Lorain County Community Guide - July 16

COMMUNITY GUIDE

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LORAIN COUNTY

AMHERST NEWS-TIMES • OBERLIN NEWS-TRIBUNE • WELLINGTON ENTERPRISE Thursday, July 16, 2020

www.lcnewspapers.com

Fair president disputes Meijer flag statements

Volume 7, Issue 29

Fair flag sales foes rally at courthouse

JASON HAWK and LAINA YOST

WELLINGTON — Meijer and University Hospitals may have pulled their support from the Lorain County Fair, but both have already paid sponsorship money and haven't asked for it back, according to fair board President Kim Meyers.

In two phone calls last Wednesday, he disputed Meijer spokesman Ken Barclay's account of why the company cut ties with the 175th fair.

Barclay said the Confederate flag does not represent the values of the Michigan-based retailer.

Kim Meyers Meijer was not aware of the ongoing controversy over sales of the rebel flag at the fair until Friday, July 3, he said.

That's not the reasoning shared by the chain’s other representatives, Meyers said.

He alleged the decision was made to avoid bad publicity from protests at the retailer's new store, which opened last week on Route 58 on the Lorain-Amherst border.

He said Jeanine Donaldson, an organizer of the Fairminded Coalition of Lorain County, had threatened protests on Meijer’s opening day.

Meijer's media communications office did not return a MEYERS PAGE A5

Fair cancellations

Seven groups have pulled out of the Lorain County Fair, including one vendor who has sold Confederate flags.

The fair posted on Monday that several have canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Among them are Lorain County Veterans Services, due to health concerns for senior volunteers; the Brighton United Methodist Church food booth, also concerned about senior workers; the Wellington Women's League, which normally operates the popular Cheese Sizzle booth, and noted there would be difficulties with social distancing inside; and University Hospitals, which will not participate in 2020 due to "difficulties with scheduling and staffing" caused by the pandemic, according to the fair.

Also bowing out are public libraries that usually share a small building and run promotions.

"There's no purpose in us being there if we can't have CANCELLATIONS PAGE A5

U.S. Postal Service Use Only

Classifieds, legals, display advertising, and subscriptions Deadline: 1 p.m. each Monday Phone: 440-329-7000 Hours: 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday News staff Jason Hawk news@lcnewspapers.com Phone: 440-329-7122 Submit news to news@lcnewspapers.com Deadline: 10 a.m. Tuesday Send obituaries to obits@chroniclet.com

Photos by Jason Hawk | Wellington Enterprise

Jeanine Donaldson of the Fair-minded Coalition of Lorain County speaks in a press conference held Monday, July 13 on the steps of the old Lorain County courthouse on 2nd Street in Elyria.

‘That’s their banner, the Confederate flag’ LAINA YOST and JASON HAWK

ELYRIA — The last image seared into the minds of lynch victims was often the Confederate flag, Mayor Frank Whitfield said Monday, recalling stories told by his grandfather, who was born and raised in Mississippi.

“That symbol has a lot of baggage

Copyright 2020 Lorain County Printing & Publishing Company

vowed to continue to activism against the fair until Confederate memorabilia is no longer sold.

"Over time, we have seen that flag being used in racist assemblies, racist demonstrations, in Charlottesville to just pick some place in the U.S.,” she said. “That's their banner, the Confederate flag.”

Donaldson said her group has paid CONFEDERATE PAGE A5

County enters the ‘red zone’ COVID-19 cases prompt Level 3 emergency

JASON HAWK and CARISSA WOYTACH

Masks are now mandatory in public by executive order of Gov. Mike DeWine after a Level 3 health emergency was declared last week in Lorain County.

A boom in new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations has pushed 12 counties into "red" status, according to a map published by the Ohio Department of Health.

"We had a little blip of three days in a row with high case numbers," Lorain County Health Commissioner David Covell said.

He said the increase in cases had jumped and then slowed down again, and even predicted the county could

ratchet back down to orange alert this week.

That didn't pan out. Over the weekend, Lorain County averaged 30 new cases per day, totaling 1,195 as of Monday.

There were 690 recoveries and 65 deaths as of the same day, with 1,952 contacts quarantined, 412 being monitored and 1,304 released from RED COUNTY PAGE A3

INSIDE THIS WEEK

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

in this country,” he said, standing on the steps of the old Lorain County courthouse.

Whitfield was among those who held a press conference condemning the continued sale of the Confederate flag at the Lorain County Fair, saying it has promoted hate and division.

Jeanine Donaldson of the Fairminded Coalition of Lorain County said the flag "stood for terrorism, hate and divisiveness all these years” and

Amherst

Oberlin

Wellington

Local ‘Rosie the Riveter’ celebrates 100th • B1

$1.4M in updates to historic First Church nearly done • B1

School board weighs possible construction project • B1

OBITUARIES A2 • CLASSIFIEDS A4 • CROSSWORD B5 • SUDOKU B5 • KID SCOOP B6

Page A2

Thursday, July 16, 2020

Lorain County Community Guide

OBITUARIES Patricia Joanne Crittenden

Vivian Ann Joppeck

Vivian Ann Joppeck, 88, of Wellington, died Saturday, July 11, 2020, at home under hospice care. Born in Amherst on Sept. 8, 1931, Vivian was the daughter of the late Vivian and Viola (nee Sanders) Knepper.

Vivian grew up in Oberlin and graduated from Oberlin High School and Oberlin Business College.

An accountant, Vivian owned the H&R Block in Wellington for many years.

She was a faithful member of the New Life Assembly of God, where she was an adult Sunday school teacher, she also had taught Sunday school classes at the Wellington Methodist Church and the Baptist Church. Vivian liked reading, painting on canvas, flower gardening and being on her computer playing games and enjoying Facebook.

In her younger years, Vivian participated in local bowling leagues.

She is survived by her children, George (Violet) Joppeck, Jr. of Walton, Kentucky, Sue Crites of Amherst, Debra Yoder of Wakeman, John (Louise) Joppeck of Wellington, Dwayne (Kim) Joppeck of Saline, Michigan, Barbara Gray of Wellington, Sharon (Steve) Hill of Idaho and Donna (Steve) Zsigray of Grafton; 27 grandchildren; 49 great-grandchildren; 22 great-great-grandchildren and caregiver and friend, Crystal Turner.

Vivian was preceded in death by her loving husband of 61 years, George Joppeck in 2012; her sisters, Edith Gailliez and Betty Haag; brother, LeRoy Knepper; daughter, DIANE CAROL COFFMAN (nee Draga), 71, of Sandra Popejoy and son-in-law, Mel Yoder.

Amherst, passed away Thursday, July 9, 2020, at her Friends and family will be received Thursday, July 16, home following a lengthy illness.

2020, at Norton-Eastman Funeral Home, 370 South Main, Wellington from 2 to 4 p.m. for a drive thru visitation and HELEN M. LAU (nee Allgood), 93, of Amherst, passed then from 6 to 8 p.m. in the building. Due to the status of away Wednesday, July 8, 2020, at her home, followLorain County, those that visit will need to wear a mask. ing a full and meaningful life. Arrangements by Hempel A private family service will be held and webcast online Funeral Home. at www.eastmanfuneralhome.com and for the public on Friday, July 17, 2020, beginning at 11 a.m. Burial will folSALLY MARIE SUPER, 60, of Lorain, passed away low at Greenwood Cemetery, Wellington.

Sunday, July 12, 2020, following a short illness. ArrangeCondolences for Vivian's family may be given at: www. ments by Hempel Funeral Home. eastmanfuneralhome.com.

Patricia Joanne Crittenden, 83, of Wellington, died Wednesday, July 8, 2020, after a long illness.

Born on April 15, 1937, in Bretz, West Virginia, she was the daughter of the late Joseph Bartoletta and Juanita Cummings.

Patricia graduated from Braddock High School and later moved to the Cleveland area. She moved with her family to Wellington in 1992. Patricia worked for Grossman Music for 15 years, then for Seaway Foods and retired in 1990 from Cleveland Valve and Gauge, where she was office manager.

She was an active member of the Bethany Lutheran Church in Wellington. In her free time, Patricia enjoyed crocheting, baking, working and tending the flowers in her garden and following her favorite sports teams.

Survivors include her husband of nearly 47 years, Sid; daughter, Juanita Crittenden of Cleveland; granddaughter, Cheyenne; sister, Janet Bondick; niece, Lisa Barns and nephew, Scott Deer.

Patricia was preceded in death by her son, Joseph Wayne Crittenden and brother, Bill Bartoletta.

A graveside service will be held Monday, July 20, 2020, beginning at 11 a.m. at Greenwood Cemetery with The Reverend Dale Huelsman officiating.

Expressions of sympathy may be shared online at www. eastmanfuneralhome.com.

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

To place an obituary, call 440-329-7000.

JAMES WILLIAM KOVAR, 79, of Amherst, passed away Thursday, July 9, 2020, at New Life Hospice Residential Center in Lorain, following a lengthy illness.

Arrangements by Hempel Funeral Home.

NAACP ESSAY WINNERS

Provided photos

In a July 1 celebration on Tappan Square, the Oberlin NAACP Unit presented awards to 11 winners of its 2020 essay contest. Each student was presented with a certificate, a monetary book scholarship and a sign for their yards. Awards were presented by unit President Claudia Jones and contest coordinator Lloyd Moore. Pictured are Shade Lee, Greta Arbogast, Samuel Thompson, Aaron Hopkins, Victoria Jackson, Faith Gooch, Bailey Wallace and Nathan Hogg. Also awarded were Eli Chambers, Giles Harrell and Lauren Sands.

GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY

Provided photo

Donald and Jeanne Gardner celebrated their 50th anniversary with an English afternoon tea.

They were married on July 18, 1970, in Lorain, and moved to a small farm in Brighton in 1971.

Jeanne, a Firelands High School English teacher, retired in 2000, and Don, an electrical test engineer, retired in 2010. During their retirement they have enjoyed traveling. They have two children, Rebecca Gardner and the Rev. David Gardner (Kristin), and one grandchild, James.

OHSAA says fall sports are planned STAFF REPORT

Will the Dukes, Phoenix, Comets and other local varsity teams take the field this fall?

The Ohio High School Athletic Association said Sunday that it's moving ahead with the season as planned.

Official practices will start Aug. 1, and OHSAA said it will hold its usual series of tournaments for 10 fall sports — if all goes well.

"As we all have seen during this pandemic, those plans can be modified or canceled quickly," the organization said.

The announcement came after Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted gave short-term guidance last week to help sports teams return to play. "“Sports are more than just a game — it’s where we learn teamwork, grit and how to compete, and I know millions of people are eagerly anticipating the return to play," he said.

That message came as Lorain, Cuyahoga, Summit and nine other counties were elevated to red alert because of spread of COVID-19, resulting in a public mask mandate.

Husted announced competitive games and tournaments are now allowed for contact sports.

Practices and open gyms are allowed with other teams and clubs, so long as they agree to comply with safety measures.

The sports practices order was issued on a short trial basis.

"Right now, there is one competitor we must defeat if we want to return to play, and that’s the spread of the coronavirus,” said Husted.

He said he plans to wear a mask and practice social distancing because he wants a season too.

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

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

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

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

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

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

SOLUTION TO CROSSWORD ON PAGE B5

SOLUTION TO SUDOKU ON PAGE B5

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

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

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

Thursday, July 16, 2020

Lorain County Community Guide

Sheriff's office gets $58K grant ELYRIA TWP. — The Lorain County Sheriff's Office has received a $58,00 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice's 2020 Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding Program, Sheriff Phil Stammitti announced Friday.

The grant will help purchase personal protective equipment such as gloves, masks and disposable gowns, no-contact thermometers, testing kits for flu and COVID-19, hand soap, sanitizer and disinfectants.

Electrostatic sprayers to aid the application of disinfectants in the Lorain County Jail and sheriff's headquarters and patrol

vehicles also were purchased.

As COVID-19 infections increased in Lorain County, the sheriff's office realized it was not prepared to provide PPE to its staff and lacked sufficient sanitizer and disinfectant to help stop the spread of disease.

The sheriff's office is working jointly with Lorain County Common Pleas and municipal courts to continue video arraignments and court proceedings from the jail, reducing the exposure of all individuals during court transports and proceedings.

Computers and other camera equipment also were obtained.

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POLICE TRAINING

Provided photo

Oberlin police Sgt. Melissa Lett and Amherst Sgt. Devin Small each recently completed the Police Executive Leadership College training program hosted by The Law Enforcement Foundation.

It is a three-week executive leadership training program spread out over three months. PELC is based on the premise that executives can improve their abilities to lead and practically apply leadership concepts. The program focuses on leadership skills vital to long term personal success and change in the organization for the benefit of the community.

RED COUNTY

FROM A1 quarantine.

Total cases across Ohio were at 66,853 as of Monday, with 3,064 deaths and 8,915 hospitalizations.

Face masks will make all the difference, Covell said.

So far, he's been frustrated that people aren't embracing science and taking commonsense steps to stop the spread of the virus.

Promoting masks is one thing, but enforcing them is another. Covell said Lorain County Public Health can't write tickets for people who don't comply.

Dan Tierney, spokesman for the governor’s office, wrote in an email that local health departments are the primary enforcement agencies, "although some do work in coordination with local law enforcement.''

But some law enforcement agencies in the county said they were unclear of their role in the county’s new designation.

Wellington police Chief Tim Barfield said his officers will encourage people to wear masks, but that enforcement will be done by the local health department.

“The Police Department will remind people how important it is to wear a mask because the governor has determined that that probably should be done,” he said. “We will advise people they should be wearing a mask.”

Oberlin police Chief Ryan Warfield said on Facebook that “there are no specific instructions or directives in regards to enforcing this mandate.”

Avon police shared similar sentiments. In a statement released on social media, the department said it cannot enforce the order and respond to calls relating to mask violations “until there is clear, legal guidance and instruction.”

It noted officers can assist businesses if someone refuses to wear a mask or leave a business through a trespassing complaint.

“This is not something we wish to do and encourage compliance and cooperation at this time for the safety of everyone,” it said.

Under the new Level 3

emergency status, local residents are urged to limit their activities as much as possible.

"I heard someone try to describe it as we're learning how to live in a burning house, because it's not going away. It's surging," county Commissioner Matt Lundy said.

He called upon residents to wear masks out of respect for loved ones and neighbors, whether comfortable or not. Lundy said he doesn't like wearing a mask either, but he puts one on to protect others.

Masks have become an ideological issue over the past few months, he said, but politics shouldn't decide whether you wear one.

COVID-19 "kills indiscriminately" and doesn't discriminate between Republicans, Democrats and independents, he said.

Wellington Mayor Hans Schneider strongly agreed, condemning people who put party above public health.

"I'm thinking people need to get on board with the mask train," he said.

The village is a stone's throw from Huron County, which was marked as red until "cooling" back to orange afternoon.

That situation made Schneider nervous, because many of his residents travel to Huron and Cuyahoga counties to work, shop and play. The fact that Wellington is more rural and isolated than other towns gave him no peace of mind.

"We're not a selfcontained community," he said. "We're not in a bubble. … The trend is not going away. The trend is spiking."

Wellington had only seven confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Thursday.

But the weekly average for new cases across Lorain County has soared to its highest point yet, according to data from Lorain County Public Health.

Ohio's largest cities — Columbus, Cleveland and Cincinnati — are hot spots for viral spread, and data hint that Franklin and Cuyahoga counties could

soon plunge into purple status, or "severe exposure and spread."

If they do cross over, those counties' residents would be urged to only leave home for essential supplies and services.

Cuyahoga County Board of Health spokesman Kevin Brennan shared what he has learned from watching cases intensify in the last few weeks.

ZIP code data released by his office shows cases concentrated among residents of Cleveland's inner-ring suburbs, such as Parma, Cuyahoga Heights, Beachwood and Mayfield Heights — but it's not always clear where those residents contracted COVID-19.

The problem is that county lines are porous.

Fairview Park residents can travel to Elyria to work, and Elyria residents can travel to Cleveland for work, making locking down on the spread of the disease or even tracking it incredibly difficult.

The Ohio Department of Health did not respond to a public-records request showing cases broken down by ZIP code in Lorain County. Covell has refused to release the information.

Brennan said people who are diagnosed with COVID-19 often have no idea where they got it, especially since it can manifest symptoms up to two weeks later.

Usually the culprits are pretty clear: Ignoring limits on mass gatherings and failing to wear masks are the big ones, Brennan said.

After talking to health commissioners in Ohio's red counties, DeWine spread the blame around to birthday parties, graduations, funerals, loose workplace rules, tourism and churches.

Covell and other experts are also scrutinizing how the ever-changing situation could affect big gatherings such as the Lorain County Fair or a return to in-person classes this fall.

Canceling the fair would be a relief, Schneider said.

He is not a fan of holding

it this August, but said it's the Lorain County Agricultural Society's choice, and the village has pledged its resources to making it as safe as possible.

However, Schneider said he is worried Wellington will become a vector for the virus to spread if the fair goes forward.

Just hours before the Level 3 emergency was declared, LifeCare Ambulance CEO David Richards said he was optimistic about Lorain County's outlook.

That's because Covell and company have helped get life back to relative normality while at the same time "holding our feet to the fire to do the things we need to do to stay safe," he said.

He said he was impressed with how LCPH has worked with mayors, businesses, schools and safety forces to navigate the situation.

He said early action prevented hospitals from being overrun and, as a result, they are capable of handling the "steady burn" Lorain County is seeing now.

Tom Kelley, who heads the county Emergency Management Agency, also said the outlook is good from his perspective.

The EMA now has a 30day supply of personal protective equipment in hand and is "hoarding" gloves, masks, face shields, gowns and thermometers against the possibility of a surge.

Kelley said his agency is now supplying PPE to about 140 entities, from police, firefighters and paramedics to hospitals, nursing homes and extended-care facilities.

PPE was extremely scarce in March and April.

Shipments from the state have gradually increased.

In the past month, Kelley said the supply has been abundant.

By his count, at least a million individual pieces of protective gear have gone through his office, to the point he is running out of space to store it all.

Hospitals are ready

to start supporting each other's PPE stockpiles rather than relying on the EMA supply, he said. And Lorain County Community College is already gearing up for the school year, putting out an open offer to superintendents who need 3-D printed face shields.

Mercy Health and University Hospitals Elyria Medical Center staff confirmed they are confident their health centers have enough PPE stockpiled for at least 30 days.

And while the county’s new designation may disrupt visitors or cause eventual limitations, it does little to change the day-today operations of either health system.

Mercy Health Chief Clinical Officer Dr. Gilbert Palmer said hospitalizations have maintained a certain flatness for his region, but his counterparts in Cuyahoga and Huron counties are seeing an influx. He presides over the hospital group’s Lorain and Mercy Allen buildings.

“Three hundred and fifty patients per 100,000 (people) yesterday had us in the yellow,” he said.

“Four-hundred patients per 100,000 today has you in the red, so what's that really change? It doesn't change our operating paradigm really at all.”

Similarly, UH Elyria Medical Center President

Kristi Sink said her team will continue what it’s been doing for the past eight weeks — including a 24/7 emergency incident command center and monitoring the hospital’s capacity.

It is currently around 70 percent, Chief Nursing Officer Benjamin Farber said.

The hospital has seen an increase in the number of patients testing positive for the virus, as well as the number who need to be admitted. More recently, those testing positive are trending younger, Sink said. While that means more of them are able to be treated and released — keeping beds open if the expected surge happens sooner rather than later — it will be up to the community to follow social distancing and mask guidelines to help curb the spread again.

To help with that, Mercy Health Lorain has distributed boxes of supplies to local parishes, Mercy Health public relations coordinator Jonathon Fauvie said.

“When we talk about preparedness, it's not just within the halls of the hospital,” he said. “We have to prepare our community, health care doesn't happen within the hospital walls any longer.”

Reporter Brookie Madison contributed to this report.

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150 Jefferson St. Amherst www.PogiesCatering.com 440-864-4654

Check Weekly Menu on FB or pogiescatering.com

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Save Money, Stay Safe LCCC is meeting you where you are with flexible class options for fall:

Online • Online Live conference • In-person • Blended

Credits guaranteed to transfer!

Register Now at lorainccc.edu/fall20 Classes Start August 24 Financial and Technology Assistance Available

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Lorain County Community Guide

Fundraising ride

The American Legion Riders from Post 118 in Amherst will have a fundraiser Saturday for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Committee.

They will cruise around Lorain County, stopping at meaningful locations to remember those who have died.

Cars, trucks and motorcycles are welcome. Snacks and beverages will be available at the stops, and a food truck will be available at the finish to purchase a meal. Social distancing will be practiced, and masks are required at all stops.

Registration will begin at 10 a.m. at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial of Lorain County on North Lake Street in Amherst. The first vehicle will leave at 11:30 a.m. The cost is $5 for each participant.

All funds raised from the run will go toward the care and upkeep of the memorial.

For more information, call Legion Post 118 at 440-9883662.

Volunteers of the Year

Ken and Joan Rosenbusch have been named the Amherst Historical Society's 2020 Volunteers of the Year.

The award recognizes their hours of service to the Amherst Sandstone Village and Quigley Museum on Milan Avenue, as well as the society's nearby office.

Joan is a past board member and serves as curator and historian. She has organized the Quigley Museum and provided tour opportunities so visitors can experience local history.

Ken has helped set up and take down for fundraising events, and assisted with various projects around the Sandstone Village grounds. He recently refinished the wooden doors at St. George Chapel and the Amherst Historical Society office.

CLASSIFIEDS Place your classified ad by calling 440-329-7000 during business hours.

AUCTIONS

(4) DAY LARGE AUCTION

KNAPP FARMSTEAD-LORAIN COUNTY 43281 MEDINA-NORWALK RD. (SR 18) WELLINGTON, OH 44090 2 mi. E. of Wellington, 16 mi. W. of Medina, 7 mi. W. of Litchfield DAY 1: SAT., JULY 25th - 9 AM JD TRACTOR & COMBINE PARTS – OLIVER TRACTOR & PARTS - OVER (50) AG TIRES & RIMS - SEMI TRACTOR PARTS - PICKUPS & PARTS - AG PARTS - MISC. EQUIP - MOWERS - 3 WHEELER - SNOWMOBILE - AG & TRUCK EQUIPMENT MANUALS - JD GATOR DAY 2: SUN., JULY 26th - 9 AM SHOP TOOLS - HORSEDRAWN - CAST IRON & COPPER KETTLES - IRON FENCE - ANTIQUES PRIMITIVES - LONGABERGERS & CABBAGE PATCH DOLLS - GAS PUMP - ANTIQUES HOUSEHOLD DAY 3: SAT., AUG. 1st - 9 AM DAY 4: SUN., AUG. 2nd - 9 AM LARGE FARM TOY & PEDAL COLLECTION: Over 700 lots of nice farm toys & 50+ pedal tractors. Majority of pieces are JD w/other brands represented, many w/original boxes.

See higginsauctions.com for catalog, photos & online bidding for Toy portion of the Auction.

OWNER: Lida Knapp BEN HIGGINS REALTY & AUCTION CO., LLC 740-387-5111 / bhaofcmgr@gmail.com SALES

WELLINGTON 43101 SR 18 E. 70 yrs. of antiques, collectibles, tools, furniture, 7/16, 7/18, 7/19, 9-4; 7/17 9-6 Masks requested.

HELP WANTED WELLINGTON LAW OFFICE is seeking general office staff and/or receptionist for part-time to potential full time position. Ideal candidate will have strong interpersonal and computer skills.

Send cover letter & resume via fax to 440- 647-9506 or email brett@murner law.com Immediate openings.

FOR RENT

FREE HEAT Cozy and Convenient 1 and 2 bdrm MAPLE GROVE APTS 186-192 N. Oberlin Rd. 440-775-3098

SERVICES

Floor Repair/install carpet, wood, laminate, vinyl or ceramic. 440-935-4778

LEGALS

LEGAL NOTICE Pursuant to Ohio Revised Code Section 2329.44, the following individuals are hereby notified that the Lorain County Clerk of Courts is holding excess funds resulting from the sale of real property in the cases listed below. The listed individuals may be entitled to claim some or all of the balance. For more information, contact the Clerk’s Finance Department at: 225 Court Street, Room 108, Elyria, OH 44035 or by telephone: 440.329.5625.

JOSEPH A FORTNER BARBARA FORTNER Case no. 89CV102544 LEADER MORTGAGE VS FORTNER

Balance: $1,467.29

J.C. SCHOTTEN UNKN SPOUSE OF J.C. SCHOTTEN UNKN HEIRS/DEVISEES OF J.C. SCHOTTEN Case no. 89CV102968 OBERLIN COLLEGE VS SMITH Balance: $2,535.71 ROSA L WRIGHT WARDELL L WRIGHT Case no. 90CV104114 BROADVIEW MORTGAGE VS WRIGHT Balance: $605.35

NELSON BULL EDNA BULL Case no. 90CV104286 KURTZ VS BULL Balance: $1,292.45

LOU ESTHER WHITE ROGER PRIDEMORE Case no. 90CV105373 STATE TEACHERS RETIREMT. SYS. VS WHITE Balance: $2,846.71

RODGER D THOMPSON ROBIN K THOMPSON Case no. 91CV106254 LEADER MORTGAGE VS THOMPSON Balance: $334.33

HAROLD SIMMONS, JR UNKN SPOUSE OF HAROLD SIMMONS, JR Case no. 91CV106532 FIRST INVESTMENT CO. VS SIMMONS Balance: $1,563.39

GARY M BROADBENT UNKN SPOUSE OF GARY M BROADBENT Case no. 92CV108491 TRANSOHIO SAVINGS VS BROADBENT Balance: $3,731.62

UNKN HEIRS/DEVISEES OF ARNOLD T EPPS CARRIE L EPPS UNKN HEIRS/DEVISEES OF CARRIE L EPPS Case no. 93CV110602 CHEMICAL BANK VS EPPS Balance: $2,187.07

UNKN HEIRS/DEVISEES OF ESTATE OF JUANITA E DUNFORD UNKN SPOUSE OF JUANITA E DUNFORD CINDY SPRINGER CHRIS DUNFORD MARTIN DUNFORD GIGI FOSSELIUS LYNN DUNFORD HERMAN ADAMS ROSE ADAMS Case no. 93CV110619 USDA VS DUNFORD Balance: $9,204.50

UNKN HEIRS/DEVISEES OF MADELINE TODD UNKN HEIRS/DEVISEES OF GUY DOUGLAS PAYNE, SR UNKN HEIRS/DEVISEES OF GUY D PAYNE UNKN SPOUSE OF JOHN KENNEDY WILLIAM TODD, JR ELIZABETH BOALS LINDA PAYNE RAY BREEN RICHARD PAYNE NANCY TURNER LINDA NAGY BARBARA WAARA ROBERT PAYNE Case no. 94CV111839 LORAIN PORT AUTHORITY VS TODD Balance: $3,066.66

BENNIE E GOODWIN UNKN SPOUSE OF BENNIE E GOODWIN Case no. 95CV114132 SEC’Y, VETERANS AFFAIRS VS GOODWIN Balance: $3,914.51

TYRONE MCCLENDON Case no. 95CV114984 CITY OF ELYRIA VS LORAIN CO. TREASURER Balance: $3,812.43

HEIRS/DEVISEES OF CHARLES L MATHIS, SR JAMES H MATHIS FLORENCE (TAI) MATHIS Case no. 96CV116551 BW INDUST. CREDIT UNION VS MATHIS Balance: $1,720.38

MARTIN B KULMALA GAIL R KULMALA Case no. 96CV116941 DOLLAR BANK VS KULMALA Balance: $824.12

MICHAEL J POLAND LOIS M POLAND Case no. 98CV121865 STRONGSVILLE SAVINGS VS POLAND Balance: $1,240.81

ELOISE SMITH, ADMINISTRATRIX OF EST OF CARL R SMITH UNKN HEIRS/DEVISEES OF CARL R SMITH Case no. 98CV122111 FIRST NAT’L BANK VS SMITH Balance: $5,444.58

KAY LYNN WEEKLEY AKA SNYDER UNKN SPOUSE OF KAY LYNN WEEKLEY AKA SNYDER Case no. 99CV123061 BANC PLUS MTG. VS WEEKLEY Balance: $1,789.44

L.C.C.G. 7/16/20 20666175

PUBLICATION OF LEGISLATION The following is a summary of legislation adopted by Lorain City Council on July 6, 2020.

The complete text of each item may be viewed or purchased in the Clerk of Council Office @ Lorain City Hall, 200 W. Erie Ave., Lorain, OH, during normal business hours or contact Nancy Greer @ 204-2050 (Nancy_Greer@cityoflorain. org). The following summary has been reviewed/approved by the Law Director for legal accuracy as required by state laws.

Reso. 27-20 Accepting the donation of funds ($2414.70) from the National Council of Negro Women and Main Street Lorain for the purchase of self-watering planters along Broadway. Ord. 59-20 Auth the S/S Director to enter into contracts for certain roadways as defined by the local roadway rehab program 2020.

60-20* Assessing the cost to abate nuisances by removing litter and garbage during the 2020CY. 61-20* Repealing Section 1 of Ord. 147-78 & Section 521.01(b) of the Codified Ordinances- Fire Code, and adopting new Section 521.01(b). 62-20* Auth the S/S Director to enter into an MOU w/ FOP Lodge #3 for police overtime on July 4, 2020. 6320* Appropriation. (*Denotes legislation was passed as an emergency.)

L.C.C.G. 7/16-23/20 20666336

OPINION

Thursday, July 16, 2020

Send letters to news@lcnewspapers.com. Printed as space is avaIlable.

Cycling perfect option for pandemic In these difficult times in the midst of a pandemic, it is not always clear what you can do to reduce stress while staying safe and healthy.

One option to consider, especially here in Oberlin, is getting outdoors on your bicycle. It is a great way to get some exercise, improve your health and to feel less isolated by getting out of the house, but it also helps the planet by not using carbon to get around.

Biking is an excellent, fairly low impact exercise.

It helps to build muscle, reduce fat, lower blood pressure and increase physical endurance. Other health benefits include stress alleviation, reducing anxiety and helping to clear your mind and improve your mood. Daily exercise like riding a bike can lead to longer, healthier life!

There are environmental benefits to cycling as well.

Using it for transportation in place of driving a car takes you from a high emission activity to a zero emission activity. There is also no noise pollution!

Also, owning and maintaining a bicycle costs fractions of what it costs to own an automobile. If your hope is to save money, then increasing the amount of time you commute or do errands via your bike is the way to go. In addition to the fuel savings, you can also expect to save on parking, reduce the cost of maintenance on your car and perhaps it means you

CHANGING BY DEGREES

LINDA ARBOGAST

no longer need to pay for that gym membership.

If you have a bike already, great! Pump those tires, grease the chain a bit, check your brakes and you are good to go! Oh, and dust off that helmet.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, each year in the United States, about 800 bicyclists are killed and another 500,000 end up in hospital emergency rooms. About two-thirds of the deaths and one-third of the injuries involve the head and face, so wearing a helmet can reduce the risk of head injury to bicyclists by as much as 85 percent.

Did you know that the city of Oberlin has received recognition as a bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists? Amongst other criteria, this means that the city has committed to creating biking infrastructure throughout the community, including creating bike

lanes and installing bike racks. There are over 40 bike racks in the downtown area where you can lock up your bike while visiting our many shops, restaurants and parks.

The city has a lovely bike path as well. The North Coast Inland Trail goes from Elyria to Wakeman, and will eventually reach all the way to Toledo. Within the city limits the path provides 3.5 miles of paved biking that is safe and easy for young and old alike! The trail is shared by walkers and runners as well, so please ride safely when traveling on the path. Besides the North Coast Inland Trail, there are also 1.5 miles of bike lanes currently within the city, with six more miles planned for later this year.

No matter where you decide to ride your bike in town, it is important to know the laws regarding bicycle riding and parking within the city. The first thing is make sure to register your bicycle with the Oberlin Police Department. It’s free to do and will help police be able to return your bike to you if it is lost or stolen. Always remember to keep your bicycle locked when not in use to prevent theft.

Keep in mind that your bicycle is considered a vehicle, so you must obey all traffic laws when riding. You are not allowed to bike on the sidewalks in the downtown area and you could get a citation if you do so. Visit oberlinpd.

com/bike-licensing or call 440-774-1061 for more information on registering your bike or bike regulations in the city.

In these days of social distancing, bike riding is a great way for a family, or a small group of friends, to spend quality time together while keeping yourself and our community safe. To make sure you are staying safe, follow the guidance of Lorain County Public Health and the CDC: • If you're feeling ill, stay home.

• Ride alone or with members of your household. Follow local guidelines for expanding your social network, but keep in mind the safest rides are solo.

• Try to maintain six feet of space from others.

• When riding with others, ride side-by-side or 20 feet behind the next rider.

• Wash your hands frequently.

• Avoid spitting, an uncovered cough, nasal drip or other droplet transmission.

• Wear an athletic mask or cycling buff that covers your nose and mouth when riding around others.

Bicycling is a great activity that is good for you and the environment.

Oberlin is a community committed to making bicycling accessible and safe.

Ride safely and always wear a helmet.

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

FACEBOOK FEEDBACK We asked: The Cleveland Indians are thinking of changing their name due to continued scrutiny over the use of Native American names and imagery in professional sports. How do you think the team should move forward?

Brian Edwards: "OK, it's been their name for over 100 years and just now it offends someone? BS." Amy Heep Wildman: "Read the history and you will see this was named to honor Native Americans. If you continue to erase history, it is bound to repeat itself. Not good for the negative that has happened."

Amber Cockayne: "It may have been a way to 'honor' Native Americans, but just because it was, doesn't mean it was done right. The fans flaunt native-like headdresses and an image of a native with no thought to those it represents. The native headdress is worn during sacred ceremonies and dances, not as a show of pride or just because. It's not just about a name.

Given the hate I have seen towards Natives who have every right to be upset over the disrespect shown their culture and beliefs, I say change it.

It's only a name. Know better, do better."

Becky Thompson McGinnis: "Keep the name."

Norma Hardwick: "People are just too sensitive these days."

Karl Werner: "They have the right to do what they want. So do I. Just like the NFL and NASCAR — bye-bye!"

Marie Layne: "I remember 35 years ago, going to a Indians game and Indians were trying to change the name. They were standing around with their posters and signs. And no one cared. And I know they been to other games through the years. And now that America is being ripped apart, they want to change the name.

I really don’t see the point now.

I believe we have other things to

work on than a name, starting with studying history so we don’t repeat it, and use the names and statues as a reminder of how we became one of the best countries to live in. And learn for our mistakes and other countries' mistakes and do better, not as a country but as people. We can make things happen."

Thomas Dick: "Change the name...

It will make people feel good while they personally haven't done jack in the last 50 years to do anything to help the situation the indigenous people are in."

Brad Eleanor Boden: "Actually find out from real everyday native Americans how they feel about the use of 'Indians' as a name for a baseball team. I’m sure there are ways to get a large sampling of opinions from everyday American Indian citizens from throughout the country. I’m not talking about the militant groups that have been protesting the Cleveland Indians for decades, but the average person of American Indian heritage.

I’ve heard many times that a large portion of the American Indian population takes pride in the Cleveland Indians and the wear the team logo. Now would be a good time to find out once and for all how the actual people who are affected by the name feel about it."

Rick O'Donnell Sr.: "The Cleveland Indians were once the Cleveland Spiders, which is a good name for a team. In the meantime, an entire generation knows that Indians live in India. Some of my composition students in college only knew Native Americans as Native Americans. They found the misuse of the name Indian as humorous and that people like me who had used it were old. The term Indian as a team has become antiquated and racially charged. I believe it should be changed. I recommend the name The Cleveland Spiders."

Richard Darvas: "It’s been my team for 81 years but I suppose in

today’sW climate it will have to change. Trick is to find a name that won’t offend someone out there in the future. Lake Erie Ducks?"

Marla A. Powell: "We have learned, grown and evolved as a society and we can do better than continuing to use a name that deeply offends so many. It should offend all of us! Let it go and move forward."

Mary Hammond: "Oberlin High School's sports teams changed their name years ago from the Indians to the Phoenix. It is long past time that indigenous brothers and sisters should be honored and respected, not used as a name for a major sports team with a Chief Wahoo logo."

Patricia Mycek Sumpter: "Keep the name!"

Kirk Smith: "And suddenly, I never watched them again...."

Cynthia Willis: "If we had to change, I would go with Cleveland Rocks or Cleveland Rockers."

Sonya Barlow: "Keep it the same as it always has been."

Becky Durham Duelley: "Ignore the political correctness trend and stay true to yourselves and why you were named the Indians in the first place."

Brandi Kay: "Considering the team name was changed to Indians in honor of one of the first Native Americans to play professional baseball in Cleveland... keep it! Besides, changing a name does not change the mentality of bias, hatred or racism that unfortunately some people will always have."

Susan Willard Alspach: "I like to think that the name was chosen because Indians were known to be swift, strong and brave. It should be considered a compliment. Keep it.

All the fans are the ones who pay for game tickets and support the team.

Let them decide."

Thursday, July 16, 2020

Lorain County Community Guide

Page A5

MEYERS

FROM A1 call for comment.

Meyers said UH, hurt financially by the COVID-19 pandemic, bowed to similar pressure.

UH withdrew its sponsorship because of the danger posed by the virus, according to a statement by President Kristi Sink. It did not mention the Confederate flag at all.

Donaldson said she did reach out to fair sponsors, including Meijer, UH and NOPEC, but was careful not to use picketing as leverage.

She shared a text sent to Barclay, dated July 2, saying she was offended by Meijer’s affiliation with the fair and requesting to have a conversation about the Confederate flag issue.

“The Meijer store in Lorain is located in the town with the highest percentage of people of color in the county and the Confederate flag is our country’s most enduring symbol of hate,” it said.

Donaldson said she reached out again on Monday and Barclay said “the decision had already been made at the corporate level that they would withdraw their support from the fair."

"There was no pressure at all, and we are so proud of that," she said.

Donaldson said she was worried about pushing too hard because she received a cease and desist letter from Meyers after reaching out to Kenny Loggins’ management about the Confederate flag issue in 2017, when the “Danger Zone” rock star headlined the fair.

Lili Sandler is president of Lorain County Rising, a group that has collaborated with Donaldson in the past because of opposition to the Confederate flag. This year, for the first time, it decided to start calling sponsors as well.

After seeing Mississippi remove the Confederate symbol from its state flag, and after Medina and Wayne county fairs changed policies on allowing the flag to be sold, Sandler said her group decided putting pressure on sponsors was the right tactic in Lorain County.

Volunteers began emailing, calling and posting on social media about the Lorain County Fair’s sponsors.

Sandler said some sponsors were open to conversation while others didn’t want to engage — Meijer and University Hospitals were the big ones, she said.

“We thought it was important that they know everything they're sponsoring,” she said. “It's not just fair rides and fun and food. There’s an ugly underbelly to it. We wanted to make sure Meijer was aware of what they were signing on for.”

The Lorain County Fair board was scheduled to meet Tuesday night after press time.

CANCELLATIONS

FROM A1 patrons in the little library there," said Lorain Public Library Director of Marketing and Public Relations Jennifer Black.

She said safety precautions would make giveaways impossible — "It's a social distancing issue. It's a contact issue."

The Wellington Band Boosters’ doughnut booth will also be shuttered, the organization announced later Monday evening.

Retired Vietnam veteran Russell Bissett, a vendor who has sold clothing and other items at the fair for more than 30 years, will also not take part in August. Bissett has sold Civil War memorabilia, including the Confederate flag.

"I had 200 people yesterday thank me for standing up for the flag," he said in an interview at the 2016 fair. "I haven't had one person complain."

The fair said COVID-19 was the reason Bissett Concessions will not appear this year. "Due to the coronavirus closure of nearly all the festivals and fairs he attends, he will not be going out on the show circuit this year," it said.

CONFEDERATE

FROM A1 a price for calling out the fair’s vendor policy.

In previous years, she received death threats, which had a “chilling effect” on her continued fight against the Confederate flag. Billboards put up by the group were also vandalized last year and the year before that, and personal vehicles have been tampered with — the FBI has even had to get involved.

The Fair-minded Coalition has been protesting rebel flag sales since 2015, the same year the Ohio State Fair banned its sale.

So has Lorain County Commissioner Matt Lundy, who also took the podium Monday to label the Confederate flag offensive.

"As a former journalist, I understand that hate speech is free speech — but why use a family event to promote and provide a platform for hate speech?" he asked.

Walmart, Target, NASCAR, the Marine Corps have all disavowed the Confederate flag, he said. Even Mississippi has decided to remove the “stars and bars” from its state flag.

Now it’s the fair board’s turn to do so, he said, calling on it to “stop reopening this sore year after year after year."

In June, Lundy sent a letter to the fair board members asking that the sale of the Confederate flag be stopped. He said he doesn’t want to call for a boycott as the fair is an educational event for children, but wants all residents to feel comfortable attending it.

State Rep. Juanita Brent, D-Cleveland, calls the Confederate flag "a symbol of hate."

“I have and will continue to be civil with you,” Lundy said in the letter. “I have not and will not engage in personal attacks. I respect you and the work that you do even when we disagree. As leaders in the community, let’s stick to the important issue before us and resolve it.”

Donaldson also said she doesn’t want to take away from the education that young people gain through the annual fair.

However, she has seen representatives of the Ohio State University Extension Office — which helps coordinate agricultural learning opportunities for kids — recruiting “youth of color” this year, and questioned whether it’s acceptable to send school-age children to the fair when the board that runs it “does not value Black lives.”

State Rep. Juanita Brent, D-Cleveland, said she has been attending county fairs since she was a young child, and every time she saw the Confederate flag she interpreted it as a symbol of hate.

Tax dollars should not go to state fairs that allow symbols of hate and oppression, she said.

Earlier this summer, Brent attempted to put a legislative ban in place on Confederate memorabilia at all state fairs, and the House voted it down along party lines.

Now she plans to reintroduce legislation to ban the flag from county and independent fairs. Brent said all people need to feel welcome, and especially in 2020 African-Americans should feel welcome.

"That Confederate flag was flown because this group of people wanted to make sure that slavery still existed. In 2020, we still have people wanting to keep a flag because they wanted to keep slavery,” she said.

Arguing for a ban, Brent invoked the sacrifices made by Ohio’s Civil War soldiers. New York lost more soldiers — an estimated 39,000 — than any other Union state in the Civil War, but Ohio wasn't far behind, with about 31,000.

"What do we tell our ancestors in the state of Ohio when we allow this flag to still exist in 2020?” she asked. “We are basically telling all the soldiers that died in the Civil War that their lives did not mean anything to us when we allow that flag to still exist in any form or shape."

Whitfield said that now is the right time for change in the country, and encouraged residents to educate themselves on what the Confederate flag stands for.

“And my concern with the continuance of support of the sale of the flag and even the display of the flag is that now is the time for systemic change” Whitfield said. “And if we're having problems getting symbolic change, it’s hard to imagine the fortitude that it’s going to require for us to actually have the systemic change that’s needed around race issues. I’m looking forward to when not only the county fair but all groups recognize the damage this flag does to people, how it triggers emotions and reminders."

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Page A6

COVID-19 Response Fund awards grants The Lorain County COVID-19 Response Fund Community Advisory Committee has announced another $83,500 in grants is being made available to seven local nonprofits.

The money will help organizations provide support for basic needs, education, youth services and infrastructure during the pandemic.

Grants include: • $5,000 for I Support the Girls, to collect and distribute personal hygiene items for women in the region who are experiencing homelessness, poverty, loss of income, unemployment and other COVID-19 related circumstances.

• $10,000 for Hope for Futures, creating microfarms to serve the needs of low-to-moderate income individuals and seniors who experience food insecurity and financial hardship from COVID-19.

• $10,000 for the Lorain County Urban League, providing funding for overdue rent, prioritizing households facing eviction.

• $7,500 for Oberlin Community Services, expanding capacity to increase food access to those who need it throughout the county by increasing staff and purchasing food.

• $5,000 for OhioGuidestone, maintaining current operations and retaining frontline staff for an additional two months.

• $40,000 for the United Way of Greater Lorain County, to provide families with rent and mortgage, utilities, transportation, and other emergency financial assistance.

• $6,000 for Cornerstone Pregnancy Services, providing educational training and support to clients using telehealth.

Learn about the grants to these organizations at www.peoplewhocare.org.

Grants were selected by a committee representing frontline service providers. You can contribute to the fund online and view a list of partners. Donations of any amount are welcomed, and all contributions are tax-deductible.

Spring Street Park input

The city of Oberlin is looking for resident feedback to help determine the future of Spring Street Park, which will undergo an update this year with the help of Community Development Block Grants obtained through a competitive application process.

A survey has been posted at www.cityofoberlin.com/ park-survey or paper copies can be requested by calling 440-775-7245 or emailing recreation@cityofoberlin. com.

Lorain County Community Guide

Thursday, July 16, 2020

A jazz legend returns to the road ERICH BURNETT OBERLIN COLLEGE

OBERLIN — A one-of-a-kind exhibition created by the Oberlin Conservatory Library tells the story of one of the most prolific jazz musicians of the 20th century: concert performer and session man Milt Hinton, whose seven-decade career intersected with everyone from Dizzy Gillespie and Cab Calloway to Barbra Streisand and Paul McCartney.

"Playing the Changes: The Life and Legacy of Milt Hinton" initially appeared at Oberlin College and in several northern Ohio venues, including the Cleveland Public Library.

It is now on the road for a tour of historically black colleges and universities across the United States that will extend beyond 2021.

A standout bassist, Hinton was also a talented photographer who captured thousands of unguarded moments with his fellow musicians on the road and in the studio, as well as rare glimpses of the segregation faced by black Americans early in his touring career.

In 2014, Oberlin College established a relationship with the Hinton estate that included the transfer to Oberlin of four prized basses and countless other artifacts — financial records, correspondence, date books, and more — amassed by Hinton throughout his life, as well as establishment of the biennial Milt Hinton Institute for Studio Bass at Oberlin.

The Hinton Collection at Oberlin was inspired by David G. Berger and Holly Maxson, longtime friends of Milt Hinton and his wife Mona.

From that collection emerged "Playing the Changes," which showcases dozens of Hinton’s finest photographs and tells the story of his life in music. Each host venue also coordinates related academic offerings and other programming, and students at each school take part in a practicum on exhibition installation

Milton J. Hinton Photographic Collection

Milt Hinton's seven-decade career included an extended stint in Cab Calloway's touring orchestra. Hinton (left) is seen here in a 1951 performance with Calloway in Cuba. led by Heath Patten, Oberlin College Library’s curator of visual resources.

“We encourage the students to think about how they can take an installation a step further,” Patten said of the course. “It’s a conversation about audiences and how people interact with exhibitions and why we choose certain elements of design and flow, how we want people to move through an exhibit, and what they want that experience to be. We also have to consider the uniqueness of the space, and that becomes fundamental to what we can do.”

In recent years, Patten has been part of the Oberlin College teams that have created exhibitions on civil rights activist Mary Church Terrell, an 1884 alumna, and Oberlin’s historical support of coeducation and the suffrage movement.

In July 2019, "Playing the Changes" began its scheduled two-year tour with three months at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. From there it took up residence at Morgan State University in Baltimore

through December. The exhibition was on display at the Diggs Gallery at Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina when the COVID-19 pandemic forced museums and galleries everywhere to close their doors. Its travel plans remain in flux as cities and states across the U.S. continue to assess guidelines for reopening.

When the tour is cleared to resume, the exhibition will appear at Hampton University in Virginia, North Carolina Central University, Fisk University in Nashville, and Howard University in Washington, D.C. Playing the Changes: The Life and Legacy of Milt Hinton is generously supported by the Berger Family Foundation so that Oberlin College can help ensure that the Hintons’ legacy will be passed to future generations.

The exhibition's current tour of colleges and universities is organized

by Caryl McFarland, director of the HBCU Alliance of Museums and Galleries.

B

OUR TOWNS

Lorain County Community Guide • Thursday, July 16, 2020

In person or online this fall? Masks or not?

JASON HAWK EDITOR

WELLINGTON — No easy solutions came from a debate last week over how to safely reopen the Wellington Schools this fall amid COVID-19 fears.

The big question: Should students attend in person, online or some mix?

"We're hearing different things

on what other schools are doing.

New London is looking at doing four days in person, one day online," said Superintendent Ed Weber.

As of Wednesday, there were more than 56,000 coronavirus cases in Ohio and 1,000 in Lorain County.

The death toll so far is at 2,737 statewide and 64 in the county.

Still, parents favor sending their kids to school in person,

The Wellington school board was scheduled to meet Tuesday night after press time to further discuss plans for the fall.

Weber said, citing surveys.

On Friday, superintendents from Lorain County districts met to work on a general plan for the fall, merging state guidelines with advice from Lorain County Public Health Commissioner

David Covell.

Some districts are already communicating rough plans to their families.

Parents in the Amherst school district, for example, said they have already gotten word by email from Superintendent Steve Sayers that their kids will attend with a traditional seven-hour day and five-day-per-week schedule starting Aug. 20.

About 22 percent of families

CELEBRATING A CENTURY

prefer an online option, the email said, so Amherst will offer remote learning to those uncomfortable with sending kids to school during the pandemic.

Weber said a five-day, in-person approach seems to be preferred by local districts.

But every day school presents many obstacles, said Weber — limiting exposure to the virus on school buses is a big one, with FALL PLANS PAGE B3

Wellington eyes possibility of new school using state money JASON HAWK EDITOR

Jason Hawk | Amherst News-Times

Marjorie Marshall receives proclamations from the mayors of Amherst and Elyria, as well as Congressman Jim Jordan, with some help from Wesleyan Village Executive Director Stephen Wolf.

Amherst’s ‘Rosie the Riveter’ and WWII vet gets 100th birthday bash JASON HAWK EDITOR

ELYRIA — Whatever Marjorie Marshall has put her mind to, she's accomplished.

The World War II veteran was celebrated Friday on her 100th birthday, watching a parade in her honor pass

by Wesleyan Village senior living community on West Avenue.

"I never dreamed of such a thing,"

she said after the VFW Post 1079 Honor Guard presented her with a folded American flag and a threeround rifle volley.

She also received proclamations from Amherst Mayor Mark Costilow, Elyria Mayor Frank Whitfield and U.S. Congressman Jim Jordan, recognizing her service.

A longtime resident of Amherst, Marshall moved to the assisted living facility four years ago.

"I've been very blessed. The Lord

is with me all the time. He's held my hand," she said.

Born in 1920 in Huron, Marshall graduated from high school as the valedictorian in 1937.

From there she went to work for the war effort in Detroit. "I was Rosie the Riveter," she said. "I just thought we were needed. People kept asking for us."

When the United States Naval Reserve Women's Reserve — better VETERAN PAGE B2

Renovations to historic First Church are nearly complete JASON HAWK EDITOR

WELLINGTON — If 60-year-old Westwood Elementary can't be repaired, building a new school may be on the table.

The Wellington Board of Education felt out the possibility of construction in a discussion last week with Steve Roka, an expert in state financing for big building projects.

The district could qualify for millions from the state, said Roka, senior planning manager for the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission.

As it stands, the Wellington Schools might be able to get state funding for 31 percent of a building project if local taxpayers pony up the remaining 69 Steve Roka percent.

For example, for a new high school, which Board President Brett Murner said would run in the ballpark of $20 million, the district would have to convince voters to foot a nearly $14 million bill.

Back in 2012, Wellington was assessed for the possibility of state help with a K-12 building, but didn't go that route. Instead, it built McCormick Middle School.

Now it stands at 416th in line for OFCC money among public school districts in Ohio. Because it "lapsed" on the state's 2012 offer, Wellington would have to reapply and go through another assessment — about a year of inspections and data-crunching — to NEW SCHOOL PAGE B2

RINGING IN YOUR

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OBERLIN — A $1.4 million series of renovations is nearing completion at the First Church in Oberlin United Church of Christ.

A new stage has been finished in the historical church's sanctuary, along with renovations to the choir loft surrounding an enormous 1914 pipe organ.

Ten tall windows that flood the room with sunlight have been replaced, as have pew cushions dating back 110 years.

But the COVID-19 pandemic is keeping the public from returning to worship in the space, and the Rev. David Hill said the wait is agonizing.

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Page B2

Thursday, July 16, 2020

Lorain County Community Guide

Term length referendum

The vote didn't take long. With no discussion from the floor, Amherst City Council moved ahead Monday night with plans to ask electors for longer terms in office.

The measure passed unanimously with emergency status on its first reading. That means voters will decide in November whether to allow Council members to sit for four years instead of just two.

In a committee meeting last week, Councilman David Janik said newly-elected officials need more than two years to get used to the job. Councilman Phil Van Treuren said running less often would require fewer fundraisers, less money and not as many yard signs.

If voters back the plan, it would still mean elections every two years, but at-large and ward seats would be staggered. That way, all members of Council could not be voted out at the same time.

NEW SCHOOL

FROM B1 find out exactly how much cash it would qualify for, Roka said.

Enrollment over the past decade, birth rates, new housing in the community and how many kids open enroll would all be part of the equation.

Roka told the school board it should hire an architect to guide it through the process.

If the board wants to take a state offer next summer and go ahead with construction, it would have 13 months to raise the matching share local taxpayers would have to front.

"That's where it gets dicey in this current environment" with COVID-19, Roka said.

Board member Jessica Reynolds asked about the costs of building on to the existing middle school, but Roka said it's too early to speculate.

January or February would be the earliest an estimate may be available, if the school board decides right away to start the OFCC assessment process, he said.

The state is already making cuts to funding for day-today operations, said school board member Ayers Ratliff.

"Is it really realistic that the state is going to have money to build schools or build on to schools when they're not giving us money to run sufficiently what we have?" he asked.

Roka said that with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on state budgets, that's an uncertainty that has to be taken into account.

Even if Wellington goes through the entire process and raises millions in local money for a new school, "we may or may not be in the position to fund you," said Roka, calling the situation "a gamble."

No decision was made Tuesday on how to move ahead. Murner said Roka had given plenty for officials to think about.

The issue is likely to be discussed again July 21 or in August, Murner said.

Westwood Elementary School was the focus of backto-back bond issue and levy campaigns in the past year that voters soundly rejected.

The Wellington Schools sought to raise $8 million and establish an additional revenue stream for annual maintenance. The goal was to fix or replace broken boilers, a leaking roof, broken ceiling tiles and pothole-ridden parking lots.

While Westwood was the main focus, repairs are also needed at Wellington High School, supporters said.

"Those efforts so far haven't been successful, so we wanted to go back to the drawing board and see if there's a different way to promote the facility," said Superintendent Ed Weber.

Remodeling Westwood would likely extend the building's life by 20 to 25 years, he said. A new building could last 50 or more.

VETERAN

FROM B1

known as the WAVES — was formed in July 1942, her path was clear. "Rosie" was among the first women to enlist and was sent to Indiana University to become a naval storekeeper second class.

Looking back more than seven decades later, she laughed that she spent a lot of the Navy's money.

Marjorie met her husband, Warren Marshall, at Sampson Naval Training Base in the Finger Lakes region of New York. They married and moved to eastern New York, later relocating to Ohio.

Warren passed away in 1972.

Marjorie was active in the Order of the Eastern Star, Senior Citizens of Amherst as tour director for more than 20 years and won the David H. Jones Humanitarian Award for Volunteerism.

"I am just proud of who she is as a person," said her son, Dave Marshall. "She is humble and kind and giving. Her family and her faith are the cornerstones of her life."

Hertz named to OC chief of staff post DYLAN REYNOLDS

THE CHRONICLE-TELEGRAM

OBERLIN — Communications expert David Hertz, who has been acting as Oberlin College’s interim chief of staff since the retirement of Ferdinand "Ferd" Protzman, has been hired to the role permanently.

College spokesman Scott Wargo confirmed that the hire had been made.

An alumnus of the Uni-

versity of Virworking in ginia with a mas2006. ter's degree in Hertz previjournalism from ously worked the University of for the Akron Missouri, Hertz Beacon-Jourhas worked in nal, where he journalism and worked on a public relations team that won during his career. a 1994 Pulitzer His most recent Prize for public David Hertz role was managservice journaling director of ism. With Dix the Cleveland-based public & Eaton, he worked on a relations and crisis comteam that won two Silver munications firm Dix & Anvils and a Bronze Anvil Eaton, where he started for helping tell Cleveland’s

MASONIC RECOGNITION

story prior to the 2016 Republican National Convention.

In a January interview with the Chronicle-Telegram, Hertz described the opportunity to work at Oberlin College as an opportunity to help the school keep its momentum.

“To me, it's like a privilege to be able to help.

When you're in the business of helping clients, to be able to have this opportunity, it's a thrill and a privilege," he said.

Provided photo

A 50-Year Service Award was presented to Stanley Matlock on July 6 by Stonington Lodge 503, one of two Masonic lodges in Amherst.

Matlock served as the lodge's worshipful master in 1976. His granddaughter was awarded a $500 scholarship to be used to further her academic career at Bowling Green State University. Hannah Matlock is a 2020 graduate of Midview High School. The ceremony was presided by Gregory Kita, who is one of three district deputy grand masters serving the 22nd Masonic District in Lorain and Cuyahoga counties. For more information about Stonington Lodge, visit www.stonington503.org.

CHURCH

FROM B1 members of our community," he said.

"Being closed has been a real challenge."

Services moved online in March as coronavirus cases started mounting.

The earliest Hill believes the congregation could return in person is Sept.

1, he said.

The sanctuary, or Meeting House as it's been know for more than 150 years, has played a significant role in the history of the town.

It was built by the community starting in 1842 and opened in 1844, the largest building wets of the Allegheny Mountains at the time, according to the Oberlin College Archives.

The Meeting House was used for worship, for debates and even to demonstrate the telephone.

It has been a place of progress, where impassioned speeches about abolitionism, women's rights, temperance and civil rights were delivered.

Mark Twain, Frederick Douglass, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Woodrow Wilson, Booker T. Washington and Martin Luther King Jr. have all taken the stage there.

An estimated 20,000 people continue to pass through the doors of First Church every year, according to historian Laurel Price Jones — at least when the coronavirus isn't in play.

Hill said the church first applied for historical landmark designation in 1976, but there was a problem. The documents used "Meeting House" to describe the sanctuary and other parts of the building interchangeably.

"That's understandable. A lot of people do it," he said.

On paper, it's caused issues. The wider designation means First Church has had to go to the city's Historical Preservation Committee for every renovation or upgrade, even in parts of the building that are much more modern.

The result has been a "frustrating

Construction workers repair steps at the front of the historic First Church in Oberlin United Church of Christ, which faces North Main Street. and unnecessary" number of visits with Oberlin officials over the years, Hill said.

That changed last week with a unanimous City Council vote. Now only the Meeting House is subject to Historical Preservation Committee oversight.

Big projects for other parts of the church property still have to go to the Oberlin Planning Commission, they just don't have to get historical clearance.

For now, Hill has his hands full wrapping up the existing project.

It includes repairing the church steps along North Main Street, which were sinking and crumbling. Crews disassembled and moved the steps so the foundation could be fixed, and that work is expected to wrap up this week.

Repairs have taken longer than expected because some sandstone steps were so worn they had to be replaced, Hill said. During the process, workers unearthed two bricked-up doors believed to be entrances to Oberlin's first fire station in horse and cart days.

The tower that rises above First Church is also getting some attention. While the tower itself is fine, the decorative metal crown was badly rusted and is being replaced.

Additional money has been raised to replace main hallway carpeting and fellowship hall tile, which has to be encapsulated because it contains asbestos, as well as flooring in upstairs Sunday school rooms.

Hill said he expects all the updates to be done in September.

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Thursday, July 16, 2020

Lorain County Community Guide

Page B3

Oberlin College: Dropping fall Accessibility sports 'heartbreaking' decision loans celebrate

30th anniversary of disability act

TODD SHAPIRO THE CHRONICLE-TELEGRAM

Something will be different in Oberlin this fall.

For the first time in 130 years there football will not be played on the Oberlin College campus.

Last week, the school announced the decision to cancel fall sports for the 2020 season as it, and the nation, continues to struggle with the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It was heartbreaking,” Oberlin’s Associate Vice President for Athletic Advancement and Director of Athletic and Physical Education Natalie Winkelfoos said of the decision to shut down the school’s athletic programs. “It was one of the most challenging decisions I’ve had to make.

Even harder was when I had to share the decision with my staff.”

In addition to football, which has been played annually at the school since 1891, the decision also affected Oberlin’s men's and women's soccer and cross country teams as well the women's volleyball and field hockey programs.

Although Oberlin primarily draws athletes from around the country the cancellation will affect two local athletes. Sophomore football player Ryan McCrum, a 2019 Avon Lake grad, who rushed for 194 yards last season for the Yeomen, and incoming freshman volleyball player Lauren Sands, who was a first-team All-Lorain County Conference selection at Oberlin High School last fall.

Winkelfoos said she and school president Carmen Twillie Ambar felt it was important to make a decision on fall sports before all students had to make a declaration later in the month if they intended to return to

JASON HAWK EDITOR

Jesse Grabowski | File

Oberlin College's Ryan Gleeson looks for yardage after catching a pass from Zach Taylor during a game against Ohio Wesleyan in 2018. For the first time in 130 years there won't be football at the school this year after all fall sports were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. the campus for the 2020-21 school year.

“Since we left campus in March we’ve been working on strategies to mitigate the impact of this virus on our campus,” Winkelfoos said. “It’s not a secret that there’s continued to be surges across the country and we’re seeing the trends when other universities welcome students back on campus.”

At the moment the remainder of the North Coast Athletic Conference intends to move forward with its fall season, which begins Sept. 18.

With the possibility that fall sports could begin only to be shut down midseason as happened to many spring sports at the Division I level in March, Winkelfoos said by making the decision prior to the start of the year Oberlin is able to protect the year of eligibility for its student-

athletes.

“Our student-athletes are deserving of a full experience," she said.

"Not one where we don’t know are we going to play 12 games, are we going to be able to play six games or are we only going to be able to play one game,” Winkelfoos said. “I think by us making the decision with health and safety as the foremost concern, but also understanding that these are years you can’t get back, so we wanted to reduce the risk of our studentathletes burning a year of eligibility in this already disjointed year. Once a player plays one game it triggers their year of eligibility.”

Cleveland’s Case Western Reserve University and Division II Central State University, in Wilberforce, also announced that they were canceling their fall seasons.

OBERLIN — The Americans with Disabilities Act will turn 30 years old on July 26, and the city of Oberlin is celebrating by making loans available for accessibility projects.

The Community Improvement Corporation is giving up to $10,000 at one percent interest to cover the cost of ADA-compliant upgrades at businesses across the city.

Those could include ramps for wheelchairs, eliminating steps, widening doorways, accessible restrooms or even pitching in toward the cost of elevators, said Oberlin Planning and Development Director Carrie Handy.

"We hope that somebody will take advantage of it because our downtown buildings do need a lot of ADA improvement," she said.

Most of the commercial spaces in Oberlin's historical downtown were built between 1880 and 1920, she said — but the loans can be used for any business operating within the city limits.

The CIC has roughly $50,000 available in a revolving loan fund, and normally would fund up to 80 percent of an accessibility project.

Handy said that, working with the city's Human Relations Commission, the CIC expanded the offer to 100 percent with a $10,000 cap to celebrate the ADA's anniversary. To apply, call 440-775-7250 or visit www. cityofoberlin.com and click on the "For Businesses" tab.

Last Monday, City Council named July 26 "ADA Awareness Day" by proclamation.

The document recognized that one in every four Americans have a disability, including those that affect mobility, hearing, vision, cognition and more.

The ADA protects people with disabilities against discrimination, but Council's proclamation said there is a duty to "continue to work together to remove barriers to access for people, including people with disabilities, and with other marginalized identities in our community."

Back to school drive

Oberlin Community Services is accepting donations for its annual back to school drive.

Every year, the nonprofit works to ensure that every student in the Oberlin City Schools has access to school supplies. This initiative is in memory of the late Jaqui Willis, a longtime volunteer and board member.

The drive runs through July 31. Distribution of supplies will take place from 1:30-4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 13 outside of 240 South Main St. in Oberlin.

Due to the risks of COVID-19, OCS will be unable to provide drop-off boxes for community donations.

Instead, it is asking the Oberlin community to contribute through mailed and online donations. Checks can be made out to Oberlin Community Services and mailed to 285 South Professor St., and online donations can be made through the nonprofit's PayPal or through purchasing items off its online wish lists through Amazon, Amazon Smile and Walmart.

Because of the need to maintain social distance, OCS will be pre-registering recipients for the drivethrough distribution. To register, parents or guardians can call 440-774-6579. All registration must be complete by Friday, July 31 and parents must complete one form for each child.

For more information, visit www.oberlincommunityservices.org/back-to-school.

HEAVY STORM Bruce Bishop | Chronicle

Crews work to remove a large tree that was struck by lightning and fell in the southbound lanes of state Route 58 between Discount Drug Mart and KFC in Amherst on Friday, July 10. Storms that swept through that evening caused damage to neighborhoods in the northern part of the county.

FALL PLANS

FROM B1 social distancing just about impossible on board.

A huge topic is what to do about masks.

Weber said he has questions about whether masks will be effective for six hours straight while kids close to each other in classrooms.

Some parents have threatened to pull their kids from the district if there is a mask requirement, he said.

"I think they'd like to get back to normal, but they don't know what the health risks are," he said.

Having kids wear masks all day isn't realistic, said board member Jessica Reynolds.

Board President Brett Murner said students won't wear masks perfectly, but adults don't either.

"They're kids. They're going to do the best they can," he said. "We have to have some protocols there or we're not going to be able to do this safely."

Board member Ayers

Ratliff said kids need face-to-face contact five days a week.

Wellington should concentrate on making the learning environment as safe as possible, not keeping kids home, he said.

"I just think that we need to get back," he said. "We're having a county fair. The kids will be over there at the county fair every day."

Ratliff said teachers are concerned about being in the classroom all day, then tacking on extra hours teaching more students online.

One idea, according to Weber, is to close Wellington's schools on Wednesdays, giving teachers time to focus on online lessons and custodians time to thoroughly clean buildings.

He said that on other school days, lessons could be broadcast live from classrooms so online students could take part from home.

That path would require some additional equipment and training for teachers, said Weber — "We'd probably have to phase that in."

Classrooms are far from the only consideration, though.

Wellington High School secretary Karen Wright, who attended Tuesday's virtual meeting, was asked what non-teaching staff members thought.

She said secretaries, bus drivers, custodians and others are worried for their own safety.

While she is eager to get back to school, Wright said bus drivers are wondering whether they'll be expected to take riders' temperatures, and cafeteria workers are concerned about their exposure.

"They feel like they've been forgotten about.

They were promised someone would look into hazard pay, if you will," Wright said.

"We want our kids to

come back, we want to come back, but like everybody else we're afraid," she said.

Murner said he isn't holding his breath for county or state health officials to hand down specific rules that schools should follow, or recom-

mend one model over another.

He said Wellington and other school districts are expected to come up with their own plans, and they have to be flexible in case the COVID-19 situation grows better or worse throughout the year.

"There's no answers to this stuff. It continues to move. It's a moving target," he said.

Board member Kevin Stump said the most logical solution is to draft a plan for holding a full, normal school year and create contingencies from there.

85 SOUTH MAIN STREET OBERLIN OHIO 44074 JULY 16, 2020 BOARD AND COMMISSION MEETING DATES ALL MEETINGS WILL BE Live Streamed @ http://oberlinoh.swagit.com/live JULY 21, 2020 ......... HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION - 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.

Page B4

Lorain County Community Guide

POLICE REPORTS OBERLIN

• July 2 at 12:27 a.m.: Police responded to a domestic violence complaint on Locust Street.

• July 3 at 5:30 p.m.: Heather Ewing, 38, of Oberlin, was arrested on two warrants for contempt of court, original charge unauthorized use of a motor vehicle; and failure to appear in court, original charges driving under suspension and speed.

• July 3 at 9:05 p.m.: A Reserve Avenue woman called police after a person knocked on her door and asked for tools belonging to a former contractor and $130 the ex-contractor allegedly owed. The contractor had started several home projects that were never completed, according to a police report.

• July 3 at 9:44 p.m.: A woman asked police for help with her boyfriend, who was having suicidal thoughts. The man was later arrested by Medina state troopers for allegedly operating a vehicle while intoxicated.

• July 5 at 2:33 a.m.: A 15-year-old boy who was highly intoxicated was taken to Mercy Health Allen Hospital for treatment. A woman said he tried to get into her daughter’s car near the intersection of Grafton and Park streets, and fell to the ground when the vehicle drove away.

• July 5 at 10:17 p.m.: Police responded to a simple assault and unruly juvenile complaint on South Main Street.

WELLINGTON

• June 28 at 10:36 a.m.: An air machine was stolen from Mickey Mart gas station on South Main Street.

• June 29 at 3:03 a.m.: Atara Hughes, 29, of Wellington, was arrested on a warrant. Police said they also found suspected narcotics in her purse.

• June 29 at 7:21 a.m.: Michael Tamburin, 34, of Cleveland, was arrested on a warrant.

• July 1 at 6:30 a.m.: A woman turned over a prescription pill bottle with several types of drugs inside.

The woman said she found the bottle in her driveway and wanted them disposed of.

• July 2 at 10:25 a.m.: A 34-yearold Wellington woman was hit by a car backing out of a parking spot at Mickey Mart on South Main Street, but did not appear injured.

• July 2 at 10:57 a.m.: A semi truck driver ran over two mailboxes on the side of the road as he exited the parking lot of Inner Circle Fitness on South Main Street.

• July 2 at 11:25 p.m.: A woman reported a disturbance with her daughter. A 15-year-old was charged with domestic violence.

• July 4 at 8:51 p.m.: Grant Penson, 34, of Lorain, was charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated.

• July 5 at 3:04 p.m.: Officers responded to a possible theft on South Mill Street.

• July 7 at 11:12 p.m.: Police investigated a possible assault in the 24-hour municipal lot on Taylor Street.

• July 9 at 7 p.m.: Police responded to a complaint of two children, ages four and eight, who were left unattended in a bus outside Village Market. Their father responded to the scene and Lorain County Children Services was contacted; the reporting officer said he did not feel the children were endangered since the bus was well ventilated.

AMHERST

• July 5 at 7:30 p.m.: Kyle Smink, 26, of Elyria, was arrested on a warrant through Lorain County 911 for contempt of court, dangerous drugs.

• July 5 at 9:56 p.m.: Thomas Joseph, 49, of Amherst, was charged with disturbing the peace following a fireworks complaint.

• July 6 at 3:16 a.m.: A person tried to enter a vehicle parked on Blossom Drive.

• July 6 at 5:21 p.m.: A vehicle was entered on High Meadow Road and change, sunglasses and a charger were reported stolen.

• July 6 at 7:30 p.m.: Kyle Smink,

26, of Elyria, and Renee Aliff, 27, of Elyria, were arrested on a warrants.

Suspected drugs and paraphernalia were seen in plain view in their room at Days Inn on Route 58, according to a report.

• July 7 at 6:42 a.m.: A woman reported a sex offense involving her young son.

• July 7 at 8:54 a.m.: Officers responded to a report that a group of people were fist fighting in the parking lot at Trinity Evangelical Free Church on Middle Ridge Road.

Police made contact with four people were were involved, one who was assaulted by a fifth man who had already left.

• July 8 at 5:59 p.m.: A harassment complaint was filed. It alleged a man who had previously done work showed up seeking money and threatened to damage a lawn with his vehicle.

• July 9 at 1:51 p.m.: Police made a welfare check on an older resident.

• July 9 at 3:40 p.m.: A woman filed a telecommunications harassment complaint, saying an acquaintance from work kept contacting her by phone, even after being asked to stop.

• July 10 at 9:28 p.m.: A large tree branch fell on a power line in a Terra Lane backyard.

• July 11 at 4:31 p.m.: John Pena, 56, of Amherst, was charged with assault following an incident inside American Legion Post 118 on North Lake Street. He allegedly punched a man in the head, according to a police report.

• July 11 at 10:07 p.m.: Brandon Vanche, 27, of Vermilion, was arrested on a warrant through Lorain County 911 for contempt of court, domestic violence.

• July 11 at 11:27 p.m.: A man called 911 with thoughts of ending his life or otherwise harming himself. He was taken to Mercy Health Lorain Hospital.

Thursday, July 16, 2020

Phoenix home football must move home games OBERLIN — The varsity Phoenix will not be able to play home football games at Oberlin College's Dick Bailey Field this fall because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The announcement was made July 9 after the college canceled all fall sports.

“The district has been very closely monitoring the national closure of many fall college athletics, including those of the Ivy League,” said Oberlin City Schools Superintendent David Hall.

Staff are in talks with other Lorain County schools about where games might now be held. Hall said a new schedule will be made available immediate once the new plan is in place.

To date, there are five home football games scheduled for Oberlin High School for the 2020-2021 school year.

The relocation will not affect the marching band, Hall said.

“We want our school community to know that our Oberlin High School Marching Band will continue to travel with the football team to all relocated home games,” Hall said. “Our mighty band will lead the way.”

Witte, Muriello receive Crystal Apple Awards Michael Witte and John Muriello have earned the Amherst Schools' 2020 Crystal Apple Awards, recognizing their dedication and volunteerism.

Witte, a 1975 graduate of Amherst Steele High School, and Muriello, a 1973 alumnus, donated several dozen hours to preserve a part of district history.

They helped teacher and local historian Russ Marty to remove a piece of the old Powers Elementary gymnasium floor and install it in the alumni room at Steele.

Generations of Comets will be able to enjoy the nostalgia associated with the now-demolished Washington Street school, and relive many fond memories.

Muriello is a master carpenter and Witte is an architect and owner of Bert R. Witte Inc. Contractors.

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

FIRELANDS FFA OFFICERS

Provided photo

The Firelands FFA has elected officers for 2020-2021. Some are returning, while others are new smiling faces. This year's officers were the first ever to be elected virtually. They are President Donald Crawford (pictured), Vice President Steven Jessel, Secretary Kelsey Hardwick, Treasurer Katelyn Konicek, Reporter Morgan DiCesare, Sentinel Logan Galloway, Student Adviser Noah Galloway and Assistants Holden Harker, Randi Johannsen and Matthew Schnell.

Provided photos

Michael Witte and John Muriello removed the old Powers Elementary School gym floor and preserved a piece in the Steele High School alumni room.

CONFIDENCE IN

KNOWING HER ASSETS WILL BE PROTECTED Gazebo Garden Walk

Main Street Wellington has canceled the 22nd Annual Gazebo Garden Walk, which had been scheduled for July 18.

"We truly share the disappointment of many vendors and participants. We hope that the show will continue next year," the organization said in a statement.

The Main Street board is also considering canceling its remaining 2020 large-scale events due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

First Fridays will continue for the time being, since they do not necessarily create large crowds that gather in one spot, but draw people to the downtown Wellington area.

Caring for an aging loved one is often overwhelming.

Wouldn’t it be comforting to know she will receive the care she needs and her legacy will be protected?

You are not alone — we will be with you every step of the way.

Engine show canceled

Hickman-Lowder.com Elder Law · Medicaid Planning Estate Planning · Asset Protection Care Advocacy Services

The LaGrange Engine Club has canceled its Sept. 18-20 show at the Lorain County Fairgrounds in Wellington due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"The decision did not come easy," said Chairman Nate Snook in a statement. "The safety and health of our entire community, volunteers, members, exhibitors and guests is the first priority and always on the top of our minds when making our decisions."

Snook said the club is moving "full steam ahead" to plan a 2021 show.

Thursday, July 16, 2020

Lorain County Community Guide

Firelands weighs mask requirement in fall, looks at changes to the year LAINA YOST THE CHRONICLE-TELEGRAM

SOUTH AMHERST — In-person or online schooling? Firelands parents will have to make a choice for the fall semester.

The district decided to give the two options to parents after a presentation to the Board of Education on Monday evening. Parents will have to commit to one option or the other just for the semester before the start of the school year.

Superintendent Mike Von Gunten asked for a commitment from parents to better prepare for staffing classes.

Von Gunten also recommended mandatory face masks for third grade and up, although no decisions were made to formalize that mandate.

Each school district in Ohio is required to create a policy on masks.

Although teachers and staff are required by the state to wear them, Gov. Mike DeWine only recommended it for students third grade and up.

"The mask is really an essential, in my opinion, device to keep our buildings open," Von Gunten said. "We will social distance, but the fact of the matter is at this point in time, based on my understanding, there is probably no better tool we have right now to protect the health of our staff and students.

With social distancing, with handwashing, with cleaning, it is a complete puzzle, but the mask becomes a really important piece."

Valid medical reasons would be exempt, but school board members questioned what type of liability that might create for the district. They also asked what training would look like for how to wear a mask properly and not touch it throughout the day.

Von Gunten said there would be a lot of work done to mandate masks, including how the rule would be enforced, what would happen if children got on the bus without a mask and if

medical conditions should require a doctor's note. Those questions will be worked through before the board takes action on a policy.

Von Gunten also asked the school board to consider extending the start of the school year to Sept. 8. No decision was officially made Monday, but Von Gunten said district officials would like a little more time to put together plans and logistics for the fall.

An extended end date of the school year would not be required.

Von Gunten stressed that plans can change in a minute as there's always new information coming out about the pandemic and best practices.

For online, core classes will be offered, but it's possible that not every elective will be. Von Gunten said it depends on who all signs up for online and what classes those students need.

At the end of May, 35 percent of parents who responded to a district survey said they would prefer an online option. Von Gunten said that as COVID-19 numbers go up, it's likely the number of parents who want an online option also will go up.

Expectations for online will look different than what it was when Firelands scrambled to push online after schools were closed in March. Von Gunten said students should be mostly available during the school day to their teacher.

Firelands also will offer training for parents and students to get adapted to the online programming the district uses, mostly through Google Classroom. The district will provide technology to students who need it.

If the district doesn't offer an online option, Von Gunten said the concern is that parents will go to a charter school instead.

It's also important that the district's teachers are the ones teaching the online classes, Von Gunten said. Firelands is also trying to figure out how attendance will be measured online.

It's likely that it will be taken through PowerSchool and if a student doesn't

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log on to a class, the parent would get an attendance call.

In-person schooling is an entirely different beast. The district must take physical health, sanitation and social distancing into account.

Part of sanitation is making sure every desk gets clean after a student leaves it. Von Gunten said the district is going to try to limit how often a student has to travel from classroom to classroom. It's likely that elementary and middle school will stay mostly in the same room all day. Teachers would likely be the ones moving between classrooms.

But that becomes impossible at the high school, Von Gunten said. The district is looking at class times at the high school and how they can be adjusted.

Elementary students probably will eat in their classrooms, but for middle school and high school, the district will utilize both the cafeterias and the gyms.

Lockers probably will be almost completely eliminated for all grade levels, although there may be some accommodation at the high school level.

Von Gunten said it's almost impossible to social distance at the lockers.

Staff will try to reduce items in classrooms to make way for physical distance and storage for backpacks.

Transportation is a difficult topic, which Von Gunten said the district is working through multiple solutions to, including multiple bus routes. The district is looking at two students per seat per bus, which maxes out each bus at 48 seats.

Board President Mike O'Keefe said that by the time school rolls around, things could change. The district probably will put out communication next week regarding what fall will look like, but it's always open to change.

"There's no question this will be the most difficult year," Von Gunten said.

"Even on the best day, it will be really frustrating.''

Ruby Jones scholarships go to three OHS grads Three graduates in the Oberlin High School Class of 2020 have been awarded with Ruby N. Jones Community Scholarships.

Elijah Chambers will attend Bowling Green State University.

Giles Harrell, Jr. will attend Bluffton University.

Jasmine Mitchell will attend Lorain County Community College.

Founded in 1998, the scholarship fund's mission is to provide need-based financial support for higher education to capable college-aged students who live in the Oberlin school district.

This year, it supported the education of 19 students attending colleges and universities, including the three who graduated in June.

Scholarship grant amounts were raised this year from $6,000 to $8,000 each, divided over a four-year period.

"This year, RNJCSF was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic," wrote fund Chair Delbert Mason. "The school term ended and schools closed at the very time that scholarship applications are normally submitted and personal interviews, required of all applicants, are conducted. Fortunately, we were able to adapt the application process to allow submissions entirely online and personal interviews of applicants were conducted virtually, using the Zoom conferencing application.

With these adaptations, we were able to proceed with our mission as intended."

The Ruby N. Jones Community Scholarship fund is supported by donors in the Oberlin community, and Mason said the board is grateful for their generosity.

Summer meals

Oberlin Community Services and the Oberlin City Schools are ensuring every child has food security within the district during the summer months.

OCS is delivering pre-packed lunches and milk to Eastwood Elementary on Monday and Wednesday of each week. Items are being distributed by school staff. The packages combined contain enough lunches for one child for the entire school week.

The initiative is funded through a federally funded grant.

Lunches are available to all Oberlin City Schools students, with the aim of reducing food insecurity among children over the summer when families cannot rely on school lunches.

“As a result, this initiative’s primary beneficiaries are low-income and food insecure Oberlin students, as well as their family, who can use the funds they would otherwise have spent on those meals on other necessities,” said OCS Food Programs Coordinator Liv Hanson.

DR. SEUSS ACROSS 1. On a cruise, 2 words 6. Horse poker 9. Deadly slitherers 13. Way to curl hair 14. *Today is gone. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another ____.”

15. Islam’s Supreme Being 16. Subway coin 17. Salve for Tin Woodman 18. Grim Reaper 19. *”A ____’s s Fine-Something-That-All-People-Need.”

21. *”Christmas Day will always be, Just as long as we ____ ____.”

23. Structure named for 31st President 24. Indoor allergy trigger 25. Ship pronoun 28. H. H. Munro’s pen name 30. Something or anything 35. Madam, to a cowboy 37. Dr. Jones, to his friends 39. Best not mentioned 40. Not in favor of 41. Myths and legends, e.g.

43. Maître d’s list 44. France’s longest river 46. *”I Can Read ____ My Eyes Shut!”

47. Use a beeper 48. In direct line of descent 50. Italian car maker 52. Equinox mo.

53. Coral barrier 55. Not a friend 57. *”From there to here, From here to there, Funny ____ are everywhere.”

60. *”Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get better. ____ ____.”

63. Canine foe 64. However, poetically 66. Full 68. Up and about 69. Porridge grain 70. Say something 71. Start of a conclusion 72. Parental involvement org.

73. Popular garden flower DOWN 1. *”Step with care and great tact. And remember that life’s A Great Balancing ____.”

2. Turkey dance 3. Punjabi believer

SOLUTION CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE A2

Page B5

4. Correct 5. Pause in breathing, pl.

6. *”If you never did, you should. These things are fun and fun is ____.”

7. “Wheel of Fortune” request, 2 words 8. Indian metropolis 9. Sheltered, nautically 10. BBQ side 11. Toupee spot 12. “Zip it!”

15. Countdown to Christmas 20. Inbox item 22. Chowed down 24. Middle of a torso 25. *”A person’s a person, no matter how ____.”

26. Capital of Vietnam 27. Dine at home 29. *”You’re on your own. And you know what you ____.”

31. Pipe smoker’s tool 32. Letter-shaped girder

33. Polynesian kingdom 34. *”Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is ____ than you.”

36. Bog down 38. Sasquatch’s Himalayan cousin 42. Elevator passage 45. Breadwinner 49. Race part 51. 50-50 54. Bar by estoppel 56. Related on mother’s side 57. Baloney 58. Rwanda’s majority 59. a.k.a. The Islamic State 60. Itty-bitty bit 61. ___ von Bismarck 62. Not quite an adult 63. Latissimus dorsi, for short 65. *”It’s a shirt. It’s a sock. It’s a glove. It’s a ____.”

67. Wine quality

SOLUTION CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE A2

Page B6

Thursday, July 16, 2020

Lorain County Community Guide

© 2020 by Vicki Whiting, Editor Jeff Schinkel, Graphics Vol. 36, No. 32

Part 1: Pandora’s World Pandora’s Box is a myth from ancient Greece. Myth’s often tell about a culture’s history or explain how the world works. Typically, there are gods or supernatural beings in the stories.

Read all three parts of the myth about Pandora’s Box. What do you think people were supposed to learn from this myth?

Which one of these boxes matches the larger box above?

nce upon a time, a verry long time ago, the world was free of pain, illness, fear and sorrow.

In that time, a young girl named Pandora was bothered by one thinng.

Nothing should have bothered herr because the gods had given her everything a person could wish foor.

She had good health, smarts, beauuty and a delightful personality.

What did the name Pandora meann?

=D =E =F =G =H =I

Thousands of years ago, the ancient Greeks looked up at the sky and saw that some stars formed groups that reminded them of people or animals or objects like arrows or crowns.

They created stories and legends about these images. Today, we call groups of stars that make up pictures constellations.

You can see these constellations in the night sky with the help of an astronomy book or by getting star charts online.

=R =S

Hercules

=T

Lyra

Replace the missing words in the next part of the story.

Part 2: Pandora’s Problem Even though she had so much, Pandora was not ________ about one thing in her life. She was not happy with one particular box.

Pandora quickly opened the ______ to look inside. At that moment something terrifying happened!

This was a wooden _______ with a golden cord.

It had been given to her by Zeus, the King of the Gods! When Zeus gave it to her, he said, “Never, EVER, _________ this box!”

A swarm of _______ creatures flew out.

Pandora had let loose _____________ into the world. These ugly creatures were sorrow, pain, illness and all kinds of terrible suffering.

This really _____________ Pandora. “How can I have a box that I can’t open?”

She ________ at the box every day.

Even though she quickly closed the lid, Pandora could not get the creatures back in the box.

The world was changed forever!

Then one day, she thought to herself, “What ________ could come from peeking?”

Part 3: Hope

This creature had beautiful wings.

It sparkled and made Pandora feel better. This creature was Hope.

Pandora heard a small, sweet voice calling from the box, “Pandora, please let me out.”

Pandora didn’t know what to do.

Would this be more pain and suffering? But the voice sounded so kind. She opened the lid once more and another creature came out of the box.

Hope could not get the ugly creatures back into the box. But she was able to bring hope and comfort people sick and in pain.

Hope is still in the world today!

Draw Hope in this box.

How many boxes can you find? Have a friend try. Who found the most?

Curiosity

Some people say curiosity killed the cat. The story of Pandora’s Box suggests that curiosity causes trouble. Look through the newspaper to find some examples of where curiosity was a good thing.

Standards Link: Research: Use the newspaper to locate information.

PANDORA CULTURE GOLDEN GREECE HEALTH SWARM NEVER WINGS ZEUS MYTH HARM PAIN GODS CORD JOY

Describe Pandora

Look through the newspaper for five words that describe Pandora.

Put these words in alphabetical order.

Cassiopeia The Little Dipper or The Little Bear (Ursa Minor)

Swan

(Cygnus)

Dragon (Draco)

One of the most famous constellations is The Big Dipper.

If you can find it in the night sky, it also forms the tail of another famous constellation: Ursa Major, or The Great Bear.

Ask an adult to help you find The Big Dipper this evening.

The Great Bear (Ursa Major)

Standards Link: Reading Comprehension: Spelling: Arrange words in alphabetical order.

E R E V E N A N J P

D C W E M E W O A A

M I E R L D Y N L I

A R A E R L D C L N

This week’s word:

CULTURE

W W A O R O A E Y S

The noun culture means a set of shared values and customary beliefs.

V U T A E W I N G S

The Greek culture has many stories about the gods.

S H C H R G O D S A

H Y E R U T L U C O

M P E Z H E A L T H Standards Link: Letter sequencing. Recongized identical words. Skim and scan reading. Recall spelling patterns.

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

Open the Box One day I came across a beautiful box. I opened it and out popped …

Finish this story.