Middle School. The most recent successful levy campaign came in May 2014, with the renewal of 5.27 mills in emergency operating cash. District Treasurer Tina Gabler said in May that the district was in relatively good shape for now, expected to end the fiscal year with 60 to 90 days of cash on hand. That's better than many other districts, but hardly sustainable. She previously said rumors of state funding cuts up to 30 percent were swirling, and would hurt budgets for 2021 and 2022. The next update to Wellington's five-year financial forecast is due in October,
Finance attorney Rebecca Princehorn took part in a digital meeting Tuesday, June 2, advising the Wellington Board of Education about its options for another attempt at a levy. and is expected to reflect more challenges caused by the pandemic, including a drop in income tax revenue.
Wellington adding more electronic eyes downtown DAVE O’BRIEN and BROOKIE MADISON
WELLINGTON — Police will have nine eyes watching the village’s downtown after announcing a plan this week to add three more surveillance cameras to downtown streets to help catch criminals in the act. Wellington police Chief Tim Barfield said the cameras are a necessity, but a privacy expert for the American Civil Liberties Union said that additional surveillance is a slippery slope the village might not want to go down. Last week, Wellington Village Council learned that three additional surveillance cameras will be added to the downtown area, in addition to the six already installed. Mayor Hans Schneider said authorities can now pull video from "every inch of that downtown.” While the the cameras won't be monitored 24 hours a day, the footage will be available to police for investigation after the fact. “If I didn’t think they needed them I wouldn’t have asked for them, so I do think we need them," Barfield said. He said the cameras will help his department do a better job at solving crimes by having “a constant set of eyes in the area,” especially with a number of highand lower-profile crimes in the downtown area in recent years. "We can’t be everywhere at
Library news
The Amherst Public Library has started offering select services once again by appointment. While the building remains closed for collection browsing, patrons can make appointments for individual computer sessions, notary and faxing services. Anyone entering the library will be asked to wear a face mask while they are inside. Disposable masks are available and can be provided before entry. No browsing of the collections will be allowed at this time. Items are not available for on-site checkout, but can still be borrowed through the library's curbside pickup service.
Rec center
The Mercy Health Amherst HealthPlex will be open for office hours from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. June 15-20. Visitors can use this time to address membership issues, schedule lane use and ask other questions. The facility will officially open on June 22 with some use restrictions due to state-mandated guidelines.
one time," Barfield said. "We certainly had enough problems in the last few years. We had the bird seed factory (arson fire), a bank robbery, a few break-ins downtown, so those things have a better chance of being solved by having video downtown. The cost is so much more effective than having a policeman permanently assigned down there." Only police officers will have access to the video feeds, he said, though the public will be allowed to request video footage as a public record. While there is no specific policy or procedure set forth on the use of the cameras, Barfield said his officers do follow strict guidelines for the way they use other technology, such as body-worn cameras. "We’ve had access for several years to cameras around town. If a crime occurs, we go out searching for who has cameras and ask them for a copy of that footage,” he said. “We have a couple businesses in town that have turned over access to their cameras to us for that very reason. The cameras have been out and about for a long time, it just gives us a chance to control where they’re at because we pay for it and the ability to immediately look at. All of this really is to make it safer." “We haven't had an issue with questioning use nor have we had an issue with those cameras. This isn’t something new, it’s just more. If you went to Amherst, Avon, Avon Lake or Sheffield, they have cameras in their police
Free WiFi
Thanking residents who have donated masks, food and other supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic, LifeCare Ambulance said it's giving back, Working with North Coast Wireless, the company has set up a public WiFi spot that covers the city's parking lot and surrounding area on Park Avenue. "We wanted to give back to the community and help others that don't have Internet at home for remote schoolwork and trying to stay connected," the company announced. Just look for the "Amherst Public WiFi" network.
Summer meals
The city of Oberlin will continue its free breakfast and lunch program for K-12 students during the summer. Beginning Tuesday, June 9 and running through July 30, meals can be picked up in the city hall parking lot at 85 South Main St. from noon to 1 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. People can drive up, walk up or bike up to receive
stations, not only look in their lobbies, but in interview rooms and the corners of their buildings that explore outside of their building now. That’s what we’ve done here; we’ve just expanded that footprint a little bit,” Barfield said. And while citizens’ expectation of privacy in public is “next-tonothing,” written guidelines for the cameras’ use would be a good idea, according to Gary Daniels, chief lobbyist and spokesman for the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio. Public records, he said, are for the public to keep an eye on the government, “not to keep an eye on each other.” Policies and procedures also should be set forth governing how long police will store recorded video footage, Daniels said. He said footage that does not show any criminal activity should not be retained as long as footage used in an investigation, for example. The ACLU also is “very uncomfortable with police surveillance or government surveillance of people out conducting their business,” he said. The United Kingdom historically has been at the forefront of public surveillance. London is said to be one of the most videotaped cities on the planet, with closed-circuit TV cameras monitoring the public 24/7 and many of the studies on the effect of constant surveillance on crime rates come out of that nation, Daniels said.
meals. For more information, contact the Oberlin Recreation Department at 440775-7254 or recreation@ cityofoberlin.com.
Splash Zone
Splash Zone on West Hamilton Street in Oberlin will be open for office hours from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. June 15-20. Visitors can use this time to address membership issues, schedule lane use or ask other questions. The facility will officially open June 22 with some use restrictions due to state-mandated guidelines.
Safety packets Oberlin police said they are sorry this year’s Safety Town has been canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic — so they’re making “practice at home to be safe” packets available. The materials are designed for students who will enter kindergarten in the fall. They include safety items to color, crayons, stickers, pencils and suggested subjects to view on the internet about
“There’s a little progress in preventing certain crimes, maybe such as property destruction or vandalism or something like that,” Daniels said. “What you don’t see is any definitive study that says, ‘OK, this prevents crime.’ ” Barfield said no one wants a "Big Brother situation" where the government watches everything its citizens do. "I certainly don’t want someone watching everything I do," Barfield said. Instead of watching everyone all the time, which would require hiring another five full-time employees, he said the goal is to be able to go back and look at what happened to find the information needed “to make the town safer," he said. Illegal or improper use of the cameras, such as to spy in windows, would result in an investigation, Barfield said. "I suppose if we found an open window of a man or woman that we wanted to look at — that’s like the only illegal use of the camera I can think of and if we did, that would be on the record and we’d see that,” he said. “We’d want to know who moved that camera and start an investigation.” In February 2012, the ACLU of Ohio came out against a plan for the Toledo Police Department to purchase 150 surveillance cameras for $1.6 million to monitor city streets. The organization called cameras "a tremendous waste of taxpayer money" and
staying safe. Pick up your packet at the Oberlin police station on South Main Street through July 5.
Summer plans
The Wellington Schools plan to continue meal service during the summer. It will continue with pick-up from 9-11 a.m. and 4-6 p.m. on Wednesdays.
recommended instead that Toledo hire more police officers to do community policing "that build bridges between law enforcement and the community, rather than barriers.” Daniels said practical and cost considerations of hiring more staff are legitimate, though in the last two weeks, he said, there has been “significant and hopefully lasting conversation about how we are all policed, and whether money and resources should be diverted from law enforcement and what law enforcement should or should not be doing.” Three things are true about surveillance technology used by police and governments these days, he said. “Technology gets better. And as it gets better, it gets cheaper. And as it gets cheaper, it gets more widespread,” he said. “There is always a slippery slope. What it’s used for today, it will be different for what it is used for five years from now or 10 years from now or whatever.” As for the challenge that “if you’re not doing something illegal, you have nothing to worry about,” Daniels said this: “The justification should not be on the person, the American, to say ‘Look, I don’t want you surveilling me 24/7.’ The burden must be on the government” to explain and defend why that is necessary,” he said. “With the initial rollout (of cameras) in Wellington, I imagine they were telling citizens and the papers ‘It’s going to be limited.’ ”
Use the doors behind the high school for distribution. The plan is to continue providing food to local families through the end of June, and revisit the program soon to see whether it will run through July as well. This food service is available to all families and 10 meals per child can be picked up for children age three through
18. Regardless of your financial ability, everyone can participate in this free service and we encourage you to participate.
School board
The Wellington Board of Education has rescheduled its next business meeting. It will now be held at 6 p.m. on Monday, June 15 via Zoom.
85 SOUTH MAIN STREET OBERLIN OHIO 44074 JUNE 11, 2020 BOARD AND COMMISSION MEETING DATES ALL MEETINGS WILL BE Live Streamed @ http://oberlinoh.swagit.com/live
JUNE 11, 2020 .........ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS - 4:00PM RE: TO DISCUSS A VARIANCE APPLICATION AT 222 ELM STREET JUNE 15, 2020 .........REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING - 7:00PM JUNE 16, 2020 .........SPECIAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION MEETING - 4:00PM 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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Oberlin College president to start racial justice plan JASON HAWK EDITOR
OBERLIN — George Floyd's killing left Oberlin College President Carmen Twillie Ambar speechless, but not for long. As demonstrators marched through the streets of cities far and wide, she announced a presidential initiative that will launch this fall in Oberlin to address violence, racial injustice and the relationships between police and community members. In an open letter to the community, Ambar imagined her initiative including courses, events and internships "focused on the very issues that the death of George Floyd evokes." "At every turn it seems we are watching in anguish a world that views African-Americans as less than human and unworthy of dignity. Not deserving of life itself," she wrote. "The black community — my community — is in excruciating pain. We are contending with what appears to be an unending well of racism and bigotry." Ambar said it would be natural for people to try to "reframe recent events and to make them singular so that they do not seem like a societal ill, but rather a moment in isolation." They are anything but singular, she said. Instead, America is witnessing hatred, anger, illness and death in what she called an abandonment of ideals. "It is clear that we are falling short as a nation," Ambar wrote. "Every George Floyd reminds us of the truth. We wonder if we are standing still, or even worse, if we are retreating." Oberlin College has from its founding been committed to solving racial equality, she said, and her hope is with students' desire to put the nation back on track.
College departments, the Oberlin Conservatory and affiliated organizations took to social media to back those words. "Oberlin Conservatory stands in solidarity with the African-American community and marginalized individuals everywhere," the conservatory posted. The same message signaled faculty are ready to take part in Ambar's initiative "and to continue working to address racial injustice and structural inequality and effect positive change in the world." "Keep our heads up, speak out, and take action in solidarity to create a world we could be proud of," the Oberlin Arts and Sciences Orchestra posted, using the #blacklivesmatter and #nomoreracism hashtags. The college's Student Health and Counseling Center posted graphics labeled "How to Be Actively Antiracist." "In light of several recent racist events — and in recognition of the countless we don't and likely will never know about — we're reminded that when we see injustice, it's up to us to step in and make a difference," the center's post said. It went on to talk about the history of white supremacy in the United States has impacted culture and list resources for learning about racial equity and justice. They include podcasts, films and shows available on streaming services such as Netflix as well as books such as "The Bluest Eyes" by Toni Morrison and "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston. The Oberlin College psychology department linked to an antiracist reading list published a year ago by The New York Times. It includes titles ranging from the autobiography of Malcolm X to "Dying of Whiteness: How the Politics of Racial Resentment Is Killing America's Heartland" by Jonathan Metzl. Abusua, the college's black student union, posted links to petitions including www.standwithbre.com and another at petitions.whitehouse.gov.
Youth football sign-ups
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.
POLICE REPORTS AMHERST
• May 31 at 6:21 p.m.: A 21-year-old Sheffield Lake man was taken to the hospital after showing signs of using drugs. • May 31 at 7:51 p.m.: Dandre Willis, 26, of Lorain, was charged with three counts of kidnapping, aggravated menacing, concealed carry and possession of marijuana. A police report said he held three people at knife-point in a room at Day's Inn on Route 58. Willis eventually exited the room and the three hostages were released unharmed. • May 31 at 7:51 p.m.: While investigating a kidnapping incident at Day's Inn on Route 58, police arrested Terrance Arnold, 26, of Lorain, on a warrant for contempt of court through Lorain County 911. The original charge was felonious assault. • June 1 at 8:16 p.m.: Raymond Kovich, 48, of Lorain, was arrested on a felony warrant through the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Office. The original charge was receiving stolen property. • June 1 at 10:15 p.m.: A female told police she was choked by her father on North Lake Street. • June 3 at 1:05 a.m.: Adalbert Tenorio III was charged with violating a temporary protection order. • June 4 at 4:23 p.m.: A child who refused to return home was taken for a psychiatric evaluation. • June 5 at 9:53 a.m.: A female with a history of drug use went into full arrest on Quarry Lakes Drive. • June 5 at 5:48 p.m.: A man who was thinking about ending his life was taken for treatment. • June 5 at 10:37 p.m.: A woman said she was approached by a man at Pinecrest Apartments. He asked a series of questions and when the woman tried to leave he grabbed her arms and restrained her, the woman told police. • June 5 at 11:03 p.m.: A 24-year-old man died of a drug overdose on Middle Ridge Road. • June 6 at 9:42 p.m.: Luis Board, 20, of Lorain, was charged with possession of marijuana.
OBERLIN
• May 27 at 7:19 p.m.: A woman stopped breathing and went into arrest on Locust Street. She was revived with naloxone. The woman was taken to Mercy Health Allen Hospital for treatment. • May 27 at 10:53 a.m.: Police responded to a report of a 66-year-old woman who died, apparently of natural causes. • May 27 at 12:26 p.m.: A 15-year-old was suspected of kicking a cat, which was seen going airborne for about 10 feet on video. The matter was forwarded to Lorain County Juvenile Court. • May 30 at 8:04 p.m.: Nathaniel McCormick was charged with assault after a complaint on East College Street.
WELLINGTON
• May 22 at 9:40 a.m.: A woman reported her daughter’s high school graduation yard sign stolen on Union Street. • May 23 at 2:23 p.m.: Police received a report of a man who appeared intoxicated and was swinging a garden tool in the air at Wellington Mobile Home Park on North Main Street. Officers located narcotics. A suspect was identified but no charge information was on file with the courts. • May 26 at 9:05 p.m.: A theft was reported on North Main Street. • May 27 at 7 p.m.: Police stopped a vehicle that was reported stolen. The driver was ordered out at gunpoint; two suspects were turned over to state troopers. • May 28 at 6:56 p.m.: Officers responded to West Herrick Avenue for a complaint of unwanted people at a residence. • May 28 at 9:25 p.m.: Police investigated a suspicious condition involving a roofing company, and found possible heroin. • May 29 at 7:23 p.m.: Officers responded to a large disturbance at Hale and Dewolf streets as the result of a dog-on-dog attack. • June 3 at 10:42 p.m.: A juvenile was taken to University Hospitals Elyria Medical Center after an unruliness complaint. Editor’s note: Though charged, defendants are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Alternative car cruise The pandemic has canceled the South Amherst Historical Society's June Car Cruise — so the organization is taking a non-traditional approach to the event. Car owners can now take part in a drive-up "Dash for the Plaque" from noon to 6 p.m. on June 20, rain or shine, at Grace Baptist Church, 500 West Main St., South Amherst. The first 100 vehicles will get free dash plaques. No registration is required.
William Jones, president of the historical society, said the event will observe safety precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Social distancing will be in effect. "We look forward to everyone driving in, no registration or exiting vehicle needed," he said. Drive in, pause for your picture to be taken and posted to Facebook, and drive on for a spin around the village.
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.
ALENA AGUAYO has graduated from Amherst Steele High School. She plans to attend Ashland University to study political science, then attend law school to pursue her dream of becoming a lawyer.
MADELYN BOWLSBY has graduated from Amherst Steele High School. She plans to attend Bowling Green State University to study early childhood education.
KINSEY GROSE has graduated from Wellington High School and Lorain County JVS. She plans to get her cosmetology license and may apply for college at a different time for equine therapy.
GINGER McFARLIN has graduated from Oberlin High School. Ginger plans to attend Bowling Green State University to study art education.
MORGAN SMITH has graduated from Amherst Steele High School. She plans to attend Lorain County Community College to study early childhood education, and then Ashland University to pursue a teaching career.
JENNA STANFIELD has graduated from Black River High School and Medina County Career Center as an STNA and a phlebotomy technician. She plans to study nursing, working toward her RN in labor and delivery.
AUSTIN RENALDO has graduated from Amherst Steele High School. He has enlisted in the Army and plans to pursue a career as a technical engineer while serving his country.
DEVON McLEAN has graduated with honors from Black River High School. He plans to attend Ohio State University to study chemical engineering.
SUSAN PACK has graduated from Amherst Steele High School. She plans to attend the University of Findlay to study pre-veterinary science and pursue a degree in animal science.
JULIANA STOYKA has graduated from Amherst Steele High School. She plans to attend Kent State University to study child psychology.
AJ WOODS has graduated from Amherst Steele High School. He plans to attend East Carolina University to study criminal justice.
ALEX WOODS has graduated from Amherst Steele High School. He has committed to play football at Ohio Wesleyan University.
Thursday, June 11, 2020
Lorain County Community Guide
Page B5
$1.6M addition ‘Now is the time for goodbyes’ approved after Band director who sued to keep her job is retiring from Wellington Schools sidewalk debate JASON HAWK EDITOR
JASON HAWK EDITOR
OBERLIN — A $1.6 million expansion is coming to Hydro Tube Enterprises on Artino Street, where a 24,800-square-foot addition is expected to break ground soon. The company manufactures tubular products for hydraulics, lawn and garden equipment, construction vehicles, food service systems and heating and cooling units. The addition will be built to the north of Hydro Tube's existing 63,373-square-foot, one-story building. The Oberlin Planning Commission granted site plan approval last week to architecture firm Star Inc. of Amherst for the project — but not without debate. The hot issue for commission member Matt Adelman was sidewalks. There are none in front of Oberlin's industrial park near Route 511. "I don't think it's unreasonable for people to have access to sidewalks," especially to get to work, he said heatedly. Architect John Reyes estimated about 800 linear feet of sidewalk would be needed along the property's frontage, at a rough cost of $24,000. "I've been working with Hydro Tube over the past three months to trim every dime I can, and before we agree to spend $24,000 on sidewalks, I can't say that we would do that," he said. Adelman called the extra amount "miniscule" compared to the $1.6 million project cost and said he wouldn't vote for a plan without sidewalks. Oberlin doesn't appear to have the power to force Star and Hyrdro Tube to install sidewalks, according to Planning Director Carrie Handy. The city's code only requires them to be installed if a new building goes in, like nearby Ascension BioMedical's medical marijuana plant. It was granted approval in 2018 with sidewalks as part of the deal, according to Adelman, who was also frustrated they still haven't been built. Other Planning Commission members said they want more walkways in town too, but it wouldn't be right to delay approval of Hydro Tube's facility. And even if sidewalks were installed there, they wouldn't connect to anything else, said commission member Bryan Burgess. He said the city could always choose to install sidewalks anywhere they are needed and assess all the nearby property owners' tax bills for the cost. Handy said Oberlin is working on a plan for more sidewalks throughout town that she hopes will go to City Council by the end of the year. One reason that plan is important, she said, is that the Oberlin City Schools are building a new elementary and will close two others, which will change the way kids travel to and from school. For Adelman, the issue hasn't been taken seriously enough. "There's been so much time for action, so much time for discussion, so much time for planning and nothing has happened," he said. Adelman finally voted for Hydro Tube's site plan approval, but with one caveat: Oberlin Law Director Jon Clark will research whether the Planning Commission has any power to require sidewalks on Artino Street, and if so the company will have to put them in. Either way, commission member Eric Gaines strongly encouraged Hydro Tube to set aside money "in good community spirit" for sidewalks. Hydro Tube did not return a call requesting comment on its plans.
Drive through for ice cream
The Lorain County Historical Society will hold a drivethrough ice cream social from 1-3 p.m. on Sunday, July 12 at The Hickories, 509 Washington Ave., Elyria. With COVID-19 safety in mind, ticket-holders must stay in their cars, entering The Hickories driveway from Columbus Street and proceeding along the driveway to be safely served inside your vehicle. Tickets are $5 per person, on sale now at www.lchs.org/ events.
WELLINGTON — After 32 years in education, Dukes band director Toni Novotny said she's retiring this summer "with a good, strong class." "I have a few people who I had a students, and now I have their kids. That's when you know it's time to go," she laughed. A Wellington High School graduate, Novotny worked at North Ridgeville and Amherst before being hired fulltime by her hometown school district in 1999. She led the WHS band to state titles in 2002, 2009, 2013, 2015 and 2016 — dates Mayor Hans Schneider said are proudly displayed on signs that greet visitors to the village. "The band always served as excellent ambassadors of both the school district and the village," he said, praising Novotny for her years of dedication. But the job hasn't always been fun, according to Novotny, who choked up remembering dark and tumultuous times. "People either love you or they love to hate you. Some people are probably going to be thrilled — 'You got the old bag out,' they'll say, I'm sure," she said. "Out with the old, in with the new, and I'm OK with that. But there were way more positives that happened than negatives." One of the most difficult periods came in late 2014, when Novotny was terminated. She filed suit in January 2015 in U.S. District Court in Cleveland, claiming school board members and district administrators were trying to smear her reputation after she spoke out against cuts to the music program by then-Superintendent John Nolan. The suit was eventually settled, the terms undisclosed, and Novotny returned to work. That wasn't the only hardship that stands out in her mind — the closing and demolition of the old McCormick Middle School was also difficult, and Novotny recalls how much anger it caused in the community.
"But there were too many of us, myself included, who went through cancer. We lost colleagues because of cancer," she said. "I grew up here and I went to that building, but when you go to this nice new building there is no comparison." The old school, previously located on South Main Street, was built in 1867 and added onto over the years. A number of people speculated that cancer cases were linked to asbestos or other materials in the old building. Those worries behind, Novotny said she's ready to go, and 2020 is the right time. She said the Class of 2021 learned a lot from this year's graduates, most importantly how to learn from each other. No successor has been hired yet. Superintendent Ed Weber said he hopes to have a recommendation for the Board of Education this month. Novotny said that like Wellington's overall enrollment, the band program has admittedly shrunk during her tenure. It fell to under 20 musicians with just three seniors this year. She said she hopes Wellington can
"get the ball rolling again" and attract students back to the district. There are plans to move south when her husband retires in a couple of years, but for now she's staying put. After all, the band boosters want her to work the band's doughnut booth at the Lorain County Fair, if it's still held this year. "I've met such great people — my booster people, I meet them when their kids are young," Novotny said, trading tears for a smile. "They're my best friends right now. I have at least four girls I text constantly... When the kids say band is a family, it really is." Novotny said she will always be proud of superior ratings earned at marching and concert band competitions. But what has mattered most to her are the relationships she's forged in long hours working with student musicians. "The best part is when kids come back after a couple of years and tell you the things you did, that you worked with them on, shaped their future. I never would have been a teacher if it wasn't for that," she said.
FATHER’S DAY ACROSS 1. Kind of lively dance 6. Greenwich time 9. Pilgrimage to Mecca 13. Belittle 14. A note to follow soh 15. Annie Oakley’s show 16. Hipbone-related 17. Chicago to Detroit direction 18. Historical period 19. *Most gifted Father’s Day gift? 21. *a.k.a. Father of the Constitution 23. Have a cold, e.g. 24. Bog deposit 25. Styling product 28. Not yet final, in law 30. Squirrels away 35. “Metamorphoses” poet 37. Antioxidants-rich berry 39. Text that precedes the main text 40. Car brand, e.g. 41. *”Full House” father 43. Brazilian indigenous people 44. a.k.a. dropsy 46. Precedes shine 47. Paving stone 48. Early TV manufacturer 50. Bayonet wound 52. “Zip it!” 53. Popular form of communication 55. Part of a match 57. *Christopher Robin’s father 61. *Father known as “oneshot” Finch 65. Largest deer 66. *Richard Bobbsey’s offspring 68. Precedes desist 69. Cuckoo 70. Friedrich Schiller’s “___ to Joy” 71. Personnel person 72. Job for a body shop 73. Parent’s order 74. Wrestling’s ___ the Giant DOWN 1. It’s equivalent to pain? 2. Sound mind, ____ body 3. Not of the cloth 4. Japanese port 5. Jelly ingredient 6. High school club
SOLUTION CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE A2
Jason Hawk | Wellington Enterprise
Longtime Wellington Band Director Toni Novotny says goodbye to graduates on Sunday, May 31. She is retiring after 32 years in education.
7. *Boy’s father in “The Road” 8. Recurring melody 9. Shoshonean people 10. Without further ____, pl. 11. 1920s art style 12. *John-John’s father 15. Cow’s favorite grass? 20. Homer’s classic 22. Pleasurable interjection 24. Adrian Brody in 2002 film 25. *Wednesday’s father 26. Dodge 27. Compare 29. *Antithesis to Mufasa 31. Liberal pursuits 32. Don Giovanni and such 33. Echo sounder output 34. *a.k.a. the father of modern economics 36. “Indecent Proposal” star
Moore 38. Research facil. 42. Used for raising 45. U.K. Prime Minister, 194551 49. Lady lobster 51. “You ____!” 54. Xe 56. Make a connection, two words 57. In the thick of 58. Steak condiment 59. Express complaint 60. Antonym of is 61. All over again 62. *Popular Father’s Day greeting 63. Olympic cast-out 64. Bone-dry 67. Commotion
SOLUTION CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE A2
Page B6
Thursday, June 11, 2020
Lorain County Community Guide
© 2020 by Vicki Whiting, Editor Jeff Schinkel, Graphics Vol. 36, No. 27
Replace the missing words.
Long aagoo, heading out to sea was an addventure into the un nown. Peoplee belelieved thatthe earth was ____ _ ___.They thought if you sailed tooo ffarawayy from m land, yyou would sail right off the ______ of the plannet! It too t okk ggreat _________ to head across to the ooceean in a small ship.When sailors lookkeeddinto the deep, dark sea from the __________ of a ship, they imagined strange and scaaryy ____________ swimming the re. One of thhee scariest storiestold and retold through generations of ___________ was the legend of the terrible, mighty Kraken!
he Kraken is a leg e monster of gigan ndary octopuss-like sea folklore. For hundre tic size in Scandinavian a huge, many-armed ds of years, sailors told storiesof top of a ship’s main m creature that could reach the an entire ship underwast. They claimed it could pull ater! Sometimes it would ship,creating a whirlpswim in fast circles around the undeer the sea. In thes ool that would suck the ship e st the Kr K aken never ended wories, or legends, meeting ellfor the sailors.
In some storiesabout the Kraken is was said that it could float on top of the water and look like a group of islands.
How manyfish can you find on this page?
A lot of people do.When asailor told sttories of their adventures,they liked to entertain and even scare their listeners.Each time asailor retolda stoory about agiant squid, it most likely became exaggeratedand more exciting.And when asailor came home tellingaboutanencounter with agiant, scary sea creature, it also made the sailor seemvery brave. With afamilymember, write what you think each sailor’s story might be, start by tellingabout seeing a large octopus, and the next sailor exaggerating it to describe afrighteningencounter with the Kraken.
ike many legends,stories about the Kraken probably startedwith something real.It may have been basedonsightingsof areal species of squid calledthe colossal squid.
Holdthispageuptoamirrortouse yourpeeperstoreadthisparagraph: a si diuqs tnaig a ,elahw mreps tnaig a roF ?selahw diova yeht od woH .laem gnillfi ,ecin tsegral eht era seye sti – seye egral evah sdiuqS ,setalp rennid sa gib sa era yehT !lamina yna fo esehT .ssorca )ni11( mc72 ot pu ot thguoht era srepeep tnaig selahw eht tops ot devlove evah diuqs eht gnivig ,yawa raf morf .yawa teg ot emit
Swim aroundthe Kraken to reach the treasure chest!
Exaggerate!
Find five adjectives in today’s newspaper. Make a chart by writing the adjectives in one column and the noun each one describes in the next column over. Then change each adjective and add words to each to exaggerate the meaning of the noun they are describing. Standards Link: Language Arts: Vocabulary Development.
Findd th Fi the two tw identical scared sailor
Stretch a Headline
Choose a headline from the newspaper. Add words to the headline to make it longer and say basically the same thing. For example: Mayor Leads in Polls becomes Popular Mayor Leads Rivals in Latest Polls. Standards Link: Writing Applications: Write a narrative that develops.
CREATURES ENCOUNTER COLOSSAL FAMILIAR SAILORS STORIES KRAKEN LEGEND RETOLD WHALES SQUID SHIP REAL MEAL EDGE
S R F A M I L I E R
A E K P L D S R L E
I A R A I T A D A T
L L E U O H D L S N
This week’s word:
R S I K E A E T O O S E E G D E E E L C
The adjective colossal means extremely large.
S N E K A R K R O N
It took 12 people to carry the colossal pumpkin.
N L S E L A H W C E
Try to use the word colossal in a sentence today when talking with friends and family members.
O M Q R T N S O S U
Standards Link: Letter sequencing. Recongized identical words. Skim and scan reading. Recall spelling patterns.
COLOSSAL
We Write Words Wonderfully
Write a sentence in which all the words, or nearly all the words start with the same letter. Example: The gentle giant greeted the green gobblers.