Lorain County Community Guide - July 30, 2020

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LORAIN COUNTY

AMHERST NEWS-TIMES • OBERLIN NEWS-TRIBUNE • WELLINGTON ENTERPRISE Thursday, July 30, 2020

www.lcnewspapers.com

Volume 7, Issue 31

— THE CORONAVIRUS ECONOMY —

‘Not necessarily doom and gloom’ JASON HAWK EDITOR

W

ith all the damage done by the coronavirus, Lorain County's economy is still "not necessarily a doom and gloom picture," according to Tony Gallo.

There will be businesses that don't make it out of 2020, said the president of the Lorain

County Chamber of Commerce.

Downtown areas will likely take the hardest hit, with restaurants at the fore, he said.

Take Fujiyama Steak House in Avon — Gallo said it is planning to reopen Aug. 1 for the first time in nearly four months. But the Japanese restaurant's dining room will be able to handle only about 30 people instead of the usual 150.

Fujiyama is one example the

TEMPERATURE CHECK How are businesses faring in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic? We reached out to several to get a feel for what they are experiencing: • Business has slowed to a crawl, said Steve Neff of Wellington Music. Parking spaces along Herrick Avenue, normally at capacity, are rarely halfway full now.

"People are scared. They're afraid of this virus," he said.

With concerts and festivals canceled, musicians aren't working, and that means demand for instruments has dropped through the floor. Neff said sales started to pick up in May but quickly sloped off again.

• Sales are a little above average at Giuseppe's Wine Cellar in Amherst, said owner Paul Bires.

"People are staying home," and they seem to be drinking more. Distributors backup that observation, saying alcohol is flying off the shelves, according to Bires.

His biggest worry is that Ohio’s mounting COVID-19 case count could result in another shutdown.

"If they close us down again, I don't know how many people come out the other end," Bires said.

• Volume is half what it was before the pandemic, but is slowly recovering, said Bryan Branch, owner of Keith’s Comics in Elyria.

"I'm doing OK. I could be doing better," he said.

Companies like Marvel and DC started publishing again in May but aren’t back to their full runs.

But on the positive side, Branch said parking spots are filling up and customers are getting back in the swing of supporting their friendly neighborhood comic book sellers.

TEMPERATURE PAGE A5

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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

many businesses riding the edge of razor-thin margins during the pandemic.

"They've put in so much time and energy to reopen those places, and to see them close would be awful," Gallo said.

He doesn't believe the situation is hopeless.

Manufacturing is one arena that seems to be healthy, said Gallo.

He pointed to Thogus, an Avon Lake plastic injection molding

Copyright 2020 Lorain County Printing & Publishing Company

Among those that have closed for good are As Found Gallery and Herrick Jewelry, along with restaurants such as Black River Cafe and Cowhaus Creamery.

"This is a small little town and the businesses that come in need to support the brand of our town, which we happen to think is the cultural center of Lorain County," said OBP Director Janet Haar.

"We also have to look at who can ECONOMY PAGE A5

Hoping for a fall boost

Kristin Bauer | Chronicle

Krista Long, owner of Ben Franklin and Mindfair Books in Oberlin, talks about how her business is doing during the pandemic. She is holding a bag of supplies donated to the store and its employees by the Oberlin Business Partnership.

'Comeback kits' help, but businesses eager for return of college customers JASON HAWK EDITOR

OBERLIN — During business hours, Krista Long keeps a calm composure.

"Call me at 3 in the morning and see if I'm OK then," she said.

As owner of Ben Franklin & Mindfair Books in Oberlin, she is one of many trying to financially navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.

Long is doing her best to pivot to the new realities small businesses

face — she's dealing with a fall-off in foot traffic, planning online events, including book readings and cautiously stocking merchandise.

"I'm not budgeting for a good year," she said Wednesday.

Summers can be slow in Oberlin, even in good years, and businesses in the small town rely on the return of college students for sales to pick up.

Long said this fall will be different, and she's worried.

She's not alone.

Liz Burgess, owner of the Ginko Gallery, kept her fingers crossed as

she talked about what the next few months could hold.

"I'm hopeful. It's been a rough few months, but with (Oberlin College) opening again and the holidays coming up, I'm optimistic," she said. "I'm worried. I've been hanging in here, but I'm worried because it was hard being closed for two months and still having to cover expenses."

The gallery is operating with shortened hours and Burgess said she hasn't been able to bring all her FALL BOOST PAGE A5

INSIDE THIS WEEK

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

company that picked up a contract to make face shields, as one success story.

Auto sales are another. At You Drive Auto in Elyria, used car sales are so brisk that "the cars go in, they go right out," he said.

Reports vary widely from town to town.

There are enough empty storefronts that the Oberlin Business Partnership is now working on a plan to recruit new enterprises.

Amherst

Oberlin

Wellington

Schools delay fall start by a week • B3

‘ObieSafe’ initiative rolls out, students talk safety • B1

Tough decision: Only a Junior Fair will be held • A6

OBITUARIES A2 • CLASSIFIEDS A4 • SUDOKU B2 • CROSSWORD B4 • KID SCOOP B6

Page A2

Thursday, July 30, 2020

Lorain County Community Guide

OBITUARIES Patsy Jane Cypher

Ann Robertson (Smyers) Livingston

Ann Robertson (Smyers) Livingston of Oberlin, passed away Thursday, July 16, 2020, after a long battle with a recurrence of breast cancer. She was 88 years old. The daughter of William Hays Smyers and Harriet Virginia (Arthur) Smyers, Ann was born December 10, 1931, in Washington, D.C. Her father was a research chemist with Standard Oil Co (later Exxon) who nourished that same scientific ability and curiosity in Ann. She was raised in Westfield, New Jersey and graduated from Cornell University in 1953 with a BS degree in Home Economics with an emphasis in chemistry, nutrition and childhood development. While at Cornell, Ann met the love of her life, Dayton Edward Livingston. They married in June 1952 and embarked on a happy, productive and fortunate life together for 68 years until her death.

They had six children.

In the early years of their marriage, they first lived in Fanwood, New Jersey and then Birmingham, Michigan, while Dayton embarked on a career with General Motors. Dissatisfied with suburban living and the time demands on a rising executive at GM, they sought an alternative setting in a small college town.

This led to their move to Oberlin in 1962, when Dayton began a career with Oberlin College that culminated as Vice President of Business and Finance.

Ann was ahead of her time in many areas. She was Aileen Elizabeth Macan early proponent of a return to natural childbirth Courtney Krosse, 92, died and breast-feeding and advocated vigorously for both. at her home in Wellington, Having been deprived of a natural childbirth or the Wednesday, July 22, 2020. presence of her husband in the delivery room during She was surrounded by the birth of several of her children, she purposefully all 12 of her children. Her had her last child at home in 1966. legacy will forever remain Enlightened about pesticides by her chemist father, the love she fostered in Ann had an interest in organic gardening since the her family, including her 1950s. She roamed neighborhood streets in Birminglate husband Albert, her ham on trash day to collect grass clippings for use children, grandchildren and as mulch in her garden. In Oberlin, she persuaded great-grandchildren.

Dayton to "go back to the land" in 1965, when they Aileen was born in purchased a 31 acre farm on the edge of town where Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania they could raise their own food organically.

October 28, 1927. She A proficient organizer, Ann planned and managed graduated from St. Mary of the Mount Elementary and an extensive vegetable garden, along with perennial High School in Mt. Washington, a suburb of Pittsburgh. flower gardens that bloomed throughout the growing After graduation in 1945, Aileen pursued her passion season. Taking full advantage of the child labor law to become a wartime nurse. She received her nursing exemption on a family farm, she made daily job lists degree from Mercy Hospital in Altoona, Pennsylvafor her six children, six days a week all summer, asnia and joined the United States Cadet Nurse Corps in signing some cleaning and much weeding and mulch1948. Aileen worked in nursing for more than 40 years ing. She canned or froze the bounty from the garden. in Northeast Ohio, providing medical and lifesaving In the fall, she persuaded the City of Oberlin to divert care to thousands of patients at Medina Community some of its collected leaves from the landfill to the Hospital and for a number of local family practitioners, back of her garden for use as mulch. including Doctors Smith, Kassel, Robertson and Surso.

Not content with organically raised eggs, beef and Aileen married Albert Krosse in 1950 and loved him pork, she prevailed upon Dayton to "allow" a milk until his passing in 2012. They raised their family of 12 cow, to which he had been adamantly opposed bechildren in Medina, with 11 graduating from Medina cause cows had to be milked twice a day and there High School and one from Hoban High. Aileen was a could be no vacations with a cow. Ann recruited member of St. Francis Xavier Church in Medina and was several of her close friends to commit to the backup actively involved as a parishioner. After retirement in milking task. She got her Jersey cow and the thick 1997, Aileen and Albert moved to Wellington and were dollop of cream for her coffee. members of St. Patrick's Church. She was an excellent Ann was a true Renaissance woman, an ardent indiseamstress. She loved reading, gardening and being by vidualist with a ready and heart-felt laugh. She was a the ocean. She was never happier than being in the midst fountain of knowledge on many subjects and skilled of the loud, sometimes raucous, always energizing, ever in an assortment of things, some typical for her genrandom, activity of her large and loving family. eration of women, others not.

Aileen is survived by her 12 children, Mark (Lisa), A gifted seamstress, she sewed and altered beautiAnne Bradstock (Bruce), Eve Baker (Zoot), Beth, Paul ful wedding dresses, knitted marvelous sweaters, (Mary), Matthew (Elaine), Sean (Katie), Mary (Bob), cross-stitched with aplomb and created the Peter Albert (Laura), Daniel (Eddie), Tim (Tina) and Ben. AiPindar Pease Cabin square in the Oberlin Quilt that leen also leaves 20 loving grandchildren, Nicholas, Jake, hangs in Mudd Library. She dabbled in jewelry makKristy, Michael, Amy, Matthew, Allan, Zane, Jennifer, Doug, Geoff, Kate, Jane, Marybeth, Joe, Sarah, Theresa, RONALD E. BROTHERTON SR., 87, of Sun City, Zachary, Nathan and Courtney. Aileen is also survived Arizona, formerly of Elyria, went home to be with his by 13 great-grandchildren and many more relatives and Lord and Savior Tuesday, July 14, 2020, at Lund Family friends.

Hospice Home in Arizona, following a brief illness. ArFuneral arrangements are being handled by Nortonrangements by Hempel Funeral Home.

Eastman Funeral Home. A private funeral and mass will be held Saturday, July 25, 2020. A public Celebration of LAWRENCE "LARRY" JOHN KAMINSKI, 78, of Life will be held after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Elyria Township, passed away Monday, July 20, 2020, at In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alhis home, following a lengthy illness. Arrangements by zheimer's Association at www.alz.org or St. Jude ChilHempel Funeral Home. dren's Research Hospital at www.stjude.org.

Patsy Jane Cypher, 77, of Wellington, died Monday, July 20, 2020, at Mercy New Life Hospice in Lorain. She was born in West Virginia, May 30, 1943.

She was a 1961 Wellington High School graduate and previously resided in Spencer and Sullivan before moving to Wellington. Patsy worked at Forest City for 35 years as a die cutter before retiring. She was a lifetime member of the VFW Auxiliary and enjoyed tending to her flowers and crocheting. Most importantly, Patsy cherished her time spent with family.

She is survived by her loving husband of 59 years, Grant Cypher; son, Jeff (Joyce) Cypher of Wellington; grandchildren, Jennifer, April, Ryan and Noelle; great-grandchildren, Jakob and Morgan and brother, David Vance.

She is preceded in death by her son, Terry Cypher; parents, Irene and Charles Vance and Howard Atkinson; siblings, Dan, Kenneth, Jimmy and Nettie.

Family and friends will be received Thursday, July 23, 2020 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Norton-Eastman Funeral Home, 370 S. Main Street, Wellington. A private service will take place that will be webcast beginning at 7:30 p.m. Due to the status of Lorain County, we ask that everyone wear a mask and practice social distancing.

Online condolences may be expressed at www.eastman funeralhome.com.

Aileen Elizabeth MacCourtney Krosse

ing, re-pointed bricks, plastered walls, hung wallpaper, refinished furniture and designed her own smoker for curing bacon and ham. She could rewire a three-way switch and change a tire.

She could identify all manner of plants, birds and insects. She was fascinated by and could talk at length about constellations, physics, black holes, solar energy, medicine and nutrition. When she had her first hip replacement, she sought to have her removed bone saved and returned to her, so she could examine it. Before the operation she placed a Post-it note on that hip with a reminder to the surgeon to "Return to Sender." He did (in a jar of formaldehyde)!

Ann organized and reveled in large parties and gatherings. She loved hosting their annual Christmas parties, Oberlin College-related entertainment functions, and wedding ceremonies and receptions at home for three daughters and family friends. She particularly loved family reunions and summer barbecue parties with the families of their close friends.

She was exceedingly proud of her brood. She wanted them to be bright, happy, good, fair and honest and hoped that in some way they would make the world a better place.

She was active in many causes and activities in Oberlin. She was a member of the First Church in Oberlin. She created a babysitting co-op and was a leader in the International Foods dinner club. She was President and Treasurer of the local American Field Service chapter and led fundraisers for its student exchange program, having hosted four foreign students in her own home. She volunteered for Allen/Mercy Hospital for many years. She coordinated bed and breakfast fundraisers for several different groups that took advantage of the room scarcity in town at busy times for Oberlin College. She devoted large amounts of time to the Oberlin Heritage Center and its related corporation that controlled historic Oberlin properties, serving on the board of each and as treasurer of the corporation.

As Ann's death approached, a niece related an African proverb "When an elder dies, a library burns," then added, "I think we're losing the one in Alexandria, again."

Ann is survived by her husband, Dayton; her brother, William H. Smyers, Jr. (Mary Anne) of Wethersfield, Connecticut; her sister, Margaret Arthur (Smyers) Wolf, of Carlisle, Pennsylvania; her children, Sheryl Krauser (Larry) of Spokane, Washington; Anna Lorraine Livingston of Oberlin; Bruce Livingston (Jean) of Boise, Idaho; Charles Livingston (Susan Argyle) of Plano, Texas; Douglas Livingston (Carolyn) of Boonville, California and Harriet Kerwin (Sean) of Hackettstown, New Jersey. In addition, Ann is survived by numerous nieces and nephews; 12 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

She was predeceased by her parents and her sister, Flora Bell (Smyers) Lathrop of Los Altos, California.

Due to the coronavirus epidemic, the family will hold a memorial service at some time in the future when they may travel and gather together safely, hence this tribute-like obituary. Burial of her ashes will be in the New Russia Township Cemetery.

The family expresses enduring and deep gratitude to the dedicated and compassionate care-givers at Kendal at Oberlin and Crossroads Hospice and Palliative Care.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Oberlin Heritage Center, http://www. oberlinheritagecenter.org/getinvolved/makeagift.

DONNA JEAN SANDEFUR (nee Schoff), 74 and a lifetime resident of Birmingham, passed away unexpectedly Saturday, July 25, 2020, at her home. Hempel Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.

GREGG SCOTT EVANS, 55, of Amherst, passed away Wednesday, July 22, 2020, at his father's home, following a brief illness. Arrangements by Hempel Funeral Home.

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.

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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.

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• 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 B4

SOLUTION TO SUDOKU ON PAGE B2

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

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Thursday, July 30, 2020

Lorain County Community Guide

Page A3

Executive order: Masks now required statewide STAFF REPORT

A mask mandate in effect across all of Ohio.

Gov. Mike DeWine announced last week that face coverings must be worn at all times in public.

"Our preliminary data indicate that the rate of increase in new cases has slowed in the high-risk counties where masks are already mandated, so we are cautiously optimistic that things are heading in the right direction," said Governor DeWine.

"We believe that requiring masks statewide will make a significant difference and will be key to making sure other coun-

ties do not progress to a higher level of increased spread."

Masks weren't new for people living in Lorain County — they were required when we hit a Level 3 health emergency earlier this month due to spread of COVID-19.

Lorain County dropped down to a Level 2 emergency last Thursday, even as eight others rose to "red alert."

The threat ratings will be updated again today and each Thursday.

In the meantime, everyone statewide must wear a mask when inside, except at home; outdoors when it's not possible to stay six feet away from others who aren't members of your household; and when

waiting for, riding, driving or operating public transportation, including ride-sharing services.

The governor's order applies to people ages 10 or older.

It does not apply to people with a medical condition or disability,

It's not a ban, but the warning does ask people to quarantine for 14 days after returning from travel to states where at least 15 percent of COVID-19 tests come back positive.

Right now, those states include Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Mississippi, Nevada, South Carolina and Texas.

The self-quarantine recommendation applies Rawpixel to those who live in Ohio people exercising or play- and to people who are ing sports, officiants at traveling into Ohio from religious services, people any of these states. actively involved in pub"I know this will be hard lic safety and those who and is a sacrifice, especialare eating or drinking in ly as summer vacations are public. in full force, but when we DeWine also announced have a higher likelihood of a statewide travel warnbeing exposed, we should ing. take precautions to limit

Verona Quartet in residence at Oberlin FOR THE NEWS-TRIBUNE

OBERLIN — The Verona Quartet, winners of Chamber Music America’s Cleveland Quartet Award for 2020, will serve as quartet in residence at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music for the 2020-2021 academic year.

The ensemble’s focus includes secondary lessons and chamber music coaching with students from the College of Arts and Sciences, as well as collaborations with the Oberlin Arts and Sciences Orchestra, which consists of standout musicians from the college as well as members of the community.

The quartet will also perform a series of concerts throughout the upcoming season.

Established by Chamber Music America in 1995, the Cleveland Quartet Award promotes the career development of young string quartets of exceptional promise.

Previous winners include such renowned ensembles as the Pacifica, Jupiter, and Miro quartets, all of which feature Oberlin alumni.

The Verona Quartet has earned acclaim for its championing of contemporary repertoire and composers, as well as its numerous interdisciplinary collaborations.

Among them are performances with Dance Heginbotham of New York City, an artistic exchange with poets from the United Arab Emirates, and performances with the folk trio I’m With Her, made possible through the Kennedy Center’s Direct Current Festival.

The quartet won the 2015 Concert Artist Guild competition and has performed in such famed venues as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and Wigmore Hall. Its debut recording, "Diffusion," featuring works by Ravel, Szymanowski and Janacek, is forthcoming on Azica Records.

The quartet consists of violinists Jonathan Ong and Dorothy Ro, violist Abigail Rojansky and cellist Jonathan Dormand.

The residency represents a homecoming for Rojansky, a 2011 Oberlin Conservatory graduate.

Like her Verona colleagues,

the exposure of others," said DeWine.

Ohio's positive test rate, which is an indicator of the percentage of people who have tested positive for COVID-19, has been around 6.2 percent.

DeWine also urged Ohioans to use extreme caution when considering attending or hosting an informal gathering.

The state is seeing serious exposures to the virus arise from everyday events like church services, small house parties, neighborhood get-togethers, children’s sleepovers, weddings and bridal showers, the governor said.

"This virus is real, and we cannot let our guards down," he said.

Library craft kits

"Take and make" craft kits for both kids and adults are available at the Amherst Public Library.

Each contains almost everything you need to make a craft — all you'll need to add are basic supplies like glue and scissores.

Beginning Saturday, Aug. 1, kids can pick up a fish puppet kit and adults can puck up a miniature sandy succulent planter kit.

The library offers curbside pick-up service. For more information, visit www.amherstpubliclibrary.org or call 440-988-4230.

Virtual VBS

Vacation Bible School will be held through Aug. 14 — but not in person — through St. Paul Lutheran Church in Amherst.

Kids can take part in a virtual VBS instead. Request a packet by calling 440-988-4157 or filling out an online form that can be found on the church’s Facebook page.

Police promotion Provided photo

The Verona Quartet consists of violinists Jonathan Ong and Dorothy Ro, violist Abigail Rojansky and cellist Jonathan Dormand. she gravitated toward chamber music early in her career — and ultimately to the sort of boundarybending collaborations that have become a hallmark of the Verona Quartet’s young career.

“I have always been so thankful for the ways Oberlin opens students up to opportunities and encourages you to pursue your passions,” Rojansky said. “I left Oberlin with the sense that I could do whatever I wanted to. There were no limitations, and this quartet grew out of that same sensibility.”

The Verona Quartet maintains residencies at Indiana University Summer String Academy, North Carolina’s Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle and the Lunenburg Academy of Music Performance.

Previous fellowships include the Juilliard School, New England Conservatory and Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music.

Their mentors include members of the Cleveland Quartet, Juilliard Quartet and Pacifica Quartet.

“With the Verona Quartet at Oberlin, we will be providing our college students with the highest level of musical instruction,” said Sibbi Bernhardsson, professor of violin at Oberlin and a former coach of the quartet at Indiana, when he was also a member of the

Pacifica Quartet.

Bernhardsson noted that the quartet will live in Oberlin for the 2020-2021 season, the better to facilitate opportunities for robust collaboration with students.

“Part of what I think is so exciting is that they are not commuting in and out of town and trying to fit Oberlin into their tour schedule,” he said. “They will be here as part of our community, and they will be able to do very meaningful work with our students. They will serve as very important role models — not just for our college students, but for our conservatory students as well.”

The Verona Quartet’s Oberlin residency is made possible through the generosity of Richard Clark, a physician and avid cellist who performed in the Oberlin Orchestra while pursuing zoology studies at Oberlin College, and by an anonymous gift from the family of a current Oberlin student to support enhanced musical offerings for students in the College of Arts and Sciences.

The residency’s emphasis on collaborations with college musicians and ensembles aligns with Oberlin’s broader mission of providing vibrant, immersive opportunities in music for all students.

Learn more at www.oberlin.edu.

Graduate in

15 Months Register Now at lorainccc.edu/15month Classes Start August 24 Financial and Technology Assistance Available

Jeffrey Mecklenburg has been promoted as the Wellington Police Department’s newest sergeant.

After a long career in Cleveland Heights, the K9 officer was hired in August 2019 to serve in Wellington.

His partner, a German shepherd named Argos, died this summer.

Food distribution

Oberlin Community Services continues to put food in the hands of people who need it from 1:30-4 p.m. each Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

To take part, visit the OCS parking lot at 285 South Professor St. Open to all income-eligible Lorain County residents, distribution is drive-up and contact-free. Be sure to have your trunk cleared out.

Elections workers needed

The Lorain County Board of Elections is seeking setup team workers for Monday, Nov. 2 and poll workers for Tuesday, Nov. 3. Safety precautions will be taken at all polling locations. To learn more or to sign up, visit www.voteloraincountyohio.gov.

Ohio Genealogical Society

The Lorain County chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society will meet virtually at 7 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 10.

The program will be on “Eight Must-Have U.S. Record Collections You Might Not Know About on Ancestry.com, FamilySearch, Findmypast, and My Heritage.” It will be presented by Sunny Jane Morton.

This online program is open to Lorain County Chapter members of OGS and the public on a first-come, first-served basis. Those interested in joining should email lcc-ogsmeetings@loraincoogs.org to be added to the invitation list.

The meeting can accommodate up to 75 people via the BlueJeans video conferencing platform.

Accelerated Associate Degrees Lorain County Community College now offers 17 accelerated associate degrees designed to help you reach your goal quickly!

Page A4

Lorain County Community Guide

Thursday, July 30, 2020

CLASSIFIEDS AUCTIONS STORAGE CONTENTS AUCTION! Pursuant to the requirements of the ORC, section 5322.02. Notice is given to Priscilla O’Day, last known address 344 Buffside Ct., Spring Creek, NV 89815 that contents of storage unit 21, of Wellington Self-Storage, 512 S. Main St., Wellington, OH 44090 will be offered at auction on AUGUST 13, 2020.

Time of auction will be 1 PM. The following is summary of those items to be auctioned: Christmas tree, Patio table, Carpet, Totes.

STORAGE CONTENTS AUCTION! Pursuant to the requirements of the ORC, section 5322.02. Notice is given to Bryan Potts, last known address 275 Bon Air St., Elyria, OH 44035 that contents of storage unit 27, of Wellington Self-Storage, 512 S. Main St., Wellington, OH 44090 will be offered at auction on AUGUST 13, 2020.

Time of auction will be 1 PM. The following is summary of those items to be auctioned: Computer table, Sceptre flat screen TV, Dresser, End table, Totes.

STORAGE CONTENTS AUCTION! Pursuant to the requirements of the ORC, section 5322.02. Notice is given to Chris King, last known address 205 1/2 N. Main St., Wellington, OH 44090 that contents of storage unit 100, of Wellington Self-Storage, 512 S. Main St., Wellington, OH 44090 will be offered at auction on AUGUST 13, 2020. Time of auction will be 1 PM. The following is summary of those items to be auctioned: Baby motion seat, Bassinet, Stroller, Pans, Bags of clothing.

STORAGE CONTENTS AUCTION! Pursuant to the requirements of the ORC, section 5322.02. Notice is given to Donald Case, last known address 110 Carpenter St., Apt. C, Wellington, OH 44090 that contents of storage unit 103, of Wellington Self-Storage, 512 S. Main St., Wellington, OH 44090 will be offered at auction on AUGUST 13, 2020. Time of auction will be 1 PM. The following is summary of those items to be auctioned: Children’s books, Child’s rocking chair, Bags of clothing, TV stand.

STORAGE CONTENTS AUCTION! Pursuant to the requirements of the ORC, section 5322.02. Notice is given to Debbie Church, last known address 481 US 224, Sullivan, OH 44880 that contents of storage unit 116, of Wellington Self-Storage, 512 S. Main St., Wellington, OH 44090 will be offered at auction on AUGUST 13, 2020.

Time of auction will be 1 PM. The following is summary of those items to be auctioned: Bike, Hutch, Writing desk, Hoveround power chair, TV trays, Aquarium, File cabinet, TV. STORAGE CONTENTS AUCTION! Pursuant to the requirements of the ORC, section 5322.02. Notice is given to Sarah Westrick, last known address 18645 Rowell Rd., Wellington, OH 44090 that contents of storage unit 128, of Wellington Self-Storage, 512 S. Main St., Wellington, OH 44090 will be offered at auction on AUGUST 13, 2020. Time of auction will be 1 PM. The following is summary of those items to be auctioned: Mirrors, Drum set, Hoyer lift, Dishwasher.

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

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

APTS. reduced in price 2-$550 & $650 above Pfeiffer Chiropractic Clinic across from Fort’s Tavern. Two bdrm/1 bath, has fridge/stove, very good condition. smoke/pet free, Call 440-647-5200 for application

SALES Saturday Aug. 1st , 9-4 Wakeman community sales.

Hamburgers & hot dogs available at Wakeman Fire Dept. starting at 11 am.

Rain or shine.

Something for everyone!

Mask recommended & social distancing required.

EZ-TRANSITIONS PRESENTS Large Estate Sale, farm house dig out, 6147 Dewey Rd., Amherst, Oh 44001, years of accumulation, antiques & vintage, loaded mid century collectibles.

Fri & Sat, July 31st & Aug 1st, 9-4, Aug 2, Sun 9-1 ONLY!

LEGALS NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS FOR DESIGN PROFESSIONAL

SERVICES The Amherst Public Library is accepting qualifications from design professionals to provide services for its Library Addition Project. Amherst Public Library first opened in 1906, with the last major addition in 1975. This bondfinanced project will improve and expand the 1975 addition, increasing the current footprint of the Library by approximately 10,000 square feet, with expansions of both the first and second floors to the South of the existing building.

Interested firms may request an RFQ from Donald Dovala, Library Administrator, ddovala@amherstpubliclibrary.org.

Qualifications will be accepted until 5 pm local time, August 10, 2020.

L.C.C.G. 7/23-30/20 20666796

PUBLICATION OF LEGISLATION The following is a summary of legislation adopted by Lorain City Council on July 20, 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. 28-20 Recognizing the month of June as “LGBTQ Pride Month” in the City of Lorain. Ord. 64-20* Approving the replacement pages to the Lorain Codified Ordinances through 6/30/2020. 65-20 Adopting the rezoning of parcels or real property @ 3725 Grove Avenue from I-1 to B-2.

66-20* Assessing the cost to abate nuisance by cutting noxious weeds during 2020CY. 67-20 Amending Ord 163-18 & 115-19 & auth S/S Director to enter into an amendment to agrmt A-19-003 with Coldwater Consulting LLC for prof services related to the Black River Dredge Reuse facility project

funded by ODNR. 68-20* Auth the S/S Director to enter into an agreement between the City of Lorain & County of Lorain auth the collection & transportation of wastewater to the City of Lorain for the sale of water to a portion of Lorain County. 69-20 Approving the Chief of Police to accept the award of a 2019 Project Safe Neighborhood sub-grant from the OH Dept. of Public Safety Office of Criminal Justice. 7020 Approving the Chief of Police to accept the award from the US Dept. of Justice COPS hiring program. 71-20* Amending Sections 1 & 1 of Ex. A of Ord. 11-19 & auth the S/S Director and Lorain Housing Officer to enter into an agrmt.

72-20* Auth the S/S Director to file a loan application & enter into a cooperative loan agrmt w/ OWDA for planning & design of a water main replacement program. 73-20 Auth the S/S Director to enter into an agrmt w/ the lowest & best bidder for a 3 year sewer rehab program. (*Denotes legislation was passed as an emergency.)

L.C.C.G. 7/30; 8/6/20 20667192

LEGAL NOTICE DATE: August 5th, 2020 TIME: 9:00 A.M. PLACE: Council Chambers

PUBLIC HEARING Public hearing for Conditional Use permit as per Section 1131.05 of the Planning and Zoning Code, to allow for a car was located at 2101 Silver Maple Way. Brad Maurer Architect, applicant.

ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS AGENDA Disposition of minutes from previous Zoning Board of Appeals and Planning Commission Meetings.

B.A. # 13-2020 2105 W. 14th St. Variance requested to install fence within required side yard set back on corner lot.

Section 1125.04 (E) On corner lots no fence shall be erected within twenty (20) feet of public right of way. R-1 Zoning Sheila Johnson, applicant.

B.A. #14-2020 3822 Woodworth Dr. Variance requested to install driveway in front setback. Section 1201.06 (A) except for driveways parking shall be prohibited within the required front yard. R-PUD zoning Max Guevara, applicant.

B.A. #15-2020 2604 Broadway Variance requested to enlarge non-conforming use of land. Section 1133.03 (A) No non-conforming use shall be enlarged or increased, nor extended to occupy a greater area of land, than was occupied at the effective date of adoption or amendment of the zoning ordinance, B-2 zoning Joshua Thomas, applicant.

B.A. #16-2020 3207 Kolbe Rd. Variance requested to erect 1,230 square foot accessory building. Section 1129.05 (B) Max allowable accessory use in an R-1B district is 780 square feet. R-1B zoning Lillian Flores, applicant.

C.U.P. #1-2020 Conditional Use Permit requested, to allow for car wash located at 2101 Silver Maple Way. Brad Maurer Architect, applicant.

PLANNING COMMISSION Disposition of minutes from previous Zoning Board of Appeals and Planning Commission Meetings.

Z.C.A. #7-2020 Submission for Planning Commission’s recommendation to Lorain City Council, for the rezoning of the northern ten (10) feet of PPN # 02-01-001-108-026 from I-1 Light Industrial to B-2 General Business. 3 Paisano’s Development LLC, applicant.

Addendum to August 5th Planning Commission for review and recommendation of new Planning and Zoning Code to Lorain City Council.

Richard G. Klinar, ACTING SECRETARY, LORAIN CITY PLANNING COMMISSION AND ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS IF APPLICANT UNABLE TO ATTEND, PLEASE CALL (440) 204-2034.

L.C.C.G. 7/30/20 20667066

LEGAL NOTICE TO: SAMANTHA ROBYN SMITH, THE MOTHER OF A FEMALE CHILD BORN ON JUNE 5, 2016 (JUVENILE ABUSE NEGLECT NOS. 20-JA-024-WS) Pursuant to Chapter 49, Article 6, Section 1 of the Code of West Virginia, notice is hereby given to you that a petition has been filed in the Circuit Court of Mercer County, West Virginia, alleging that your child is a neglected and/or abused child, which proceedings can result in the permanent termination of parental rights.

This matter has been scheduled for a hearing on the 4th day of September, 2020 at 2:30 p.m., before the Honorable William J. Sadler, Judge of the Circuit Court, at the Mercer County Courthouse, Princeton, West Virginia 24740.

You are hereby notified that you may be present at such hearing and defend your rights. An attorney, Gerald Linkous, Public Defender Corporation, 1460 Main Street, Princeton, WV 24740 phone (304) 487-2543, has been appointed to represent the Respondent Samantha Robyn Smith.

DATED: July 9, 2020 JULIE BALL CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT MERCER COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA BY: Sherry Cox HER DEPUTY CLERK

L.C.C.G. 7/30; 8/6/20 20666803

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Call us at (440) 329-7000 M-F

Steve Manheim | Chronicle

Danielle Richards serves drinks at Cole's Public House in Amherst on Saturday, July 18.

Mixed bag for businesses: Some struggle and others thrive BROOKIE MADISON THE CHRONICLE-TELEGRAM

It’s been weeks since restaurant dining rooms have opened back up and many owners are still seeing customers hesitant to dine-in.

Food service and other stores around Lorain County have also had to adjust to the recent mask mandate, and talked about struggles trying to operate the face of a pandemic.

Traffic has been slow at Carlisle Cafe in Elyria, owner Nicholas Patouhas said. “We’re just going to keep trying,” he said. “I don’t know how much longer we can hold out.”

He said that the cafe is seeing half of its customers wear masks. “We have it posted on our doors that we would like our customers to remain wearing their masks until their food arrives and to replace their masks when they plan to check out and leave the restaurant,” Patouhas said.

Patouhas has also been operating with a short staff.

“We only have one server and my wife and myself,” he said. “It used to be we had a cook, a dishwasher and three girls on the floor. The rest of them, I hope that unemployment is taking care of them.”

On July 15, Gov. Mike DeWine held an evening news conference, which left Patouhas even more uncertain of what’s to come.

“I’m not negative at all about what the governor has done, he’s keeping us safe,” he said. “If it means that we have to close back down for dine-in, that is what we’ll have to do. That’s more important until they can figure out a vaccine (before) this goes away. It’s better to be safe than to worry about bills, because that will come back. Life matters more than business.”

Jeff Bradshaw, owner of Designer Fashion Warehouse in Elyria, said his store is leading the chain right now.

“We opened on May 12 and we opened to less hours,” Bradshaw said. “We are at eight hours as opposed to 12 hours a day. We were still basically about 15 percent ahead of last year’s numbers.”

Bradshaw said that DFW is up 33 percent on a third fewer hours.

“People are finding great deals,” he said. “The shoppers who come in there are making good use of their time. They’re buying more of an average dollar sale, more units per transaction. We’ve been shipping weekly to twice weekly to get clothing in there.”

He said all employees are wearing masks and a good number of customers are as well — “It’s really whatever the mandate is, but it’s up to the customer whether they choose to wear a mask.”

The clothing store alternates its fitting rooms in addition to continuously cleaning the store, surfaces, door handles and other things around the place.

He is concerned that COVID-19 could get out of hand and lead to another shutdown. “I don’t see that happening. If it does happen, it may

be on a county-by-county basis," Bradshaw said.

He said that it works in the store's favor that it's not located within a mall. “I think malls are still pretty slow,” Bradshaw said. “I think our Elyria store is 23,000 square feet, so there’s plenty of space. You don’t have to bump into your fellow customers. You can social distance and you’re not bumping into someone in a 2,000-foot mall store.”

Bradshaw said he is always going to be cautious and hopes that people are doing whatever they have to do individually to keep themselves safe.

Lorain’s Papasitos and Beer Mexican Grill manager Manuel Valente said that business has been OK, but not as good as before.

“It’s been kind of slow, but we still have some visitors,” Valente said.

“They’re doing a lot of takeout.”

Valente said people are complying with wearing masks. He also said they try to help the servers.

“We have less servers than what we used to have,” he said. “We try to accommodate the amount of people we get.”

Another possible shutdown is also on his mind.

David Arcuri, owner of Scent Depot in Wellington, said business has been average to above average.

“We were seeing a lot of pickup, deliveries and shipping in the beginning,” he said. “Now, it’s pretty much everyone coming in.”

He said he isn’t having any problems with people wearing masks, though some definitely do not want to wear them.

Arcuri said he is taking the necessary precautions to stay safe and healthy.

“We try to stay home as much as possible,” he said. “Wellington is not a very busy community, but the unknown of not knowing whether stuff is going to spike or go down or what they’re going to do in the future. I think that’s everyone’s issue. Is there going to be more stimulus, more cases or tighter restrictions? No one knows what else is going to happen a week from now."

Arcuri said he is appreciative of the support from Wellington and the larger community throughout the pandemic.

Robby Lucas, executive chef and partner at Cole’s Public House in Amherst, said the restaurant has not had too much of a problem with customers refusing to wear masks.

“Obviously, we might have one or two isolated incidents,” Lucas said.

“For us, the biggest thing is making sure that people feel comfortable to come out. If they’re willing to wear a mask until we seat them, then all the more better so our servers can make a living.”

Lucas said the restaurant is still keeping a strong presence for online ordering, carryout and curbside pickup.

“The people that are comfortable coming out are doing a great job and we’re very thankful for them to come out and support a locally owned and operated restaurant and staff,” he said. “And the people that

don’t, still feel comfortable enough to order carry out.”

He said that historically the downtown restaurant was never big on carryout orders, but it's seen growth.

"We have incorporated a new system to where we are available to do online ordering," he said.

"You don’t even have to call in, you can click on our website, click on online ordering and place your order there.”

The chef said the biggest concern, other than the safety of their guests and customers, is making sure that his more than 30 employees are able to make a living and doing whatever they can to ensure everyone is still able to provide for their families.

“We’re very fortunate that as of right now, we have not let a single employee go,” Lucas said. “We’re currently not open for lunch, which we were in the past. So, everyone’s schedule changed to a p.m. shift.”

“I would urge people out there if they don’t feel comfortable or they’re in a position with their own health that they cannot come out, to still think about supporting your local restaurants or even carryout,” he said. “That still helps out the staff working here day-to-day.”

Elyria’s New To You Resale shop owner Bobbie Breen said business has been OK, despite the street being blocked off for more than a week, making it hard for customers to get to them.

Breen said that her customers have been complying with wearing masks. “I didn’t insist at first, but since it’s now required I have no problem with that,” she said. “They really can’t argue with me.”

She said that it’s been difficult, as she has been putting in a lot of hours.

“I only have one employee left and she has taken some time off,” she said. “ I need to hire someone to replace the ones that I lost. I had two part -time employees and two others that were very limited parttime. The one lady is 95 years old. I didn’t think she needed to be in here working. Poor thing, she misses us.”

The resale shop owner said that her and her employee are taking their temperatures every day.

The resale shop has been in operation for 38 years. “I’m hoping we can weather this,” Breen said.

Stewart’s TV’s & Appliances in Elyria has signs on its doors and website asking customers to wear masks.

“If they do not have one, we give them one,” owner Nancy StewartSchneider said.

She said the appliance store has been very busy as far as traffic flow, phones ringing and internet orders.

“We are over two weeks behind on delivery and service right now, just because we have been so busy,” she said. “We are starting to see delays in getting products and parts, that’s something that’s new that we’re dealing with now.”

She is asking customers to be patient. “We will take care of them when we can,” Stewart-Schneider said.

Thursday, July 30, 2020

Lorain County Community Guide

Farmers looking for a rebound

Agriculture has not been spared from tough times brought on by COVID-19.

A lot of the market channels farmers relied on to take their goods to market have been shut down, putting a big dent in their income, said Ty Higgins, spokesman for the Ohio Farm Bureau.

Farmers markets and roadside stands are helping. But for a long time, there wasn't enough milk, wasn't enough bread and wasn't enough meat on store shelves, he said. At the same time, trade relations were disrupted by the pandemic.

That shook up supply and distribution nationwide.

Restaurant closures were a huge problem, Higgins said — it turns out that about 40 percent of food grown goes to the restaurant and school sectors, and the coronavirus revealed just how interdependent those industries are on each other.

"Farmers had to be creative. They had to find different ways to market their product," he said.

An Ohio Farm Bureau survey received more than 1,200 responses, Higgins said most reported they were having trouble. Now the price of corn has fallen and trade is picking back up. The situation is better than it was two months ago.

Steve Manheim | Chronicle Higgins said there will be farms that go out of business, but Jason Marcellus of the Herb Patch in Oberlin he is hoping the Coronavirus Food Assistance Act is going to sets up his stand at the Oberlin Farmers Market help farms of all sizes, not just mega-farms, recover. on July 25.

ECONOMY

FROM A1

be sustained here."

Instead of relying on "for rent" signs to draw businesses, she's proposed a market study to figure out what types would be ideal. She believes customers are looking for experiences, and Oberlin should work to become a destination for tourism, art and recreation.

In the southern part of Lorain County, businesses have taken their hard knocks but most are managing, said Calvin Woods, vice president of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce.

Mad Batter Pastry Emporium in Wellington opened in late 2019 and found instant popularity with its doughnuts and cookies. Allowed to reopen again, owner Colata Derifaj said it's been hanging on at just two days per week, and plans to go to four days in mid-August.

"It's scary," said Woods. "My heart aches for these businesses that are hanging on by the skin of their teeth, and are having trouble because not as many customers are going through."

Teresa Gilles, director of Main Street Amherst, said shops such as The Mermaid's Tale and Etc.Boutique & Gifts have found success by reaching out to customers online, using Facebook Live events as a way to show off their merchandise.

"I don't think anyone is back at 100 percent but they're making enough to survive," she said.

Downtown restaurants in Amherst are getting by, although they're not packed, and salons and barbershops seem to be doing bang-up business, Gilles said.

There's only one empty storefront in the historical shopping district in the old heart of town, and one busi-

ness having such trouble with staffing that it may have to close, she said.

Some customers are nervous about their health and shying away from shopping in person, said Gilles — but most days the majority of parking spots along Park Avenue are full.

"I think these storefronts have loyal customers and they don't want to see their businesses fail," she said.

To the north, Main Street Lorain Director Kurt Hernon said bars and restaurants are holding their own, especially those that are using outdoor seating. Businesses along Broadway are reaping the rewards of the streetscape that was finished last year, providing wide sidewalks.

"While certainly not close to ideal, it's not doomsday. What we thought of as worst-case scenarios hasn't really happened," Hernon said.

Many business owners in Lorain also own their buildings, which takes away the struggle of having to make rent, he said.

There have even been some heavy sales weekends this summer — nothing like 2019, but beating expectations.

"I don't think it's anyone's business model, like we can't do this the rest of our life, but we can meet costs and keep plugging on," Hernon said.

Losing the Rockin' on the River concert series on Friday nights has been a big hit, he said. Social clubs such as The Elks have suffered, especially since their members skew older.

At the same time, Lorain has seen several new businesses open. Dodie's Dockside started serving Italianinfluenced food in May at the Historic Ariel Hotel, and The Shipyards followed with 25,000 square feet

that includes a restaurant, bar, coffee shop, offices and event space.

Not all, but many Avon Lake businesses are weathering the storm said Ted Esborn, the city's economic development director.

Marty's Cycle Center is having trouble keeping bikes on the show floor because they're selling so fast, he said.

On the flip side, two Avon Lake institutions — Novotny Catering and Foutain Bleau Event Center — have closed. After more than 100 combined years serving the community, they couldn't survive the pandemic's effects on gatherings, events and festivals, Esborn said.

"It's going to be a tough reality for Avon Lakers to get used to. But in both cases it makes sense because with events just going away there wasn't much they could do," he said.

The city's wine and beer festivals on the lakefront have both been canceled, taking a toll on small shops and locally-owned restaurants, said Esborn.

Since March, Avon Lake has seen a slew of new businesses open their doors: Miracle Ear, Rico's Tacos and Tequila, Bearing Technologies, Diversified Fall Protection, Kiddie Academy, Sims-Lohman Fine Kitchens and Granite, a restaurant called The Kitchen All-Day Brunch and The 611 Group financial services.

Gallo said customers can help by rallying around their favorite businesses, ordering some take-out or delivery and by being cautious not to spread the virus to workers.

"It's a two-way street. If we want these businesses to survive, we have to abide by the rules for them to remain open," he said.

FALL BOOST

FROM A1 employees back since non-essential businesses statewide were forced to shutter in March.

Janet Haar, director of the Oberlin Business Partnership, tried to provide a little help this past week to downtown merchants.

She delivered "comeback kits" up and down Main and College streets, filled with gloves, masks, sanitizer, paper towels and other helpful items.

Haar was welcomed with open arms, and listened along the way as business owners talked about the hardships they are staring down.

She described the atmosphere in town as "tense, because there are some people who are going to tough it out, but there are other people who just don't know if they're going to be able to make it."

At Ratsy's Store, owner Ratsy Kemp said customers have been hesitant to resume to their old shopping habits. Slowly, by degrees, they are returning.

The thrift store owner said she got through the worst months by selling homemade cloth masks — probably close to 1,000 of them, she estimated — to pay the bills.

Now Kemp is turning a small profit.

"It hasn't been the same, but then again nothing has," she said.

Forrest Locklear, general manager at Aladdin's Eatery, said dine-in demand has been slow, but the good news is that take-out sales continue to increase.

Inside the restaurant, he can seat only five or six tables before hitting the state-mandated occupancy limit.

Locklear said diners have hit that cap

Page A5

Back-to-school supplies

Oberlin Community Services is doing its part to help students in the Oberlin City Schools who are in need of school supplies for the upcoming academic year.

The nonprofit is also accepting donations toward computers and household internet service. Determining households that are in need of computers and connections will occur separately from the back-to-school drive.

This year, students who have been registered in advance by their parent or guardian will receive a backpack full of school supplies specific to each student’s grade. Backpacks will be pre-packed, which will allow distribution to occur while remaining socially distant.

The deadline for registering students is Friday, July 31. You can register at www.oberlincommunityservices. org/back-to-school or by calling 440-774-6579. Only students who are enrolled in the Oberlin City Schools are eligible.

Monetary donations will be accepted to help offset the cost of school supplies through Sunday, Aug. 9.

You can give by check to Oberlin Community Services, 285 South Professor St., Oberlin, OH 44074. Online donations may be made at oberlincommunityservices. org/back-to-school. Donations are due by Aug. 9.

The drive-through event will be held from 1:30-4 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 13 at 240 South Main St. The event is being held in memory of volunteer, board member and partner of Oberlin Goes Back to School Jaqui Willis. Sponsors include Oberlin Area Cooperating Ministries, Kendal at Oberlin, Oberlin IGA, Ben Franklin and AgriNomix.

TEMPERATURE

FROM A1 • Business at Check Please Cafe in Grafton has been steady, said owner Tara Vruvas.

For the first couple weeks after reopening, mostly regulars popped in. But now customers are showing such support that Vruvas said she might have to hire another cook.

More people are still choosing carryout than before the pandemic began, but Vruvas said diners are starting to get more comfortable with sitting down to eat. She put barriers up between tables, made to resemble windows so they’re part of the decor, and Vruvas said she thinks that helped.

For those still uncomfortable with going out, Vruvas said Check Please Cafe now offers delivery and is even thinking of buying a delivery van.

• Taking a risk in the middle of a pandemic, Meegan Bischoff opened the Truly Simple Boutique in May in downtown Wellington, selling women's clothing and accessories.

When a commercial space opened on historic West Herrick Avenue, "we just went for it," and made the leap from online only to in person sales, she said.

"It's been really good. Obviously, it would be better without all this going on," said Bischoff.

Many customers aren’t quite ready yet to shop in person, which she said is understandable. In the past two weeks, it’s meant almost zero foot traffic, though.

Bishcoff said she isn’t worried that she might have to close.

• Having occupied a storefront somewhere on Broadway for more than 140 years, Nielsen Jewelers in Lorain isn’t going to let a pandemic pull them under, according to owner Carl Nielsen. The shutdown allowed him to work on beach-glass pendants and his son took over their social media presence.

Customers who dropped off items to be repaired or worked on were able to pick them up via curbside during the shutdown, he said, and some have opted to continue to shop that way even though the store has reopened to the public. Masks are required, and after some initial pushback, many have accepted the “new normal” needed to keep the small business alive.

Growing up in the city and hearing stories from its heyday, Nielsen was looking forward to seeing Broadway revived -- as his storefront gained neighbors and foot traffic brought on by events like Rockin’ on the River -- and he hopes “this is a speedbump that all of us are experiencing and we’ll all overcome it.”

Reporting by Laina Yost, Carissa Woytach and Jason Hawk.

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Folks at the Oberlin Business Partnership packed bags that were donated to downtown stores. The bags contained supplies intended to keep workplaces safe as COVID-19 cases continue to rise. only a few days in the last several weeks.

John Pittman Gorske owns the Sperry-Gorske Agency, which specializes in insurance and real estate. As a service business, it's weathering the slowdown well, he said — certainly better than nearby restaurants.

Black River Cafe, Oberlin Kitchen, Quick and Delicious and Cowhaus Creamery have all shut down for good, said Haar, while Dave's Cosmic Subs is closed for the summer and hoping to reopen in the fall.

"The college is the engine that runs this town. The worse off they

get, the worse off everyone gets," said Gorske.

Jerry Anderson, owner of Watson's Hardware, agreed.

He said Main Street has been "more or less deserted" by shoppers this summer, and he hopes the return of Oberlin College students will help boost sales.

Watson's isn't in danger of closing, he said — "We're doing OK" — and Anderson has ordered a lot of merchandise in a wager on the college crowd.

"I'm figuring that when the college kids come back, (sales) might be more than normal," he said.

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Page A6

Thursday, July 30, 2020

Lorain County Community Guide

11-9 vote means Junior Fair only JASON HAWK EDITOR

WELLINGTON — Only a Junior Fair will be held this year at the Lorain County Fairgrounds.

A knock-down, drag-out fight over holding the August event wore on for three hours Monday night, with frustration on both sides.

It culminated in an 11-9 vote to scrap the Senior Fair, but to make sure 4-H kids can still exhibit animals and projects.

"The reality is that the saddest thing in the world happened to us this year," said Fair Board member Steve Purdey.

The COVID-19 pandemic canceled plans to replace barns and shower-houses, he said — and a full fair would be lucky to break even.

Purdey said the finances are strong enough for a Junior Fair, and argued anything more would put the organization at risk.

Exactly what the stripped-down fair will look like is unclear for now.

Those who called for scaling it back said it should be closed to the general public, with no camping and as many animals as possible should be hauled in and right back out after shows.

Their goal is to minimize the risk of spreading the coronavirus.

The Lorain County Fair had already been cut down in size.

Big-draw grandstand concerts on Monday and Tuesday had been canceled, with smaller ones planned and seating reduced by about two-thirds.

Some vendors had pulled out — Henrietta United Methodist Church's booth was added to the list Monday — and Bates Brothers Amusements had pulled out as the provider of carnival rides.

Lorain County Health Commissioner David Covell told fair organizers they'd have to make more hard decisions. For example, opening the gates to 25,000 people on Saturday — that's usually the big attendance day — would be "a big mistake," he said.

Fair Board member Don Crawford also saw throwing open the gates to tens of thousands of people as a bad idea, and doubted they would follow rules about face coverings.

"I'm really not interested in fighting with people about wearing masks," he said.

Board member Nikki Claubaugh

Jason Hawk | Wellington Enterprise

01: Wellington Mayor Hans Schneider reads a resolution Monday night calling for the Lorain County Fair to be canceled. After three hours of debate, the Fair Board decided to hold only a Junior Fair this year. said she has taken animals to the fair for 20 years and watched kids grow up on the fairgrounds in Wellington.

"This is what they live for. This is what I live for," she said.

But Claubaugh argued it would be "epically and morally incorrect" to have a full fair, and said the decision wasn't based on politics or personal preference, only the threat posed by COVID-19.

The decision did not sit well with many.

Board member Jed Lamb said he believes 4-H will suffer, and scaling back the 2020 fair will cause many kids to turn their backs on agriculture.

"It's not ever going to be the same," he said.

"Just understand there are going to be consequences for doing this, I think, and they're not going to be good," said board President Kim Meyers.

Through the night, he champi-

oned a full fair and said others that have canceled or cut back now regret it.

He also warned against "pulling the rug out" from under vendors who rely on the fair for income.

Meyers again clashed with Wellington Mayor Hans Schneider, who read a Village Council resolution asking for the 2020 fair to be canceled.

At first, the mayor held out an olive branch.

"I don't have an ax to grind with you. I'm not politically motivated," he said.

Schneider said he grew up going to the fair, his father served as a judge and he pointed to where his family exhibited.

Schneider said he would feel more comfortable with a Junior Fair-only alternative.

He applauded the Medina County Fair Board, which on Monday announced plans to go with only a Junior Fair.

Schneider also said people shouldn't worry about their health when going to the fair, or stopping at nearby gas stations and shops.

Village Council President Gene Hartman also made a plea, recalling how as a child he loved the fair. Now he works in the health care field and is worried by COVID-19 statistics.

"I'm concerned that if the fair opens full, and the way people have been closed up for months, you may be inundated with people who don't want to comply with the state's rules you have to follow," he said.

Voting to cancel the Senior Fair wouldn't be "anti-fair," said Schneider. "I think a yes vote for the fair says, 'We are OK with sickness and we will accept death to put on the fair.'"

That's where the situation skewed combative.

Meyers took issue with Schneider and Hartman's lobbying, and

accused them of ignoring the Restart Ohio guidelines published by state officials, which sets out rules for holding fairs.

"It shows your arrogance," he told the Wellington officials, calling the village's stance "disturbing and distasteful."

When Schneider called out members of the Fair Board — including Meyers — for not wearing masks to the meeting, Meyers clapped back, saying he didn't have to wear one outside if he stayed "essentially" six feet from others.

And when a person in the crowd yelled that Meyers sat roughly three feet away from Fair Secretary Charisse Nikel, Meyers snapped, "Get your tape measure out then."

Meyers and Schneider also heatedly argued over the details of a June 11 phone call in which the mayor said he voiced concerns about holding the fair.

Meyers said the mayor never asked for the fair to be canceled, and instead voiced support for the full event. When Schneider posted an open letter July 17 calling on the board to cancel the fair, Meyers said he was disgusted.

"This is a bunch of bologna you're trying to sell here," he said.

He accused Schneider of going to the Lorain County commissioners and Covell to try to end the fair.

Later, Covell stepped in to answer questions about risks management. The smaller the fair, the smaller the risk, he said.

"If you think you're going to throw the doors open and have a regular full fair, that's just not going to happen," he said.

Covell warned that an outbreak resulting from the fair would not be detectable either late in the week or after the fair had ended.

So far, 10 fairs have been held in Ohio and two have suffered outbreaks, he said. An example is the Pickaway County Fair, where at least 22 people contracted COVID-19.

Covell warned the Fair Board to seriously weigh its options.

He said the county may have downgraded to a Level 2 health emergency last week, but over the weekend it experienced a record 58 new cases.

For more on the fight over holding county fairs during the pandemic, see page B5.

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Lorain County Community Guide • Thursday, July 30, 2020

Anger and calls for Householder resignation “If our country is to endure these difficult and divisive times, we must unite in the notion that people who break the law should be held accountable.”

JASON HAWK EDITOR

Shock set in across the state last Tuesday morning as Ohio lawmakers learned of an FBI raid on a farm in Perry County.

The target was a man Columbus politicos know well: Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives Larry Householder.

"I know he likes to play

Jane Timken, chair of the Ohio Republican Party

hardball and I know he's a poker player when it comes to how he handles his position as speaker," said Rep. Joe Miller, D-Amherst, reacting to the news.

After Householder was arrested as part of an alleged $60 million racketeering conspiracy, Miller said reactions among members of the Ohio General Assembly were

"all over the board."

Some reveled in the news, while others were frustrated and angry, he said.

"I take no joy in this announce-

ment," said Miller. "When something like this happens, it taints all public servants, even those who go to Columbus to make a difference by doing it the right way. This doesn't help that and it doesn't look good on Ohio."

Rep. Gayle Manning, R-North Ridgeville, said she was shocked to learn via text that the raid was happening.

That investigators are watching HOUSEHOLDER PAGE B2

PANDEMIC ASSISTANCE

Screenshot

Nathan Carpenter, director of Peer Advising Leaders at Oberlin College, talks with seniors Julie Rohde, Zareen Kang and Khalid McCalla as part of the ObieSafe initiative.

From signs to testing, college gets ready to be 'ObieSafe'

Kristin Bauer | Chronicle

Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio hosted a direct distribution of food to those in need at Ely Stadium on July 22. With help from the National Guard, another distribution is planned for 4-6 p.m. today, Thursday, July 30 at Amherst Junior High School.

Second Harvest faces bleaker future without National Guard LAINA YOST THE CHRONICLE-TELEGRAM

ELYRIA — Food distributions and the number of people helped could be severely diminished if the National Guard pulls out of the county.

Since March, the National Guard has been assisting the Second Harvest Food Bank at distributions and packing food. Its mission is slated to end Aug. 7.

If that happens, Executive Director Julie Chase-Morefield isn't sure what the food bank will do.

She said it is still seeing huge crowds at distributions — without the National Guard, it would be forced to reduce the number of people served almost in half or try to recruit volunteers.

With COVID-19 numbers rising, volunteers aren't too keen to return yet, particularly since many of them are older. Corporate volunteers aren't likely to return until 2021 as employees work from home.

There's also heavy lifting at the food sites. Chase-Morefield said Guard members are lifting 40-pound boxes 300 to 400 times during a

distribution and putting them in cars.

Many volunteers may not be able to take that workload.

At Elyria's food distribution last Wednesday, hundreds of cars had lined up before it officially began at 4 p.m.

Another is scheduled for today, Thursday, July 30 from 4-6 p.m. at Amherst Junior High School, 548 Milan Ave., with Guard assistance.

Right now, Chase-Morefield said Second Harvest is serving 1,500 people in the mobile food GUARD PAGE B2

Senior needs rise, Community Foundation awards $580,000 STAFF REPORT

AMHERST TWP. — Thirty-four organizations were awarded a combined $580,000 by the Community Foundation of Lorain County at its July board meeting.

Recently, the foundation has seen an increase in requests for funds related to supporting senior citizens in the county.

More than $176,000 has been awarded to provide support concerning nutrition, health and social isolation for senior citizens.

“The COVID-19 outbreak has shed a spotlight on the lack of health care, food availability,

transportation and housing inequities faced by our elderly population in Lorain County,” said Maria Grega, chair of the Grants Committee. “The purpose of the Community Foundation of Lorain County is to connect people who care with causes that matter.

Through the generosity of our Lorain County donors, the Community Foundation continues to work to fulfill its purpose."

A grant awarded to the Lorain County Office on Aging will partially fund a needs assessment for the more than 70,000 residents who are 60 years of age or older.

The study, to be conducted by The Center for Community Solutions, is critical

in understanding what seniors need, according to Office on Aging Director Lauren Ksiazek.

“Many of our organizations serving seniors have a substantial waiting list,” she said. “The results from this needs assessment will not only provide data to define the need but also help to inform our community to garner support to serve our seniors.”

July grants include: • $18,000 for The Center for Arts-Inspired Learning.

• $3,000 for Dancing Classrooms.

• $35,000 for Great Lakes Theatre.

• $17,000 for the Lorain Historical Society.

• $5,000 for The MAD Factory.

• $12,000 for Atmosphere Adventures.

• $30,000 for the Boys and Girls Club of Northeast Ohio.

• $17,000 for the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.

• $20,000 for College Now Greater Cleveland.

• $7,000 for the Educational Service Center.

• $15,000 for Junior Achievement of Greater Cleveland.

• $15,000 for the Lake Erie Council, Boy Scouts of America.

• $10,000 for the Lorain County Metro Parks.

• $25,000 for the Northern Ohio Youth Orchestra.

• $10,000 for Our FAMILY. GRANTS PAGE B4

JASON HAWK EDITOR

OBERLIN — "ObieSafe" is the name Oberlin College has given to its campaign to help students stay safe from COVID-19.

Classes will begin Aug. 31. But lessons in how to survive the pandemic have already started online.

"Obies" are getting a first glimpse at the red and white signs that will appear all over campus. They remind students that masks are mandatory, advertise hand sanitizing stations, show maximum occupancy for certain facilities, mark one-way staircases or entrances and spell out social distancing rules.

It will take a village to keep the virus from spreading around campus.

Or as Nathan Carpenter, director of Peer Advising Leaders at the college, put it, "this moment really requires all of us to come together and have each other's backs."

He met virtually with seniors Julie Rohde, Zareen Kang and Khalid McCalla for a short talk about buying into the ObieSafe mentality.

Doing so won't require new skills, said Rohde.

"Oberlin students at their core always have a sense of responsibility to themselves and to the community that we live in," she said. "They know how to understand each other's needs and help meet them, and they just OBIESAFE PAGE B2 1960-2020

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Page B2

GUARD

FROM B1 distributions. Without the Guard, that number would drop to probably about 500.

"The need is here and you can see people are showing up," she said. "How are we going to continue to meet that need? And if we're only able to serve 400, what happens to the rest?"

Chase-Morefield is joining many others petitioning local federal representatives, including Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Cleveland, Sen. Rob Portman, R-Cincinnati, and Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Urbana, to get the National Guard's time extended. The National Guard was dispatched across the state to help local food banks. The Department of Defense has to sign off on the extension with the Federal Emergency Management Agency's approval. It then has to be signed by President Donald Trump.

National Guard members do more than just distribute the food. They drive Second Harvest's trucks, unload semis at the warehouse and pack the boxes of food. On distribution days, Chase-Morefield said their day usually starts at 7 a.m. and doesn't end until 7 p.m. or later. Military vehicles and forklifts also are used for three to four distributions.

And the National Guard members work about 3.5 times faster than volunteers, moving long lines through at a quick pace.

Second Harvest had hoped that by now the COVID-19 numbers would go down and the need would begin to subside, but it hasn't happened. When school is back in session, the smaller districts may take some of the need away because they'll be able to feed students.

But Chase-Morefield is worried. The additional $600 federal unemployment payments are due to expire this week and the pandemic EBT cards some parents got to buy food for their children are finished. It could just add to Second Harvest's food lines. Second Harvest serves Erie, Lorain, Crawford and Huron counties and the unemployment rates in those communities remain high.

Chase-Morefield said rural areas in particular would see food distribution scaled back without the National Guard's help. Second Harvest would probably be able to do about one-third of what it is doing now. And serving 500 families is nearly double what it was serving before the pandemic.

Distributions at the Lorain County Fairgrounds in Wellington and in Amherst would have to end.

Distributions out of the county, such as in Bucyrus, also would be halted. Bucyrus, a town of about 11,000 people, saw 450 families at its last distribution.

Pantries that existed before the pandemic, like those in Elyria, Sheffield-Sheffield Lake and Midview, would be able to continue.

Second Harvest has doubled its regular distribution, serving more than 2.7 million pounds of food. It also supplies food for Oberlin Community Services and Lorain and Elyria for the city's senior distributions.

"We're worried," Chase-Morefield said. "The things that keep you up at night? This is it. I don't know what we're going to do without them."

OBIESAFE

FROM B1 genuinely care about helping each other."

Kang said that students understand they'll have to follow the guidelines if they want the campus to remain open.

They're already having tough conversations about living situations and how to hang out together safely, she said — that will mean finding new and creative ways to socialize.

Everyone responds differently during a crisis, said McCalla. "But where we're all very similar is that when it comes to something that's posing a threat to us as a community... we all kind of unite and we all attack it head-on. If it's something we can fix, we're going to fix it."

The college also put out information about what students should expect in terms of COVID-19 testing.

In rotation, the entire college community will be checked each month for the virus. Testing will take place at the field house and will be done by Mercy Health Allen Hospital with help from Tempus, a Chicago-based laboratory.

A field training video posted by the college shows a medical worker in gloves and face shield demonstrating how the tests will be conducted by nasal swab.

SOLUTION CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE A2

Thursday, July 30, 2020

Lorain County Community Guide

How do you feel about sending kids back to school?

That's the question we asked on the Amherst News-Times, Oberlin News-Tribune and Wellington Enterprise Facebook pages.

Lorain County schools are making plans to welcome kids back to in-person classes this fall, even while COVID-19 cases continue to be diagnosed at an accelerating pace. The danger has left parents split about the best course of action.

Of those who answered the informal poll, 84.6 percent said they were parents who will have kids enrolled in grades K-12 this year and 15.4 percent said they are not. Here is what they said: How do you feel about sending kids back to school in person?

How do you feel about online options that allow K-12 students to work from home?

100 percent confident — 5.1 percent Somewhat confident — 7.7 percent

This is the best option — 41 percent This is an OK option — 35.9 percent

No opinion — 0 percent

No opinion — 7.7 percent This is a substandard option — 15.4 percent

Somewhat concerned — 30.8 percent 100 percent against — 56.4 percent

This is the worst option — 0 percent

HOUSEHOLDER

FROM B1

what's happening in Columbus is always in the back of her mind, she said, and there are always rumors of shady dealings.

That rumor mill is among the reasons the longtime lawmaker said she does not like Columbus — "The best part of this job is when I see Columbus in my rear view mirror and I'm coming home," she said.

With COVID-19 already wreaking havoc, Rep. Dick Stein, R-Norwalk, said a scandal involving the speaker of the House is "one less thing Ohio needs to have on its plate."

Miller, Manning and Stein, who all represent portions of Lorain County, did not vote for Householder as speaker in 2018.

Stein did vote in favor of House Bill 6, the nuclear energy bailout at the heart of the scandal, and Miller voted for it in committee but did not cast a vote on the final draft. Manning did not support either iteration.

Householder has been charged in what U.S. Attorney David DeVillers called "likely the largest bribery and money laundering scheme ever perpetrated against the people of Ohio."

He accused the speaker and his associates of funneling $60 million in "dark money" into their own pockets over the course of two and a half years.

The money allegedly came from "Company A." While not named by the FBI, an affidavit described the company as owning nuclear power plants bailed out by House Bill 6 in 2019 — that company is FirstEnergy Solutions, which is getting $1.5 billion to stay afloat.

HB6 directs $150 million per year in taxpayer funds to buoy the finances of the Davis-Besse nuclear plant near Oak Harbor, as well as the Perry nuclear plant east of Cleveland.

The indictment names Householder; his adviser, Jeffrey Longstreth; lobbyist Neil Clark; former Ohio Republican Party Chairman Matthew Borges; Juan Cespides, an owner in a consulting firm; and a social welfare nonprofit called Generations Now. Stein said he hopes the continuing investigation by the FBI does not become "a distraction in allowing Ohioans to have trust in their lawmakers" or keep the Assembly from getting legislation passed.

"A lot is going to depend on whether the speaker decides to stay or go and a lot of other variables," he said.

Miller said Householder "deserves his day in court," but other officials, including Gov. Mike DeWine, called for Householder's resignation.

“Every American has the presumption of innocence until proven guilty," the governor said. "Because of the nature of these charges, it will be impossible for Speaker Householder to effectively lead the Ohio House of Representatives; therefore, I am calling on Speaker Householder to resign immediately."

The call was echoed by Lt. Gov. Jon

Husted, who served as speaker of the House from 2005 to 2009.

"Ohio is in the midst of a pandemic response and economic downturn, and the institution of the House of Representatives must remain operational, and the integrity of the office and the institution must be restored," he said.

Attorney General Dave Yost said Householder "sold out" the people of Ohio for dirty money and cannot be trusted with public authority.

"He is entitled to a presumption of innocence regarding the criminality of his acts, but he is entitled to no presumption of continuance in office," Yost said. "He should resign immediately. If he refuses, the House should eject him under Article II, section 6 of the Ohio Constitution."

David Pepper, chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party, said the revelations in the criminal complaint show Householder and his alleged conspirators "have been at this for a long time and know how to evade accountability for their corrupt actions."

The culture of Columbus under GOP leadership has been one of corruption, kickbacks and pay-to-play, he said.

“As the U.S. attorney indicated, this investigation is ongoing, and we will wait to hear all the facts as they emerge. However, given what was revealed in today’s complaint and the taint of corruption over Ohio legislative activity, we believe Speaker Householder should step down from leadership immediately as he avails himself of his due process rights."

State Sen. Nathan Manning, RNorth Ridgeville, also said he believes Householder should step down.

When you hold political office, you are held to a higher standard, he said.

"It's disheartening. It's sad for Ohio.

Obviously there are a lot of great people in Columbus," he said.

There's no telling right now how deep the scandal runs or what other government officials may still be under investigation, Manning said — but he "doesn't think this is a Republican thing. This is a Householder thing."

Anthony Giardini, chair of the Lorain County Democratic Party, said he believes the problem is wider.

The corruption charges prove "you can not only buy a vote, you can buy a whole damn legislature," he said.

"What it says is something that many of us have been talking about, complaining about and warning people about for many years — and that is our government can be bought by dark money," he said.

Giardini said blind campaign contributions are a problem from federal down to local elections.

Local candidates don't always know where certain donations are coming from, he said. If a party funds the race, it could be coming from donors anywhere and with any agenda.

"This thing can go in either direction, either party, and you should want to know, as a candidate, where your money is coming from," he said.

"Nothing good stems from dark money that's able to move around in the fashion that they moved this money," Lorain County Commissioner Sharon Sweda agreed.

She called the Householder scandal an example of how money can ruin the spirit of what a democratic election should be.

Sweda, of Amherst, ran for the Ohio Senate's 13th District seat in 2018, losing to Nathan Manning.

She said campaign funding was pivotal in that race, and given its power to sway elections she said it's time the voting public demands a crackdown.

"We have seen where money does influence local races... Oftentimes there are contracts at risk, decisions in play, and those lobbyists are going to reach out," she said. "I feel, yes, they can influence on every level."

David Arredondo, chair of the Lorain County Republican Party, also said he is concerned about the possibility that dark money could filter down to local elections, and called for more accountability on both sides of the aisle.

He pointed to charges in June against four Toledo City Council members — all Democrats — in another "pay-to-play" bribery and extortion investigation as one example of corruption on the local level.

Jane Timken, chair of the Ohio Republican Party, released a video statement in which she called on Householder to resign.

"Greed, lust for power and disdain for ethical boundaries are not unique to any particular party. If our country is to endure these difficult and divisive times, we must unite in the notion that people who break the law should be held accountable," she said.

Arredondo agreed. He said Republicans take corruption seriously, there is no way it's condoned and he will be upset with Householder if he is convicted.

The arrest of the speaker of the House and the former Ohio Republican Party chairman "undermines public confidence and underscores the corrosive impact money has on our politics," said U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-9th District.

"While these matters are adjudicated, Ohioans should demand a top to bottom reform of Ohio’s ethics and campaign finance system to put an end to pay-to-play in the Buckeye State," she said.

Christopher Hoffman, special agent in charge of the FBI's Cincinnati field office, which is handling the investigation, also said corruption erodes confidence in democracy.

Rooting it out is extremely difficult, but a challenge his agency is equipped to tackle with sophisticated tools and techniques, he said.

Hoffman called the situation a warning from city council to the State House that all forms of corruption are unacceptable.

Thursday, July 30, 2020

Lorain County Community Guide

Amherst Schools delay fall start until Aug. 27 JASON HAWK EDITOR

AMHERST — The first day of school has been pushed back a week in Amherst, with most students now heading back Thursday, Aug. 27.

Kindergarten will begin Thursday, Sept.

1 and preschool will start Tuesday, Sept.8.

"With the additional planning that we're going to need to do to implement our two plans, the additional time obviously would be a good thing for everyone," said Superintendent Steve Sayers.

Those two plans have been christened onCampus and eCampus for in-person and online options.

Sayers said a survey by the district showed 23 percent of families wanted to have their kids attend classes online this year due to concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.

The survey was conducted weeks ago now, and it's possible the numbers may have changed drastically, he said.

That's a huge logistical problem Amherst and other school systems face as they prepare to reopen mid-pandemic: With the situation changing rapidly and Lorain County bobbling between a Level 3 and Level 2 health emergency, hey simply

don't know how many students will show up on the first day.

That makes predicting how the year will end just as difficult.

Sayers said that despite the late start, the goal is to still wrap up classes for the summer on May 27.

But "as it stands right now, who knows how the year is going to end?" he said.

It's impossible to tell what changes might come from week to week as a result of the health crisis, and schools will have to be poised to adapt throughout the year as case rates rise or fall, he said.

The Amherst Schools have far more instructional hours built into the calendar than what the Ohio Department of Education requires. Sayers said he thinks there are hours to convert some instructional time to planning time in August without having to shorten breaks or cancel in-service days.

The delayed start to the academic year was announced publicly Monday. It won't be official until the Amherst Board of Education votes on it.

The change will be submitted for approval when the board meets Monday, Aug. 10.

As for the possibility the start date could be pushed back yet again? "Never say never," said Sayers, but he feels the Aug. 27 will be firm.

NOYO moves online for the 2020-21 season You won’t see the Oberlin-based Northern Ohio Youth Orchestra in a concert hall during its upcoming 52nd season.

Its six performing ensembles will be rehearsing online and putting their talents and hard work on display in video performances instead as families confront the risks and uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The organization said its decision ensures that students will have access to NOYO’s high-quality extracurricular music programs.

“Our conductors are bringing all of their expertise and passion to this new challenge,” said Executive Director Colin Holter. “They’ve developed a method of long-distance music teaching that reproduces the live experience of rehearsing with an orchestra or band as closely as possible.”

Learning their parts with their conductors’ guidance each week, musicians in NOYO’s Amati Strings, Sinfonietta Strings, Philharmonia Orchestra, Wind Symphony, Symphonic Band and Lab Group will play and record their contributions for inclusion in composite video

performances of repertoire from a broad range of eras and styles.

Among these performances will be a world premiere from NOYO’s 20202021 Arlene and Larry Dunn Composer In Residence composed expressly to take advantage of the online format.

“Just as in years past, NOYO musicians will learn, grow and enjoy making music with their friends,” said Holter.

“We can’t hold rehearsals and concerts in person like we ordinarily would, but we’re determined to make the most of these circumstances and keep on creating music with as much energy and dedication as ever.”

Auditions for the season are currently open. Online rehearsals will take place Sunday afternoons from September 2020 through March 2021. Financial aid is available.

For more information or to schedule an audition, visit www.noyo.org.

The Northern Ohio Youth Orchestra is a regional orchestral training program for young musicians ages eight to 18 based at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music.

WHS HONOR ROLL

The following students were named to the honor rolls for the final semester of 2019-2020 at Wellington High School: Freshmen High Honor Roll (4.0 or higher GPA): Dustin Andolsek, Maya Feron, Elisa Krouse, Marshal Mull, Brooklynn Neal, Adelle Pickering, Heather Reininger, Mollie Shinsky, Sadie Willis.

Honor Roll (3.5-3.99 GPA): Autumn Dudziak, Kayla Edwards, Violet Haas, Jessalea Hockenberger, Alexis Kline, Abigail Lemke, Molly Lust, Chelsea Manning, Ezekiel Smith, McKenna Soboslai, Mikayla Standen, Joshua Wright.

Merit Roll (3.0-3.49 GPA): Joshua Buck, Bethany Capek, Joshua Higgins, Gavin Ketchum, Trey Lawson, Karinna Mitterling, Chandler Polen, Lucas Sutherland, Carson Taylor, Ryan Tummel.

Juniors High Honor Roll (4.0 or higher GPA): Lauren Alley, Jazmine Auble, Audrey Biltz, Alaine Bremke, Charles Brinker, Christina Capek, Samantha Cochick, Heidi Cowling, Kaitlyn Diller, Ashley Elkin, Jacob Evans, Summer Hamilton, Allison Haswell, Jenna Krakomperger, Jillian Laposky, Dylan Lawson, Katrina Lazar, Lauren McClure, Aren Meinhart, Taylor Michel, Madalyn Mull, William Palmison, Payton Regal, Wyatt Sasack, Bryce Tegtmeyer, Arianna Woody, Kevin Xie, Allyson Zvara.

Honor Roll (3.5-3.99 GPA): Lane Benton, Makayla Bowman, Madison Caudill, Hannah Fiegelist.

Merit Roll (3.0-3.49 GPA): Trayton Bowman, Kendal Brasee, Arianna Butcher, Luke McClellan.

Sophomores High Honor Roll (4.0 or higher GPA): Jonathan Brasee, Julianna Brasee, Annelise Broome, Natalie Calfo, Hunter Cantwell, McKenna Chappell, Trinity Farr, Teddi Hardoby, Catherine Kasicki-Rodriguez, Macy Marley, Jeremiah McKee, Phillip McKee, Tyler Moore, Maile Oswald, Melanie Solkiewicz, Miranda Sorg, Jacob Weegmann, Ava Zadorozny.

Honor Roll (3.5-3.99 GPA): Karlie Frenk, Jacob Knapp, Brooke Noss, Victoria Paramore, Cayden Sherepita, Jessie Teter, Kavai Xia. Merit Roll (3.0-3.49 GPA): Derrick Andolsek, Chloe Black, Shayne Brady, Autumn Conley, Rianna Danesi, Hailey Georgevich, Travis Hunter, Hannah Ingrassia, Alyssa Krouse, Nathan Peabody, Emma Rhoades, Amanda Spiekerman, Kaitlyn Wright.

Seniors High Honor Roll (4.0 or higher GPA): Brandon Bremke, Rachel Bremke, Katlynn Caudill, Grace Dudziak, LeAnn Elkin, Sophia Hardoby, Michael Kidd, Courtney Kroll, Nicholas Laposky, Bianca Massie, Caleb Mildenberg, Hope Schatz, Jillian Sizer, Alexis Starner, Katerina Strait, Haven Wetherbee, Alexis Wright.

Honor Roll (3.5-3.99 GPA): Jenna Calfo, Brooklinn Damiano, Cassady Dials, Jalen Gibbs, MiKailah Godsey, Cally Hardwick, Benjamin Higgins, Thomas Logar, Madison Soboslai, Joseph Solkiewicz, Madison Szakacs, Lukas Tandarich.

Merit Roll (3.0-3.49 GPA): Benjamin Bliss, Jon Bowman, Marc Clark, Austin Krouse, Nicholas Martinelli, Scott McCraw, Jordan McKee, Kevin Rutkowski, Micah Smiley, Blake Spiekerman, Damon Wright.

Page B3

Black River cancels preschool JONATHAN DELOZIER WELLINGTON ENTERPRISE

SULLIVAN — Four-day weeks in district buildings with the fifth dedicated to remote learning for certain grade levels is one aspect of a reopening plan unanimously approved last week by the Black River school board.

Under the plan, students in grades five through 12 will attend school in person Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, with Wednesdays used for 100 percent online curriculum.

Traditional five-day in-person weeks will be maintained for kindergarten through fourth grade.

The district has canceled all preschool classes for the 2020-21 school year, a decision Superintendent Chris Clark called the hardest he's had to make in his career.

"You can only have nine preschool students in a class and we just can't meet that," he said. "This basically wipes out a graduation class for us. Basically, any kid who goes to school here starts in preschool and kindergarten. Preschool isn't funded by the state and we had special education preschool and regular preschool to accommodate all of our students."

"It's been the most difficult decision I've ever made," Clark added. "There will still be what's called itinerant services for special education students but it's not going to be the same. We've worked very hard down here trying to build things up and last year started to see the fruits of that. Now, we're going to take a step backwards."

Face masks or shields are required at all times for K-12 students as well as staff members with exceptions being made for certain documented medical conditions and other disabilities. Face covering breaks will be issued by teachers throughout the day.

The school year will begin for students on Sept. 8, a one-week delay from original plans. Fully online curriculum with laptops provided by the district will continue to be available at all times, but students must make a one-semester commitment. An Aug. 7 deadline has been set for families wishing to opt into online learning for the first semester.

Roughly 100 parents attended Wednesday's meeting with many questions centering on face coverings and how breaks from wearing them will be handled.

"We're not going to ask anyone to sit here and wear a mask for seven and a half hours," said Clark. "Making our kids

wear masks is a concern among some of our board members as well. We know this is not the norm. How these breaks will look, we don't yet know. We're going to take guidance from the health department before beginning to know what those accommodations look like."

Both students and staff will be given daily temperature checks before beginning their daily work, and buildings will maintain a six-foot social distancing standard.

Grades K-5 will remain in their classrooms for lunch while higher grades will still use the cafeteria with safety guidelines in place. Clark said there will be efforts during the school day to have students in all grades switch classrooms as little as possible such as teachers making the trip instead and moving to 75- to 90-minute block scheduling for middle and high school.

Students will be asked to bring a clear refillable water bottle with them to school daily. Due to an increased occurrence of severe peanut allergies, the district has requested that packed lunches not include peanut items.

With the district being located across Medina, Lorain, and Ashland counties, difficulties have arose in planning through the need to consult with three health departments and worries that policies in those communities could look different than Black River's, Clark said.

"All of the health departments have been great to work with," he said. "There are schools in Ashland County not having masks at all because that county hasn't gone to a color yet like Medina and Lorain have. That really added to our dilemma here. The health departments have been supportive in every way possible in trying to help us with things like that."

Gov. Mike DeWine has announced a statewide face mask mandate effective at 6 p.m. today, which will likely reduce some of those community discrepancies.

Clark said a worsening of one district county's coronavirus situation will not dictate whether a switch is made to total online learning. He added that if a switch to online is made, a roughly 10-day buffer period could be considered when the time comes to move back to in-person classes.

"From a parenting and planning standpoint, it doesn't make sense to be in school, out of school, in school, out of school," he said. "Any decision will be made by looking at all three counties.

We're going to look at our available data and continue to have our daily conversations with the health department."

Museum alliance re-ups accreditation of OHC The Oberlin Heritage Center has again achieved accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums, the highest national recognition afforded the nation’s museums.

Accreditation signifies excellence to the museum community, to governments, funders, outside agencies and to the museum-going public.

The OHC was initially accredited in 2005 and the review cements that status.

Used by museum professionals for more than 45 years, the Alliance’s accreditation program is the field’s primary vehicle for quality assurance, self-regulation and public accountability.

“We were thrilled to receive the news, particularly in a challenging year. This is a huge achievement and credit goes to OHC's members, passionate volunteers and interns, dedicated board and amazing colleagues, past and present,” said Director Elizabeth Schultz. “But we won’t rest on our laurels — we’re always striving to be better.”

Of the nation’s estimated 33,000 mu-

seums, more than 1,070 are accredited.

The Oberlin Heritage Center is one of two accredited museums in Oberlin, along with the Allen Memorial Art Museum.

To earn accreditation a museum first must conduct a year of self-study, and then undergo a site visit by a team of peer reviewers.

“With its small staff, engaged board, and modest budget, the museum’s accomplishments are many and impressive," the AAM’s Accreditation Commission said of the Oberlin Heritage Center. "We particularly commend the institution’s dedication to the historic structures, but also its recognition of the access challenges — both real and perceived — of its historic properties, and its commitment to hosting programs in locations that offer better access and accessibility. We also commend the museum’s commitment to diversity among the board of trustees, its collections plan and its dedication to maintaining relevance to today’s audiences by connecting historic events in Oberlin’s past to modern day events.”

85 SOUTH MAIN STREET OBERLIN OHIO 44074 JULY 23, 2020 BOARD AND COMMISSION MEETING DATES ALL MEETINGS WILL BE Live Streamed @ http://oberlinoh.swagit.com/live JULY 28, 2020 ..................OPEN SPACE COMMISSION – 5:00 P.M. JULY 28, 2020 ..................RESOURCE CONSERVATION & RECOVERY – 6:30 P.M. AUGUST 4, 2020 ..............HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION – 5:15 P.M. AUGUST 5, 2020 ..............OCIC – 8:00 P.M. CANCELED AUGUST 5, 2020 ..............PLANNING COMMISSION – 4:30 P.M. AUGUST 6, 2020 ..............ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS – 4:00 P.M PURPOSE: To hear on two variance applications for 184 Forest Street and 144 S. Oberlin Road.

NOTICE: DISABLED MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY WHO MAY NEED ASSISTANCE, PLEASE CALL 775-7203 OR E-MAIL: banderson@cityofoberlin.com NOTICE REQUIRED: TWO (2) WORKING DAYS IN ADVANCE OF MEETING (48 HOURS) CLERK OF COUNCIL’S OFFICE.

Page B4

Thursday, July 30, 2020

Lorain County Community Guide

Spike in COVID cases Two dead in rollover means plasma shortage crash on Turnpike The American Red Cross has an emergency shortage of convalescent plasma, a potentially lifesaving treatment for patients with COVID-19.

Demand for convalescent plasma has more than doubled over the last month as the number of coronavirus cases increases across the U.S. Convalescent plasma products are now being distributed faster than donations are coming in.

People who have fully recovered and received a verified COVID-19 diagnosis are urged to sign up to give convalescent plasma now by completing the donor eligibility form at www. redcrossblood.org/plasma4covid.

Convalescent plasma is plasma that is collected from patients who have recovered from an infection and have antibodies that might help fight that infection — in this case, those who have fully recovered from COVID-19. With each donation, COVID-19 survivors have a unique ability to help up to three patients recover from the virus.

Blood donors are also needed to keep the supply strong amid pandemic. The Red Cross is urging healthy individuals to give blood to restock the shelves for patients battling disease and facing the unexpected.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, people across the country have stepped up to help by giving blood or platelets.

Blood donations from healthy individuals are just as essential now to meet patient needs, and those who gave this spring may be eligible to help again.

Donation appointments can be made for the coming days and weeks by downloading the free Blood Donor App, visiting www.redcrossblood.org, calling 800-733-2767 or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device.

Those who give blood, platelets or plasma, including convalescent plasma, at Red Cross events from Aug. 1 to Sept. 3 will receive a $5 Amazon.com gift card via email. Give by Aug. 31 and you'll automatically be entered for a chance to win a trip for four to Cedar Point or Knott’s Berry Farm, redeemable through the 2021 season.

Blood donation opportunities • Monday, Aug. 3 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at St. Joseph Parish, 32946 Electric Blvd., Avon Lake.

• Thursday, Aug. 6 from noon to 6 p.m. at Lorain Lighthouse United Methodist Church, 3015 Meister Rd. • Tuesday, Aug. 11 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Ohio Business College, 5095 Waterford Dr., Sheffield Village.

• Tuesday, Aug. 11 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Richard E. Jacobs Health Campus, 33100 Cleveland Clinic Blvd., Avon.

• Wednesday, Aug. 12 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Clinic Elyria Family Health Center, 303 Chestnut Commons, Family Health & Surgery Center.

• Thursday, Aug. 13 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Mitchell's One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning, 1750 Moore Rd., Lorain.

To protect the health and safety of Red Cross staff and donors, people who do not feel well or who believe they may be ill with COVID-19 should postpone their donation.

STAFF REPORT

HENRIETTA TWP. — Two men died in a late-night crash July 21 on the Ohio Turnpike.

According to a news release from the Ohio Highway Patrol, a tow truck driver from Interstate Towing of Norwalk, identified as Eric Ackerman, 44, of Sandusky, was helping the driver of a disabled 2011 Ford F-350 on the right shoulder near mile marker 132 of the eastbound turnpike at 11:23 p.m.

Ackerman and the driver, identified by troopers as Darren Hebner, 45, of Mentor, were unloading two Sea-Doo personal watercraft from a trailer attached to the vehicle onto the tow truck when they were both struck by a 2009 Chevrolet 2500 pickup driven by Zachary Santoro, 30, of Bellevue.

The Chevrolet truck also hit the tow truck and went airborne, landing on its roof in the right lane of the roadway. Santoro was taken to Mercy Health-Lorain Hospital for minor injuries. The release said Santoro was not wearing his seat belt at the time of the crash, and impairment is suspected.

Ackerman and Hebner were pronounced dead at the scene.

Lanes were restricted until about 4:30 a.m. The investigation into the crash is ongoing.

GRANTS

FROM B1 • $3,000 for the Ritter Public Library.

• $2,000 for the Second Baptist Church Adopt-ASchool Initiative.

• $18,000 for LIFE A Dementia Friendly Foundation.

• $10,000 for the American Red Cross.

• $4,000 for Cornerstone Pregnancy Services.

• $40,000 for Family Planning Services.

• $12,000 for the Lorain County Office on Aging.

• $30,000 for MobileMed. • $9,000 for NAMI of Lorain County.

• $25,000 for the New Agrarian Center.

• $5,000 for Ohio Guidestone.

• $8,000 for Vocational Guidance Services.

• $15,000 for the Harrison Cultural Community Centre.

• $30,000 for Leadership Lorain County.

• $50,000 for the Lorain County Urban League.

• $7,000 for Main Street Amherst.

• $7,000 for Main Street Wellington.

• $10,000 for the Western Reserve Land Conservancy.

For more information or to donate, visit www. peoplewhocare.org or call 440-984-7390.

WHO SAID IT? ACROSS 1. Involuntary twitch 6. World’s oldest national broadcaster 9. Pilgrimage to Mecca 13. Pacific island greeting 14. “____ the ramparts...”

15. Prefix relating to sun 16. Not so crazy 17. Maiden name indicator 18. Greet the day 19. Mentally prepared for something scary 21. *”There’s no place like home” 23. Liveliness 24. Answer to this clue, e.g.

25. Winter bug 28. Hatha or bikram 30. Incense burner, in a church 35. Bubonic plague spreaders 37. Bottle plug 39. Part of TNT 40. Bad luck predictor 41. *”D’oh!”

43. Cleopatra’s necklace 44. Red Cross supply 46. Have supper 47. Female crab, or crybaby in Australia 48. Belonging to Cree, e.g.

50. Byproduct of combing wool 52. Be nosey 53. Spilled the beans 55. Band booking 57. *”I have always depended on the kindness of strangers” 61. *”The caged bird sings of freedom” 65. Acoustic output 66. Polar toy-maker 68. Oodles 69. *”Everyone wants to be Cary Grant. Even I want to be Cary Grant.”

70. “Funny or ____” 71. Tutor’s student 72. Withered 73. Use a Singer, e.g.

74. Not be frugal DOWN 1. Fresh talk 2. Surveyor’s work 3. Excellent 4. Pen dweller 5. *”Don’t worry ‘bout a thing, ‘cause every little thing is gonna be alright.”

6. *”A martini. Shaken, not stirred.”

7. Samantha of “Full Frontal” 8. Words to live by 9. Submarine sandwich 10. Climbed down 11. Potluck offering 12. *”It’s a moo point” 15. Habituate, like a plant 20. Historical period 22. Tolkien humanoid 24. Global problem?

25. *”Two roads diverged in a yellow wood” 26. Coeur de ____ ____, “Titanic” 27. Embryo cradles 29. Well-behaved 31. Lice eggs 32. “Sesame Street” prominent architecture feature 33. Not right

34. *”Yo, Adrian!”

36. Give the cold shoulder 38. Bingo-like game 42. 1837 to 1901, to Queen Victoria 45. Ronald McDonald or Mickey Mouse 49. ____-di-dah 51. Hanukkah’s eight 54. Must-haves 56. “Faster!” to a horse 57. Tea servings 58. Fishing decoy 59. Month before Nisan 60. Half a golf round 61. “____ ____Good Men” 62. Like the White Rabbit 63. Inviting sign 64. Like a hand-me-down 67. Baron Munchausen’s statement

SOLUTION CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE A2

Wellington BOE approves plans for fall reopening BROOKIE MADISON THE CHRONICLE-TELEGRAM

WELLINGTON — A reopening plan was approved last week by the Board of Education, laying out how classes will operate under different COVID-19 emergency levels.

The school board also approved a revised academic calendar, sending Wellington students back Monday, Sept.

14, and giving teachers and staff six training days in addition to the three already on the calendar.

The school district has four color-coded options for reopening.

In level yellow, students would be fully back in school with schools having enhanced health safety and cleaning.

In level orange, which school officials deemed the ideal level to begin the school year in, students would follow a hybrid model and have two full days in school and three days virtually at McCormick Middle School and Wellington High School.

At Westwood Elementary School, students would have four half-days in school and one day virtually.

Specific buildings would be closed and moved to virtual learning in level red, with changes to this option determined necessary by the health department.

Superintendent Ed Weber said busing will be one of the things detailed in a parent resource sheet that will be prepared along with an operation plan.

“We need to adjust our bus time,” Weber said. “We’re not going to drop the kids off 20 or 30 minutes before school starts because they don’t have anywhere to go except to congregate. We have to really streamline our bus schedule, so they’re only getting to school a few minutes before they need to be getting here.”

Weber also said students will potentially be dropped off at different locations and enter in different doors.

Weber talked about a survey sent out that provided information about the number of parents who are likely to allow their child to participate in the school district’s multilevel reopening plan.

The superintendent said there were 188 responses as of July 15 and 42 percent of parents said they were likely to participate, while 25 percent want full online learning.

In addition, the survey also said that 55 percent of parents are willing to transport their students and 45 percent of parents needed some variant of school busing for their students.

The school board is looking for partners to blend their online and in-person learning options for students so that curriculum is guided and coordinated with student reenrollment.

It is considering working with Edmentum, an education solutions provider that the district already works with by using its e-learning academic software, Study Island.

Weber talked about wanting stability for students who choose either to do online learning or in-person and when re-enrollment from online could take place.

“We could see that every nine weeks or perhaps even monthly once we really get coordinating our work well together,” he said. “Hopefully from online back into the classroom and let’s hope that we continue to see progress on a vaccination and in curing this illness from our people.”

Board member Ayers Ratliff questioned how the cafeteria will work for half-days and whether or not hot food or grab-and-go lunches will be provided.

“We feel good about the lunchroom because we’ve cut the numbers in half,” Weber said. “That’s going to be based on if they’re going to Boys and Girls Club afterward because our cafeteria wants to provide a hot meal.

So, we want to have that option for some and for others the grab and go will be made available for them.”

Weber said since the groups are cut in half, they can meet the social distance in the classrooms and in their large group rooms like the cafeteria. Students who receive free and reduced lunch will continue to be able to receive meals as well.

WHS teacher Dave Conklin asked the school board how it plans to ensure teachers stay safe while leading classes in-person and having various students coming and going, especially when several of the classrooms at the high school don’t have windows for ventilation.

“We sent a survey out to the faculty and so far 58 have responded,” Conklin said. “Their No. 1 concern is becoming infected and taking it home to their families. We need assurance that that is not going to happen.”

Board President Brett Murner said there’s a risk involved for everyone.

“What we need to do is the best we can, which is maintain the social distancing, the masks and the staying apart,” he said. “We can hit all of those ODH guidelines.

That’s the best we’re going to be able to do.”

Parent Carrie Abbey was concerned whether or not whole families had to follow the same model for learning and whether kindergarten assessments were going to be done before school or when school starts.

Westwood Principal Janet Kubasak said the district is considering getting some teachers together before school begins to do kindergarten diagnostic screening and other assessments would go on throughout the school day.

The school board’s next meeting will be held Aug. 4.

First Fridays

Main Street Wellington wants to encourage kindness at its Aug. 7 First Fridays event, held at participating business locations downtown.

Going with the theme "Color Our Community with Kindness," it will collect donations for the Helping Hands Food Pantry, which serves Wellington.

Some of the most-needed items at the pantry include canned tuna, chicken, vegetables and fruit; pasta sauce, spaghetti and macaroni; all soups; cereal; instant potatoes, cooking oil; dish soap; pickles; condiments; pancake mix; brownie mix; sugar; crackers; instant stuffing; rice; flour; tea bags; paper towels; bleach; and baking soda.

Thursday, July 30, 2020

Lorain County Community Guide

Page B5

— FIGHT OVER COUNTY FAIRS —

Meyers chalks up fair closing Medina County Fair requests to ‘political football’ also votes to scale back JASON HAWK EDITOR

WELLINGTON — Calls to cancel the Lorain County Fair were just "political football," according to board President Kim Meyers.

In a press conference held Friday just outside the grandstand, he brushed aside concerns that the fair couldn't be held safely.

He also took aim at Wellington Mayor Hans Schneider and county commissioners, accusing them of conspiring against the fair for political points.

Meyers said he felt blindsided by a July 17 open letter asking the fair to hold off until 2021, which was posted on social media by Schneider.

He said Schneider didn't go to the fair board with concerns and didn't send the letter to board members until days later.

That's not the way Schneider tells it — he said he did go to Meyers privately before posting the letter, and asked him to convey his concerns to the board.

"He chose not to," Schneider said.

Rooted in the threat posed by the virus, the fight over the fair became a personal one.

In the press conference Friday, Meyers twice wrote off Schneider as a "part-time mayor." Asked why he made the distinction, Meyers said the job was "less significant" than a full-time mayoral position, and said Schneider was after publicity.

"I won't lower myself to those type of discussions," Schneider said by phone afterward. "For me, it's about one thing and one thing only — the people of this community."

He issued a statement saying that the press conference "is just the latest in a string of disappointing behavior by Kim," who "has continued to put blinders on and bully his way forward."

Schneider said his stake was the health and welfare of the residents of Wellington. The village has already had eight COVID-19 cases and one death.

"That's one too many," he said.

"Now (Meyers) is insistent that we can bring in 50,000 people, maybe 100,000, who knows, and that's not going to affect anything. That's insane," the mayor said.

Lorain County was downgraded Thursday to a Level 2 "orange alert" health emergency, with more than 1,400 cases and new ones coming in fast.

Using all the data made publicly available, a COVID-19 risk assessment tool published by Georgia Tech breaks down the risk posed by public gatherings in every county in America. For Lorain

The Lorain County Fair Board voted Monday night to hold only a Junior Fair (see story on page A6). On the prior Friday, board President Kim Meyers took aim at calls to shut down the 2020 event and outlined his vision for safety protocols that would have been in place.

County, the risk that a gathering of 25 people will result in the spread of the virus to one other person is 22 percent. At 100 people, that risk jumps to 62 percent and by 500 people it reaches 99 percent.

Those kinds of numbers aren't theoretical. Take Circleville, Ohio, where at least 22 cases of COVID-19 have been linked to the Pickaway County Fair.

Lorain County Health Commissioner David Covell previously said he thought there was a way the fair could be held safely — if the right precautions were taken.

But Schneider and Meyers played tug-of-war with Covell on Friday, each claiming he was on their side.

Also entering the fray were the Lorain County commissioners, who last Wednesday called for the fair to be canceled in the name of safety.

Meyers said he wasn't surprised by the move, and dismissed it as politically motivated. He said he wasn't invited to the public meeting or informed the fair would be discussed.

"They have no intention of talking to us," he said, later adding, "They don't want to hear what we have to say."

What he had to say was he felt the fair would be safe, and that he believed science supported the claim.

An 11-9 majority of the Fair Board felt differently, and voted Monday night to hold only a Junior Fair.

They were unconvinced by plans Meyers touted Friday — had the full fair continued, masks would have been required at the gates, providing a statewide mandate were still in place.

Masks would have been provided to ticket-takers, parking lot attendants and other employees. To gain admission, visitors would have had to answer screening questions about symptoms and risks in the parking lot. Meyers said no temperatures would have been taken.

Grandstand seating, normally at about 6,000, would have been cut by about two-thirds and spectators would have been required to spread out to enjoy shows.

Camping capacity had already thinned by about a third, and people going in and out of the campground area would have been required to wear wristbands.

There would have been no Senior Day — seniors were going to be allowed at the fair, but Meyers said the responsible course of action was to do away with free admission since senior citizens are at heightened risk of contracting the virus.

Shuttles were not going to run this year, had a full fair moved ahead. Inside the fairgrounds, pedestrian traffic would have followed ground markings just like at the grocery or a big box store.

Food vendors were required to all be masked and gloved, except those working hot grills — that will likely still be the case if any vendors remain on to cater to the Junior Fair.

The kids who take part in 4-H activities are the biggest reason the full fair should move ahead, Meyers argued — "Those kids have worked all year for this fair."

Since mid-March, children have taken blow after blow, he said, from the abrupt closure of schools to canceled proms and restrictive graduation ceremonies. The fair is a chance to give them an experience to remember.

Schneider agreed on the importance of the 4-H program to local youth and said a Junior Fair would still recognize kids' work while reducing the risk posed by the virus.

"It's not a political issue for me. It's a health issue, plain and simple," he said.

Meyers insisted the virus is already in Wellington and the fair would have meant "nothing new or novel" for the village.

Drawing tens of thousands of people to a full fair would significantly increase the risk, Schneider said.

Holding the fair would have benefitted the nearly 300 vendors signed up to take part, said Meyers. They are "just barely getting by" this year as other fairs and festivals have canceled.

Among those that had pulled out as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic were Russell Bissett, who sells Confederate flags and other merchandise with the stars and bars.

Meyers addressed a longrunning controversy, the subject of protests the past five years, saying the Fair Board does not intend to ban Confederate flag sales.

"The Constitutionally correct thing to do" is not to ban sales of the flag, he said. Being offended by symbols such as the rebel flag isn't enough to infringe on the right to expression, he said.

The fair would not ban anyone wearing clothes that bear the image of Chief Wahoo, the rainbow flag, scriptures or any other item that could be construed as offensive, he said.

Meyers also said the United States flag flies over the fairgrounds and the Confederate flag doesn't.

JACK KOPANSKI THE MEDINA GAZETTE

MEDINA — In its final meeting before the start of this year's Medina County Fair, the fair board voted Sunday night to hold a limited fair next week.

Among the changes voted for were the removal of rides and grandstand events, limited concessions and limiting fairgoers to Junior Fair participants and up to 10 selected guests.

Though he could not provide the exact count, Fair Board President Chuck Stiver said the decision was made on a “close vote” that “came with a lengthy debate, heartfelt thoughts and concerns.”

“It was a difficult decision,” Stiver said. “People who voted to cancel the senior fair board part of the fair don’t find any comfort in doing so.

We don’t feel good about having to do that. We don’t. There are no good feelings in doing that, other than, it had to be done.”

With Junior Fair showings and sales set to continue, young Medina County residents will still get to show off their hard work — something many questioned would be possible in light of how they have spent recent months.

Sixteen-year-old Joy Kindall of Lodi, a member of Medina County Underdogs 4-H club, said she used free time the past few months to fit in extra training with her five dogs.

She will take four of them to the fair to participate in some of the smaller demonstrations still set to go on this year.

"I kept telling myself that I'm not the only person going through this," she said regarding this year's unusual circumstances. "Yes, this is hard right now but all we can do is keep working. Hopefully, we'll be back to normal next year."

This is the third time the status of the fair has been changed this year.

On June 4, the board announced that fair was postponed due to the coronavirus, before announcing on June 12 that the fair was back on.

After the decision to have the fair, it would have been required to follow the state's Responsible Restart guidelines regarding social distancing and large gatherings among fairgoers.

Stiver said consideration was given to the many changes that have happened since last month’s decisions including Medina County turning “red,” on the state's colorcoded public health advisory system, the virus continuing to spread and Gov. Mike DeWine’s mask mandate that went in place last month.

“There were concerns, and are concerns, with our ability to control that,” Stiver said. “Make sure that people are wearing a mask, social distancing (and) following guidelines. (This) decision will allow for the junior fair to continue. Those junior fair exhibitors will be given a pass for free, as well as passes to get family members in to watch them show. We will allow in folks for the sale on Friday and Saturday as well.”

While there was no mention of Pickaway County, it has been reported that the county just south of Columbus was one of the first coun-

ties in Ohio to hold a county fair and weeks later a report linked 22 cases of COVID-19, and possibly one death, back to fair attendance.

The Pickaway County Health Department has reportedly said in its report that there was a lack of COVID-19 precautions at the Pickaway County Fair despite numerous meetings to develop a COVID-19 plan.

Many 4-Hers are just happy to look on the bright side of this year's fair.

Kaitlyn Praisler, an 18-year-old from West Salem, is showing three horses and said she wasn't surprised by the initial cancellation of the fair.

"A lot of people felt like that might be coming," she said. "But then that all got changed and it was hard to pick right back up and get motivated again. It's been worth it, though. I'm happy it turned out this way."

Stiver said the outside food concessions chairman, Conrad Haneberg, will reach out to in-county concessionaires first to work the fair with two of their units. Out-ofcounty concessionaires will also be offered spots, however, to ensure options for different food and nutritional needs, as well as supplying different fair favorites.

“We need a variety (of food),” Stiver said. “Everybody has their favorites. (Haneberg) is going to reach out to some additional outside of the county to help broaden that menu out a little bit. You always have to be concerned about variety, for food allergies.”

As was the case with the two prior decisions, Stiver said the board also relied heavily on the thoughts and concerns of Medina County Health Commissioner, Krista Wasowski.

Stiver said Wasowski supported the initial decision to postpone the fair and “understood” the decision to have it as scheduled.

In an email statement, Wasowski said it was "a difficult decision to make so close to the opening of fair, but one that I know was made with the health and well-being of our county at heart.”

“Additionally, some of the other fairs that have taken place were problematic,” Stiver said. “They did have some (contact) tracing that is being associated with them. It seems the problem was being able to control the things that needed to be done to have those social distancing and mask requirements.”

Stiver urged would-be fairgoers to understand that this was not an easy decision for the board. He said the hope when it voted to reopen the fair was that the virus would have stabilized in time to have a full fair.

“These are difficult times,” Stiver said. “This is not anything that any of us created but we have a responsibility, not only to public health, but also the protection of the Medina County Fair. We want the fair to be around for years to come as it has been. We need to make sure that we do not put the fair in a bad position.

“This is agonizing. Not have a full fair is not what we do. This is the time of year that we (as a board) look most forward to. It is the fruition of our hard work and our labor. Canceling the fair is not what anybody wants. We wish we were not in this place.”

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Page B6

Thursday, July 30, 2020

Lorain County Community Guide

© 2020 by Vicki icki Whiting, Editor Jeff Jeffff Schinkel, Graphics Vol. Vol. 36, No. 34

Which day of the week is named after Odin? Hint: Another name for Odin is Woden.

he people of Northern Europe are sometimes called the Norse. Long ago, the Norse people believed in many gods and goddesses. Let’s meet some!

Odin was one of the Norse gods. It was said that he created the universe. He was the god of magic, wisdom, war, poetry, and the alphabet.

Which day of the week is named after Thor?

A Norse origin myth says that Odin and his two younger brothers, Vili and Ve, killed the frost giant Ymir. They used Ymir’s bones, blood, and flesh to form the universe.

Legend says that Odin created the first man and woman from two different trees.

Circle every third letter to discover what kind.

KEBLYMST VRLERE

The goddess Frigg was Odin’s wife and she alone could sit with him on his high seat, or throne. She was the goddess of motherhood and had the power to tell the future.

DALSKHNTMRJE WE

Odin is often pictured with two ravens, two wolves and an unusual horse. Write the letter that comes before each letter of the alphabet below to find out what was unusual about Odin’s horse.

Odin created a city for the gods called Asgard. It was connected to the world of humans by a rainbow bridge.

The Norse people believed thunder was heard when Thor hit the ground with his hammer.

Do these Norse legends sound familiar? Some Marvel Comics and the Thor movies were inspired by them!

Read the descriptions of Thor on this page and draw what you think the Norse people had in mind when creating this legend. Have a family member draw Thor, too. How are your drawings of Thor different from the movie and comic book version?

Heimdall was the guardian of the gates of Asgard. He guarded the rainbow bridge and needed very little sleep. He could hear grass grow. He could hear the wool on a sheep grow. He could see over 300 miles.

Can you sneak past Heimdall and reach Asgard?

Before and After

Odin and Frigg had two sons: Thor and Loki. Loki was a mischievous trickster who often caused trouble.

Thor’s name was the Germanic word for thunder. He was a very strong warrior. In pictures he is often shown as a large man with a red beard.

Look at a photo in the newspaper.

Write a sentence or more telling what you think happened before the photo was taken. Write what you think happened after.

Which hammer is different?

Thor had a magic hammer called Mjollnir. He could throw it and it would return to him like a boomerang!

Put this story in the correct order.

Standards Link: Use the newspaer to locate information.

HEIMDALL UNIVERSE ALPHABET RAINBOW WISDOM ORIGIN ASGARD MAGIC FRIGG NORSE GRASS BONES WELL ODIN THOR

G O T E B A H P L A

D S U O O O L L E W F N N N R W A A S O

N E O I

I D R S S B

ORIGIN

E I D I A R E A O I

N O E O G M Y R R A

The noun origin means the point or place where something was created.

M H F R I G G D S R

The origin of the tradition was unknown.

T H O R C T H S E E

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

S I G S M V A G N N

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

Exaggerate

Gods Seeking Work

Look through the Help Wanted ads in the newspaper and find what you think would be a good job for each of the gods on today’s Kid Scoop page. Explain why each god is well suited to each job’s requirements.

ANSWER: Au-Thor!

Standards Link: Language Arts: Identify homonyms.

This week’s word:

I can jump from planet Earth to Mars. I’m so hungry I could eat a horse. Make up your own exaggerations.