Lorain County Community Guide - Aug. 27, 2020

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AMHERST NEWS-TIMES • OBERLIN NEWS-TRIBUNE • WELLINGTON ENTERPRISE Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020

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Volume 7, Issue 35

Tyson Foods plans to hire 200 “This is huge for Lorain County’s economy and Northeast Ohio’s economy.�

JASON HAWK EDITOR

AMHERST — Tyson Foods plans to hire 200 more workers at its Cooper Foster Park Road plant, where the Arkansas-based company has invested $20 million over the past year.

It plans to beef up its production lines and volume in Amherst, where sandwiches for brands

— Tony Gallo, president of the Lorain County Chamber of Commerce

such as Jimmy Dean are made, according to an announcement Thursday. “We are very excited to grow in Amherst,� said plant manager Brandy Shaw. “We already employ 525 people in the facility

JUNIOR FAIR COURT

Ophelia Ortiz, Anna Shearer, Jenna Calfo, Molly Cornonnier and Kaleb Carver.

Royalty crowned at Lorain County Fair ceremony DYLAN REYNOLDS THE CHRONICLE-TELEGRAM

WELLINGTON — This week’s 175th edition of the Lorain County Fair is different than any from the past, but it kicked off Sunday with a little familiarity in the crowning of fair royalty and presentation of the Clair Hill award.

During a modest opening ceremony at the fairgrounds Sunday afternoon, Kaleb Carver of South Amherst was named the 2020 Junior Fair king. The odds of taking the crown were in his favor, considering he was the only king candidate this year.

A member of Firelands FFA since his freshman year JUNIOR FAIR PAGE A3

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and are looking forward to adding more team members to our Tyson family. We take great pride in being a positive member of this community.�

Job applications can be made at www.tysonfoods.com. All new

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TYSON PAGE A2

BACK TO SCHOOL Districts prepare for year defined

by COVID-19

LAINA YOST THE CHRONICLE-TELEGRAM

Clearview is the first school district in Lorain County to welcome back students, opening its doors this past Monday for an academic year completely reshaped by the COVID-19 pandemic.

It's among the local school systems offering a hybrid learning model, with the option to allow students to attend classes fully online.

Amherst and Avon both begin today with classes in person five days a week and a 100 percent online option.

The uncertainty shrouding the start of the school year has caused mixed emotions for students, staff and parents, said Amherst Superintendent Steve Sayers. “None of us have ever done anything like this before,� he said. “We understand the anxiety and nervousness. That's the way we're wired as human beings. It's important that we reassure our students that it's going to be OK. School will look a little SCHOOLS PAGE XX

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What if there's an outbreak at school?

What if teachers get sick? What if students get sick? What if everyone has to quarantine? What if schools move online? What if...

JASON HAWK EDITOR

"What ifs" are the name of the game this year in K-12 education.

As school starts with the threat of COVID-19 hanging in the air, districts across Lorain County are trying to prepare for every

possible scenario, and worrying about the circumstances they can't foresee.

"You could what-if yourself to death trying to anticipate every single thing that could happen," said Amherst Assistant Superintendent Michael Molnar.

Each of Ohio's 611 school systems has prepared a "safe restart" guide

for the Ohio Department of Education this fall.

Local districts drafted theirs with help from Lorain County Public Health and say that students who have direct contact with anyone diagnosed with COVID-19 would go under a two-week quarantine.

Back-to-school safety plans vary from district to

district, but on this they all agree: If a teacher or student becomes ill, they need to leave immediately. For kids, that means reporting to a designated quarantine room until they are picked up by a parent. “There could be situations where the entire class OUTBREAK PAGE A3

INSIDE THIS WEEK

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hires will adhere to new guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Tyson said the additional positions are needed to meet growing demand for its protein products across the country.

Mayor Marks Costilow said he is excited for the new jobs, and believes they will help Amherst's economy weather the COVID-19 pandemic.

In terms of income tax withholding, Tyson was the city's third-largest business in 2019, behind the Nordson Corporation and the Amherst Schools.

"It's a big industry that some

Amherst

Oberlin

Wellington

SPECIAL: Interviews with school principals • B3-B4

Andrews finishes 3,350-mile bike ride for charity • B1

Village earns rare designation as a ‘Bee City USA’ • B1

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

Page A2

Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020

Lorain County Community Guide

Take and make crafts

Visit the Amherst Public Library for "take and make" craft kits for both kids and adults.

Each kit contains almost everything you need to make a fun craft — all you’ll need to add are basic supplies like glue and scissors. Beginning Tuesday, Sept. 1, kids can pick up a coffee filter parachute kit, and adults can pick up a collage tile coasters kit.

Kits are available in the library via curbside pickup.

A NEW RECORD Joe Colon | Amherst News-Times

Ty Perez of Amherst Steele finishes first at the Keystone Classic, held Monday. Perez, a freshman in his first high school meet, broke the freshman record set in 2007 by Miles Pittak with a time of 16:41, besting the previous time 16:43.

Library card sign-ups

September is Library Card Sign-Up Month and a world of possibilities awaits at the Amherst Public Library.

A free library card gives you access to books, magazines, movies, video games, graphic novels, downloadable books, online databases and more. Sign up for a new library card or renew an existing card anytime during September to be entered into prize drawings. All ages are eligible.

TYSON

FROM A1

what goes unnoticed," he said. "A lot of people don't know it's there."

Teresa Gilles, director of Main Street Amherst, said she hopes the new hires will have ripple effects for other nearby businesses. New workers could bring more dollars to Amherst for dining and shopping, she said.

"I think it will bring people who maybe aren't from Amherst to know the city a little better," she said.

Tony Gallo, president of the Lorain County Chamber of Commerce, said the Tyson growth is "huge for Lorain County's economy and Northeast Ohio's economy."

He said it makes sense for prepared food companies to invest right now — the COVID-19 pandemic revealed the need for a more robust supply. This spring, grocers' freezers ran short on many products that Tyson and its competitors make.

Hourly pay at Tyson is above average — "these aren't going to be minimum wage," Costilow said — and he is eyeing a bump in payroll collections, which would "be money for streets, money to keep us rolling. It's going to be a fairly good sum."

Even with the virus taking a toll on local businesses, Costilow intends to end the year with a $1 million budget carryover into 2021. He's also expecting collections in general to be down, but said Amherst, especially with the new Tyson jobs, to be better off than most cities.

Costilow said he's toured the Cooper Foster plant to see sandwiches rolling down the line — millions of them each week.

He described the facility as cold and sterile, "almost like a hospital," with rules and technology in place to keep food clean.

Because of those precautions, it may be one of the safest spots in the county from COVID-19 exposure, he said.

At the end of July, Tyson launched a new nationwide strategy to protect workers from the virus. It includes testing of both workers with and without symptoms. It also hired a chief medical officer and added almost 200 nurses and administrative support personnel to operations across the country.

The nurses are helping with on-site testing and coordinating treatment for employees who get sick.

“We are conducting temperature checks, wellness questionnaire before every shift, providing mandatory protective face masks to all team members, and implementing social distancing measures," Shaw said.

Donnie King, Tyson Foods group president and chief administrative officer, said the plan uses data science to test a statistically sound sample of team members each week.

“While the protective measures we’ve implemented in our facilities are working well, we remain vigilant about keeping our team members safe and are always evaluating ways to do more,” he said.

Like others, the company has struggled this year.

Third quarter earnings results showed sales down more than $880 million from 2019, while costs were up due to the pandemic.

“Without a doubt, our third fiscal quarter was one of the most volatile and uncertain periods I’ve seen during my time in the industry,” said CEO Noel White.

“However, our commitment to team member health and safety and investments in operations and portfolio strategy effectively positioned us to weather unprecedented COVID-19 marketplace volatility while allowing us to support our farmers, ranchers and producers and meet our customers’ needs.”

SCHOOLS

FROM A1 different, but it'll be OK. There’s no doubt in our mind that this school year will be a positive and productive year.”

He said educators and learners will need to adapt to the new environment and changes that are likely to come.

“There will be questions that come up that don’t have an immediate answer for," he said. "There's certainly no playbooks for this kind of situation.”

Avon Superintendent Mike Laub said he’s grateful the district extended its start date, as little things have popped up here and there in readying for opening. Teachers have a bit more time to work on their spaces and make sure they're ready to go.

Preparing school buildings has proved to be a huge task, Scott said.

Districts have had to move classrooms and teachers around to make way for physical distancing.

No longer will all first grade classes be next to each other, for example.

“It’s those little details to make sure those buildings are safe,” Laub said.

Avon Lake will open next, with a "soft opening" its first week.

Half of the district's students will report in person on Monday, Aug. 31 and the other half will follow on Tuesday, Sept. 1 — all students will attend Wednesday and Thursday.

After that, it’s a long weekend so the district can change what’s needed, Superintendent Bob Scott said.

“We know we’re going to have to make adjustments, that’s going to happen and that’s what we want the opportunity to do," he said. "Get the kids in place, look at what’s working and strengthen that and then anything that we need to change whether it’s safety issues or curriculum issues.

We’re going to work on those over time and we’ll just get better. We’re going to get better the longer we’re here.”

The North Ridgeville Schools opted last week to push their start date back and will now open Sept. 2.

Superintendent Roxann RamseyCaserio said that since early July the district has been preparing its classrooms, particularly in the high school. With the smaller building, she said they had to do some work setting up a learning environment that was physically distanced.

Kindergarten through eighth grade students will remain in place in their

classrooms, while the district is still working out what transitions will look like at the high school.

Elyria, Lorain, Vermilion, Firelands, Sheffield/Sheffield Lake, Keystone, Midview and Columbia schools all plan to open Sept. 8. Wellington will be the last in the county on Sept. 14.

The first districts to open said they all have enough classroom supplies on hand. They started stocking up early, anticipating that they would likely need extra cleaners and sanitizers in the fall.

But Ramsey-Caserio said hand sanitizer is still almost impossible to get.

“Aside from sanitizer and Clorox wipes, and the things we can’t get in our own homes, we’re OK,” she said.

“Once that runs out, we’re purchasing as we can, but those have been hard to find.”

Sayers said Amherst has what it needs — for now — for sanitizer and cleaning supplies, although he said there have been some challenges. The district will need to replenish those supplies at some point in the year.

Scott said plexiglass, which has been used for dividers everywhere from restaurants to polling locations, has been a little hard to obtain. The Avon Schools still have some truckloads coming in and it is ready to go as far as other supplies.

Getting personal protective equipment at Clearview was hit-or-miss, Superintendent Jerome Davis said.

Because everyone is ordering it right now, many of the items needed are on back order. But Davis said the district made arrangements for temporary fixes until the remainder of the PPE arrives.

“We are entering territory we have never been in, so daily we are thinking of things that we might need or should get,” he said.

Those supplies have also put an additional cost burden on districts. Federal CARES Act dollars made up for some of the expenses, but RamseyCaserio said it wasn’t enough to cover those costs.

“PPE equipment is not inexpensive,” Ramsey-Caserio said. “Outfitting classrooms with all-in-one machines, Chromebooks. You name it, different air quality controls, foggers, cleaning products — there's a significant cost.”

Guidance counselors and social workers will play a huge role in the upcoming school year for all districts.

They have dedicated some professional development time around social emotional wellness.

Davis said his district has had meetings with staff, and had them meet with the health department via video chat. While some may be nervous, Davis also said Clearview teachers have had a positive attitude and are ready to make things work for students while keeping them safe.

“We’re going to be watching kids very closely right from the beginning to make sure that we can alleviate a lot of that stress and a lot of that angst,” Scott said. “That’s going to happen, just because it’s going to be so different.”

Laub’s key to helping soothe anxieties and uncertainties is “communication, communication, communication,” he said.

If Avon students slip up at some point and forget a mask or go down the wrong hallway, he said staff members have to be there to be helpful and patient.

He said the district fielded a lot of phone calls after releasing its reopening plan. But he’s not complaining — Laub said people needed clarity, and it’s the district’s responsibility to take the time to explain.

Ramsey-Caserio agreed that communication will be important, particularly in the first few weeks of school being open, and that administration must be flexible.

“We know there's going to have to be a human element of getting used to a very different way of teaching and learning,” she said. “We know while we'd love to have this synchronous model, we know that someday the internet will go down and a student can't learn... Communication will be critical as we sort through the mystery of remote and hybrid learning and anything else COVID throws our way.”

“We know that nothing is a zero risk, but we are doing our best to educate and stay safe,” Davis said.

“There will be bridges to cross. We expect that. We will deal with them one at a time and do our best to get across the bridge without any bumps or bruises.”

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SOLUTION TO CROSSWORD ON PAGE B4

SOLUTION TO SUDOKU ON PAGE B4

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Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020

Lorain County Community Guide

Commissioners recognize 100th anniversary of women's right to vote LAINA YOST THE CHRONICLE-TELEGRAM

ELYRIA — The 100th anniversary of women's right to vote was commemorated by the Lorain County commissioners last week.

On June 14, 1919, the 19th Amendment passed, giving women the right to vote. It wasn't until Aug. 18, 1920, that Tennessee became the last state to ratify the amendment.

Ohio was among the first states.

To celebrate the occasion, commissioners Lori Kokoski and Sharon Sweda planted yellow rose bushes in the old Lorain County Courthouse yard.

Men wore yellow roses on their lapels as a sign of support for the women's suffrage movement. Sweda

said she's grateful for the men who made an unpopular decision at the time to support a woman's right to vote.

Kokoski said that, as women, she and Sweda were excited to help issue the suffrage proclamation.

It highlighted women's activism in Lorain County, particularly the Oberlin League of Women Voters and the elected women throughout the county.

Kokoski said they will continue to plan an event to celebrate the centennial either later this year or sometime next year.

Commissioner Matt Lundy said there's still a lot of work to be done.

It wasn't that long ago that women weren't allowed to own property or get credit without a husband, he said.

"Women are still earning probably 87 cents to every dollar earned by a man," Lundy said. "We have to work on the equal pay issues, and a lot of glass ceilings that need to be cut through and broken through."

He also said it's important to point out that it wasn't until the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that AfricanAmerican women could vote.

The resolution passed by the commissioners also recognized some of the first women to run on the national stage, including Shirley Chisholm for president in 1972 and Geraldine Ferraro for vice president in 1984.

Sweda said she hopes people remember in November that women weren't just given the right to vote, but rather that they fought and died for it.

Angelo Angel | Chronicle

Lorain County Fair Board President Kim Meyers speaks Sunday, Aug. 23 during the opening ceremony of the Lorain County Junior Fair. Seated behind him are 2020 king Kaleb Carver, queen candidate Ophelia Ortiz, 2019 queen Gabriella Peloquin and 2019 king Zack Slimak.

JUNIOR FAIR

FROM A1 of high school, Carver said he had been looking forward to spending time at the grounds looking through the animal projects, taking in the combine derby and seeing some of his friends.

But the scaled-back fair that ended up being necessary still leaves him with some kingly duties to look forward to.

“I know last year, the king and queen would always give awards out,” he said. “I don’t know if we’re still doing that this year. I would hope that we are; it’s a great thing.”

A 2020 Firelands Schools graduate, Carver plans to attend Ohio University to major in wildlife and conservation biology.

The title of Lorain County Fair queen went to Jenna Calfo of Wellington. She was one of four contenders. Anna Shearer of Sullivan was named first runner-up.

Calfo has shown animal and book projects at the fair over the past 13 years. This year, she is mainly showing dairy cattle with the Lorain County Dairy Club and is secretary on the Junior Fair Board. She will attend Ashland University in the fall to major in early childhood education.

This year’s fair royalty was ordained by last year’s king and queen, Zach Slimak and Gabriella Peloquin.

Director Tom Adams was presented with the Clair Hill award, an honor

given annually to someone who has made a significant impact on the fair. The award is sponsored by The Chronicle-Telegram and presented by WEOL. Presenting the award, Craig Adams of WEOL told attendees that Tom Adams has been a fair director for 19 years after getting his start helping his parents sell ice cream there at age 10.

“He loves fairs. He has visited 90 of 95 fairs in Ohio,” he said. “But this is his favorite.”

Tom Adams has worked with antiques, free stage entertainment, parking and event staff, big stage entertainment, concessions, camping, long-range planning and more.

“He also encouraged the fair board to have a full fair,” Craig Adams said. “He is constantly coming up with new ideas to promote the fairgrounds and is ready to help whenever, wherever needed.”

Tom Adams thanked attendees for the opportunity to be a director for so many years and said everyone involved in the fair knows how much work it takes to pull off, and “this award could go to almost anybody on these grounds right now.”

Traditionally the second-largest county fair in the state, this year’s festivities are limited to the Junior Fair only due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While members of local

4-H and FFA clubs will have the opportunity to show their projects, many of the attractions that typically attract large crowds to the fairgrounds have been sidelined.

Still, some of the familiar sounds of a fair were ringing out on the grounds Sunday. After the opening ceremony, a chorus of crowing came from inside the doors to one of the barns as Junior Fair participants checked in and weighed their fowl.

Alexandria and Chelsea Hood of LaGrange showed their ducks, Periwinkle and Noodles. The Sunset Riders 4-H members said ducks are an easy animal to show.

In fact, they won reserve and grand champion last year and were feeling optimistic about the ducks they’re showing this year.

“They’re fun and really cute,” Chelsea Hood said.

Fair Board President Kim Meyers said in a speech that Lorain County’s Junior Fair is one of the state’s best, and participants’ hard work and perseverance will be demonstrated this week.

“We never envisioned our fair would be what it is this year, but we have an opportunity. We have something special to make of our fair this year, and that is showcasing and highlighting our great junior fair,” Meyers said.

“If someone is sick, they’re sick.

We don’t want to put any burden on them. We want them to rest and get healthy.”

Teachers who get the virus have some additional protection built into the Family First Coronavirus Response Act. It provides them with 80 hours of paid time before having to dip into regular sick days or Family and Medical Leave Act benefits.

That provision is set to expire Dec. 31.

Despite the potential for exposure, Molnar said only about 10 percent of Amherst teachers asked to lead online classes.

Covell said his big worry is that the school year will start off with all

the right safety steps in place, but students and staff will eventually let down their guard.

That’s when outbreaks could erupt.

Keeping safety protocols firmly in mind will be a key part of each school day, said Firelands Superintendent Mike Von Gunten.

“We’ve talked about the fact that there’s going to be less instructional time, even though (the school day) starts and ends at the same times,” he said. That’s because teachers will take time out from lessons to regularly talk about the importance of washing hands, sanitizing surfaces and limiting hallway traffic.

“All those things are going to take time. That’s OK,” Von Gunten said.

OUTBREAK

FROM A1 is in quarantine,” said Molnar.

The goal is to avoid that scenario.

But if students do become sick, assigned seats on buses and in class will make it easier for health experts to understand who else may have been exposed.

LCPH will advise on contact tracing and exactly who needs to stay home, said Wellington Superintendent Ed Weber. “If (Health Commissioner) Dave Covell says, ‘You guys should go 100 percent online,’ we’re going 100 percent online, there’s no question about that,” Weber said.

If a Wellington teacher tests positive, they would potentially be assigned to an online role at home unless they have symptoms, he said:

Page A3

WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE PROCLAMATION The following proclamation was issued by Oberlin City Council on Monday, Aug. 17. It recognizes not only the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, but the long, hard work that made it possible: WHEREAS, in 1850 the Ohio Women’s Convention was chaired by Oberlin College alumna, abolitionist, education and women’s rights reformer Betsy Mix Cowles and a letter was read to the convention from prominent women’s suffrage activist and Oberlin College alumna Lucy Stone; and WHEREAS, in 1867, several Oberlin citizens petitioned the US government to extend women the right of suffrage, and in April, 1870, 150 Oberlin citizens formed a Women’s Suffrage Association; and WHEREAS, in the 1880s Oberlin College graduates Anna Julia Cooper, scholar and educator, Mary Church Terrell, founder and president of the National Association of Colored Women, and Mary Burnett Talbert, a founder of the NAACP and sixth president of the NACW, extended the struggle for suffrage not just to the rights of women, but also to African Americans still disenfranchised; and WHEREAS, in 1908 the Oberlin College Equal Suffrage League was formed by students and faculty members; and WHEREAS, in 1912, Oberlin residents formed an Oberlin Equal Suffrage League and named Sarah Frances “Fanny” Gulick Jewett as its first President; and WHEREAS, in 1913, the Oberlin Mutual Improvement Club was founded by African-American women in the community and held discussions on a wide range of topics, including suffrage; and WHEREAS in 1915, the Oberlin News took a pro-suffrage stance and Mary Burnett Talbert and Mary Church Terrell spoke at “Votes for Women: A Symposium by Leading Thinkers of Colored America” in Washington, D.C.; and WHEREAS, on June 16, 1919, Ohio was among the first ten states to ratify the 19th Amendment on the state level; and WHEREAS, on August 26, 1920, the 19th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America was officially adopted; and WHEREAS, in 2015 and 2018, the League of Women Voters of Ohio, including the League of Women Voters of the Oberlin Area, led the successful fight for redistricting reform to end gerrymandering at both the state and federal levels, a reform that will take place after the completion of the 2020 census; and WHEREAS, while commemorating the passage of the 19th Amendment, we recognize that it was part of an ongoing struggle for full suffrage for all, requiring legislation like the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to overcome barriers of race and national origin, and that we still require an Equal Rights Amendment to insure full equality for people of all genders.

NOW THEREFORE, I, Linda Slocum, Mayor and President of the City of Oberlin, Ohio, do hereby proclaim 2020 as the year of Women’s Suffrage.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto subscribed my hand and caused the Great Seal of the City of Oberlin, Ohio, to be affixed hereto, this 17th day of August, 2020.

hartblacktop@yahoo.com

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How Can You Prepare For the “New Retirement”?

A generation or so ago, people didn’t just retire from work – many of them also withdrew from a whole range of social and communal activities. But now, it’s different: The large Baby Boom cohort, and no doubt future ones, are insisting on an active lifestyle and continued involvement in their communities and world. So, what should you know about this “new retirement”? And how can you prepare for it?

For starters, consider what it means to be a retiree today. The 2020 Edward Jones/Age Wave Four Pillars of the New Retirement study has identified these four interrelated, key ingredients, along with the connected statistics, for living well in the new retirement: • Health – While physical health may decline with age, emotional intelligence – the ability to use emotions in positive ways – actually improves, according to a well-known study from the University of California, among others.

However, not surprisingly, retirees fear Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia more than any physical ailment, including cancer or infectious diseases, according to the “Four Pillars” study.

• Family – Retirees get their greatest emotional nourishment from family relationships – and they’ll do anything it takes to help support those family members, even if it means sacrificing their own financial security. Conversely, retirees lacking close connections with family and friends are at risk for all the negative consequences resulting from physical and social isolation.

• Purpose – Nearly 90% of Americans feel that there should be more ways for retirees to use their talents and knowledge for the benefit of their communities and society at large. Retirees want to spend their time in useful, re-

OH-70097431

warding ways – and they’re well capable of doing so, given their decades of life experience. Retirees with a strong sense of purpose have happier, healthier lives and report a higher quality of life.

• Finances – Retirees are less interested in accumulating more wealth than they are in having sufficient resources to achieve the freedom to live their lives as they choose. Yet, retirees frequently find that managing money in retirement can be even more challenging than saving for it. And the “unknowns” can be scary: Almost 70% of those who plan to retire in the next 10 years say they have no idea what their healthcare and long-term care costs will be in retirement.

So, if you’re getting close to retirement, and you’re considering these factors, how can you best integrate them into a fulfilling, meaningful way of life? You’ll want to take a “holistic” approach by asking yourself some key questions: What do you want to be able to do with your time and money? Are you building the resources necessary to enjoy the lifestyle you’ve envisioned?

Are you prepared for the increasing costs of health care as you age? Have you taken the steps to maintain your financial independence, and avoid burdening your family, in case you need some type of long-term care? Have you created the estate plans necessary to leave the type of legacy you desire?

By addressing these and other issues, possibly with the help of a financial professional, you can set yourself on the path toward the type of retirement that’s not really a retirement at all – but rather a new, invigorating chapter of your life.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.

Michael E. Verda AAMS Financial Adviser 12289 Leavitt Rd. Suite E. Oberlin, OH 44074 Bus.: 440-774-4625 Fax: 866-486-8146

Steve Schmittle

mike.verda@edwardjones.com

steve.schmittle@edwardjones.com

Financial Adviser 20 South Main Street Oberlin, OH 44074-1627 Bus.: 440-775-4357 Fax: 888-204-0352 Fax: 800-755-4944

Member SIPC

Page A4

Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020

Lorain County Community Guide

Commissioners seek USPS funding LAINA YOST THE CHRONICLE-TELEGRAM

ELYRIA — The Lorain County commissioners are urging the president to support and fund the U.S. Postal Service.

President Donald Trump said in a Fox Business Network interview earlier this month that he would not approve $25 billion in funding for the post office because he wants to quash efforts for mail-in voting.

His statement added fuel to the fire in a debate over the post office's ability to handle the November elections.

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy planned on making several changes to the post office, including cutting retail hours and removing mail processing equipment and blue collection boxes.

Last Tuesday, he stepped back from those decisions, saying changes to the Postal Service would be delayed until after the election.

County Commissioner Matt Lundy

said the service is a lifeline for people, particularly in a pandemic.

Residents use the post office to vote, receive medications and mail in U.S. census responses.

Commissioners passed a resolution stating that the post office has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and needs support in funding because it provides crucial services.

They called on Congress to take action to keep the USPS funded.

Lundy said he spoke to a postal union employee who told him carriers are concerned, but they are dedicated to making sure mail-in ballots will be a priority and they will do everything they can despite the roadblocks.

The employee reportedly told Lundy that he's been working for more than 30 years and this is the first time he's been told not to deliver all his daily mail. Lundy noted that the Postal Service employs more than 100,000 veterans nationwide.

Commissioner Lori Kokoski said she also wanted to combat a rumor that ballot envelopes will be marked

either Republican or Democrat on the outside. She said that's not happening in Lorain County, and mail carriers won't throw out ballots.

Defunding the Postal Service or limiting its workers' ability to do their jobs will undermine the service's foundation moving forward, Commissioner Sharon Sweda said.

If there's no Postal Service, she said, there's nothing to take its place.

On Aug. 13, the USPS sent letters to 46 states, including Ohio, and the District of Columbia warning that it cannot guarantee timely delivery of all November election ballots, which could mean millions will be disenfranchised.

Democrats in the House said they would seek legislation that includes $25 billion in funding for the Postal Service.

"Far be it from me to give the president any advice here, but crippling the Postal Service is not a wise move," Lundy said. "Postal Service is critical to our democracy, and we need to do everything we can to keep it strong."

SCHOLARS CARRIE KUBICKI of Amherst has graduated with a bachelor of arts degree from Ohio Wesleyan University.

Kubicki majored in English literature and pre-law.

KATY TUGGLE of Amherst has graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor of arts degree from Ohio Wesleyan University. Tuggle majored in pre-medicine/pre-dentistry and psychology.

EMILY RICH of Amherst has earned a bachelor of arts degree in early childhood education, graduating from the University of Mount Union with magna cum laude honors.

ALEXANDRIA BROWN of Amherst has graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in aquarium and zoo science from Saint Francis University.

MICHELLE KISSANE and DOMINIC ZAPPA of Amherst have been named to the dean’s list for the Spring 2020 semester at the University of Mount Union.

The following Amherst-area stu-

dents have graduated from Ashland University following the spring semester: • JASON CHRISTENSEN of Amherst received a master’s degree in education. Christensen majored in curriculum and instruction.

• CHRISTIAN ELLIS of Amherst received a master of arts degree. Ellis majored in American history and government.

• MARTIN HEBERLING of Amherst received a master’s degree in education. Heberling majored in educational administration.

• FRANCES RADWAY of Amherst received a bachelor of science degree, graduating summa cum laude. A 2017 graduate of Black River High School, Radway majored in exercise science.

• LOUIS STEVENS of South Amherst received a bachelor of science degree in education, graduating magna cum laude. A 2015 graduate of Firelands High School, Stevens majored in middle grades education.

JOHN DOUGHERTY and MATT LEE of Amherst have been named to the dean’s list for the Spring 2020 semester at Tiffin University.

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LEGALS ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS CITY OF LORAIN, OHIO 2020 SEWER RELINING PROJECT Sealed bids will be received by the Engineering Department of the City of Lorain, Ohio until: TIME AND PLACE FOR RECEIVING BIDS: UNTIL - 11:00 AM, Friday, September 11, 2020 Lorain time, Engineering Department, Lorain City Hall 4th Floor.

TIME AND PLACE FOR OPENING BIDS: 11:15 AM, Lorain time, City of Lorain Council Chambers, Lorain City Hall 1st Floor.

Bids must be accompanied by Certified Check or Cashier's Check or Letter of Credit equals to ten percent (10%) of the amount bid, or a bond for the full amount of the bid as a guarantee that if the bid is accepted, a contract will be entered into and a performance bond properly secured.

Should any bid be rejected, such instrument will be forthwith returned upon proper execution of a contract. Cash deposits will not be accepted. The bid check/bond should be enclosed in the sealed bid, but in a separate envelope clearly marked 'BID CHECK/BOND' with the bidders name & address on the bid check/ bond envelope.

Bid blanks and specifications may be secured at the Engineering Department, 200 West Erie Avenue, Lorain, Ohio, 44052 between the hours of 8:30 AM and 4:30PM Monday thru Friday. A nonrefundable fee of $50.00 either by check or money order is required for each set taken out.

Checks are to be made pay-

able to the City of Lorain.

The Director of Safety/Service reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids.

By order of the Director of Safety/Service

L.C.C.G. 8/20-27/20 20668231

LEGAL NOTICE DATE: September 2nd, 2020 TIME: 9:00 A.M. PLACE: Council Chambers ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS AGENDA Disposition of minutes from previous Zoning Board of Appeals and Planning Commission Meetings.

B.A. # 17-2020 2850 Grove Ave. Variance requested to install shed within five (5) feet of main building. Section 1129.03 (A) No accessory building shall be located within five (5) feet of another building. B-2 Zoning Raghurindera Dhaliwal, applicant.

B.A. #18-2020 1120 Allison Ave. Variance requested to widen driveway into front setback. Section 1201.06 (A) Except in driveways parking is prohibited within the required front yard. R-1 Zoning Brad & Stephanie Werley, applicant.

B.A. #19-2020 3376 Robin

AMHERST

• Aug. 11 at 10:48 p.m.: Bradley Cheers, 18, of Lorain, was charged with criminal trespass and obstructing official business. A 14-year-old, 15-year-old and 17-year-old, all from Lorain, were charged with unruly child and criminal trespass. They are accused of going swimming at the Anna Schmauch Memorial Pool at Maude Neiding Park after hours.

• Aug. 12 at 10:27 a.m.: Joseph Terry, 26, of Lorain, was arrested on a warrant through the Elyria Police Department for failure to appear in court on a charge of criminal damaging. He was also charged with driving under suspension.

• Aug. 13 at 12:32 a.m.: A missing child complaint was filed for a 15-year-old Amherst girl and her friend.

They were later found.

• Aug. 14 at 6:53 p.m.: Officers responded to a domestic dispute on Westpointe Drive.

• Aug. 15 at 1:12 a.m.: Angel Santiago-Rodriguez, 24, of Lorain, was arrested on a warrant through the Parma Heights Police Department on a count of breaking and entering. He was also charged with display of plates and driving under suspension.

• Aug. 15 at 1:47 p.m.: Joseph Murphy, 29, of Lorain, was charged with theft. Morgan Smith, 25, of Lorain, was charged with theft, possession of criminal tools and handicap parking violation. The charges came after a shoplifting complaint at Target on Oak Point Road.

OBERLIN The following Amherst students have graduated from the University of Findlay: • KAYLEE MORGAN received master’s degree in occupational therapy.

• ZACHARY WILDMAN received a bachelor’s degree in animal science and biology. Wildman graduated summa cum laude.

KAMRYN DZIAK of Amherst has been named to the dean’s list for the Spring 2020 semester at Georgia State University.

MICHAEL ROACH of Amherst has been named to the president’s list for the Spring 2020 semester at Trine University.

Roach is majoring in design engineering technology.

HANNAH KARDAR of Amherst has been named to the dean’s list for the Spring 2020 semester at Grove City College.

A 2018 graduate of Open Door Christian School, she is the daughter of Peter and Cindy Kardar of Amherst.

CLASSIFIEDS HELP WANTED

POLICE REPORTS

Lane. Variance requested to encroach into the required five (5) foot side yard setback.

R-PUD Zoning Jon Sherer, applicant.

B.A. #20-2020 2402 E. 30th St. Variance requested to install fence sixteen (16) inches from public right of way on corner lot. Section 1125.04 (E) No fence shall be within twenty (20) feet of the public right of way on corner lots. R-2 Zoning Abraham Cruz, applicant.

B.A. #21-2020 6332 Oak Tree Dr. South Variance requested to erect fence within twenty (20) feet of right of way on corner lot. Section 1125.04 (E) No fence shall be erected within twenty (20) feet of right of way on corner lot. R-1B Zoning Caitlin Fertal, applicant.

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

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

Z.C.A. #8-2020 Submission for Planning Commission's recommendation to Lorain City Council, for the rezoning of PPN # 02-01-003-141-017

vacant lot west of 114 W. 17th St. from R-2 Residential to B-2 General Business. Jorge Lopez, applicant.

Submission for Planning Commission's review of lot split PPN # 05-00-001-000-298 Oak Point Rd. Tom Oster, applicant.

Submission for Planning Commission's review of lot split at the corner of E. 28th and Fulton Ave. Christopher Mulvaney, applicant.

Submission to Planning Commission for review and recommendation to Lorain City Council, of the new Planning and Zoning Code and maps.

Richard G. Klinar, ACTING SECRETARY, LORAIN CITY PLANNING COMMISSION AND ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS

IF APPLICANT UNABLE TO ATTEND, PLEASE CALL (440) 204-2034

L.C.C.G. 8/27/20 20668451

• Aug. 2 at 7:30 p.m.: A woman said her ex-boyfriend took belongings from her home, and made "vague accusations" of assault and abuse over the past nine months, according to police.

• Aug. 3 at 1:30 a.m.: A woman found walking in the roadway and acting erratically was taken to Mercy Health Lorain Hospital for treatment and psychological evaluation.

• Aug. 3 at 3:37 p.m.: Anthony Stazzone, 57, of Cleveland, was arrested on a warrant through the Parma Police Department for identity fraud. A report said he tried to walk away from police and pretended not to understand officers. Allen Finley, 53, of Parma, was charged with driving under suspension. The arrests came after a complaint of a vehicle driving recklessly in the area of State Route 58 and US Route 20, "going in to oncoming traffic and almost hitting the guard rail."

• Aug. 4 at 12:47 p.m.: A caller told 911 operators her grandmother overdosed. Police and firefighters revived the woman with naloxone. She was taken to Mercy Health Allen Hospital for treatment.

• Aug. 7 at 6:30 p.m.: Devin Deremiah, 26, of Oberlin, was arrested on a warrant through the Wellington Police Department for failure to appear in court. The original charge was a traffic offense.

• Aug. 7 at 9:39 p.m.: John Blocker was arrested on a warrant through the Erie County Sheriff's Office for failure to report to jail. He was released, however, when the ESCO said that though the warrant was "good," due to COVID--19 the jail would not accept Blocker.

WELLINGTON

• Aug. 1 at 1 a.m.: Kevin Jerore, 32, of Wellington, was charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated.

• Aug. 2 at 1:15 a.m.: An assault complaint was filed on Barker Street. Kenneth Jones Jr., 44, of Wellington, was charged with burglary, according to court records.

• Aug. 2 at 5:07 p.m.: A complaint of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle was made.

• Aug. 3 at 12:39 a.m.: Officers responded to Mickey Mart on South Main Street for a complaint of a possibly intoxicated man and woman. Police said they seized drug paraphernalia and suspected drugs, but there were no charges.

• Aug. 3 at 5:28 p.m.: A man said an estranged relative was harassing and threatening his family.

• Aug. 4 at 6:44 p.m.: Officers responded to a possible overdose involving an 11-year-old girl.

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

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Make check or money order payable to: Lorain County Printing & Publishing. Fill out and clip this form with payment and mail to: LCCG, PO Box 4010, Elyria, OH 44036 NAME ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020

Lorain County Community Guide

Page A5

Four Leaf Clovers 4-H Club members stay active virtually CALLIE FINNEGAN FOUR LEAF CLOVERS

BROWNHELM TWP. — The Four Leaf Clovers 4-H Club continues to meet online.

Members have had excellent project demonstrations. It has been really interesting to see all the projects at everyone’s homes.

President Jocelyn Bednar gave a demonstration on winding bobbins in a sewing machine, Colton Ross demonstrated about his meat chickens, Sophia Abraham and Kayla Aslaskan showed us their rabbit operations, and there were many more that were really interesting because they were at the members’ homes.

In June, Callie Finnegan and Macy Paller competed at the virtual state contest on the Lorain County Horse Judging Team. They also competed in the Ohio Hippology Contest. They were on a team with two other girls.

The team earned second in halter horse judging, first in performance horse judging, and third in oral reasons.

They were the overall state champion team!

In halter horse judging, Finnegan earned second place individually and Paller was ninth in the state.

Finnegan was fifth place overall performance judge, earned fourth overall for oral reasons and was the second place overall judge in Ohio. Paller was 10th overall judge in Ohio.

In the Ohio Hippology Contest, their team earned fifth in the test, fifth in stations, first in judging, first in team problem and placed third overall.

Finnegan earned first in the state for exam and stations, fifth in judging and third overall in hippology.

In July, several members competed in Ohio State 4-H virtual and socially distanced events. Three participated in the Ohio 4-H Horse Communications Posters Contest. Finnegan earned third in the state with her poster on “Worldwide Rations,” Jennifer Keets earned 11th with a poster called “At Home Veterinarian” and Paller got 16th in the state with a poster titled “Colic.”

Keets and Finnegan both competed in several state online skill-a-thons and placed in the top of the state in each: • Horse: Finnegan placed third in her age group, fourth place junior division, sixth overall.

• Goat: Finnegan was third in her age group, fifth place junior division, 10th place overall.

Station to Station Run

A run from the Amherst fire station on Church Street to the police station on North Lake will be held the morning of Friday, Sept. 11 to honor those who lost their lives in the 2001 terror attacks.

Of the 2,977 innocent lives lost that day, 343 were firefighters, 60 were police officers, and eight were emergency medics.

A moment of silence will be held at 8:46 a.m., with the three-mile run starting immediately after.

Amherst Police Lt. Dan Makruski and his wife, Miriam Bremer-Makruski, are organizing the event. Last year , they ran the Medina Tunnel to Towers 5k, and said it was moving to see firefighters and police officers running in their uniforms and gear.

They encourage readers to visit www.tunnel2towers. org and learn about the Tunnels to Towers Foundation. The charity was founded in memory of New York firefighter Stephen Siller, who raced on foot through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel to the World Trade Center and died saving victims of the terrorist attack.

Runners can meet at the city parking lot on Maple Street across from the Amherst fire station at 8:30 a.m.

Be sure to adhere to social distancing and mask requirements before the event. Don't park in the city lot if you can avoid it — it will be used to keep runners six feet apart as they warm up.

Dukes varsity football

Provided photos

ABOVE: Macy Paller and her horse, RT, have had a successful summer in 4-H competitions. BELOW: Jennifer Keets shows off her state communications poster.

Dates for the Wellington High School football season have been set: • Friday, Aug. 28 at 7 p.m. vs. Black River at 398 Dickson St., Wellington.

• Friday, Sept. 4 at 7 p.m. vs. Brookside at 1662 Harris Rd., Sheffield.

• Friday, Sept. 11 at 7 p.m. vs. Clearview at 398 Dickson St., Wellington.

• Friday, Sept. 18 at 7 p.m. vs. Columbia at 14168 West River Rd., Columbia Station.

• Friday, Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. vs. Oberlin at 601 Middle Ave., Elyria.

• Friday, Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. vs. Keystone at 398 Dickson St., Wellington.

• Friday, Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. vs. Columbia at 14168 West River Rd., Columbia Station.

• Friday, Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. vs. Oberlin at 398 Dickson St., Wellington.

• Friday, Oct. 23 at 7 p.m. vs. Keystone at 398 Dickson St., Wellington.

• Friday, Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. vs. Firelands at 10643 Vermilion Rd., Henrietta Twp.

Oberlin library meeting

The Oberlin Public Library board will meet at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 10 at the library. The meeting is open to the public.

• Sheep: Finnegan was second in her age group, sixth place junior division, 13th place overall.

• Dog: Keets was third in her age group, 14th place junior division.

Finnegan was first in her age group, first place junior division, first place overall.

• Poultry: Keets was 10th in her age group. Finnegan was fourth in her age group, fourth place junior division, 11th overall.

• Swine: Keets was sixth in her age group, 11th place junior division, 22nd overall. Finnegan was second in her age group, fifth place junior division, 12th place overall.

• Beef: Keets was first place in her age group, first place junior division, second overall. Finnegan was third place in her age group, seventh place junior division, 15th overall.

Several of the 4-H club members have been completing online interviews for their still life projects and getting good feedback.

Some members are still taking animal projects to the Lorain County Fair, which this year is a Junior Fair only and is closed to the public. The only projects at the fair this year will be animal projects — they will be on shortened schedules with most shows being single-day shows.

When you need to talk

Dealing with an ever-changing world can be difficult.

Here are some resources that can provide support when you need it: • COVID-19 CareLine: 800-720-9616 • Crisis Text Line: Text “4HOPE” to 741741 • 24/7 Mental Health Crisis Hotline: 800-888-6161 • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255 • The LCADA Way drug and alcohol addiction and recovery support: 440-989-4900 • Domestic violence support via the Genesis House: 440-244-1853 or 440-323-3400 • Lorain County Child Protection Services: 440-3295340 or call the after-hours line at 440-406-5121 • If you are in need of immediate medical attention or in a line and death situation, dial 911 first.

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Mysterious McCormick energy costs may be fixed JASON HAWK EDITOR

WELLINGTON — Stopping the electric meter from spinning wildly at McCormick Middle School may not be such an expensive problem after all.

At just six years old, the building has inexplicably become a power and heat hog, the district's most costly and least efficient by far.

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She told the Wellington Board of Education that HEAPY has seen similar problems at newer buildings, and had immediate suspicions about what may be going on.

For example, natural gas consumption for heating is higher in the summer than the winter, which Ferro pointed to as a red flag.

If her company is hired to perform an energy audit at McCormick, Ferro said she feels minor tweaks to the building's control system — not major construction — will be the solution.

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In January, the school board mulled a proposal by CCG Automation of Richfield, which asked for $572,000 to make McCormick more energy efficient.

Board members were less than enthusiastic about shelling out that cash, even before the COVID-19 pandemic started and threatened to reap chaos with the district's budget.

If hired, Ferro said HEAPY would also double-check air-handlers to make sure ventilation is properly set to protect students during the health crisis.

The company's energy audit won't be just a report that's handed over to Superintendent Ed Weber and the board.

Ferro pledged it will include a plan to work with contractors and make the right changes.

Weber said HEAPY is an engineering firm and is not selling any equipment or other products — its role would be strictly to provide consultation.

Ferro defined the company's role as making sure Wellington isn't "spending a ton of extra money trying to chase down these solutions."

She said McCormick is a "perfectly good building" and she thinks there will be at least some simple fixes available that will cost little to nothing.

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Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020

Lorain County Community Guide

ELYRIA — Like their public counterparts, private schools in Lorain County will welcome students back in the coming weeks.

Elyria Catholic chose to go with a hybrid model, with students alternating in-person days based on their last name. A remoteonly option is available, too.

Principal Suzanne Lester said the plan really started last spring after districts shifted to remote learning. After commencement, school officials met with the Cleveland Catholic Diocese and then with the county superintendents and Health Commissioner Dave Covell. Elyria Catholic also assembled a group made up of staff, parents and students to help frame out this year.

Based on survey results and the numbers for remote learning, the school decided to go with the hybrid model.

Elyria Catholic has more than 420 students, a slight increase from last year, Lester said.

Student orientation began last Thursday with the group of freshmen, during which school administrators discussed why masks and hand-washing is important.

Students will be responsible for disinfecting their desks when they are done with them.

Elyria Catholic President Annie Heidersbach said those skills won’t just be important for students in school, but also in daily life. Wherever they go when they aren’t at school, it could have an impact on the entire school system if they aren't cautious.

Heidersbach herself is new to Elyria Catholic, although she had two children who are alumni of the school. She took over leadership on July 1.

She said that as she greets students getting out of their parent’s car for orientation, she loves to see the smiles on the parents' faces. Yes, there’s anxiety, she said, but overall people are excited to be back.

“We just have to be patient to get through the beginning, and as we figure things out. And our parents know that, they’ve reiterated that,” Lester said.

“We’re going to have some bumps along the way, but trust us to get things going again and be able to help you.”

At St. Mary in Elyria, Principal Sharon Urig said the school surveyed parents and divided them into committees. From there, the groups met throughout the summer and listened to guidance from Lorain County Public Health and the Catholic Diocese.

About 20 percent of the school chose a virtual option for the Pre-K to eighth grade

school and the rest will be in-person five days a week.

Urig said the school staff has set up the school with plastic dividers on desks made from a company in Grafton. There are face shields donated from Lorain County Community College in case a student needs a break from a mask or is having a difficult time adjusting to it.

And the school has special shields that start from the neck and go up so teachers can use them in case students need to see their mouth.

Of course, Urig said those purchases have impacted the school’s budget, but she said they’re prepared for a safe start to the school year.

Enrollment sits around 118 students right now. Urig said that’s down a bit, mostly in the preschool area. Many parents are holding off on preschool this year because of the pandemic, she said.

But Urig also said the school has quite a few new students and could see an enrollment increase once the school year gets going. And she said the plan is to do most of their homework in school so students can have a break at home. Teachers also will be encouraged to leave on time so they can get their rest.

“We’re taking it slow; it’s going to be a staggered start,” Urig said. “It will take awhile for students to build that stamina to be in school all day. They haven’t been in for six months.”

Other schools have crafted similar plans for the school year. They are: • St. Jude School in Elyria is also offering five days in person with a soft start.

• St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Avon is five days in person.

• Holy Trinity is five days in person with an online option.

• St. Peter in North Ridgeville is doing five days in person. No online option is available.

• St. Joseph Avon Lake is doing five days in person with an online option.

• St. Joseph Amherst is doing five days in person with an online option.

• St. Anthony in Lorain is doing five days in person with an online option.

• Lake Ridge is five days in person with an online option.

• Christian Community School is five days in person. No online option is available.

• First Baptist Christian School is returning to five days in person. Faculty and staff will wear a face mask unless outside or physically distanced, but it is “recommended, not required” students in grades three through 12 follow similar guidelines.

An online option was not listed on the return-to-school plan.

• Goddard School preschools are all five days in person.

“We just have to be patient to get through the beginning, and as we figure things out. And our parents know that, they’ve reiterated that.”

— Elyria Catholic Principal Suzanne Lester

B

OUR TOWNS

Lorain County Community Guide • Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020

‘I'm afraid my vote won't count’

'Bee City USA' designation goes to Wellington JASON HAWK EDITOR

Photos by Jason Hawk | Amherst News-Times

Protesters line the sidewalk in front of the Amherst Post Office branch on Saturday, Aug. 22, standing six feet apart and wearing masks.

WELLINGTON — Honey bees could use some help, and they're finding it in Wellington.

The village is now officially a Bee City USA, one of only six communities to earn the designation in Ohio and 113 nationwide.

"We truly don't know what a world without honey bees looks like, and we don't want to," said Sheila St. Clair of the Lorain County Beekeepers Association.

"Every steak you eat, every vegetable you eat, every glass of milk comes to your table through bee pollination in one way or another."

Honey bees produce more than 260 million pounds of honey and five million pounds of beeswax each year in the United States, according to the Oregon-based Xerces Society, which runs the Bee City USA program.

Their far more important role is pollinating more than 60 crops we rely on, from apples and lima beams to pumpkins and pears. They contribute nearly $20 billion to the value of U.S. crop production.

The Xerces Society says crop yield and quality suffer when there are fewer bees around, and each year farmers are relied on to feed more people with less land.

BEE CITY USA PAGE B2

Amherst protesters back post office in November election integrity battle Oberlin could

take a step back on recycling as prices skyrocket

JASON HAWK EDITOR

AMHERST — Sandy Rottari has voted in every election since she turned 18, casting her first ballot for Richard Nixon in 1972.

Forty-eight years and nine presidents later, the Florence Township resident is scared about the integrity of the election process.

"I've never been more afraid that my vote count," she said Saturday, waving a cardboard sign in front of the United States Postal Service's Amherst branch.

Rottari joined more than two dozen people on Route 58 in a "Save the Post Office" rally.

It was one of many staged across the nation, calling for the resignation of new Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. Since being appointed in May by the Postal Service Board of Governors at the urging of President Donald Trump, the prominent Republican donor has been accused of slowing down mail deliveries and trying to undermine the Postal Service.

Testifying to a Senate committee Friday, DeJoy said he doesn't plan to restore mailboxes the USPS has removed since June, or to reverse cuts. He's pushed to reduce costs by eliminating overtime pail and holding

JASON HAWK EDITOR

Andy and Loretta Tonich stand with signs at the exit of the Amherst Post Office branch on Route 58. mail to the next day when distribution centers fall behind schedule.

In his testimony, DeJoy said it is his "sacred duty" to ensure that ballots arrive on time, but said he doesn't have a plan to do so. He's sent letters to 46 states and the District of Columbia warning there is no guarantee

absentee ballots will arrive in time to be counted in the November election.

Amherst City Councilman Jake Wachholz, who organized the local rally, said his goal was to inspire passersby to call elected officials to POST OFFICE PAGE B2

Oberlin cyclist’s 3,350-mile charity trip ends with tire in Atlantic surf JASON HAWK EDITOR

Erik Andrews ceremonially dipped his front bicycle tire in the Atlantic Ocean last Thursday morning.

The 60-year-old Oberlin resident rode 3,350 miles since late June, starting at edge of the Pacific near Los Angeles, crossing the Rockies and pedaling past the Grand Canyon, through the Dust Bowl, over the Appalachians into the nation's capital.

Andrews phoned last Wednesday from the west side of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge near Annapolis, Maryland, to talk about the end of his long journey.

He pedaled the final 20 miles with his daughter, Sarah Stafford, and ar-

rived at Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

Donations have flooded into his "Pedal Across America" effort at www. paa4asp.org as he neared the 60th part of the ride.

With the last push, Andrews expected to hit $40,000 in funds raised to benefit the Appalachia Service Project, a Christian ministry that helps repair old homes and build new ones in some of the nation's poorest, most remote areas.

They surged far past the mark, hitting $52,000.

Andrews credits Oberlin High School Class of 1977 alumnus Steve Merrill for helping raise much of the cash. On a stop at his Nashville home along the coast-to-coast route, Merrill convinced Andrews to place signs on his bike and pass out cards to tell

Erik Andrews everyone he met about the mission.

"I'd stop at a convenience store and strike up a conversation. It would go right to the heart of what we were trying to accomplish with the ride," Andrews said.

After climbing through the Rockies and crossing the Continental Divide, his

plans for the ride changed dramatically. The original thought was to bike to Cape Canaveral in Florida — Andrews is an mission software systems engineer who works with NASA — but as his confidence grew, so did his aspirations.

When the famous Route 66 turned north toward Chicago, Andrews headed east instead of dipping toward Florida. Rather than riding across the low and flat Gulf states, he switched gears and headed for the mountains once more.

"I was afraid of the Appalachian Mountains, and I was making excuses to go south of them," he said.

Following U.S. Route 64, he traveled from Oklahoma City through Arkansas and CYCLIST PAGE B2

OBERLIN — Mandatory recycling may be on the way out in Oberlin, which is reeling from a roughly 400 percent increase in costs over the past 16 months.

City Council is considering going to a free, subscription-based recycling program. Residents would be able to opt in.

The idea, according to Oberlin Public Works Director Jeff Baumann, is that people who want to recycle would be more likely to do so properly.

"We believe that contamination related to our efforts to get everyone on board with recycle is a significant driver of our program costs," he said in a special session last week.

That "contamination" refers to the amount of trash that ends up in recycling bins.

Garbage accounts of about a third of everything that Oberlin residents put in those bins. Baumann said too many residents are "essentially using their recycling cart as a second refuse container."

Recycling has been mandatory in Oberlin since 2014.

But the city hasn't been picking up recycling weekly since the start of the pandemic, when it halted operations to protect workers.

Now looking to restart service, Baumann said in a memo to Council that price has increasingly become a problem and can't be ignored — especially with his fleet needing replaced soon.

In 2018, China's "National Sword" policy went into effect, taking a toll on how recyclable materials are handled internationally. The country banned most paper and plastics, sending American recycling costs skyrocketing.

"The local recycling markets have been in turmoil since China stopped accepting most imports. And those RECYCLING PAGE B2 1960-2020

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Page B2

'Through the Looking Glass'

A long-delayed Amherst Junior High School Drama Club production of Lewis Carroll's "Through the Looking Glass" will be screened at last.

The play was to be staged in the spring, but was shut down when schools closed in March. Students under the direction of adviser Valerie Farschman decided to take the action online, and started filming segment remotely from their bedrooms.

The footage has been fully edited and will be shown one time only, at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 29 on YouTube.

You can see it by visiting www.tinyurl.com/AliceAJHS. The musical tells the story of Alice's return to Wonderland and encounters with living chess pieces, the Red Queen and the White Queen, Tweedledee and Tweedledum and the monstrous Jabberwocky.

Phoenix varsity football

Dates for the shortened Oberlin High School football season have been set: • Saturday, Sept. 5 at 1 p.m. vs. Clearview at 601 Middle Ave., Elyria.

• Saturday, Sept. 12 at 6 p.m. vs. Columbia at 281 North Pleasant St., Oberlin.

• Friday, Sept. 18 at 7 p.m. vs. Black River at 233 County Rd. 40, Sullivan.

• Friday, Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. vs. Wellington at 601 Middle Ave., Elyria.

• Friday, Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. vs. Firelands at 10643 Vermilion Rd., Henrietta Twp. • Friday, Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. vs. Black River at 233 County Rd. 40, Sullivan.

• Friday, Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. vs. Wellington at 398 Dickson St., Wellington.

• Friday, Oct. 30 at 7:30 p.m. vs. Keystone at 200 Woodland Ave., Oberlin.

RECYCLING

FROM B1 they do continue to accept are with much more stringent guidelines," Baumann said.

Those costs have trickled down. In April 2019, Republic Services more than doubled the recycling processing charge for Oberlin from $27.50 to $57.50 per ton.

Three months later, it again raised the charge to $70 per ton and introduced a new charge for any load contaminated by more than 15 percent of nonrecyclable garbage At the start of 2020, the fee was again increased to $100 per ton.

As a result, recycling costs for Oberlin have gone from about $24,000 per year to $120,000.

The move to voluntary recycling is just the start.

Baumann also wants to charge for Saturday collection to cover overtime expenses, make recycling bi-weekly, eliminate glass and some plastics from the program and add fines for people who continue to misuse bins.

City Council members made only a preliminary vote and will weigh in again on the changes at its next meeting in September.

POST OFFICE

FROM B1

demand full funding for the post office.

"They should know their votes matter, and they should know this is a situation that is not normal," Wachholz said.

A slowdown in mail delivery means people aren't getting their medications, "so lives are at stake, and farmers are getJake Waccholz ting boxes of dead chickens, so livelihoods are at stake," he said.

"We're here to stand for the people who can't stand here. We're here for the people who can't leave their homes."

Numbering 28 within a half hour of the rally's start, protesters wore masks and held signs that said "All votes matter," "Dump DeJoy," "Save the USPS" and "Defend democracy."

They were greeted with honks of support from passing traffic, but also jeers.

One man drove by screaming, "Four more years.

Another aimed slurs and profanity at the protesters, and a third called them trash.

With a sign that read "Worst president ever," Stacy Corbin of Amherst said she was upset at what Trump has done since being elected in 2016.

"And now that he's targeting the post office, I'm even more upset," she said.

Corbin said she runs a small business that depends on the mail, and has friends and family who haven't been getting medication delivered on time.

Mark Towers of Elyria is the father of two veterans, and was upset that USPS issues are affecting medication deliveries to those who served in uniform.

"They're getting them three to four weeks later, if they're getting them at all," he said.

Valerie Farschman of Amherst said she's seen the mail slow as well. Letters to her son in Columbus, which used to arrive next day, now take a week and a half.

"I love my post office. What DeJoy is doing for Trump makes me sick. He wants to win at any cost," she said. "It's a ploy to get Donald Trump re-elected, I'm sure of it."

Jim McCourt of Amherst held a pocket-sized copy of the U.S. Constitution in his hand, open to Article 1, Section 8, Clause 7. The passage calls for the establishment of post offices.

He pointed to its place on the page, above a passage allowing for the creation of the military.

"Interesting the chain of thought they had when they wrote it," McCourt said. "Clearly they thought the post office was important."

Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020

Lorain County Community Guide

Oberlin College going remote only for the first week of school STAFF REPORT

OBERLIN — Oberlin College will spend its first week remotely due to testing result delays.

The college's testing partner moved to giving tests to people who have symptoms and delayed processing samples from asymptomatic people. In an announcement Aug. 10, college President

Carmen Twillie Ambar said that led the college to delay in-person classes a week until they can get student test results back.

Students will be in semiquarantine until the college gets their results. Students will be allowed out of their rooms for limited periods, to get their food and have restricted exposure to the campus.

Oberlin College is set to begin classes Monday. That

first week will be online, and in-person classes will begin the week of Sept. 7.

Ambar said the lab has been flooded with tests from hot spots from governmental entities, national pharmacies and nursing homes. The turnaround for test results was supposed to be 48 hours, but it has since been pushed to four days or more.

She said the lab is in the process of hiring 50

more people to handle the backlog. Although Ambar said the lab believes it can reduce the turnaround time back to 48 hours, she said the college cannot count on a consistent turnaround.

"This is not the way any of us wanted to start the semester," she said in the update. "But here is what I know. This is going to be a year where we have to become comfortable with responding, not reacting."

Aging home donated for demolition Provided photo

JASON HAWK EDITOR

OBERLIN — A Groveland Street home with a history of code violations will be torn down after it was donated last Monday to the city of Oberlin.

In a fast-track vote, City Council took ownership of 74 Groveland St., located at the corner of South Pleasant.

Owners Thomas and Lillian Cloudt chose to give up the house after being cited several times in 2019 for property and maintenance code issues, according to Planning and Development Director Carrie Handy.

"There were lots of corrective actions that needed to be taken to try to repair this property," she said.

The Cloudts decided the estimated $30,000 cost of repairs was more than the value of the home, she said.

Handy recommended demolishing the house, which she called a "very blighted structure," and said the land can be sold or redeveloped.

A house at 74 Groveland St. in Oberlin, which was cited last year for violations involving its exterior and porch, was donated to the city on Monday, Aug. 17 and is set to be demolished.

Depending on how much asbestos may be found, she said demolition will cost between $8,000 and $12,000.

Over the last three years, the city of Oberlin has been taking ownership of new properties like it's traveling around a Monopoly board.

City Manager Rob Hillard said some have been obtained through back taxes — waiting for the delin-

quency process on Groveland Street could take two years, said Handy.

Oberlin has been pursuing demolitions to help improve neighborhoods, said Hillard: "Some of these houses have been abandoned for a number of years."

With money in the 2020 budget, demolition of the Groveland Street acquisition appealed to Council members.

"That house has been a little bit of an eyesore for quite some time," said Councilwoman Elizabeth Meadows.

Councilman Kelley Singleton agreed, saying that if it were in his neighborhood he would want it torn down as soon as possible.

"It's a blight to the neighborhood.

It might be a safety concern. Look at that front porch — it doesn't look that safe," he said.

BEE CITY USA

FROM B1

The problem is "the four P's" that affect bee health — pathogens, pests, poor nutrition and pesticides, the society says.

Pesticides are the biggest threat.

Bees face the possibility of extinction unless people come to their rescue, said St. Clair.

She said that before pesticides were widely used, "it was a time of paradise. But today with all the pesticide and all the agricultural land disappearing, it is a horrible time for honey bees."

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says bees are actually experiencing a renaissance. It tracks the number of American bee colonies every five years, and found that since 1969 they've risen from 1.42 million colonies to 2.88 million.

Colonies hit a record high 3.28 million in 2012, and fell off by 12 percent as of the most recent data in 2017.

They're also facing colony collapse, which as of March 2020 had caused massive losses, the USDA reports.

The disorder is characterized by rapid loss of honey bee population despite the presence of a queen,

young workers and a good food supply.

The Lorain County Beekeepers Association wants to do everything it can to revitalize the population.

"If we don't take care of honey bees that are now in standardized boxes for the most part... we won't have bees at all," St. Clair said.

Her group wants to see pollinatorfriendly gardens throughout the county, including at the Lorain County Fairgrounds.

Beekeepers have talked with village officials about planting gardens in Wellington, but those discussions have been shelved during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Getting the word out is proving tough this summer, said St. Clair, who has been educating the public about bees for 50 years.

The virus led to the cancellation of the Lorain County Senior Fair, where the LCBA set up shop with a hive, information and flavored honey sales for years.

It also canceled Wellington's Fourth of July parade, where beekeepers wanted to march with a giant inflatable bee to get their message out.

"We always showcase honey bees, and trying to continually get information out to people about their yards and pesticides," St. Clair said.

If you want to help honey bees, she said there are a few easy steps you can take.

St. Clair said to be careful with the treatment you use on your lawn, consider planting clover and dandelions and set up a birdbath, which can attract "the right kind of insects."

And if you want to become a beekeeper, the association is ready to help you learn. Visit www.loraincountybeekeepers.org for information — but be prepared to work hard and spend a lot of cash, said St. Clair.

She said beekeeping is "a game of chess, not checkers" and takes five years to properly get set up.

Wellington has risen to the challenge. It's home to more beekeepers than any other community in Lorain County, she said.

Of the 165 beehives in the county, 55 are in Wellington.

There are 45,000 bee colonies in Ohio, 9,300 apiaries and 310 beekeepers in Lorain County, according to the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

CYCLIST

FROM B1 Tennessee, where he stopped at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis just a few days after the death of Rep. John Lewis.

"It was a powerful experience to be there, in that way at that time in our nation," Andrews said. "It was powerful to be there, sad as it was."

Continuing across the Volunteer State, he stopped at the Appalachia Service Project headquarters in Johnson City.

He spent a day there with ASP staff and was honored for his fundraising work, then hit the road again through the Blue Ridge Mountains to Washington, D.C. The capital was nearly empty because of the COVID-19 pandemic, he said, and Andrews took pictures of himself alone at the Jefferson and Lincoln memorials, which are usually teeming with tourists through the summer months.

Then it was on to Davidsonville United Methodist Church in

Provided photo

Banners attached to his bike help Erik Andrews share the message of his Pedal Across America mission.

Maryland, Andrews' "old stomping grounds" where he and wife Michelle lived from 1990 to 2006. It was where he first started with the Appa-

lachia Service Project.

The Michelle and Sarah joined Erik for the last of the trip, and returned him home to Oberlin on Sunday.

Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020

Lorain County Community Guide

Page B3

— AMHERST GOES BACK TO SCHOOL —

Sayers: ‘It's OK to be nervous. So am I’ JASON HAWK EDITOR

AMHERST — Everyone is nervous about returning to classes this fall under a Level 3 public health emergency, and Amherst Schools Superintendent Steve Sayers isn't afraid to admit he's worried too.

"That's perfectly normal and natural for our students, our parents, for our staff and community to have those feelings," he said.

The COVID-19 pandemic is shaping the way schools run this

year, from more lunch rooms to online learning to hitting playgrounds in shifts.

Amherst students in grades 1-12 start today — the date was delayed by a week to give teachers more time to prepare — with kindergarten Sept. 1 and prekindergarten following on Sept. 8.

"It's obviously going to be different this year and look different," Sayers said.

For starters, about a quarter of students in the district have opted to learn entirely online in a track called eCampus.

Whether remotely or in per-

son, students will simply not get as many instructional hours in 2020-2021, said Sayers.

Time will have to be set aside for arrival, dismissal, lunches, washing hands, cleaning desks and doorknobs and going to the bathroom. "But that's OK. That's what we need to do. We need to do those things for safety first," he said.

Assistant Superintendent Michael Molnar said staff will focus on one-on-one and small group teaching. It will help kids all stay on track together, while also limiting how COVID-19 may

spread.

"There isn't one teacher who has said this situation hasn't forced them to think about what they're doing and make changes about how they deliver instruction," Molnar said. "We may lose time, but everyone knows that and is looking for ways to make their time more efficient."

The key to getting through the year will be flexibility, according to Sayers — especially since quarantines may be needed, schools may shut down and everyone may end up learning from home if the pandemic intensifies.

Lorain County school districts and the Ohio Department of Education are trying to make the best possible decisions they can in the moment, said Molnar.

One decision that's been made for school districts is a statewide mask mandate. Kids and adults must wear face coverings throughout the day, with periodic breaks.

Masks will also be required on buses, where seats will be assigned and kept to one rider per seat when possible.

SAYERS PAGE B4

Steele goes to 2.5-hour-long Less freedom, fewer electives classes to limit viral spread a hard reality to face at AJHS JASON HAWK EDITOR

AMHERST — Keeping halls uncluttered means turning the schedule at Steele High School on its head this year.

Periods are now scheduled in 2.5-hour blocks, which means teens will attend two very long classes each day, said Principal Joe Tellier.

The intensive courses will run for a matter of weeks, not full semesters.

The change will stop students from moving between classes, which Tellier and other educators hope will limit chances for COVID-19 to spread around Steele.

They'll only move around the halls en masse twice daily — once to go to lunch, and then to go to afternoon classes.

Students have been split to de-populate lunch rooms. The cafeteria will be used for those buying lunches, and the north gym will be used by those who bag lunches.

The schedule change does not kill any electives, Tellier said. It does eliminate study halls.

"We just couldn't justify it," he said. "We couldn't say, 'Having them sit in a study hall together is worth the risk it would present.'"

There are other big changes to how Steele with operate. Lockers won't be used, for example.

Perhaps the biggest, said Tellier, is an attempt to go paperless.

Students will use digital devices for every aspect of learning. Traditional textbooks are out.

Paper hall passes are gone, too. Instead, kids will have to scan QR codes posted at every room in the school as they move around the building. That includes trip to the bathroom.

The punch-in, punch-out system will track exactly where students are.

"I know it sounds Big Brother, but it's necessary," said Tellier — but if there is a positive COVID-19 case, educators and health officials will be able to look at the time-stamped logs and track who was exposed.

About 25 percent of Steele students won't have to scan QR codes, because they won't be reporting to the brick-and-mortar school.

Instead, they've opted to learn online

through the eCampus program, which is taught by Amherst teachers. It's an entirely separate track, but kids have to log in when the first bell rings just like in-person students.

Tellier said it's just as rigorous as inperson classes, and will be graded the same. Remote learners will have to stay on pace with their in-person peers and take the same tests.

"I think anybody who thinks eCampus is going to be the easy way to go, some of them may be in for an awakening," he said.

Social life at Steele has taken a hit.

While Tellier believes there can still be fun in the form of Spirit Week and canned food drives, there are already cancellations to mainstays of the high school experience.

"Can we do a Homecoming dance as we sit here today? No, that's not going to happen," he said." We want to make everything as normal as we can, but everything is going to still be different."

Open houses have gone virtual and parent-teacher conferences will be held the same way, he said. There will be no field trips, including overnighters for sports.

Keeping kids safe for academics will be tough enough. The only people allowed in a classroom will be the teacher of record and the student roster — not aides, not parents, not visitors.

Many teachers are anxious about how the year will play out, Tellier said — so is he.

Everyone will have to change basic habits. Tellier is a high-fiver and a handshaker who likes to clap kids on the back to show his support. Those gestures will have to stop, even though he feels they are a way to build relationships and get kids invested in learning.

Hand sanitizer dispensers have been placed in every classroom, and teachers held safety meetings about using wipes and having kids wash up the first and last 10 minutes of every class.

"I told my staff they're going to follow our lead," Tellier said. "Let them know we love them and we're glad they're back, but they're going to have assigned seats...

There are systems in place for health reasons to protect you, and we're going to abide by them."

"We have to let them know from day one we're not playing," he said.

Brand-new classrooms at Powers going 'a little retro' JASON HAWK EDITOR

AMHERST — Brian Teppner is starting a new job in a brand-new school building in a fall semester that's completely different from any before.

Powers Elementary, where he has been hired as principal, opened its doors in January and shut them less than three months later due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now Teppner is ready to lead the prekindergarten through third grade school as it reopens.

"We're not naive. There is a very probable potential that some child is going to come school and show signs of (the virus)," he said.

Every aspect of the school day has shifted to protect kids against that danger.

Classrooms, built to be loose and flexible, are "going to look a little retro" with straight lines of assigned desks. Classes spill out into common areas to put distance between students, and bookcases have been moved to create barriers between

some students where social distancing isn't possible.

A first-floor stage designed for concerts and plays is now a storage area, since performances are canceled. The art room has been transformed into a lunch room for teachers.

"We've had to repurpose almost everything in this building," Teppner said.

Daily routines have changed too, starting with the principal's. His duties now include doing the laundry and helping to deliver towels to classrooms.

As he walks the hallways, he'll carry a towel and wipe down doorknobs and handrails along the way to keep them sanitized.

Art, music and physical education will be held in two-week blocks with fewer students, limiting possibilities for the virus to spread.

When kids go to recess, they won't interact with anyone from other classes.

They'll rotate among six recess zones with structured games.

Each time they return to the classroom POWERS PAGE B4

JASON HAWK EDITOR

AMHERST — Andrew Gibson isn't sugar-coating the situation: There are fewer freedoms and fewer electives for students this year at Amherst Junior High School.

Kids in the sixth, seventh and eighth grades are used to having a little more trust, and being a bit more free to move around, the principal said.

They won't get it this fall at AJHS, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Staff will clamp down in an effort to keep hallways empty and to limit interactions between educational teams, Gibson said. Where students would normally interact with about 200 of their peers everyday, this year the goal is to cut that number almost in half to prevent the spread of the virus.

"At the end of the day, I feel like the community is trusting us to keep their kids safe," Gibson said.

"We all felt what the spring was, and it was hard on families," he said. "I think we all want to get back to our traditional lives. We can do that, but we have to fig-

ure out how to manage the virus too."

Teachers have formed two teams per grade level, to be isolated as much as possible from each other, and about 22 percent of AJHS students are staying home to learn online.

Elective teachers have also been reassigned to core classrooms to make class sizes smaller.

As a result, almost all electives had to be jettisoned, from current events to coding to choir.

Gibson said killing those classes wasn't an easy decision, and he is struggling to come to terms with it. Teachers were invested in offerings that set AJHS apart.

Art and physical education will continue more or less as normal — there will be more outside play for gym and regular sanitizing of equipment — but music is taking a hit.

Singing and playing instruments have been deemed dangerous because they expel respiratory droplets that can carry the virus. That means pivoting to teach kids how to read music and other aspects that are safer, said Gibson.

Science classes have also been AJHS PAGE B4

"There will be an outbreak this year. That needs to be expected. At some point, we'll get the call and we'll find that it's here, it's in our schools. What's important is that we make sure we address it with our core values... As long as we stick to our core values, and we allow the health department to guide us and we don't become reactionary, I think we're going to be OK." — AJHS Principal Andrew Gibson

Enrollment rises as Nord braces for year of changes JASON HAWK EDITOR

AMHERST — Instead of a three-class schedule, Nord Middle School students will stay all day with their homeroom groups as educators fight to contain the threat of COVID-19.

Principal Jill Jiovanazzo said there will be about 22 kids in each classroom, with up to a quarter of all kids enrolled at Nord choosing to learn online from home.

Enrollment is actually up she said — two more teachers were hired on to the Nord team over the weekend, and 15 to 20 more kids signed up to attend in the past week.

Those who are opting to learn in person will have assigned seats, sanitizer pumps in every room and towels to wipe down

desks.

They'll find life inside Nord's walls incredibly different from any other year.

Popular choir and orchestra programs have been canceled for 2020-2021 because of the pandemic, and kids won't be able to check out books from the school library.

Instead of contact sports like soccer, gym class will go with distanced alternatives like ultimate frisbee, line dancing and volleyball, said Jiovanazzo.

At recess, kids will be split into zoned play groups to limit the number of students who interact. Monkey bars will be a no-go area and basketball won't be allowed on the playground.

Nord students will use Chromebooks in class, but they'll often still use paper and pencil for learning, said Jiovanazzo.

NORD PAGE B4

85 SOUTH MAIN STREET OBERLIN OHIO 44074 AUGUST 27, 2020 BOARD AND COMMISSION MEETING DATES

ALL MEETINGS WILL BE Live Streamed @ http://oberlinoh.swagit.com/live SEPTEMBER 1, 2020 ........ HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION – 5:15 P.M. SEPTEMBER 2, 2020 ........ PLANNING COMMISSION – 4:30 P.M. SEPTEMBER 3, 2020 ........ CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION – 5:30 P.M. 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

SAYERS

Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020

Lorain County Community Guide

— AMHERST GOES BACK TO SCHOOL —

FROM B3 Sayers said that, with a fourth of students learning from home, he expects ridership to be down this year. Buses are staying on the same routes, but stops may be adjusted as needed.

But there's plenty they don't know right now, too — it's uncertain whether fall standardized tests will happen, whether the fall sports season will last and whether clubs will be able to meet.

Amherst principals agreed Friday that traditions such as homecoming dances and parades have a

near-zero chance of happening.

There won't be assemblies or field trips. Drama clubs may not be able to take the stage. Open houses and parent-teacher conferences are all going virtual.

While academics are the core of the educational experience, learning is about more than tests, Sayers said. Activities are important parts of social and emotional growth.

What is certain is that the Amherst Schools are spending more than normal this year.

There are new costs wrapped up in buying masks and face shields, sanitizer and cleaning wipes. And more teachers have been hired to ensure smaller class sizes — "It's the right thing to do, given the circumstances," Sayers said.

The increased expenses aren't expected to throw the district's budget into chaos. Sayers said it has reserve funds to make it through the crisis, although the long-term impacts on state funding and property tax collections are in question.

AJHS

FROM B3 re-thought, with a greater focus on nature that can be studied outdoors when weather allows. Gibson said an online science program has been purchased and a lot of hands-on experimentation will take a back seat so that students aren't sharing lab equipment.

Like at Steele High School, AJHS has locked up its lockers and won't be using paper textbooks this year.

Gibson said his students will be allowed to carry their phones to class for the first time — "It might actually give us more ways

to engage them in their world," he said. "We may be able to meet them where they're at a little better."

Lunches will be split between the cafeteria and gymnasium, with only about 100 kids eating at a time.

Gibson said the menu has been limited but students will still find a selection.

While pandemic restrictions will be in place, Gibson said his theme for the year will be "bringing joy and letting kids know we care."

It's a tough sell, he said, because socially and emotionally he believes

children are at their lowest morale since the Great Depression.

Gibson said he believes school can help boost their spirits, even if it's drastically different than most years.

"I see a lot of kids who need school," he said. "When our kids come back and you welcome them with open arms, and you give them that attention they crave, they'll accept the limits on movement, they'll accept that things are different.

What really matters is that we treat them with respect."

tional time.

And of course children will have to wear masks throughout the day.

Teppner said he thinks kids will be able to handle masks just fine, especially since there will be trips outdoors and to other "mask-optional" areas where they can take

quick breaks.

"It's about caring for each other, and that's the way we're going to be approaching it. It's about caring for your classmates, your teachers and especially for your family at home," he said. "This is just a new part of school."

POWERS

FROM B3 from outside, from going to the bathroom, from meals and after snacks, students will take time to wash their hands. Teppner's done the math — it will take a class more than 11 minutes to wash up, which over the course of a day will eat about an hour of instruc-

Provided photo

Buttons to provide creative way to display masked smiles AMHERST – When teachers return to their school buildings, they’ll find something familiar in their mailboxes — their own smiles.

Each Amherst Schools staff member will receive a button with their face on it that that can be pinned to their clothing.

The purpose of the buttons is to help students recognize staff members even when they are wearing masks because of COVID-19.

The images come from their staff pictures, which are available in the district's online directory.

“We are all aware that there is apprehension for students, parents and staff, and having a mask on doesn't help to get rid of that feeling,” said Technology Innovation Specialist Amanda Sears, who brought the idea to the district. “We are familiar with greeting our students with a smile on our faces. We thought it would be a nice way to welcome students back to the classroom and also help with staff recognition.”

Sears is also planning to work with Amherst students so that they can create their own buttons to help their classmates and teachers with facial recognition.

She was inspired by medical professionals at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tennessee, who began wearing the buttons earlier this year.

“I thought it was an excellent idea,” Superintendent Steve Sayers said. “Our hope is that these buttons brighten each day and helps everybody see everybody’s smiling faces.”

NORD

1980s LYRICS ACROSS 1. Lascaux and Mammoth, e.g.

6. At the stern 9. Eyeball rudely 13. Inuit boat 14. And not 15. Sing like Sinatra 16. Manicurist’s file 17. Old-fashioned “before” 18. *”If you ____, I won’t cry. I won’t waste one single day” 19. *”Steve walks warily down the street with the brim pulled way ____ ____” 21. *”She’s just a girl who claims I am ____ ____” 23. “Play it, ____,” from “Casablanca” 24. Boris Godunov, e.g.

25. *”All right stop collaborate and listen, ____ is back...”

28. Between Phi and Kappa 30. Restriction limiting use of lights during air raid 35. J.D. Power awards competitors 37. *”Oh, back on the chain ____” 39. Ann Patchett’s novel “Bel ____” 40. Slightly 41. Algorithmic language 43. French “place” 44. Kind of potato masher 46. Brickowski’s brick 47. Cleopatra’s necklace 48. Canine’s coat 50. Sol or fa 52. National Institutes of Health 53. *”____ Christmas, I gave you my heart” 55. Trinitrotoluene 57. *”You were working as a waitress in a cocktail bar when I ____ ____” 60. *”I wanna dance with somebody, with somebody who ____ ____” 64. Lithograph, for short 65. Holstein sound 67. Radio sign 68. Killed, like dragon 69. Commotion 70. Yiddish shrew 71. Sleep in rough accommodations 72. Gourmet mushroom 73. Cancel an edit, pl.

DOWN 1. Whispered from a prompting booth 2. Shells and such 3. *”Meeting you with a ____ to

FROM B3

Because of health concerns, they won't be able to share supplies, though.

That goes for art class, where a lot of creative mainstays are out, she said. Calligraphy, cursive, coding and digital art could all be new art class activities.

Lockers won't be used except for coats. Kids will be allowed to carry their materials in backpacks, which Jiovanazzo said isn't normal for middle-schoolers in a post-9/11 world.

Despite the changes, Jiovanazzo said she has high hopes for the school year and is working to make it special for kids.

Nord has been split into eight "Harry Potter"-style houses that will compete for a class cup this year. The houses are named for comets.

Jiovanazzo said they're one way to help kids bond in a time when they're asked to keep their distance from each other. "I know there's going to be bumps, but I know there's also going to be a lot of successes, and I feel like we just need to stay positive," she said.

Staying positive doesn't mean ignoring the danger the virus poses. Jiovanazzo said kids, parents and teachers can be anxious — she is — but shouldn't let fear control their decisions.

"We can control it, we just have to keep in our minds that every parent is trying to make the best choice they can for their kids, and there's not really a wrong choice," she said.

In the meantime, Jiovanazzo is looking forward to greeting students at the door today. After the fall start date was pushed back by a week, she is extra eager to see them return.

"We're really excited that we're getting kids back to school.

When I see kids at the store or at the park, they all say they're excited to be coming back," she said.

a kill” 4. Brings home the bacon 5. First U.S. space station 6. Again 7. *”Hello, is it me you’re looking ____?”

8. Weight of refuse and chaff, pl.

9. Black and white cookie 10. One from Goa 11. *”And I’m never gonna make it like you do, making ____ out of nothing at all” 12. Compass reading 15. One of religious orders 20. Last letter of Greek alphabet 22. Experienced 24. Sine over cosine 25. *”I long to see the sunlight in your hair and tell you time and time again how much ____ ____” 26. Northwoods dwelling?

27. The Goldbergs sibling 29. *”Cuase I’m your ____ cool one, and I’m built to please”

31. Scotch ingredient 32. Kitchen tear-jerker 33. Wombs 34. *”Ooh, what’s the matter with the crowd I’m seeing?

Don’t you know that they’re out of ____?”

36. Petals holder 38. *”Wake me up before you ____” 42. It creates instant millionaires 45. Count on, two words 49. One from Laos 51. Emissaries 54. Poison ivy or Poison oak 56. Religious doctrine 57. Venus de ____ 58. Greek Hs 59. Not that 60. Pilot’s stunt 61. Not loony 62. Catcher’s gear 63. Geological time periods 64. Psychedelic acronym 66. Lyric poem

SOLUTION CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE A2

SOLUTION CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE A2

Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020

Lorain County Community Guide

Page B5

Schools won't be able to rely on face shields this fall JASON HAWK and LAINA YOST

Plastic face shields can't be used in schools this fall, leaving some Lorain County districts in the lurch.

"Face shields have not been shown to be an adequate substitute" for cloth masks, the Ohio Department of Health announced Aug. 14.

Students attending kindergarten through 12th grade classes in person will be required to wear face masks this fall.

Midview was counting on plastic shields for its teachers, but with the ODH's guidance, Superintendent Bruce Willingham said the district must change its plans.

Face shields will still be available to Midview teachers if they would like a little extra protection, he said — they’ll just have to wear masks under the shields.

Willingham said he wasn’t en-

tirely happy with the last minute change, but he'll abide by it.

Wellington Superintendent Ed Weber said he has about 300 plastic face shields on hand, as part of a "tool kit" for each classroom in his district.

He breathed a sigh of relief that Wellington had spent no dollars on the shields, which were donated by the Lorain County Community College fabrication lab.

It's been working through the summer to 3D print shields for school districts across the county, and charging nothing for the service.

Weber said shields will still be valuable in certain circumstances. "There are some exemptions carved out for students who have handicap conditions where the shields can still be used," he said.

The transparent plastic shields will prove helpful for students with special needs such as hearing impairment, who benefit from being able to read lips.

Q&A with the Ohio Department of Health Q: Why are masks and cloth face coverings required instead of face shields?

A: Masks and cloth face coverings are intended to reduce the amount of respiratory droplets sprayed from the wearer into the environment, onto other people, or onto surfaces. There is substantial evidence that they are effective at protecting people nearby from the spray of wearers.

Q: Can exceptions be made for schools?

A: Ohio’s K-12 facial covering order requires facial coverings that cover the nose, mouth and chin. There are limited exceptions to the order. If one of those exceptions applies to an individual, a face shield would be appropriate. Schoolwide use of face shields instead of masks is not appropriate and does not meet the requirements of the order.

Q: What about situation in which a mask can’t reasonably be used?

A: It is understood that some circumstances (such as the need for lip reading) require an alternative to masks. If a face shield is used in those instances, it should be worn against the forehead with no gap, wrap around the sides of the face, and extend below the chin.

Shields will also be an alternative for students who have "sincerely-held religious" beliefs that prevent them from wearing masks, or for children with respiratory conditions that

would be worsened by a mask, according to the state.

They can also potentially be used in gym class, during lunches, when playing instruments or when a teacher decides

there's a compelling reason for a "mask break."

Like in Midview, many Wellington teachers were planning to rely on face shields for their own use.

Weber said the learning process is part visual, and students learn better when they can both hear and see a teacher's face.

Cloth masks will interfere with the ability to pick up on nonverbal cues.

"When you go through the Burger King drive-thru, you sometimes have to repeat your order to make sure they get it right," he said. "I think we'll see some of that in the classroom too."

The ODH decision on face shields was made based on advice up the chain from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC cites research that shows cloth face coverings can catch droplets of saliva that people exhale, which is the primary way COVID-19 spreads.

Black River left holding Nonprofit asks for Oberlin $20,000 in face shields Council's help going solar JONATHON DELOZIER WELLINGTON ENTERPRISE

SULLIVAN — A recent purchase of face shields for younger Black River students could mostly be for naught following new state mandates.

On Aug. 15, the Ohio Department of Health announced it was prohibiting schoolwide use of face shields as a substitute for facial coverings or masks, citing recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention against such practices.

“At this time, it is not known what level of protection a face shield provides to people nearby from the spray of respiratory droplets from the wearer," the CDC stated. "There is currently not enough evidence to support the effectiveness of face shields for source control. Therefore, CDC does not currently recommend use of face shields as a substitute for masks.”

Black River Local Schools announced Aug. 10 it had purchased a cache of face shields for K-3 students through Rapid Response PPE, an Alaska-based manufacturer that advertises its "Humanity Shields" as being in compliance with CDC guidelines.

The product features a soft material extension, similar to a beekeeper's mask, hanging from the bottom of its clear plastic portion that's designed to offer an extra layer of protection as opposed to traditional face shields.

Superintendent Chris Clark said more than $20,000 was spent on the shield supply, but that it's now too late to cancel or alter it.

Clark said the Medina County Health Department has also informed him it cannot sign off on the use of shields in place of masks.

"We looked at this PPE when we purchased it as being more than just a face shield," he said. "The state is now saying it can't be a shield but if you look at the CDC guidelines, there's certain things that are specified. I know a lot of school dis-

tricts in the area have purchased items and now everyone is left scrambling."

"Some schools in Ashland County committed fully to the shields and now they're really forced into some knee-jerk changes," Clark added. "We made part of our decisions based on what neighboring schools are doing and what was a compromise for the people in our community."

As it stands, the district plans to provide students in grades six through 12 with a fresh face mask every school day through a rental agreement with Cincinnati-based Cintas. That deal includes masks being washed by Cintas and reused, Clark said.

He added that an acquisition of smaller sized masks for grades four and five is still being worked out.

If the school year begins with Black River not being able to use face shields for K-3 students, Clark said that families will be responsible for providing their children with masks.

"There probably can't be another mask purchase for K-3 at this time," he said.

"When our buses start running, a kid needs a mask to get on, so the mask would have had to be provided by the parents to begin with. We were going to keep the face shields for the kids here. They weren't going to go home with them."

Cloverleaf Local Schools was exploring a large purchase of face shields for building staff but that is now being reconsidered, Superintendent Daryl Kubilus said.

Exemptions for mask use in the new state order include certain medical conditions, recess play, eating and drinking, and various individual requirements such as lip reading.

"We're going to use face shields in some special education instances, like when kids have to read lips, but our main face coverings will be masks to be in compliance with the governor's order," Kubilus said. "I was on a conference call with the governor today and he apologized for some of the confusion involving face shields.

"It's a moving target. We had to step back a lot of our plans. We're still working out the details like everyone else."

GOODBYE, APHRODITE Provided photo

The Lorain County Metro Parks are mourning the loss of Aphrodite the red-tailed hawk, who has died at age 25. She passed of complications due to extremely old age. Aphrodite came into the care of people in 1996 and has made her home for years at the Carlisle Reservation Raptor Center. "While our flock has one fewer, we will all carry her with us, soaring in the sunshine of our hearts like she never was able to in life," the Metro Parks said, announcing the hawk's passing. "Many thanks to the dedicated staff, our avian vet, volunteers and AdoptA-Raptor parent sponsors who have helped care for her and will keep her memory alive for many years to come."

JASON HAWK EDITOR

OBERLIN — Nearly $120,000 in energy efficiency upgrades and a new solar array are on the wish list for Oberlin Community Services, which helps struggling families in southern Lorain County.

Looking to upgrade its South Professor Street headquarters, the nonprofit asked Oberlin City Council last week for $79,200 from a fund earmarked for environmental projects.

Officials have been using the city's Sustainable Reserve Fund to pay for public and private projects that will help Oberlin cut greenhouse gas emissions and go carbon-neutral by 2050.

OCS Director Margie Flood said the nonprofit's monthly electricity bills run between $700 and $800 — over the course of a year, that's enough to help 12 families stay in their homes through rent assistance, or for 30 to 40 families to keep their lights and internet on through utility bill assistance.

Building a 32.9-kilowatt solar array would provide about 92 percent of OCS' annual energy needs and offset about 36.5 tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year, she said.

It would also free up around $5,500 to be used to buy food or medication for local families, deliver meals on wheels, run gardening and employment workshops and tutor children.

"I think, too, having solar panels at OCS will in effect normalize the idea," Flood said. "So many people I know see

“I think, too, having solar panels at OCS will in effect normalize the idea.”

Margie Flood Oberlin Community Services

solar panels as being for the rich. Having them at OCS will send the message, 'See? Even ordinary folks and organizations can do this.'"

Linda Arbogast, Oberlin's sustainability director, said she is excited about that aspect of the proposed solar array.

"As someone who thinks long and hard about how to include the low-income community in our efforts to be sustainable, I think this is an extremely important way," she said.

While Flood's proposal has early support, it also raised questions.

Councilwoman Heather Adelman said granting the request could open the floodgates for other private entities to ask for Oberlin to cover solar costs. "I would personally like to see a citywide policy put in place before we start funding panels," she said.

Council President Linda Slocum said she wants to learn more about "the economics of solar energy in Oberlin" before rushing to set a precedent.

Oberlin Community Services also wants to replace an "old and harmful" ozone-depleting air conditioning unit, Flood said in her pitch to Council.

The projects would happen over the next three years.

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One of the energy efficiency initiatives offered in partnership between

Page B6

Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020

Lorain County Community Guide

Disgusting germs don’t stand a chance against my powerful SECRET WEAPON!

Number the pictures in order to show how a virus germ makes you sick.

YOU can stop the spread of germs that cause illness. But you’ll need two important pieces of equipment to get the job done—SOAP and WARM, RUNNING WATER.

Germs that cause colds and flu are called viruses and bacteria.

1. When a virus germ gets inside your body, it finds a healthy cell and digs its way inside.

roper hand washing requires vigorous lathering for at least 20 seconds—about as long as it takes to sing the ABC song.

2. Then it begins to multiply. One virus germ becomes two. Two become four.

Four become eight.

Use whatever soap gets you scrubbing.

Regular soap works well!

3. Soon the cell is full of hundreds of virus germs.

CLIP AND TAPE TO YOUR BATHROOM MIRROR

4. The germs break out of the healthy cell.

5. Each germ finds another healthy cell and begins multiplying. Soon there are millions of virus germs in your body.

Lather up both sides of your hands, around your wrist, between your fingers and around your nails.

Standards Link: Health: Students understand the causes and recognize symptoms of common diseases.

© 2020 by Vicki Whiting, Editor Jeff Schinkel, Graphics Vol. 36, No. 38

hen you touch a germ, it clings to your hand.

Then when you touch your mouth, eyes or nose, the germ slips into your body.

Or if you touch some food, the germ moves onto the food, and when you eat the food, the germ gets inside you.

When someone sneezes, germs fly into the air. Those germs can land on surfaces and, if you touch those surfaces, germs get on your hands. GROSS! Find the two identical germs.

Rinse well to remove all the soap.

Dry hands with paper towels. Tip: Use a paper towel to turn off the faucet after washing hands.

The coronavirus spreads very easily from person to person as it travels through the air when people talk, cough or sneeze. To protect yourself and others from getting sick, scientists recommend you wear a face mask when out in public. Make sure the mask covers your mouth and nose and fits snug against your face.

The way a movie vampire covers his face with his cape is a good way to stop the spread of germs. It’s called the Vampire Cough. Next time you cough or sneeze, cough into the inside bend of your elbow. If you cough into your hands, the germs from your mouth get spread around.

Think about it—what was the last thing you touched with the inside of your elbow?

Hand Washing Before and After

Keep track of how many times a day you wash your hands for one full week. Every time you wash your hands, make a check in that day’s bubble. Take a guess before you begin, then fill out the actual number after the week is over. Did you wash your hands more or less often than you thought?

I think I wash my hands

times a day. I discovered I actually wash my hands

Standards Link: Health: Know how to prevent the spread of disease.

Place the numbers 1 to 12 in the circles so that the sum of the numbers in the four circles will equal 26 along any straight line.

Standards Link: Mathematical Reasoning: Solve problems using logic.

GERM WASH WEAPON VIRUSES BACTERIA HEALTHY VAMPIRE COUGH ELBOW EQUAL CAUSE HUNDREDS SOAP HANDS BUG

times a day!

Look through the newspaper to find pictures of people doing various things. Mark it with a red B if people should wash their hands before this activity.

Mark it with a blue A if they should wash their hands after this activity.

How many photos did you mark with both an A and a B?

Standards Link: Health: Understand how disease spreads; know how to prevent the spread of disease.

Standards Link: Writing Applications: Students write narratives that follow a logical sequence.

… washing your hands before meal times.

B E C H C S D N A H B G S A G E A Y N S

A A U E N U H D E D

W S C G S T O R L E

This week’s word:

BACTERIA

A M F A E P R U O D P G E R M R G I W N

The noun bacteria means microscopic organisms that cause disease.

O H P A O S I R V U

Washing your hands keeps harmful bacteria away.

N E V E E Q U A L H

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

E F R T L U I C B R

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

Cause and Effect

Find an article or advertisement that describes a health problem. What is the cause of the problem? What is described as a solution or “cure” for the problem?

ANSWER: We don’t want it to spread all over town!

Standards Link: Reading Comprehension: Understand cause and effect.

Write tips for kids on how to avoid getting sick. How can you stop germs before they get you down?