Lorain County Community Guide - Aug. 12, 2021

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LORAIN COUNTY

AMHERST NEWS-TIMES • OBERLIN NEWS-TRIBUNE • WELLINGTON ENTERPRISE Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021

SPECIAL FEATURE

Amherst going back to school JASON HAWK EDITOR

AMHERST — A more normal kind of year.

That’s what Amherst Schools Superintendent Steve Sayers is hoping for as the district prepares to welcome back students in grades 1-12 on Thursday, Aug. 19.

Kindergartners will start Wednesday, Aug. 25 and preschoolers will begin Thursday, Aug. 26.

Overall enrollment in Amherst is up by about 50 students — the start of what educators believe will be a multi-year upswing — and excitement for the year is high, Sayers said.

“In general, I think there’s a sense of folks want to get back to normal” after two previous school years were marred by the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.

The Amherst Schools are still Steve Sayers finalizing safety protocols. They’ve decided, however, not to require students or staff to wear masks.

The exception will be transportation. Students, drivers, coaches and other staff must wear masks while on buses and vans.

Lorain County Health Commissioner David Covell has said he wants to see universal masking this fall for Michael students and staff who are not eligible Molnar to be vaccinated, or have opted not to get shots. He lacks the authority to require it, though, so it’s up to each district to choose their path.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and American Academy of Pediatrics have both also recommended mandatory masking policies.

So far, no public schools in Lorain County have announced they’ll choose that route.

Sayers said he respects varying opinions, but families should be the ones to decide whether they want their children to mask up.

“We think it’s so important to be a place where people come together, and we provide hope. We provide perspective and we provide optimism,” he said.

The district has also discontinued its option for students to learn fully online. The eCampus model was used last year for those families that did not feel comfortable sending children to school in person.

“We think returning to a five-day week with in-person instruction for all of our students is the best thing for BACK TO SCHOOL PAGE A2

Submit items to news@LCnewspapers.com

Volume 8, Issue 32

Developer wants old school IRG moves to get old South Amherst Middle School for $1 JASON HAWK EDITOR

SOUTH AMHERST — Justin Lichter, the developer who has tried for years to make headway building million-dollar homes at the former Cleveland Quarries, is now making a play to take ownership of South Amherst Middle School.

The Firelands Schools will no longer need the 111-year-old building next year. When its new $23 million high school opens

on Vermilion Road, there will be enough room for the all of the district’s students to attend classes on the Henrietta Township campus.

South Amherst Village Council has already unanimously turned down an offer to buy the old middle school on Route 113 for $1.

There are problems with asbestos and lead, but the biggest hang-up revolves around the building’s aging septic system, Council members said in a meeting Monday night.

Lichter, who serves as vice president of California-based Industrial Realty Group, said he understands the village’s position — but he's asking it to reconsider.

“I don’t disagree with it. It is a

Jason Hawk | Amherst News-Times

Justin Lichter, vice president of Industrial Realty Group, pitches a deal to South Amherst Village Council that would allow him to take ownership of South Amherst Middle MIDDLE SCHOOL PAGE A3 School.

Down on the farm

Photos by Angelo Angel | Wellington Enterprise

A salute to farmers and agriculture was the focus of Main Street Wellington’s First Fridays event Aug. 6. It featured a tractor parade through the village’s historical downtown and a petting farm near Beriswill Insurance on Depot Street. First Fridays are held monthly to promote the Wellington business community. ABOVE: Elizabeth Henry and her son, four-year-old Luke.

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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

▲ Four-year-old Evee Baker feeds the goats. ► Brandi McCraw holds her chicken, Ginger, at the petting farm event near Depot Street.

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Amherst

Oberlin

Wellington

Ground broken on new patriotic art wall • B1

Phoenix to play home football games at Oberlin College • B1

Fire district receives grant for command center • B1

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

Page A2

Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021

Lorain County Community Guide

When does school start?

The start of the new school year is just around the corner. Here’s when the doors open at schools across Lorain County: • Avon — Thursday, Aug. 26 for grades 1-12 and Monday, Aug. 30 for prekindergarten and kindergarten • Avon Lake — Tuesday, Aug. 24 for grades 1-12 and Thursday, Aug. 26 for kindergarten • Clearview — Wednesday, Aug. 18 for grades 1-12. Kindergartners with last names starting with A-L will report Monday, Aug. 23, and those with last names starting with M-Z will report Tuesday, Aug. 24. The first day for all kindergartners will be Wednesday, Aug. 25 • Columbia — Tuesday, Aug. 31 for grades 1-12 and Wednesday, Sept. 8 for prekindergarten and kindergarten • Elyria — Tuesday, Sept. 7 for all students • Firelands — Tuesday, Aug. 31 for grades 1-6 and 9; Wednesday, Sept. 1 for grades 7, 8, 10, 11 and 12; and Friday, Sept. 3 for kindergarten • Keystone — Monday, Aug. 30 for 1-12 and Tuesday, Sept. 7 for kindergarten • Lorain — Wednesday, Aug. 18 for kindergartners with last names that start with A-L, sixth grade and ninth grade; Thursday, Aug. 19 for preschoolers with last names that start with A-L, kindergartners with last names that start with M-Z, seventh grade and 10th grade; Friday, Aug. 20 for preschoolers with last names that start with M-Z, all kindergartners, all middle-schoolers and high-schoolers; and Monday, Aug. 23 for all prekindergartners • Lorain County JVS — Monday, Aug. 30 for all students • Midview — Tuesday, Sept. 7 for grades 1-12; Monday, Sept. 13 for kindergarten; and Tuesday, Sept. 14 for prekindergarten • North Ridgeville — Thursday, Aug. 19 for grades 1-12 and Tuesday, Aug. 24 for preschool and kindergarten • Oberlin — Monday, Aug. 30 for all students • Sheffield-Sheffield Lake — Wednesday, Aug. 25 for grades 1-12; Monday, Aug. 30 for kindergarten; and Tuesday, Aug. 31 for preschool • Vermilion — Wednesday, Aug. 25 for grades 1-12; Thursday, Aug. 26 for kindergarten girls and Friday, Aug. 27 for kindergarten boys; full kindergarten and preschool on Monday, Aug. 30 • Wellington — Thursday, Sept. 2 for all students

OBITUARIES Cindy L. Irish Cindy L. Irish, 63, of Rochester, died Sunday, Aug. 1, 2021, at Keystone Pointe in LaGrange. Born on Aug. 19, 1957, in New London, she was the daughter of the late Maurice and Doris (nee Dangler) Irish.

Cindy was a 1975 graduate of Wellington High School and later obtained a bachelor’s degree from Ashland University. Cindy worked for Forest City for many years and then for Harry Roland Jr. Trucking. She served as the secretary for the Huntington AmVets Post and compiled the newsletter for the Wellington Alumni Association.

Cindy was an avid reader and book hoarder. She enjoyed traveling to the lake and going to local wineries and breweries. Cindy cherished her cats and was an avid Ohio State, Cleveland Indians and Cleveland Browns fan. She also loved playing softball in her earlier years. Most of all, she loved to spend time with her nieces, nephews and great-nieces and nephews.

Survivors include her sisters, Mary Jane Cowie of Rochester and Connie (Dave) Samay of Amherst and her nieces and nephews, Chris Cowie of Indiana, Shawn (Trey) Cowie of Michigan, Randy (Tiffany) Cowie of Rochester, Alisha (Scott) Wilson of LaGrange, Brad (Tracey) Lacko of Amherst, Heather Irish of Washington DC, Andrew Irish of Delaware and Ethan (Shandra) Irish of Medina.

Cindy was preceded in death by her parents, Maurice and Doris Irish; foster parents, Frank and Jane Clara; aunt, Edith Irish; brother, Maurice Irish, Jr.; niece, Angela Lacko and great-nephew, Tyler Lacko.

A private family graveside will take place at Rochester Evergreen Cemetery. A celebration of life will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be directed to the Wellington Alumni Association.

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

JANET KAY MILLER (nee Kenyon), 76, of Amherst, passed away Thursday, Aug. 5, 2021, at Mercy Regional Medical Center in Lorain. Arrangements by Hempel Funeral Home.

PAUL DAVID KOLENDA, 53, of Palm Bay, Florida, formerly of Amherst, passed away, Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2021. Arrangements by Hempel Funeral Home.

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BACK TO SCHOOL

FROM A1 our district,” Sayers said.

“We don’t know how the future will unfold. We understand that there may be some families that have a concern with that.”

There doesn’t seem to be much demand for a fullyonline option to continue, he said.

Assistant Superintendent Michael Molnar said the

eCampus program was successful. The best environment for students to learn and grow socially and emotionally is a physical classroom, he said.

Both administrators praised the work teachers did last year. They found new and creative ways to reach students, and some of those techniques will stay in use.

“Many people talk about last year as a lost year. We don’t see it that way. We see it as, we became an even better school district,” Sayers said.

Now the Amherst Schools are investing federal funding in additional personnel. The Board of Education has hired a part-time social worker, another guidance counselor, a

dean of students, two literacy coaches and a math coach, said Molnar.

Pandemic relief funding approved by Congress is helping to keep the district financially healthy, said Sayers. Its five-year projections show no shortfalls, assuming voters keep two renewal levies on the books.

Steele High School A little more than a quarter of Amherst high-schoolers learned from home last year and will be returning to in-person instruction for the first time since March 13, 2020.

“The most important thing, I think, will just be building those relationships again,” said Principal Joe Tellier. “Our halls our going to be a little fuller.”

He said he hopes the year will be back to almost normal. That starts with getting rid of the “monster” 2.5-hour class blocks used for scheduling during the pandemic — now Steele is back on a traditional 50-minute schedule.

Doing so frees up availability for electives, Tellier said.

This year, the high school is introducing some new courses. The crown jewel, he said, is an American Sign Language pilot in partnership with the Ohio School for the Deaf.

Nine students have made a two-year commitment to learn to sign in a hybrid program. Its online component will see Amherst kids team up with peers in Olmsted Falls for virtual lessons with

an instructor in Columbus.

A mathematics modeling and reasoning course has also been introduced. It’s the equivalent of an Algebra II credit, Joe Tellier but focuses on using real life situations as the basis for teaching critical thinking skills. Tellier said students may be challenged to think about the logistics of a construction site, for example, puzzling out a new building’s footprint and all the materials and budgeting needed to complete it.

When it comes to core subjects, Tellier said there is no doubt the pandemic caused the pace of learning to slow. However, most Advanced Placement students thrived, according to spring test results.

For those students who need additional help regaining lost ground, Steele will launch a program called

Comet Academy. It will help students recover credits, providing tutors for at-risk learners through a partnership with the Educational Service Center of Lorain County.

Math will be a big focus for all students, said Tellier, since it requires practice. “From an academic standpoint, we hope to get back to the basics,” he said.

Entering his fourth year as principal, Tellier said he wants to see the halls full again, and is eager to have them learning under Steele’s roof.

“As great as our teachers did, and as great as our students and parents did, getting them back in face-toface learning is a good thing,” he said.

Outside of the school day, he said it will be nice to see spectators fill bleachers once more at Comets athletics events.

Restrictions last year caused the district to use online ticketing, and Tellier said it turned out to be a very useful tool that will be kept in use.

Gibson said his staff will be watching for signs of fatigue among those kids. Getting back in the swing of the “get up and go to school” routine may be tough, he said.

Andrew About 850 stuGibson dents are expected to learn under the AJHS roof. Gibson said he’s aware that could change at any time, though — as COVID-19 cases increase again, one phone call from Lorain County Health Commissioner David Covell or a press conference by Gov. Mike DeWine could change everything.

Kids are resilient and deal with change well, he said. But staff need to be ready to shift gears at a moment’s notice, and need to be aware of how another disruption could cause anxiety among students.

For now, the junior high is cautiously moving ahead under the assumption the fall semester will be more or less normal. That means going back to traditional 52-minute periods, and bringing back most electives, which were scrapped last year.

“I want people to know that we’re excited to have everybody back and we’re doing everything we can to make this a safe place both physically and mentally for their kids,” said Gibson. “That’s the most important thing for me.”

Jiovanazzo said many already got back in the swing of things by attending a three-hoursa-day summer session open to all kids.

Academically, the Jill focus this year will Jiovanazzo be on strengthening writing and math skills, she said.

Daily start and end times have shifted slightly at Nord. The first bell will now ring 10 minutes earlier, at 8:30 a.m.

The school’s bookbag policy is also

changing. Last year, students were allowed to carry their bags, which helped cut down on time spent in hallways and possible transmission of COVID. This year, lockers will once again be used, and kids will be expected to stow their bags there.

Visitors were also locked out of the school last year due to the virus. Now Jiovanazzo said she’s looking forward to opening the doors to parent volunteers and hoping the PTO grows.

“I just think that we’re really excited to have all of our students back in a more traditional format this year, and hopefully see more of their faces,” she said.

entire playground has been resurfaced. Teppner said the subsurface had not been installed correctly.

Academically, not much will have to change — the Brian district’s youngest Teppner students will focus on fundamentals, and they are incredible adaptable to change.

Teppner said K-3 students last year had no trouble at all wearing masks, and many didn’t bother taking them off outside during breaks. “It became a part of the system, a part of their daily lives,” he said.

Where his students need support is

with their social and emotional needs, said Teppner. An additional counselor has joined the staff, and classes will each draft their own “charter” agreements about how kids should act every day to feel productive and successful.

The school day has been shifted 15 minutes later this year for transportation considerations. It will now start at 8:50 a.m. and end at 3:30 p.m.

New areas have been designated on the north and south sides of the building for parents to drop off walkers. They are intended as a security measure so that large numbers of adults don’t have access to open doorways.

All students who are able to ride the bus to school are encouraged to do so, said Teppner. Construction is not yet complete on Milan Avenue, and there are concerns about traffic jams.

Amherst Junior High Getting sixth-, seventh- and eighthgraders back on track after a tumultuous 2020-2021 won’t be easy, said Principal Andrew Gibson.

Nor does he think there is one surefire solution that will help all learners catch up by next summer: “We’re not going to get to the end of the school year and have every student be in the perfect spot.”

But Amherst Junior High teachers will do everything in their power to meet students where they’re at, and to help them progress without being overwhelmed, said Gibson.

A large portion of junior high students went fully online last year, and will be making the transition back to in-person learning.

Nord Middle School Inside the walls at Nord last year, the daily routine was pretty typical for fourth- and fifth-graders, said Principal Jill Jiovanazzo.

“I think we’re really hoping students experience the same things they experienced last year, if they choose to, without a mask,” she said.

Aside from a lot of breaks and cleaning to keep students safe, the biggest difference was lowered in-person attendance.

Now the middle school is getting ready to welcome back those students who went fully online through Amherst’s eCampus program, which will bring total enrollment to about 580.

Powers Elementary The new Powers Elementary School on South Lake Street opened just a couple of months before COVID-19 reared its head. Now Principal Brian Teppner is hoping to have his first full school year with all students under the same roof.

It will be “a bit like a grand opening” when the doors open to first- and second-graders on Thursday, Aug. 19, and to kindergartners on Wednesday, Aug. 25, he said.

Some issues have been corrected this summer. Though Powers was opened in January 2020, replacement sinks have already been installed — the original sinks were designed in a way that caused water to splash everywhere and gave rise to concerns about leaks, Teppner said.

On the north side of the school, the

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Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021

Lorain County Community Guide

Page A3

Amherst chief’s lawyer criticizes city consultant JASON HAWK EDITOR

AMHERST — Police Chief Joseph Kucirek has retained a lawyer after being placed on indefinite paid administrative leave in late July.

The chief has not been formally accused of any wrongdoing, but remains barred from the police station during an investigation into complaints about his leadership style.

They came to light when Mayor Mark Costilow and Safety Service Director John Jeffries commissioned a “climate assessment” of the Amherst Police Department by LMS Consulting of Beavercreek.

Kucirek’s attorney, Jonathan Rosenbaum, said in an email Friday that he questions consultant Cindy LeBrun’s qualifications to evaluate a police department, “the authority she relies upon to support her conclusions, her methods and her conclusions.”

“It appears that the city of Amherst paid $38,000 to an ‘expert’ who has no expertise or experience in the management or evaluation of police departments, may not have a college degree and certainly does not have a four-year degree, has a mentor who is a televangelist and devotes a portion of her professional life to selling Amway in order to second guess a 33-year police veteran who was selected as the best candidate to be chief through the civil service process,” he said.

Costilow said he was satisfied with LeBrun’s qualifications.

“This isn’t about people with expertise about police departments themselves.

The work environment is the work environment,” he said.

According to LinkedIn, LeBrun worked at credit unions and financial organizations from 1986 to 2020. During that time,

she served as an assistant manager, mortgage officer, vice president of member services, director of member services, assistant vice president of branch operations and chief operations manager for various institutions.

She graduated from the Credit Union National Association Management School in 1993. The school was founded in cooperation with the University of Wisconsin-Madison “with the goal of helping credit unions develop future leaders and a leadership pipeline to their fullest potential,” according to its website.

LeBrun’s LinkedIn profile says she is a certified John Maxwell consultant. Maxwell is a Wesleyan megachurch minister and author of books on leadership and entrepreneurship. The John Maxwell Team offers training seminars that typically last a few days and can cost thousands of dollars.

Those who attend are certified to “coach, teach and speak to any individual, to any company and to any organization, anywhere in the world, using the proven Maxwell Method including John C. Maxwell’s curriculum, products and books,” according to the company.

In a brief phone conversation, Rosenbaum indicated he does not think either the CUNA or Maxwell training are sufficient qualifications for LeBrun to assess the Amherst Police Department.

“The city’s expert did not interview Chief Kucirek as she promised to do and did not check to see if discipline was fairly handed out to those she interviewed,” he added in his written statement. “Nor did she make any effort to verify whether other police departments in the area are losing officers. In short it appears the climate survey was not fair, properly done, or verified.”

Reached by phone Friday,

LeBrun declined to comment on her qualifications or answer questions about any ties to Amway, which sells health, beauty and home care products. The multilevel-marketing company has been investigated by the Federal Trade Commission for allegedly engaging in pyramid scheme practices, but has never been found guilty, instead settling suits by paying tens of millions of dollars.

To compile her assessment, LeBrun talked to current and former Amherst Police Department employees about the work environment in a series of in-person and phone interviews.

The result: A majority of staff identified Kucirek as the source of aggravation and low morale.

“According to the staff, the chief of police leads by intimidation and fear," the LMS Consulting report said. "He threatens to take things away and will target staff that gets in his way. He uses video equipment and car tracker devices to 'spy' on the staff. It is believed that the roll call room has a voice recorder, and the chief has access to monitor all equipment from home.

He is perceived as being vindictive, inflexible and close-minded."

The consulting firm was hired on a 12-month contract to not only assess the situation at the police department, but monitor it and identify ways to improve the climate there, Costilow said.

“We purposefully searched for somebody unfamiliar with Amherst and unfamiliar with the Amherst Police Department,” he said — the purpose was to find someone to give an unbiased view of the situation.

Jeffries found and recommended LMS Consulting, Costilow said. After an interview by the mayor, the city agreed to pay a total of $36,500 in two installments for her services.

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Councilman Jed Willis said if South Amherst is in the chain of title, it could end up in the Environmental Protection Agency’s sights for costly abatement.

Lichter proposed drawing up an agreement that would give IRG the deed without South Amherst’s name being involved.

But if for some reason IRG’s best efforts were to never come to fruition, the middle school could still end up as a white elephant property, Leshinski said — and the last thing he wants is to see it boarded up, with plants growing out through the windows.

The village has been stung by promises of development before, after all. “Some of us were here for Trans European prior to IRG,” said Councilman Robert James, referencing the early 2000s plans by a British investor to spend $2 billion to turn the quarries into a resort.

Those plans never materialized.

Leshinski said South Amherst needs new money. It has only a handful of businesses, none of them particularly large, and will also lose the income tax revenue generated by the middle school when it closes. And because “Amazon isn’t knocking on the door to build a fulfillment center,” the village has to watch its spending closely, he said.

“We have to look at the financial responsibilities, and that’s where we’re stuck,” said Councilman David Troike.

The village agreed to have its law director look into a property transfer that would limit liability risks. But it doesn’t have time to waste if it wants to IRG to a shot at giving South Amherst Middle School a second life.

The Firelands Board of Education’s $1 offer comes with an Aug. 17 deadline, according to village Records Clerk Laurie Beran.

She clarified that if it moves forward, the deal would include the main portion of the building and the gymnasium, as well as a parking lot on the west side of the property.

Not included in the deal: a kindergarten facility, ball fields and southern parking lot.

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MIDDLE SCHOOL

FROM A1 lot of liability,” he said. “There would be a lot of money that would need to be sunk into the property to make use of it.”

But IRG is no stranger to buying old properties that need work. In 2006, the company purchased the former Lorain Ford Assembly Plant on Baumhart Road. It transformed the former BF Goodrich rubber plant property in Akron into a bustling shopping center called Canal Place. It invested more than $200 million into the defunct McClellan Air Force Base in Sacramento and turned it into an industrial hub.

And, as South Amherst Council members pointed out Monday, the company has failed to work the same magic at the town’s old sandstone pits, where Lichter has been trying to get luxury housing going since 2008.

Lichter said he doesn’t have solid plans for South Amherst Middle School. The appeal for him seems to be tied up in its wastewater treatment plant.

A lack of sewers has dogged IRG’s efforts to build homes at the nearby quarries, he told Council. County officials have been holding the company “hostage” to share the cost of sewers, Lichter said, and the school’s plant could be just the leverage he needs.

The school itself would be icing on the cake. With “the bones it has, it’s a good multiuse building” that could be used as a community center or assisted living facility, he suggested to Mayor David Leshinski.

“Anything’s possible, depending on how the utilities tie together,” he said.

What South Amherst officials don’t want, Lichter said, is for Firelands to put the building up for public auction, which appears to be the next step if the $1 hand-off to the village falls through.

A buyer could easily use the building for salvage, partially demolishing it to get at valuable copper and steel and leaving school’s skeleton standing there to deteriorate, he said.

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Page A4

Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021

Lorain County Community Guide

NATIONAL NIGHT OUT

$224,000 grant for MHARS will boost crisis response teams JASON HAWK EDITOR

Photos by Bruce Bishop | Wellington Enterprise

ABOVE: Rylee McClellan of Wellington tries on a free bike helmet given by the Wellington Kiwanis. Brian Burke, Wellington Kiwanis Club treasurer, helped her find the one that fit just right. Helmets were just one of the things keeping people busy at the village’s National Night Out, part of an effort across the country to connect police with local residents.

RIGHT: Flags frame the action near Wellington Town Hall, where folks gathered to spend time with police officers and other safety personnel.

Senate candidate Tim Ryan talks education in teachers’ roundtable LAINA YOST THE CHRONICLE-TELEGRAM

AMHERST TWP. — U.S. Senate candidate and current U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan visited Amherst on Monday for a roundtable with local teachers to discuss education initiatives.

In an interview afterward, Ryan, a Democrat, said the roundtable was meant to hear educators' concerns and desires. He said it’s part of a broader agenda for economic growth.

Ryan said the U.S. is in competition with China as the country rebuilds its economy. He said a large part of preparing workers is a commitment to public education.

From the roundtable, Ryan said it’s clear that the resources from the federal stimulus bills helped ensure teachers didn’t get laid off. He said some of it also went toward hiring more counselors in schools to help with mental health issues.

He said it’s critical that there’s an investment in getting kids mental health services and appropriate nutrition.

Ryan is also trying to bring back shop class through legislation. He wants to shed the idea that everyone has to go college, but instead give them offerings that teach skills.

The federal government has a responsibility to make sure that schools have the resources they need, Ryan said. That includes broadband access, which is a part of the current infrastructure bill, which the Senate is moving to pass soon.

“You can’t have kids going to McDonald’s to download their homework because their school doesn’t have access to adequate technology,” he said. “Again, it gets back to the basic premise that I started with.

We’re in very stiff competition with China. And my estimation there’s only one way to win it.”

If the U.S. is going to out compete with China, Ryan said the country has to make a bigger investment in education and the students.

There’s also an over-reliance on school testing, which Ryan said has taken away the art form of teaching. He said people are beginning to recognize that the reliance on tests aren’t working because there’s more to education than a score.

Ryan said there still needs to be an assessment of students to see where they are, but that schools also need additional resources for tutoring, smaller classroom sizes and afterschool programs.

Outside influences, like a bad home life or the loss of jobs, impact a student's ability to learn. Ryan

said the federal government has to make sure education is funded while also creating a healthy environment outside of school.

“These are difficult problems that we have to have adult conversations about and then figure out how we fix them,” he said. “I’m not saying you just throw money at the problem, but in some cases more resources are needed.”

With COVID-19 and its impact on education, Ryan said students have also fallen behind in learning over the past year. What that means is doubling the commitment to make sure students don’t continue to fall behind.

“That should be a bipartisan issue,” Ryan said. “That shouldn’t be a Democrat or Republican issue...

We’ve got to make sure we’re making these investments that make sure our kids can keep up.”

Ryan is the only Democratic candidate so far in the race to replace current Republican Sen. Rob Portman in 2022. Six Republicans have officially entered the race — former Ohio Republican Party Chair Jane Timken, former Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel, Cleveland investment banker Mike Gibbons, luxury car dealer Bernie Moreno, author and venture capitalist JD Vance, and businessman Mark Pukita.

LORAIN — A $224,368 grant will help strengthen round-the-clock emergency response when troubled youth are in crisis.

The money comes from the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and will help boost efforts by the Mental Health, Addiction and Recovery Services Board of Lorain County.

When families reach out for help, MHARS dispatches teams of social workers within the hour.

They can help in incidents involving suicidal thoughts, intimidating or threatening behavior and other situations that could lead to harm, said MHARS Board Executive Director Michael Doud.

The “mobile response stabilization services” are an alternative to calling the police, he said, and cut down on emergency room visits and patient admissions.

“This grant will allow us to reach youth and their families with critical services when and where they are most urgently needed,” Doud said. “It is an important addition to our toolbelt to ensure we improve our crisis response in Lorain County.”

There’s no exhaustive list for when MHARS’ social workers can be called into action. When families and caretakers think there’s a risk for a person up to age 21, they can call the 24/7 crisis line at (800) 888-6161 and the agency will help decide the best course.

The goal is to de-escalate the situation in the least restrictive setting possible, according to a release from MHARS. In some cases, that may mean temporarily taking them to a safe environment where the issue can be resolved.

“The goal of this program is to intercede before urgent behavioral situations become unmanageable emergencies,” Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services Director Lori Criss said in a written statement.

“This expansion will allow us to engage young people and their families immediately to de-escalate a crisis and provide local stabilization services that help keep them safe and healthy in their own homes and communities.”

The Lorain County grant award was one of eight across the state.

Gov. Mike DeWine said the funding is an investment in meeting the needs of children and families.

“While nobody can predict when and where a mental health crisis will occur, Ohio’s (mobile response stabilization services) program represents an important first line of defense in providing timely access to services, improving outcomes for children and families, and reducing burdens on law enforcement and emergency departments,” he said.

CLASSIFIEDS SALES GARAGE SALE WELLINGTON Annual Cragle/Heckert huge garage sale.

Sat-Sun. 9-4 17418 & 17410 Hallauer Rd. Doll clothes for Barbie & Cabbage Patch.

Lots of stuff, too many treasures to list.

LEGALS NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS Please be advised that Lorain City Council will host public hearing on Monday, September 13, 2021 in the Lorain City Council Chamber at 200 West Erie Ave., Lorain, Ohio. The hearing will commence at 5:30 p.m. to discuss the following item: ZCA-13-2021 - Application to rezone PPN: 02-00-093-103004 @ 329 E. 21st St., Phillip Atkinson is the applicant.

The Lorain City Planning Commission met on August 4, 2021 and recommend approval of the item above to Lorain City Council. Copies of all documentation related to this proposal will be on file for public inspection in the Office of the Clerk of Council, 200 West Erie Avenue, Lorain, Ohio. Please contact Nancy_ Greer@cityoflorain.org for additional information.

NANCY GREER, CMC L.C.C.G. 8/12-19/21 20687719

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING ON A PETITION TO VACATE A PORTION OF REGINA AVENUE (60 FT. IN WIDTH) FROM THE SOUTH LINE OF SUBLOTS 123 AND 303 OF THE FALBO SUBDIVISION NORTHERLY A DISTANCE OF 20 FEET. Notice is hereby given that on July 16, 2021, Lorain City Council received a petition to vacate a portion of Regina Avenue (60 ft. in width) from the south line of sublots 123 and 303 of the Falbo Subdivision northerly a distance of 20 feet. The signed frontage on the petition was certified by the Lorain City Engineer to represent one-hundred percent of the frontage between the points named and one hundred percent of the frontage owning lots in the immediate vicinity, and/or abutting the portion of the street prayed to be vacated or have an interest in said street.

As required by Chapter 723 of the Ohio Revised Code, Lorain City Council will hold a public hearing on this matter on Monday, August 23, 2021 @ 5 p.m. in Lorain City Council Chamber, First Floor City Hall, 200 West Erie Avenue, Lorain, Ohio, The petition, maps and any other documention pertaining to this matter are on file for

examination and inspection by the general public during normal business hours in the Clerk of Council Office, City Hall First Floor, 200 West Erie Avenue, Lorain, Ohio.

N. Greer, CMC L.C.C.G. 7/22-29; 8/5-1219-26/21 20686588

LEGAL NOTICE Nora Everett, Defendant, whose last known address is 4070 Abbe Rd. Sheffield Village, Ohio 44055 ADDRESS, is hereby notified that Rollin Everett Jr., Plaintiff, has filed his Complaint for Divorce on DATE, captioned Everett vs. Everett, CASE NO. 21DR088943, against her in the Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division, Lorain County Justice Center, 225 Court Street, Elyria, Ohio, Lorain County, Ohio, asking for Divorce, on the grounds of INCOMPATIBILITY. Said Defendant is required to serve upon the Plaintiff, a copy of an answer to the Complaint within twenty-eight (28) days after service of the publication of this notice. Your answer must thereafter be filed with the Court within three (3) days after the service of a copy of the answer on Plaintiff and that the case will be set for hearing on or after the 1 th day of September, 2021, at 10 o'clock A.m.

Rollin J. Everett Jr. L.C.C.G. 7/8-15-22-29; 8/5-12/21 20685682

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Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021

Lorain County Community Guide

Page A5

Nonpartisan candidates file for fall races JASON HAWK and DAVE O’BRIEN

A last-minute rush of filings means a full slate for many of the nonpartisan races on Lorain County’s fall ballot.

Candidates stepped forward with petitions before last Wednesday’2 4 p.m. deadline at the Board of Elections in Sheffield Township, making for interesting developments in many area city and village council, township trustee and school board races this November.

The filings mark a departure from recent election years, when local races have often lacked challengers, resulting in a less democratic process with little chance for change, or a number of open seats that ended up being appointed.

Last week’s additions do not reflect contests between Democrats and Republicans in cities where parties vie for seats.

Those races were already determined in the spring primary.

OBERLIN CITY COUNCIL Seven candidates filed to run for seven open seats, which means representatives for 2022 and 2023 are fairly well set.

But there will be some turnover. Council President Linda Slocum is not seeking re-election; nor is Mary Price, who will bow out after a single term.

“I decided that now would be a good time to leave,” Slocum said. “We’ve accomplished so much while I’ve been on Coun-

cil, and this past year despite COVID. I think we’re moving in the right direction.”

Incumbents Heather Adelman, Ray English, Elizabeth Meadows, Kristin Peterson and Kelley Singleton all filed to serve another term.

Barring unforeseen circumstances, former Councilman Bryan Burgess will make a return. He bowed out two years ago due to Oberlin’s 10-year term limit, and currently serves as chair of the city Planning Commission.

Also taking a seat will be newcomer Eboni Johnson, outreach and programming librarian at Oberlin College’s Mary Church Terrell Main Library.

She currently serves as chair of the city’s Human Relations Commission.

SOUTH AMHERST COUNCIL Eight candidates are seeking four seats: On the ballot are Dennis Burdue, Robert James, Michele Jeffers, Scott Jones, Stuart Jones, Rosemary Leshinski, Jeanne Maschari and Jerri Leigh Siss.

Mark Leshinski is running unopposed for a seat on the Board of Public Affairs.

WELLINGTON COUNCIL William Bogan, Gene Hartman and Keith Rowland are all seeking to keep their jobs as Wellington village councilmen for another four years — but they have challengers. Stephen Boham and Gary Feron are

also in the running for the three open seats on the fall ballot.

AMHERST SCHOOL BOARD Three Amherst Board of Education seats are up for grabs.

Incumbents Teresa Gilles, Valerie Neidert and Ronald Yacobozzi will face challenges from Amanda Messer, Morgan Wachholz and Mike Witte.

FIRELANDS SCHOOL BOARD Incumbents Bob Danicki, Ben Gibson and Dan Pycraft also have challengers in a fiveway race for three seats. Ellen Gundersen and Kenneth Nodes have thrown their hats in the ring.

OBERLIN SCHOOL BOARD Five candidates will vie for three open seats on the Oberlin Board of Education. Current board President Jason Williams is not among them.

Incumbent Farah Emeka, who was appointed in June 2020 to fill a vacancy following the resignation of former President Albert Borroni, will seek election to the post for the first time.

Ronnie Rimbert, who spent decades on Oberlin City Council, is making a bid for the school board, as are newcomers Samuel Baker, Rosa Gadsden and JoAnne Steggall.

In a separate vote, incumbent Anne Schaum will take the seat left last fall by former board member Deon Regis. Kimberly Jackson Davidson was appoint-

ed to the position last fall, but a special election is required to round out the rest of the term through the end of 2023 — and Davidson is not pursuing the job.

WELLINGTON SCHOOL BOARD A seven-way race is underway for three Wellington Board of Education seats.

President Brett Murner, longtime member Ayers Ratliff and 2017 write-in winner Penny McClafflin are all looking to secure another term. The full field includes challengers Mike Davidson, Jennifer Kazmierczak, Kelly Keith and Phillip Mohrman.

OTHER RACES Here are filings of note in the Community Guide’s main coverage area of western Lorain County: • Kipton: Five candidates are running for four seats on Village Council. They are Karol Cornelius, Nick DiFrancesco, Kathleen Ross, Cindy Wiles and John Yakunovich.

• Rochester: Running unopposed for four seats on Village Council are Pat Garska, Andy Kurpely, Matthew Livingston and Debra Martin.

• Amherst Township: Incumbents Dennis Abraham and Neil Lynch are the candidates for two trustee seats.

• Brighton Township: Craig Norton and Steve Urbansky are the candidates for two trustee seats. No one filed to run for

GED and adult diploma info sessions at LCCC Lorain County Community College will host information sessions for its free Aspire GED Prep and 22+ Adult Diploma programs from 6-7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 19 at the Spitzer Conference Center (also accessible virtually via Zoom) and from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 20 at the LCCC Lorain Learning Center at City Center.

“Lorain County has approximately 18,000 working-age adults who have not completed a high school diploma or equivalent,” said Mary Murphy, manager of Adult Success Initiatives. “Adults without a high school diploma are at a disadvantage when competing for Ohio’s in-demand jobs or participating in advanced training opportunities.”

The GED prep program offers day, evening and virtual options that

prepare students to take the GED test.

Starting this fall, Aspire GED participants can earn in-demand industry credentials in customer service or manufacturing while working toward their GED. Classes are offered at locations throughout the county, including: • The LCCC main campus, 1005 North Abbe Rd., Elyria, where childcare is available.

• The LCCC Lorain Learning Center, City Center at 201 West Erie Ave., Lorain.

• OhioMeansJobs Lorain County, 42495 North Ridge Road, Elyria.

• The Lorain County JVS, 15181 State Route 58, Pittsfield Township.

• Second Baptist Church of Elyria, 427 Chapman Lane, Elyria.

• Lorain County Urban League, 200 Middle Ave. Suite 200, Elyria.

• Lorain Public Library Main Branch, 351 West 6th St., Lorain.

The 22+ Adult Diploma Program offers online classes and support for individuals ages 22 and older who have not yet received their diploma.

Students complete their remaining high school credits online and must pass any Ohio Graduation Tests they may still need to complete. Those who complete the program will earn a diploma from their local school districts.

Tutors, coaches and other support is available. For more information, visit www.lorainccc.edu/22plus.

Register for an information session at www.tinyurl.com/Lcdiplomas.

For more information visit www. lorainccc.edu/ged or call the Aspire office at (440) 366-4530.

the township’s unexpired fiscal officer position by last Wednesday's deadline.

• Brownhelm Township: Four candidates are running for two seats on the Board of Trustees.

Greg Butchko, Bill McCourt, Tom Rini and Kevin Sorrell are seeking election.

• Camden Township: James Hozalski and Gus Ristas are the candidates for two trustee seats.

• Henrietta Township: Ronald Bauman and Joseph Knoble are the candidates for two trustee seats.

• Huntington Township: Jed Lamb and Walter Rollin are the candidates for two trustee seats.

• New Russia Township: Patti Brubaker, Jack Hoyt and R. Scott Justin are seeking two seats on the Board of Trustees.

• Penfield Township: Richard Conrad and Duane Johnson are the candidates for two trustee seats.

• Pittsfield Township: Mark McConnell and Forrest Mohrman are the candidates for two trustee seats.

• Rochester Township: Gary Landis and Adam Mourton are the two candidates for two trustee seats.

• Wellington Township: David Fisher, Fred Pitts and Amy Sword are the three candidates for two seats on the Board of Trustees.

• Black River Board of Education: Alexis Honoshofsky, Andrea Owen Shearer and Daniel Sexton are the three candidates for two seats on the Black River school board.

Tyson to give away 40,000 pounds of meat AMHERST — Tyson Foods will donate upward of 40,000 pounds of food to the local community Saturday, Aug. 14 at Amherst Junior High School. It will provide more than 1,200 cases of bacon, sausage and lunchmeats in a “COVID-friendly car line” format, according to a press release.

“Tyson Foods is proud to support families in Amherst through its contributions of protein products that will provide nutritious, quality food to the broader community,” it said.

The event will begin at 9 a.m. Any food remaining at noon will go to Second Harvest Food Bank.

Tyson workers will also be on hand to answer questions about job opportunities. The company’s Amherst plant, located on Cooper Foster Park Road, has more than 500 employees and has openings for 250 more.

Tyson announced in July that it has raised the minimum starting wage to $16 per hour.

“Tyson Foods strives to be an employer of choice and ensures team members have the tools and resources they need to be successful, such as regular training, a safe workplace, competitive compensation, benefits, and life skills training,” the press release said.

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

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Page A6

Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021

Lorain County Community Guide

Report shows racial gaps

YWCA forms Racial Equity Center think tank JASON HAWK EDITOR

As a teenager growing up in Sandusky, Jeanine Donaldson became angry when she heard the deferential tone her father took while talking to white people.

“It was always, ‘Yes, sir. No, sir.’ It was embarrassing,” she remembers.

It wasn’t until years later that she understood why his demeanor would dramatically change during those conversations — her father was born in 1912, in the South, and came to maturity at a time when as a Black man he wasn’t even allowed to walk on the same side of the street as a white woman.

His mannerism, formed before the civil rights era, was just a survival mechanism, she realized.

Donaldson said that as a girl she didn’t learn much about her parents’ generation. They were reluctant to talk about the indignities they endured as Black Americans.

“Racism is such a hard conversation,” she said.

It’s one she is pushing ahead with despite the difficulty.

The Elyria YWCA, where Donaldson serves as executive director, has established the Lorain County Racial Equity Center. It’s intended to be a sort of think tank to drive the fight against anti-Black racism, and to gradually help the county’s key players find ways to level the playing field for AfricanAmericans.

The Racial Equity Center won’t focus on programming, said Donaldson. The Lorain County Urban League, NAACP, Lorain County Community College and other groups already have those efforts in hand.

Instead, it will focus on pro-

viding training for YWCA and Antigovernment officials, Hate Task Force organization heads have championed and business leaders over the years, on how to remove the Community biases that have Foundation and become ingrained in Nordson Corporatheir everyday operation Foundation put tions. together $50,000 to The center will also establish the Race create a strategic plan Equity Fund, which to improve conditions will finance the Jeanine and opportunities for think tank.

Donaldson people of color.

Cindy Andrews, “This will be our president at CEO blueprint to decide of the Community how we are doing in Foundation, said Lorain County,” Donher board has emaldson said. braced the tenets of That vision started diversity, inclusion to culminate after the and equity. murder of George “We know we Floyd in early 2020. have the resources Angered by the here to make death of yet another strides in those Black man at the areas,” she said. hands of police, The next step Cindy protesters took to was a meeting Andrews the streets across the last Thursday at nation. There were Common Ground marches in Amherst, Avon, in Henrietta Township — the Elyria, Oberlin and Lorain. coalition’s first in person since City councils in Elyria, Lorain the pandemic began. The agenda and Oberlin, the Lorain County focused on bringing together commissioners, the Mental ideas for addressing systemic Health, Addiction and Recovracism. ery Services Board of Lorain Some of the participants have County, the Community Founbeen doing their homework. dation of Lorain County and Among them, for example, the Lorain County Chamber of is Oberlin City Manager Rob Commerce all passed measures Hillard, who has been holding declaring racism to be a public small-group sessions to hear health crisis. what residents think about social “People, organizations, busiequity. nesses were starting to say how Oberlin Police Chief Ryan they wanted to do things differWarfield, Lorain Police Sgt. Jaently, to look at systemic raccob Morris, Lorain Mayor Jack ism,” said Donaldson.

Bradley, Elyria Mayor Frank And then, a long silence.

Whitfield, Avon Safety DirecThrough the winter and spring, tor Duane Streator, the Rev. while the pandemic raged, A.G. Miller of Oberlin House of work was carried on behind the Lord Fellowship and many the scenes. While Donaldson others are involved in the effort, and company have built on according to Donaldson and the foundation of racial justice Andrews. and advocacy programs the The talks will revolve around

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the core issue of racism, said Donaldson — not individual incidents of hate, but the wider problems underlying gaps in education, policing, crime, life expectancy, economic development and income for people of color.

“We know race is the outlier for all of these issues,” she said.

Yet, as she learned with her father, Donaldson said most people recoil from discussing racism. Many believe they are being singled out and held responsible, just by acknowledging that racism exists.

That isn’t the intention, she said — but she understands why it makes people uncomfortable.

Donaldson said even she continues to be uneasy with the topic, given her family’s experiences.

To fund the Lorain County Racial Equity Center, the YWCA is planning its “Fore Equity” golf outing. It will be held Saturday, Aug. 28 at Forest Hills Golf Course, 41971 Oberlin-Elyria Rd., Elyria.

Donaldson said it will be a low-pressure time for Black and white golfers to get to know each other. And non-golfers can take part in a clinic to learn the basics of the game, said Andrews.

The event will feature a steak fry and music by blues singer Luther Trammell.

Tickets are $50 for the steak fry or $100 for both the meal and golf. To reserve spots, contact the YWCA at (440) 3226308 or contact@elyriaywca. org.

The YWCA will also be one of 65 nonprofits raising cash in the Community Foundation’s Connect to a Cause event from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, Sept.

17. Last year, the event took in $187,000 for local organizations.

For more information, visit www.peoplewhocare.org.

AMHERST — A new report shows the striking differences in how white, Black and Hispanic residents experience life in Lorain County.

Following the murder of George Floyd in Minnesota last year, many state and local governments — including several in Lorain County — declared racism to be a public health crisis.

But Anthony Richardson, director of the Nord Family Foundation in Amherst, said the county lacked a comprehensive analysis to illustrate disparities in education, policing, employment and other areas of life for people of different racial groups.

So the organization financed a six-month study by the Center for Community Solutions to audit the situation.

The findings don’t point any fingers, just lay out the facts — they show wide differences in education, poverty, criminal justice, wealth and employment.

An in-person meeting to go over the results will be held at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 19. Contact Nord Family Foundation Evaluation and Learning Officer Melissa Federman at melissafederman@nordff.org or (440) 984-3939 to RSVP by Thursday, Aug. 12.

A virtual session will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 26 via Zoom.

Register at www.tinyurl. com/NordReport.

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Lorain County Community Guide • Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021

B

Wellington FD gets grant to outfit GoFundMe well-use used emergency center launched for

Amherst officer battling tumor

JASON HAWK EDITOR

WELLINGTON — A check for $11,446 was awarded to Wellington firefighters last Wednesday night to outfit a room that’s seen its fair share of use during large-scale emergencies over the years.

The grant from the Energy Transfer First Responders Fund has already been used to purchase new tables, chairs and a lectern for the Kelly Street fire station’s conference room.

Chief Mike Wetherbee said the space gets a lot of traffic. It’s primarily used for training not only fire personnel but also other area officials.

“In the event of an emergency, this is where folks are coming,” said Christopher Koop. a spokesman for Energy Transfer, which owns about 90,000 miles of pipeline in 38 states. “This is where resources are dispatched from. This is where we aggregate and organize to respond to an emergency.”

Wetherbee knows how important the facility is. In 2012, just after he

JASON HAWK EDITOR

Jason Hawk | Wellington Enterprise

Wellington Fire Chief Mike Wetherbee accepts an oversized check for $11,446 from representatives of Energy Transfer, one of the country's largest energy logistics companies. became chief, a Sunoco petroleum pipeline burst, spilling nearly 90,000 gallons of gas and causing 70 residents to be evacuated.

The room took on an entirely different look in the long days that followed, as representatives from scores of agencies used it to organize a massive response, he said.

“We were in this room for prob-

ably three weeks, until they secured another site for their command center,” Wetherbee remembers.

Sunoco later agreed to pay $990,000 to settle a lawsuit over the spill. The government alleged the company had found a defect in the Forstoria-Hudson pipeline several FIRE GRANT PAGE B2

DOWNTOWN ART INSTALLATION

WELLINGTON — A GoFundMe account has been set up to help cover medical bills as an Amherst police officer battles brain cancer for the second time.

Patrolman Greg Ford, who has been with the department since 2018, is scheduled to undergo surgery Friday, Aug. 13 to remove a brain tumor.

He retired from the Army in 2015 after being diagnosed with stage 2 astrocytoma and having his first brain tumor resected.

“He’s trying his best to make it,” said his mother-in-law, Carlota Derifaj, co-owner of Mad Batter Patry Emporium in Wellington. “But this just took us by surprise. It’s been so hard.”

Opening the bakery in 2019 was a longtime dream for her daughter, Sasha Ford. After closing during the COVID-19 pandemic and reopening in June, Derifaj said they had considered closing again for good when the second brain tumor was discovered.

Instead, family members have rallied to cover shifts and keep the West Herrick Avenue business open while Sasha stays home to care for their three young children.

Addilyn is seven years old, Jayce is two and Gianna is 11 months old, according to the GoFundMe, which was created by Sasha’s sister.

Meanwhile, Greg is in the care of the Cleveland Clinic, Derifaj said.

His second tumor was discovered after he started having seizures, intense pain and headaches, she said — it’s about the size of a baseball. Doctors won’t know Greg’s chances for survival until after his surgery.

Mad Batter is setting aside half of its revenues for his medical costs, and wedding planner Dayna Santiago, a close family friend, is also fundraising in Amherst, said Derifaj.

TUMOR PAGE B2

Jason Hawk | Amherst News-Times

John Sekletar breaks ground Monday, Aug. 9, 2021, on the new Patriots’ Park in downtown Amherst. The art installation will feature new works every year.

Ground broken for Patriots’ Park JASON HAWK EDITOR

AMHERST — Muralists ran out of wall space after painting stirring tributes to those who fought in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan — so they’re simply creating more canvas.

They broke ground Monday on the new Patriots’ Park. It will be built on a small patch of grass next

to the Amherst municipal parking lot on Park Avenue.

When complete, a new $40,000 wall will measuring 68 feet long and 8 feet tall will serve as an outdoor art gallery.

“It represents more than 10 years of work from when the murals originally started in 2010,” said John Sekletar, the chief organizer for the project.

Using a red, white and blue shovel, he broke ground on the park Mon-

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day with the help of contractors Chris Varouh, Todd Morain, Eric Long and Mike Witte.

His son, Mike Sekletar, has been behind the nearby military murals painted over the past decade.

Not all heroes join the service, and patriots come in all shapes and sizes, the younger Sekletar said. He wants the art installation to shed light on people who exemplify the best America has to offer, even if they

don’t serve in uniform.

“It’ll be more everyday people,” he said.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, doctors are at the top of his list.

The Patriots’ Park wall will serve as a rotating gallery. After being on display a full year, they can be purchased by residents or businesses.

To support the project, contact John Sekletar at johnsekletar50@gmail. com or (440) 988-5353.

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Donations are being accepted for Sasha Ford, co-owner of Mad Batter Pastry Emporium in Wellington, and her husband, Amherst police officer Greg Ford. Doctors plan to remove a baseballsized tumor from Greg’s brain.

Phoenix football games will be played at college OBERLIN — The Oberlin Phoenix varsity football team is planning to play its home games at Dick Bailey Field this fall.

Oberlin College has extended an offer allowing the high school team to use the field at the Austin E. Knowlton Athletics Complex for $1,000 per game, according to Treasurer Robert Reinhart.

That contract has not yet gone to a vote by the Oberlin City Schools Board of Education — it’s expected to be on the agenda later this month — but the district has already publicly announced the change of venue.

The Phoenix will open their 2021 season Friday, Aug. 20 on the road against the Plymouth-Shiloh Big Red. The first home game will be Friday, Aug. 27 versus Lutheran East.

The Oberlin High School team’s stadium was dismantled in late 2019 to make way for construction of a new elementary building.

Athletic Director John Carter said the plan had been to play Friday night football at the college, but it was thwarted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Last fall, the Phoenix took their “home” contests east to Elyria High.

"It's great to come back to Oberlin, where we can truly have home games,” said Carter. “It's going to be good for the community, good for the kids.”

The trip is less than a mile across town, he said. While health guidance for the fall is a moving target as new coronavirus cases mount, at the moment it looks like spectators will be allowed to attend at $6 per ticket.

Carter said the team is ready for a more normal

SUBMIT YOUR NEWS TO: NEWS@LCNEWSPAPERS.COM

PHOENIX PAGE B2

Page B2

Glitch causes Amherst water meter battery failures, mass replacements JASON HAWK EDITOR

AMHERST — A large number of water meter batteries are dying across the city, which means the devices aren’t transmitting readings used to calculate monthly bills.

The meters themselves are properly recording water usage, according to Amherst Mayor Mark Costilow.

“The failure has been determined to be in the node that sends the signal over the air to the utility office,” he said in a press release Friday.

The city had virtually all water meters replaced in 2018, though a handful of residents chose to opt out. The radio-read meters allow workers to collect data without visiting each home in person.

The batteries that are failing right now were among the first installed

that year, Costilow said in an interview.

They should have lasted 10 years.

But a glitch in the metering software caused them to never power down, so they burned through the power supply in just three years.

Residents cannot replace these specialized batteries on their own.

The original installers, the Eaton Project Team, is now working with the Utilities Department to fix the problem.

The company will replace nearly all water meter batteries citywide at no charge, Costilow said. So far, 300 new batteries have been delivered, and another 3,000 will ship later this month.

Because of global supply chain issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, another 3,950 batteries aren’t expected to arrive until November.

Only the batteries themselves will

be replaced, Costilow said. The actual meters are still in working condition and will be reprogrammed to remove the glitch that caused the issue.

Eaton may bring in a third party partner to get battery testing and replacement done faster, according to the city’s release. That work will also be done at no cost to local taxpayers.

In the meantime, the Amherst Utilities Department is using prior bills to estimate usage for those customers whose meter batteries have already been depleted, since the actual readings aren’t being sent out.

Bills for affected customers will show they are calculated by estimate. Customers can choose instead to call in their own readings to (440) 988-4224, and the city said the best time to do so is the middle of the month.

College issues $80 million in bonds JASON HAWK EDITOR

OBERLIN — Investors bought $80 million in bonds at the end of July to finance Oberlin College’s four-year geothermal energy conversion project.

Following Stanford University, the Lorain County-based college is now just the second higher-education institution in the United States and third in the world to make use of Certified Climate Bonds for campus construction projects.

The green financing avenue can only be used for projects that align with the Paris Climate Agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to under

Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021

Lorain County Community Guide

2 degrees Celsius compared to temperatures before the age of industrialization.

When put up for sale, the climate bonds attracted bids totaling nearly three times the amount of the offering, according to Oberlin College.

The $80 million sale of bonds will allow the college to fully fund the first phases of its $140 million infrastructure overhaul, which entails digging about 1,100 geothermal wells and laying more than 9 miles of pipe.

The wells will draw water from deep underground, where it rests at a constant temperature, and pump it to Oberlin’s 80 buildings to be used for heating and cooling.

The project replaces the college’s current heat source, which is natural gas. It supplants the old steam system used on campus, which in recent years has experienced increasing leaks, and moves Oberlin College closer to its goal of becoming carbon-neutral by 2025.

Certification by the Climate Bonds Initiative will allow the college to realize “significant savings in borrowing costs, compared to both traditional financing and other green bonds on the market,” it said in a statement.

“Both the CBI certification and the enthusiasm shown by some of the nation’s most prestigious investors serve

as strong endorsements of Oberlin’s Sustainable Infrastructure Program,” said Rebecca VazquezSkillings, vice president for finance and administration at Oberlin College. “The market values our leadership in environmental sustainability and has confidence in our ability to align financial stewardship, environmental innovation, and institutional mission.”

The bonds represent the lowest long-term financing costs the college has ever achieved.

“The SIP is a once-ina-lifetime project that positions Oberlin as a global leader in clean energy,” said Meghan Riesterer, Oberlin’s assistant vice president for campus energy and sustainability.

FOOTBALL ACROSS 1. *Sports analyst, ex-wide receiver Randy 5. Dashboard acronym 8. *Depth of an end zone, in yards 11. Fencing blade 12. Weight not charged for 13. Young hog 15. Witnessed 16. Aroma 17. Nary a soul 18. *Line of ____ 20. Spanish earthen pot 21. Pinocchio and the like 22. Bean house 23. Antonym of descent 26. Cycle taxi 30. Greek “t” 31. 50-50 34. Not happening 35. Newbies 37. Bert Bobbsey’s twin 38. Like a neon sign 39. “Clueless” catch phrase 40. Not a desktop 42. Metal-bearing mineral 43. “Chim Chim Cher-ee” setting 45. Relating to nose 47. Actors’ group 48. Sink hole 50. Golf club handle 52. *3-point score 56. Make a canyon, e.g.

57. Not written 58. Racing sled 59. *”Purple People ____” song, inspiration for Vikings defensive line name 60. Like H. C. Andersen’s duckling 61. Poet Pound 62. *AFC counterpart 63. Dreaming stage of sleep 64. Daytime entertainment DOWN 1. Hodgepodge 2. Oil cartel 3. Palm reader, e.g.

4. Old and mentally infirm 5. Weather-related Doppler tool 6. Programs, for short

Back to school bash

A "Back to School Bash" will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 21 at McCormick Middle School, 627 North Main St., Wellington.

Wellington students in kindergarten through 12th grade and their families are invited to a kick-off celebration for the new school year.

It will include free school supplies, free clothing giveaways, face painting, carnival games, a photo booth and information booths for local organizations. Get teacher lists, class schedules and students entering grades seven to 12 can pick up Chromebooks.

New ‘no change back’ policy

For the 2021-2022 school year, all Oberlin City Schools cafeterias will offer “extras” where students may purchase items such as cookies or fruit punch. Under a new policy, they will not receive change back when purchasing treats.

Instead, change will be automatically added to students’ accounts.

Additionally, no extras will be given out if the student does not pay with cash or has no money on their account, the district announced. This policy will be the same for students who only purchase milk.

Second Saturdays

“Community Paint Day” will be the highlight of the Oberlin Business Partnership’s Second Saturdays event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Aug. 14.

It will involve painting of a new mural behind the Oberlin College bookstore at 37 West College St. No experience is necessary for the paint-by-numbers project and supplies will be made available.

FIRE GRANT

FROM B1 years earlier and failed to fix it.

That’s not the only disaster Wellington has stared down.

In late 2019, the entire village — about 4,900 residents — was left without natural gas for days after a TC Energy line ruptured.

Earlier the same year, a train derailed on the CSX tracks in the area of Magyar Street. Nearly 20 cars toppled from the rails, and one caught fire.

The crash spewed cargo — mostly produce — all around the area, but Assistant Fire Chief Bill Brown said luckily hazardous materials down the line did not spill, and there were no injuries reported.

TUMOR

FROM B1 Greg won’t be able to don his police uniform and report to work anytime soon, “and will only receive a small portion of this time paid,” said the GoFundMe. Derifaj said he had three paid weeks of time off available, though some of his fellow officers have donated their own paid hours off to the cause.

The “Help The Ford Family During A Medical Crisis” GoFundMe can be found at www.tinyurl.com/MadBatter.

PHOENIX

FROM B1 season after last year’s shortened schedule. The outlook is bright, with senior Andre Yarber returning as quarterback.

"The kids are excited,” he said. “Obviously, everybody would love to play Friday night behind their school, but for us right now it's not feasible.”

Pending approval by the Board of Education, the high school team will play at the college for at least the next two years.

Superintendent David Hall said there is an option to extend that time, and it seems likely since there are no plans for a new Phoenix stadium.

How to move ahead will be a board decision, he said.

The district’s Facilities Committee plans to meet soon, but it’s unclear whether a stadium will be on the agenda.

The committee’s hands are already full. The new Oberlin Elementary School is primed to open in just a few weeks, and the long-term plan has been to next replace the aging Oberlin High School.

Hall said funding an auditorium is also a priority.

7. Insignificant 8. Hammer or sickle 9. Europe’s highest volcano 10. Born, in bio 12. Marinara fruit 13. Ornamental hair net 14. *Grabbing penalty 19. Breath freshener 22. *Pre-game encouragement 23. Rose oil 24. One’s assertion 25. Collectible in a cabinet 26. *Fourth down option 27. Colonoscopy tract 28. Ancient assembly area 29. B in IBS 32. *Start of a football play 33. Goo on a trunk

36. *Scrimmage-related penalty 38. Plant louse 40. Yule firewood 41. By word of mouth 44. Candle shape 46. English in Spanish 48. Mourner’s song 49. Camelot, to Arthur 50. Tennis great Steffi 51. College officer-training prog.

52. *Number of downs to get a first down 53. Anis-flavored aperitif 54. Site of Taj Mahal 55. *Lambeau Field jump 56. Poetic “even”

SOLUTION CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE A4

SOLUTION CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE A4

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Lorain County Community Guide

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FOCUS ON THE PANDEMIC

Kendal will require workers to be vaccinated JASON HAWK EDITOR

OBERLIN — Employees of Kendal at Oberlin have a choice: Get vaccinated against COVID-19 by Friday, Oct. 1 or be placed on unpaid leave, regardless of position.

The decision comes after the retirement community had its first resident contract the virus last week, according to CEO Barbara Thomas.

The older resident was placed in isolation for two weeks, and the case was traced back to an employee who was also sick, she said.

All of Kendal’s 350 residents have been fully vaccinated, according to Thomas. Some of its 230 staff have not.

“This notice gives our unvaccinated staff members two months to reconsider their decision not to be vaccinated for COVID or to submit a request for personal medical accommodation or reli-

gious accommodation,” said an Aug. 2 memo sent to employees.

Spread of COVID’s more contagious delta variant is also pushing the decision, said Thomas.

Public health experts say that while there are rare “breakthrough” cases among alreadyvaccinated people — like the Kendal resident — more than 99 percent of those being hospitalized with the coronavirus are unvaccinated.

At the same time, Thomas said the three COVID vaccines used

in the United States have been proven safe and effective.

“We have come to the decision not to wait for the (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) to change the COVID vaccines’ status from emergency use to standard use as this could happen in 30 days or six months,” said the memo to Kendal employees. “What we know is being COVID-vaccinated protects us, our loved ones and our residents from becoming seriously ill with this virus or its variants, like

delta.”

Thomas said residents’ lives have been disrupted enough.

After being sequestered in their living spaces for most of the pandemic, the company had just started relaxing rules and allowing vaccinated people to gather in areas such as Kendal’s dining hall and auditorium.

“We’ve lost precious time. Our residents have been denied their families,” Thomas said. “… We owe this to our residents. This is their home.”

Tyson will require staff LCCC joins other colleges to get COVID vaccines in universal mask mandate JASON HAWK EDITOR

AMHERST — Tyson Foods, which has roughly 525 workers at its Cooper Foster Park Road plant, will require employees to be vaccinated this fall against COVID-19.

The company announced last week that its office workers must be fully vaccinated

by Oct. 1, and all others no later than Nov. 1, subject to ongoing talks with unions.

That’s about 120,000 total people in the United States.

The move makes Tyson the largest food company in the nation to require coronavirus vaccinations for its entire workforce.

“Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is the single most effective thing we can do to protect our team members, their families and their communities,” said Dr. Claudia Coplein, Chief medical officer for Tyson Foods. “With rapidly rising COVID-19 case counts of contagious, danger-

ous variants leading to increasing rates of severe illness and hospitalization among the U.S. unvaccinated population, this is the right time to take the next step to ensure a fully vaccinated workforce.”

President and CEO Donnie King sent an Aug. 3 memo to employees saying the mandate is justified because doctors and hospitals are once again overwhelmed in some communities — and nearly all hospitalizations and deaths in the U.S. are among those who have not yet been vaccinated.

“It is abundantly clear that getting vaccinated is the single most effective thing we can do to protect ourselves, our families and our communities,” King wrote.

The decision wasn’t made lightly, he said. After months spent encouraging workers to get shots to protect against the virus, fewer than half have chosen to do so.

Frontline employees, like those at the Amherst plant, will each receive $200 bonuses for being vaccinated, according to Tyson Foods.

JASON HAWK EDITOR

ELYRIA — Masks are now required indoors at Lorain County Community College for everyone, even those who have been vaccinated against COVID-19.

The decision comes as the Delta variant spreads, and a wave of new cases sweeps Ohio and the rest of the United States.

“We made a commitment that we would follow the science and follow the recommendations of leading health authorities,” said Tracy Green, vice president for strategic and institutional development at LCCC. That meant dropping mask requirements early this summer as Ohio rolled back its pandemic-related restrictions.

Now it means heeding warnings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Lorain County Public Health about increased risk of transmission, Green said.

“If the numbers drop back down, we can certainly reverse course again,” she said.

LCCC is not alone in its decision to require masks as the fall semester draws near. Oberlin College, Ohio State, Kent

State, Miami University and other highereducation institutions are doing the same.

Green said that unlike a year ago, LCCC and other colleges now know what works — masks and vaccines have both proven effective at containing the spread of the virus.

The fall semester at LCCC starts Monday, Aug. 23. Green said it’s expected to look much like it did pre-pandemic, with the exception of some safety precautions, and a mix of on-campus and virtual learners.

And if COVID makes it necessary, the campus can quickly and efficiently return to a fully-remote model, she said.

Right now, Green and her colleagues feel that is a tiny possibility.

In the meantime, the college is not requiring staff and faculty to be vaccinated, said Green. Gov. Mike DeWine signed a bill earlier this summer that will prevent public schools and universities from doing so until vaccines receive full federal approval instead of emergency authorization for use.

However, the college is committed to promoting vaccinations, said Green. In cooperation with Lorain County Public Health, more than 12,000 shots have been given on campus so far in 2021.

Hospitals in Lorain County not requiring vaccine for staff Oberlin College reinstates LAINA YOST THE CHRONICLE-TELEGRAM

Local hospitals are not enforcing COVID-19 vaccinations for staff, continuing to "strongly encourage" them instead.

Some businesses and health care facilities across the country recently are requiring vaccines as a term of employment.

In comments Friday, Mercy Health, University Hospitals and Cleveland Clinic did not commit to whether the vaccines would be required in the future. The health care systems instead said they would monitor the guidelines and the pandemic.

In a statement, Mercy Health said it is in deliberations over the issue. The statement said Mercy Health is receiving "strong

interest" from front-line staff in receiving a vaccine.

A spokesperson for Cleveland Clinic said the hospital system is focusing on providing education and making the vaccination accessible.

A statement from University Hospitals said any caregivers who are not vaccinated are required to wear personal protective gear "appropriate to their work environment."

University Hospitals is waiting the pending Food and Drug Administration full approval of the vaccines beyond its current emergency use authorization and reviewing updated guidance and recommendations.

"We hope to make a determination soon," the statement said.

Ohio’s vaccination rate is only very slowly climbing STAFF REPORT

Half of all residents in Ohio have now received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to data updated Sunday by the Ohio Department of Health.

The numbers showed more than 5.84 million Ohioans have started their vaccination, accounting for 50.01 percent of the state’s total population.

That total includes Ohioans younger than 12 who are currently ineligible for the shot due to their age.

When accounting for just

Ohio residents aged 12 and older, 58.45 percent have at least one dose. Among those 18 and older, 60.90 percent have had at least one shot.

Gov. Mike DeWine announced this past Friday that the state experienced an increase of vaccinations in 85 of its 88 counties in July compared to June.

“We have vaccines that are powerful and do an amazing job. They are so powerful that we now live in a state with two groups of people – those vaccinated and those not,” DeWine said in a statement. “Those who are vaccinated are safe, those who are not

vaccinated are not safe.”

More than 5.43 million Ohioans — 46.46 percent of the state population — had completed their vaccination with all recommended doses as of Sunday.

A person is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second dose of a Pfizer or Moderna shot, or two weeks after their single dose of the Johnson & Johnson shot.

Lorain County’s vaccination rates exceed the state’s overall rates. According to state data, 53.99 percent of county residents have taken at least one shot, while 50.45 percent have completed their vaccination.

LCCC hosts Santarelli Memorial 5K

Lorain County Community College will host the Santarelli Memorial 5K cross country race at 6 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 15 at the LCCC cross country course.

All are welcome. Register at www.peaceracing.com. The event also includes a free one-mile fun run at 5:30 p.m. For more information, contact Jim Powers at (440) 3667652 or jpowers@lorainccc.edu. LCCC is located at 1005 North Abbe Rd., Elyria.

indoor mask policy for all Masks are now required for everyone — vaccinated and unvaccinated alike — while indoors at Oberlin College.

After lifting COVID-19 restrictions early this summer, the college issued its new mandatory mask policy effective Aug. 2. It allows people to go maskless inside only in their residences or offices with the doors closed.

The move came as a response to Lorain County’s designation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as an area with substantial transmission of the coronavirus, and wariness as the more contagious Delta variant looms.

In a memo to the campus community, Oberlin College President Carmen Twillie Ambar said an indoor event called Solstice was held the prior weekend that attracted students who may also have attended Lollapalooza in Chicago.

Concerns from infectious disease experts have been widely reported. They feel the tightly-packed crowds in the Windy City venue caused a huge risk for transmission of the virus.

Ambar said there is “no evidence that attendees at either event are at increased risk, as there was no confirma-

tion of exposure.”

One reason for her confidence is Oberlin’s sky-high vaccination rate.

Overall, it sat at 86.9 percent as of last week. Sophomores and juniors, with a rate of 93 percent, propped that number up, compared to 81.5 percent of faculty and staff who were vaccinated.

“University Hospitals, which is operating our Student Health Center, and Lorain County Public Health agree that our high vaccination rates will make it difficult for the Delta variant to spread on campus,” Ambar wrote.

Stringent safety policies at Oberlin College during the Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 semesters limited the spread of the coronavirus to just a handful of cases.

Now Ambar and her colleagues are preparing for the return of students this fall. Athletes will begin arriving on campus in less than a week.

“The fact that a majority of our students will not arrive on campus until late September provides additional time to determine our vaccination rate and apply the layered strategies that will best maintain the health and safety of students, faculty and staff,” she wrote.

85 SOUTH MAIN STREET OBERLIN OHIO 44074 AUGUST 12, 2021 BOARD AND COMMISSION MEETING DATES ALL MEETINGS WILL BE Live Streamed @ http://oberlinoh.swagit.com/live AUGUST 16, 2021 ...........REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING – 7:00 P.M. COUNCIL CHAMBERS AUGUST 20, 2021 ...........COMPREHENSIVE PLAN COMMITTEE – 8:00 A.M. 430 S. MAIN STREET - OBERLIN FIRE DEPT. 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, Aug. 12, 2021

Lorain County Community Guide

Oberlin music school reopening event is Sunday JASON HAWK EDITOR

OBERLIN — After more than a year and a half with students learning online, the Oberlin Community Music School plans to open its physical doors this fall.

A grand reopening ceremony is planned for Sunday, Aug. 15.

“I think we all have a renewed joy at being back in person,” said Louise Zeitlin, associate professor of community engagement for the school, which is operated under the umbrella of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music.

Led by seasoned faculty, the school opened in 2003 and offers instruction to local musicians of all ages.

There are about 175 enrolled, from infants being exposed to jazz and classical compositions up to instrumentalists in their 80s and 90s.

The tuition-based organization’s purpose is to expose people to orchestral, guitar, piano, voice and other forms of music. “There’s so much that can be learned from music, from language and math skills to social skills to self-confidence,” said Zeitlin.

Through the COVID-19 pandemic, about 85 percent of private lesson students have continued via video chat, she said. And even though musicians could not gather in person, they held monthly virtual recitals, working around the barriers imperfect online technology offers.

“We made the best of it,” Zeitlin said.

The public is invited to the reopening celebration, which will be held rain or shine from 1-5 p.m. at the Burrell-King House, 315 East College St. It will start with a student recital from 1-1:45 p.m., followed at 2 p.m. by opportunities to view a lesson and try instruments. At 3 p.m., there will be a class for prospective early childhood and elementary students.

The afternoon will also feature arts and crafts stations, face painting, a potluck meal and free ice cream.

Participants will be required to wear masks regardless of vaccination status.

Commissioners meetings return to Wednesdays STAFF REPORT

ELYRIA — Lorain County commissioners have changed their weekly meeting times for a second time this year.

The commission is again meeting at 9:30 a.m.

Wednesdays. The change comes after the commission met during evening hours for several months this year.

Starting with their June 2 meeting, commissioners had moved their weekly regular business meetings to 6 p.m. Wednesdays, altering their longtime practice of morning meetings.

That move was to encourage more public participation, commission-

ers said at the time.

Meetings will continue to be held in the commissioners' fourth floor chambers inside the County Administration Building at 226 Middle Ave. in Elyria.

The meeting also will continue to stream on the "Lorain County Commissioners" YouTube channel and at LorainCounty.us/ watch.

Commissioner David Moore said many people are watching online, and there will still be opportunities to reschedule meetings to evening hours to accommodate large crowds interested in topics such as annexation.

"We just didn't have the community participation we thought would happen, so we'll see how it works," he said.

Spring Street Park ceremony

A ribbon cutting ceremony will be held for the new playground at Spring Street Park in Oberlin.

It will be held at 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 20 at the park, where refreshments will be provided. Afterward, you can stay for the city’s Family Game Night event, which will run until 9 p.m. It will include outdoor games, board games, face painting, giveaways from OberlinKids and more. The event is free and open to the public.

Kristin Bauer | Amherst News-Times

Milt Parker, Francis Gildner and Bernie Richards share a laugh while playing a round of golf on Tuesday, Aug. 3 at Whiskeyville Golf Club in Amherst. A group of former air traffic controllers got together for golf and lunch in observance of the 40th anniversary of being fired by President Ronald Reagan after striking for better working conditions back in 1981.

Former air traffic controllers tee off on 40th anniversary of their firing JASON HAWK EDITOR

AMHERST TWP. — Four decades ago, Tony Mealy was fired by the president of the United States.

So were about 11,300 other members of the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization, including roughly 500 members of Local 203 who worked at the Federal Aviation Administration facility in Oberlin.

"The expectation was that Ronald Reagan had our backs," Mealy said, casting his memory back to August 1981. "That didn't turn out to be true."

Forty years to the day later, he joined old air traffic controller buddies at the new Whiskeyville Golf Club in Amherst Township. The goal wasn't to stew about the turmoil of

the past, but to tee off and reconnect with each other.

Old PATCO colleagues used to get together just about every year. Mealy said that with the old crew growing older, that practice fell by the wayside about 15 years ago.

He invited former union members will show up Aug. 3 for an all-day reunion at the course, just ahead of its grand opening. Foursomes quickly filled the field for the morning's 10 a.m. shotgun start on the new greens.

PATCO's ranks were decimated when Reagan declared its 1981 strike a "peril to national safety." The union had been striking for a reduced 32-hour week, a $10,000 per year pay increase and a better retirement package.

The only problem: U.S. Code prohibits strikes by federal employees.

Reagan ordered PATCO members back to work, and about 1,300 returned. Those who didn't forfeited their jobs.

"I was one of the people that Reagan said we all quit," Mealy remembers.

At the time, he was eight days short of 20 years of federal service. He found a part-time job for the next 16 years with Immigration and Naturalization Services while also working at the Grafton Correctional Institution.

Mealy said the public should understand on the 40th anniversary of the ordeal that the PATCO firings marked a turning point for workers. They were "Reagan's contribution to the downfall of unions," he said. "Reagan led the way where industry started to abuse workers' rights and their bargaining power."

Whiskeyville golf club is realization of a dream for the Senghas family JASON HAWK EDITOR

AMHERST TWP. — Nick Senghas’ family has dreamed for decades of owning a golf course.

His grandfather, Edward Senghas III, tried to acquire land to create one in the 1960s and 1970s, but the project never got traction.

That ambition has been passed down from father to son for three generations. Now the younger Senghas has honored his late grandfather’s memory with the grand opening of

Whiskeyville Golf Club at 9488 Leavitt Rd., holding a grand opening this past Saturday on what would have been his birthday.

The former Dragon Ranch Golf Course has been permanently closed about three years. Rehabilitating its fairways and greens has proved challenging, but is worth it to capture the zen-like feeling of the game, Senghas said.

“Golf is an extremely challenging sport, where you as the individual have all the control,” he said.

“It’s you versus the course.

You might have another

opponent, but you’re only playing the golf course.”

A 2001 graduate of Wellington High School, he made his mark golfing for the Dukes and was a fouryear letter-winner.

Senghas said he had childhood aspirations of making the PGA Tour, but “it became evident pretty quick that wouldn’t happen.” He continued to dabble with the game in college before turning his time and energy to the family’s other passion: real estate investment.

When the opportunity to acquire the old Dragon

Ranch came up, he jumped at it.

Senghas said the property’s most appealing attribute is location, location, location — it has quick access from State Route 2, the Ohio Turnpike and State Route 20.

The course also includes a driving range, restaurant and clubhouse. The restaurant space has operated under a number of names over the years; for now, the bar has been opened and there’s a limited food menu for the duration of the year until Senghas can sort out plans for its future.

FOR BELLAROSE AND BROWNIE

FROM FARMHOUSE TO LAKEHOUSE BUYING AND SELLING IS A BIG DEAL

Committed to Professional Service and Results

440-610-3293 Donnaprostejovsky@howardhanna.com Donnaprostejovsky.howardhanna.com

Angelo Angel | Chronicle

Donna Prostejovsky, Realtor, CPRES

BellaRose Egan and her new stuffed animal, Brownie, enjoy a new bed provided Saturday by the Good Knights of Lorain County at Timberlake Apartments in Avon. Headquartered on Cooper Foster Park Road in Amherst, the nonprofit builds and provides beds to families that don’t have enough.

Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021

Lorain County Community Guide

Page B5

LORAIN COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

Williamson fired from head Video raises questions on 911 job, Carrion out at JFS Hung, fired 911 director DAVE O’BRIEN THE CHRONICLE-TELEGRAM

ELYRIA — After only seven months on the job, Lorain County Job & Family Services Director Tim Carrion and Lorain County 911 Director Harry Williamson were fired by county commissioners last week.

The vote was 2-0, with commissioners David Moore and Matt Lundy voting to remove the two directors from their jobs, effective immediately.

Commissioner Michelle Hung abstained from the vote to approve the personnel moves, which came after a more than three-and-a-half hour closed door executive session following the commission's regular weekly meeting.

No public reason was given for the firings, though Carrion was working under a "last chance" agreement with his employers that was created in May after three female members of his staff reported he hugged them inappropriately in the office.

Williamson's personnel file, recently reviewed by The Chronicle-Telegram, showed no disciplinary matters on his record.

County Administrator Tom Williams will be seeking interim directors to replace the men, Moore said.

Asked why she abstained from the vote to fire Carrion and Williamson, Hung gave the following quote to The Chronicle-Telegram: "During transition leading up to our start on Jan. 4, Dave Moore and Tom Williams repeatedly referred to our first day as, quote, 'Bloody Monday,'" she said. "The reason I abstained is because I could not participate or have my hands in another bloodbath."

Hung was referencing Monday, Jan. 4, this year, when she and Moore had their first meeting as elected commissioners.

At that meeting, the new commissioners made a number of personnel moves.

They hired Williams, and installed Carrion and Williamson as the new directors of their respective departments.

They also fired JFS director Barb Tamas and IT Director Cameron MacDonald, while Facilities Director Karen Perkins and Community Development Director Don Romancak both were demoted and replaced.

In response to Hung's allegation, Williams denied using the term "Bloody Monday" to describe Jan. 4.

Moore called Hung's explanation into question.

“I read Commissioner Lundy’s quotes and the same concerns he has ex-

pressed, motivated my vote. Again, Hung has changed her story yet again…

I am not ethically permitted to disclose what happened in executive session.

I am disappointed Harry that commissioner Williamson Hung will not take responsibility for her actions.”

Regarding Williamson, Lundy said "an inappropriate workplace issue requires appropriate action to move in a new direction."

He declined to anTim swer further questions Carrion about the matter.

Referring to Carrion, Lundy said commissioners "need to move in another direction to stabilize an important office in county government." He then declined further comment about Carrion as well.

Following last week’s meeting, Moore said Williams was going to meet with staff at JFS and 911 about the changes in leadership. Moore said what was most important was that the public know there will be "a continuation of services" for JFS clients and 911 callers.

Later in the day, Moore declined to comment further on the firings.

Messages seeking comment were left for both Carrion and Williamson.

Carrion was hired Jan. 4 at a rate of $52.88 an hour, or just under $106,000 a year. He also had been warned in writing after leaving an abusive voicemail for Commissioner Matt Lundy on Jan. 10 — after less than one week on the job.

A 20-year veteran of the insurance and real estate business, Carrion also was a former candidate for Lorain mayor and has held positions on a number of local boards and agencies.

Williamson is a former three-term president of the Lorain County AFLCIO. When named director of Lorain County 911 in January, he was hired at a salary of $38.46 an hour, or just under $77,000 annually.

Williamson previously was president of Communications Workers of America Local 4370 in Lorain, led the union's political action committee and was co-chairman of the Labor Day Family Celebration at Black River Landing for the last five years.

Bed tax to go on ballot for county convention center DAVE O’BRIEN THE CHRONICLE-TELEGRAM

ELYRIA — Lorain County voters will have their say at the polls on a 3 percent hotel bed tax to appear on the November ballot.

County commissioners voted last week to authorize an excise tax "on transactions by which lodging by a hotel is or is to be furnished to transient guests" that will be placed on the Nov. 2 ballot.

Commissioner David Moore said the new bed tax, if approved by voters, will give the county the ability to purchase or build a convention center.

In a normal year, an existing 3 percent bed tax raises approximately $700,000 annually to fund the Lorain County Visitors Bureau, he and Commissioner Matt Lundy said — though it only brought in $400,000 in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The additional 3 percent, paid only by those who stayed the night in a hotel in Lorain County, would help the county set up an 11-member board to begin planning a convention center.

Visitors Bureau money could also be used to help "if it passes and the voters want it," Moore said.

"We're perfectly located between Cleveland and Cedar Point, there's Sandusky and Kalahari and those resorts out there," he said. "With the IX Center gone, we're good for a midsized (convention center). Our location is perfect for those activities. We don't

want to get ahead of ourselves, but a lot of groups would campaign for this tax. And a lot of individuals will pay this tax when they come to visit."

Both Lundy and Moore have tried to create convention bureaus in the past, Moore said, and both Democratic and Republican state lawmakers supported the effort to make it happen, he and Lundy both said.

"We're talking about something that's functional" and not fancy, Lundy said.

"We're not an IX center or hosting Republican or Democratic national conventions."

Lorain County doesn't have many locations that can host a crowd of 500 or more comfortably indoors, he said. As a result, many Lorain County high school graduation ceremonies take place in larger indoor facilities in neighboring Cuyahoga County.

"When you talk about 500 people, we just don't have any place for people to go," he said. "We should be able to hold those right here... graduations, gun shows, boat shows, auto shows.

The best part? It's people outside the county, who stay in Lorain County hotels, who will pay the bed taxes."

Any proposed convention center could also be used for multiple purposes, such as in the event of a weather disaster in Lorain County when a temporary shelter is needed.

"I see this as being a multipurpose thing," Lundy said.

Moore and Lundy "did an excellent job working on this together," Commissioner Michelle Hung said.

DAVE O’BRIEN

THE CHRONICLE-TELEGRAM

ELYRIA — Two days after Lorain County Commissioner Michelle Hung abstained from voting on the firing of county 911 Director Harry Williamson, a video provided to The ChronicleTelegram last Thursday showed Hung and Williamson, her subordinate, sharing a kiss inside a county building in February.

In the nine-second video taken from a surveillance camera inside the Gateway Center, a county-owned complex at 320-322 Gateway Blvd. N. in Elyria, Hung and Williamson can be seen kissing each other in a darkened hallway. Hung then enters a women's bathroom as Williamson walks away.

The Gateway Center houses the county's 911 backup center, records storage and Emergency Management Agency offices.

Williamson was fired Tuesday, Aug. 3 after commissioners Matt Lundy, a Democrat, and David Moore, a Republican, voted to terminate his employment. Hung, a Republican, abstained from the vote, later telling The Chronicle that she didn't want to have her hands in a "bloodbath."

A Chronicle-Telegram reporter asked Hung on Tuesday night if she abstained from voting to fire Williamson because she and Williamson were in a relationship.

"I don't have a comment on that right now," she said at the time.

Hung declined to comment Thursday, Aug. 5 when asked about the video.

Shown the video by a reporter, Lundy said he was "disturbed and disappointed."

"Obviously that's not something you expect to see," he said Thursday. "I think it confirms that we made the right decision (to fire Williamson) and it concerns me that it's in one of our buildings. It shouldn't have happened.

This is the first I've seen it. That's not acceptable behavior in the workplace, and it confirms that the action that was taken was appropriate action."

"I was lied to" by Hung, Lundy added. "I was told this was a friendship" between them.

Shown the video by a reporter, County Administrator Tom Williams said he was "95 percent certain" the video was taken in a hallway in the Gateway Center building.

Lundy and Moore voted to fire Williamson and Lorain County Job & Family Services Director Tim Carrion following a 3.5-hour closed executive session Tuesday morning. Hung abstained from the vote, which ended up 2-0 in favor of the terminations.

"During transition leading up to our start on Jan. 4, Dave Moore and Tom Williams repeatedly referred to our first day as, quote, 'Bloody Monday,'" Hung said Tuesday. "The reason I abstained is because I could not participate or have my hands in another bloodbath."

Hung was referencing Jan. 4 this year, when she and Moore had their first meeting as elected commissioners and several county department heads were replaced by Hung and Moore.

Michelle Hung Williams denied using the phrase "Bloody Monday" in reference to Jan. 4, and Moore questioned Hung's explanation.

Lundy and Moore gave vague public statements about their reasons behind the firings Aug. 3. In a joint statement Lundy and Moore provided to The Chronicle on Aug. 5, they said the following: "We will not and cannot discuss comments made in executive session. We are, however, absolutely committed to being transparent with the public. Please understand that personnel matters can lead to litigation and, as commissioners, we have a responsibility to protect Lorain County and its taxpayers. Also, please understand that HR (human resources) decisions made by us impact county employees who are individuals and have families.

Therefore, our decisions are made after a thorough legal review.

"For some time, we operated with the understanding there was a 'friendship' between our colleague, Michelle Hung, and the 911 director. Recently, our colleague made a 'public admission' of a more significant and intimate relationship between herself and Director Williamson. We believe an intimate relationship involving a superior and subordinate requires immediate action.

"This matter was not treated differently. It was addressed promptly and in the best interests of Lorain County. The county personnel manual states that county employees are 'expected to maintain the highest possible ethical and moral standards.' Also, 'conduct that interferes with normal business operations, brings discredit to the office or county.' Following a legal review and consultation, we felt termination was warranted and acted immediately," the statement concluded.

Hung said she had no comment on her colleagues' joint statement after being provided a copy of it Aug. 5.

David Arredondo, chairman of the Lorain County Republican Party, gave the following statement to The Chronicle: "I'm very saddened to learn of Commissioner Hung's situation. I'm especially saddened for her

family at this time. It is my hope that she weighs all her options, and makes the right decision regarding her family, the county and the Lorain County Republican Party."

The Lorain County Democratic Party "won't take any position" on the matter, Chairman Tony Giardini said.

Hung is "not one of our officeholders," Giardini said, adding that his concern was more for the former county employees fired after Hung and Moore took office Jan. 4 and were replaced by employees chosen by the new Republican officeholders.

If Hung used her position as commissioner to help or harm Williamson, that's one matter, Giardini said. Or if the two were in a relationship prior to his hiring, "that should have been disclosed," he said.

"If not, it's a personal decision" for her to choose whether to resign or remain commissioner, Giardini said.

Lorain County Prosecutor J.D. Tomlinson told The Chronicle on Thursday he had no comment on the matter.

Williamson, the former president of the Lorain County AFL-CIO, was hired as director of Lorain County 911 in January, making an annual salary of $77,000.

Carrion, who was making just under $106,000 when he was fired, was working under a "last chance agreement" after allegations arose that he had sexually harassed at least three female employees at JFS. Moore and Hung had voted to hire both Carrion and Williamson in January.

Lundy voted against hiring the two men.

As for the reasons behind Carrion's firing, Lundy and Moore added the following to the Aug. 5 joint statement: "Director Carrion has received multiple disciplinary warnings in connection with his employment. His last chance agreement states, 'refrain from taking any actions or making verbal remarks that may be construed as retaliatory towards any employee or former employee who has alleged that I engaged in inappropriate behavior.'

"In connection with his employment, we decided that it was in the best interest of Lorain County to make a change and go in a different direction. In both circumstances, we believe that we acted responsibly, immediately and make this statement in the public interest of transparency," the statement concluded.

Carrion had not responded to a message left

by The Chronicle seeking comment on the allegations against him, as well as a message left for him seeking comment on his firing.

PUBLIC NOTICE Brownhelm Township On Monday, August 16, 2021, the existing traffic signal at the turnpike ramp on Baumhart Road will be placed in a flash condition to begin a 90-day study period to evaluate if the signal can be safely removed.

Existing traffic volumes and accident history have indicated that the traffic signal is no longer warranted.

Fixed traffic control devices, i.e. STOP Signs, will be installed during the study period. If you have any questions or comments, please contact Assistant County Engineer Robert Klaiber at 440-329-5586 or rklaiber@ loraincounty.us.

Page B6

Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021

Lorain County Community Guide

© 2021 by Vicki Whiting, Editor Jeff Schinkel, Graphics Vol. 37, No. 36

Five-Year Old Saves Lemur

By Nellie Fly

Replace the missing words in this news story.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – In October of 2020, five-year-old James Trinh spotted a lemur in his school’s parking lot. He pointed and said, “There’s a lemur!

There’s a lemur!”

Read the article and answer the questions below.

Who is the article about?

At first the adults didn’t believe James. The school often had visits from skunks, coyotes and raccoons.

The director of the school asked, “Are you sure that’s not a raccoon?”

Can you findthe lemur that looks different from all the others?

Zoo and local animal control experts came and coaxed Maki into a cage to take him back to the Zoo. He went quite calmly.

In the playground, the animal leaped into a playhouse to hide.

James knew just what to do.

James was awarded a lifetime membership to the Zoo, where he will be able to visit Maki often.

“Call the Zoo!” he yelled.

San Francisco Zoo workers are nott sure how Maki got out. Therre were signs that someone hadd broken into the primate enclosure. Was Maki stolen? Or did he escape during a burglary? The police have arrested a suspect and are working to find out what happened.

What did he do?

Everyone said James was right.

This little animal was a lemur named Maki that was missing from the San Francisco Zoo.

The critter started leaping and leaping into the school’s playground. This was definitely not a raccoon.

How many l lemurs can you find on this page?

Monkeys in the Mirror?

Look through today’s newspaper.

How many pictures, photos or articles about animals can you find? Discuss why each animal is in the newspaper.

Standards Link: Read from a variety of text including newspapers.

Which of these statements about ring-tailed lemurs are true? Do the math to find out. If the sum of the math problem is even, the statement is true.

Thelemur’s tailis longerthanits body.

2+8+2=

Lemursliketobask inthesuninthe morning.

6+6=

Ring-tailed lemurscomefrom Madagascar.

7+3+8=

Agroupof lemursiscalleda troop.

8+9+3=

Standards Link: Math: Calculate sums to twenty.

Malering-tailed lemursputsmells, fromglandsintheir bottoms,ontheir tailandwaveitat rivals.It’s knownas ‘stinkfighting’!

3+3+3+1=

PROSIMIANS DIRECTOR BURGLARY CRITTER EXPERTS MONKEYS PRIMATE LEMUR MOUSE PYGMY MAKI APES TAIL BASK EASY

How was the lemur saved?

Children are born curious.

From theirearliest days,sensory exploration brings delightandwonder.New discoveries expand their minds. When they unlock the joy of reading,their world widens further.

Magic happens.

Kid Scoop opens the doorsof discovery forelementary school children by providing interactive,engaging and relevant age-appropriatematerials designedto awaken themagic of readingat school, at home,andthroughout theirlives.

Formoreinformation about our literacy non-profit, visit kidscoopnews.org

A R R O T C E R I D E A E P Y G M Y M E

T L A T A I L A O X

A G S G T A K A U P

M R Y S P I K A S E

I U L E M U R N E R

R B S K S A B C S T P R O S I M I A N S

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

This week’s word:

SUSPECT

The noun suspect means a person who is thought to be guilty.

The suspect met with a lawyer last Tuesday.

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

That’s Strange ANSWER: They have tall tales.

Standards Link: Differentiate facts and opinion.

When did the event take place?

S Y E K N O M M A D

Lemur Fact and Opinion Look through the newspaper for five words that would describe a fact about lemurs.

Then find five items that describe your opinion about lemurs.

Where did the event in the article take place?

Therearenearly100 typesoflemurs.The smallestisthepygmy mouselemurwhich weighsjustone ounce!

Maki was 21-years old whenn he got away, making him onne of the older lemurs at the Zoo. He might upon and have been co his pt Cli s? ey nk mo urs em dl Arering-taile nswer. easily captured hold ituptoa mirrorto revealthea because he was older and slower than the other lemurs.

Ring-Tailed Lemur Facts

Nellie Fly is the world’s smallest reporter. Today’s Kid Scoop page has an article by her called, “Five-Year Old Saves Lemur.”

What is one of the strangest things you have ever heard about?

Write about it!