Lorain County Community Guide - Nov. 26, 2020

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AMHERST NEWS-TIMES • OBERLIN NEWS-TRIBUNE • WELLINGTON ENTERPRISE Thursday, Nov. 26, 2020

www.lcnewspapers.com

Volume 7, Issue 48

County poised to go purple JASON HAWK EDITOR

Stay home.

It's not an official order, just common sense, Lorain County Health Commissioner David Covell said last Thursday after the county was elevated to "purple watch" status.

It's the loudest alarm rung here

since the COVID-19 pandemic forced closures in the spring.

Health officials revealed there were a record 220 new cases in the county that day as Gov. Mike DeWine named Lorain, Lake and Montgomery counties as hot spots.

Franklin County, which includes Columbus, became the first to hit purple alert, the state's highest designation. It signals

"severe exposure and spread" and residents there have been asked not to leave home except to resupply.

Covell said Lorain County could follow today. He's been tracking an extremely high volume of new cases, outpatient and emergency room visits and hospitalizations over the past several weeks.

"As those numbers start to

tick up, that's when I start to get worried, and I think all of us get worried," he said.

Covell's concern is that hospital beds will fill to capacity, which means doctors and nurses may not have full resources to help patients with heart attacks, broken bones and other emergencies.

Those health care professionals are also starting to get sick with the virus, he said. In the Cleve-

land Clinic system alone, about 1,000 workers were out.

"If we don't get it together and really double down on masking, keeping distant and slowing this virus down, we could end up overwhelming our hospitals," Covell said.

Lorain County Public Health workers are exhausted, he said.

PURPLE PAGE A5

Hard for the holidays

Lorain County Health Commissioner David Covell speaks during a Q&A session on Wednesday, Nov. 18 via Zoom.

COVID-19 Q&A

with Health Commissioner David Covell

JASON HAWK EDITOR

Everyone has questions about COVID-19 and the steps being taken to slow it.

Lorain County Health Commissioner David Covell sat down with us Nov. 18 to talk about the dangers he sees, what he believes could happen and answers to common questions we've gotten from readers.

Some of his answers have been edited for length.

Q: Gov. Mike DeWine ordered a curfew for many types of businesses. Does it make sense?

A: There's been discussion around bars and restaurants, but we're really not seeing it spread in the bars and restaurants. Our bars and restaurants are doing a pretty good job.

COVELL Q&A PAGE A4

U.S. Postal Service Use Only

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

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

Kristin Bauer | Chronicle

Microbiology professor Harry Kestler sits down in his Lorain County Community College lab to discuss the coronavirus on Nov. 17.

LCCC microbiologist says next few months will be dark, but hang on JASON HAWK EDITOR

ELYRIA — Microbiologist Harry Kestler has studied viruses for decades. So when he says the world is "in some serious trouble right now," he speaks with authority.

COVID-19 cases in Ohio are climbing by more than 7,000 every day.

They've passed 11 million across the United States, with nearly 250,000

Copyright 2020 Lorain County Printing & Publishing Company

hold on to.

The virus will deal a hard blow to the holidays, he said. Kestler's family decided to drastically scale down its Thanksgiving gathering to protect vulnerable relatives — that was hard, because the meal was going to be a time for two families to celebrate his son's engagement.

As a man of science, he said the sacrifice made sense. Think of it as HANG ON PAGE A5

INSIDE THIS WEEK

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

deaths since March.

And the problem is accelerating, with no signs of leveling off, Kestler said.

"We are in the midst of a tremendous surge. I have never seen the curves going like this. There's no flat," he said Nov. 17.

Sitting in his lab at Lorain County Community College, Kestler talked about the bleak next few months facing residents of Lorain County and beyond, and the hope we should all

Amherst

Oberlin

Wellington

County bomb squad founder dies • B1

$100,000 Paradox Prize will help expand busing • B1

High school shut down for a day due to COVID • B1

OBITUARIES A2 • CLASSIFIEDS A3 • KID SCOOP A6 • CROSSWORD B2 • SUDOKU B2

Page A2

Thursday, Nov. 26, 2020

Lorain County Community Guide

OBITUARIES Helen J. Stilgenbauer

Helen J. Stilgenbauer, 99, affectionately known as 'Hodge', died Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2020, at Wesleyan Village under the care of New Life Hospice. Born in Elyria on May 18, 1921, to the late Robert and Anna (nee Thew) Taylor, Helen grew up in Elyria and graduated with the Elyria High School Class of 1939.

She married Frederick on Oct. 16, 1938. While her husband was off fighting in World War II, she did her war effort part by working at Bendix Plant in Elyria. After Frederick retired from U.S. Steel Company as an industrial engineer, the couple moved to Florida and lived there for 16 years, after which they returned to Ohio to settle in Wellington.

She enjoyed being a member of the Oberlin Golf Club and the Y.R.Y.C.C. in Winter Haven. Helen was a former Amherst Congregational Church member and present member of the Wellington First Congregational United Church of Christ. Her hobbies were playing piano, golf and needlepoint. She had a musical gift of 'playing by ear' and could play a song by just hearing it. Her theme song was 'Pennies from Heaven'. In 2005, Helen and Fred retired to Wesleyan Village in Elyria, where she played piano for the Beacon House at the Village. She also enjoyed the companionship of her calico cat Suzie.

She was the first cousin twice removed of Captain Richard Thew, founder of the Thew Shovel Company, incorporated in 1899 in Lorain. She was the fourth cousin of Charles Gates Dawes, vice president of the United States from 1925-1929.

She served as Clerk-Treasurer of the Amherst Public Library Board of Trustees for many years, retiring in 1984. Helen was an active member of her community and strived to make the world a better place. She was a former Girl Scout leader for Amherst (Black River Council), the co-director of family church camp, Pilgrim Hill and a former baseball coach for the Amherst Girls League.

Helen served on the Amherst Hospital Board, was the Past B.P.W. president, Amherst and was a 50-year member of the Pythian Sisters. Her highest office was the District Deputy Grand Chief.

Survivors include her children, Arlene (David) Lengyel of Wellington, Richard (Cheryl) Stilgenbauer of Phoenix, Arizona and Clifford (Maxine) Stilgenbauer of North Olmsted; seven grandchildren, Mark Brummer (Joyce) of Grafton, Elizabeth Dlugosz (Chuck) of Vermilion, Deborah Toth (Chris) of Bellevue, Catherine Kurtz (Jeff Jones) of Wellington and Vermilion and Richard, Scott and Daniel Stilgenbauer of Arizona; 10 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.

Helen was preceded in death by her loving husband, Frederick in 2007; daughter and son-in-law, Carol (Karl) Rummer; brother, Robert L. Taylor; sisters, Ruth Hunter and twin, Hazel Winchell; great-grandson, Michael Brummer and great-granddaughter, Rebecca Brummer.

Funeral home service and burial will be private at Norton-Eastman Funeral Home in Wellington.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Friendship Animal Protective League, 8303 Murray Ridge Road, Elyria, OH 44035.

Online condolences may be expressed at www.nortoneastmanfuneralhome.com.

MABEL PAYNE (nee Godfrey), 93, of Amherst, passed away Friday, Nov. 20, 2020, at Amherst Manor following a long and full life. Hempel Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

MARILOU JOAN SEIDERS (nee Porter), 68, of Amherst, was called home to be with her Lord and Savior following severe kidney failure brought on by her longtime battle with multiple sclerosis on Thursday, November 19, 2020 at Amherst Manor Nursing Home. Hempel Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

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

For information about placing an obituary or death notice in the Community Guide, call 440-329-7000.

County election results certified DAVE O’BRIEN THE CHRONICLE-TELEGRAM

SHEFFIELD TWP. — The Lorain County Board of Elections certified the results of the Nov. 3 elections last week, and set the date and time to audit the results and recount one race.

No results changed once all ballots were counted and certified by the board. The only recount will be in a race for the 15th seat on the Lorain Charter Commission.

That recount will take place at 8 a.m. Friday. Charter commission candidates Lori Olson and Mitchell Fallis are involved in the recount.

Olson got 4,620 votes to sit on the 15-member commission, while Fallis got 4,559, according to complete and official voting results from the Lorain County Board of Elections.

The presidential race and one of the Ohio Supreme Court races will be audited for accuracy, state elections officials determined.

Board members praised Director Paul Adams, Deputy Director James Kramer and all Board of Elections employees for a smoothrunning election.

"All the comments I got from people about the election were about how smoothly it ran, and that's up to the staff," board mem-

Bruce Bishop | Chronicle

Paul Adams and James Kramer of the Lorain County Board of Elections prepare strips of paper with the names of polling places. The papers were drawn randomly to be used in a voting audit that’s carried out as standard practice. The paper behind them are unused provisional ballots that had to be ordered to ensure they would have enough to handle an unknown number of requests. ber Jack Baird said.

Adams and Kramer "did an extraordinary job under extremely trying circumstances," board member Anthony Giardini said.

No board employees tested positive for the coronavirus during the voting process, he added.

Board President Marilyn Jacobcik concurred with her fellow board members.

"What a smooth operation it was

to just come in and vote," she said.

"I think people were pleasantly surprised."

The U.S. Postal Service also "deserves some thanks," Jacobcik said. "They got a lot of bad press this election, but my understanding from the staff is that they bent over backward" to make sure all mail-in absentee ballots got to the voters and back to their ultimate destination on time to be counted.

Students, resident are injured when Mustang crashes into home STAFF REPORT

AMHERST TWP. — Three people were injured after a teenage driver lost control and drove into a house last Wednesday evening.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol and Amherst firefighters responded to a crash about 8:30 p.m. near the intersection of Middle Ridge and Oberlin roads.

A 16-year-old boy, later identified as Trent Williams, attempted to turn west onto Middle Ridge Road from Oberlin Road when he failed to complete the turn, hitting a decorative rock, then going diagonally across the road, over the curb and into the single-story home, according to state troopers.

Both he and the passenger, 16-year-old Ezra Hammonds,, were seriously injured in the crash.

Kyle Neiding, 27, was lying in bed in the home when the car crashed into the side of his duplex.

The 2011 Ford Mustang came to rest on its side inside the home, exposing a hallway area and part of the kitchen, investigators said.

A neighbor said the passenger of the Mustang was lying in the grass of the front yard when first responders arrived.

Williams, who was wearing a seat belt, was taken to Lorain Mercy Hospital with incapacitating injuries, according to the Highway Patrol.

He was treated for serious injuries

Kristin Bauer | Chronicle

Amherst firefighters and state troopers responded to a crash on Nov. 18, when a Ford Mustang drove into a home on Middle Ridge Road in Amherst Township. and was expected to face charges in Lorain County Juvenile Court.

Hammonds was also taken to Lorain Mercy with non-life-threatening injuries. He was not wearing a seat belt.

Neiding was taken to Lorain Mercy Hospital with incapacitating injuries.

Excessive speed is considered a contributing factor in the crash, according to the Highway Patrol. The investigation is ongoing.

The days after the crash were tense

for students at Amherst Steele High School, while they waited to hear word of their classmates, said Principal Joe Tellier.

"Our faculty and staff are keeping the students and families in our thoughts and prayers," he said.

"We are a tight knit school and this news upset many of us. Our school counselors and school psychologist have been talking with close friends of the students. In times like these, it is nice to have one another to lean on."

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SOLUTION TO CROSSWORD ON PAGE B2

SOLUTION TO SUDOKU ON PAGE B2

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

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

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

Thursday, Nov. 26, 2020

Lorain County Community Guide

Page A3

Women’s Fund $800K goes to addiction help groups awards $20K DAVE O’BRIEN

THE CHRONICLE-TELEGRAM

AMHERST TWP. — The Women’s Fund, an Affiliate Fund of the Community Foundation of Lorain County, has announced $20,800 in grants for organizations that help local women and children.

“By supporting these organizations, the Women’s Fund ensures women and children in Lorain County have pathways to grow and reach their full potential,” said President Brenda Norton. “Through our grant program, we are actively working to change inequities in funding and ensuring those pathways are accessible and remain open now and forever.”

Recipients include: • Big Brothers and Sisters of Lorain County, for a virtual youth leadership mentoring series.

• Boys and Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio, for Club Smart learning centers.

• Camp Imagine, for vocational training.

• Camp Ideas, for summer camp 2021.

• Cleveland Play House for a residency in the Lorain City Schools.

• Lorain County Free Clinic for women's health.

• Lorain County Safe Harbor Genesis House for general operating support.

• Neighborhood Alliance for child enrichment services co-pay assistance.

• Second Harvest Food Bank for a pre-teen hygiene kit.

• Youth Challenge for program for children with physical disabilities.

The Women’s Fund was established as a permanent endowment to expand chances and choices for Lorain County women and children through financial and funding equity for projects that may not receive monies from traditional sources of funding.

It supports social, educational and artistic projects by, for and delivered to women and children to encourage the full participation of women and children in the community.

Since its inception in 1991, the Women’s Fund has invested more than $200,000 in community grants for women and children in Lorain County.

Audubon program

The Black River Audubon Society will feature a virtual program on chimney swifts at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 1.

Conservation specialist Judy Semroc will speak about the natural history, behavior, human benefits and reasons for the chimney swift's decline. Learn how help is needed now and how you can be a part of the solution by erecting a swift tower or keeping your chimney open for nesting.

Semroc works in the Natural Areas Division for The Cleveland Museum of Natural History.

Register for the virtual presentation at www.blackriveraudubon.org. Click "Subscribe" to get the Zoom link for this and future meetings.

Cable Co-op closes office

Due to the recent severe spike of COVID-19 infections, Cable Co-op in Oberlin has closed its office to the public as of Monday, Nov. 23.

General Manager Ralph Potts said the company has gone back to “emergency status” as it did in the spring.

Workers will answer phones, process payments and field installation and service requests, but are limiting in-home work.

ELYRIA — The Lorain County addiction recovery community will benefit from $800,000 in CARES Act funding that was granted to three nonprofit recovery organizations by Lorain County commissioners last week.

Commissioners approved $500,000 in CARES Act funding for Road to Hope Inc., a drug and alcohol recovery organization that is building a new facility in Vermilion to provide housing and resources for women in recovery in Lorain and Erie counties who also have children.

Another $150,000 was granted to Alpha House in Oberlin while a second grant of $150,000 will help Let's Get Real Inc., a Lorain-based peer support and recovery organization.

The Lorain County Port Authority granted a 2.36-acre property along U.S. Route 6 to Road to Hope in March 2019. In July that year, Road to Hope announced it planned a $1.8 million investment in the former motel at 1863 Liberty Ave. The grounds also will house the nonprofit recovery organization's administrative offices, which will move there from Elyria, Executive Director Jeff Kamms told commissioners during their weekly online video conference.

Road to Hope has recovery houses in Erie and Lorain and the new project is more centrally located for the organization. It will have eight two-bedroom and six one-bedroom suites for 24 women and up to 30 children.

There also will be day care services provided for clients and their children, Kamms said.

The need for recovery housing for women with children has grown over time.

Kamms said Road to Hope's Women With Children program saw 13 babies born to women in the program just last year.

The pandemic also has changed how Road to Hope has had to work. Pandemic precautions have led to lower

Gift wrapping event

The Wellington Eagles Auxiliary has canceled its Small Business Sunday and gift-wrapping event that had been planned for Nov. 29.

The announcement came just moments after Lorain County was elevated to “purple watch” status Thursday due to rising COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.

COVID-19 TESTING SITES Source: Lorain County Public Health, which recommends PCR testing because it is more accurate than antigen testing.

• Cleveland Clinic W.O. Walker Building, 10524 Euclid Ave., Cleveland. Daily, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Symptoms, doctor's order and appointment required. Call (216) 444-2200.

• CVS locations: Visit www.cvs.com/minuteclinic/ covid-19-testing.

• Lorain County Health & Dentistry, 1205 Broadway, Lorain. Doctor's order required; by appointment only, Monday through Friday. Tests kids. Call (440) 2401655.

• Mercy Health Avon, 1813 Nagel Rd. Appointment only, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Doctor's order and symptoms required. Kids ages 18 months and up tested. Call (440) 937-4600.

• Mercy Health Lorain, 1957 Cooper Foster Park Rd. Walk-in, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Doctor's order and symptoms required. Kids ages 18 months and up tested. Call (440) 213-5333.

• Rite Aid locations: Visit www.riteaid.com/pharmacy/ services/covid-19-testing.

• University Hospitals Avon Health Center, 1997 Healthway Dr. Symptoms and doctor's order required.

Drive-thru open 9 a.m. to noon Mondays, 2-6 p.m.

Tuesdays, 12:30-5 p.m. Wednesdays, 5-6 p.m. Thursdays, 9 a.m. to noon Fridays, 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays.

Urgent care and fever clinic open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. Tests kids. Call (440) 988-6020.

• University Hospitals TW Miller Building, 934 Center St., Ashland. Doctor's orders and symptoms required. Walk-in 8-10 a.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Kids tested. Call (419) 289-0491.

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

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

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LEGALS PUBLICATION OF LEGISLATION The following is a summary of legislation adopted by Lorain City Council on Nov. 16, 2020.

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

Ordinance 134-20 Adopting the recommendation of the Lorain City Planning Commission

bed capacities as precautions have changed the space required to work, in coordination with Lorain County Public Health.

Kamms said Road to Hope started as sober living housing for six men, staffed entirely by volunteers. That has since changed, and 19 Road to Hope staff members are themselves in recovery but "their career is helping people in recovery," Kamms said.

Commissioner Lori Kokoski said she was glad to see Road to Hope's long-term plans made reality. Overdoses are up 30 percent this year, she said, adding that she believed it was because of the loneliness and isolation created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alpha House in Oberlin also is expanding, co-founder and director the Rev. Brian Wade told the board, which gave the program a $150,000 grant from CARES Act funds.

The organization spent $45,000 revamping two houses to make them livable, Wade said.

There have been lists of up to 70 and 80 people waiting to get into recovery housing, he said. The group originally didn't have a women's program, but demand and $16,000 in gifts and grants recently changed that, Wade said.

Georgia's House, a sixbedroom women's program named after Wade's grandmother on 20 acres a quarter-mile from downtown Oberlin, is in progress and expected to open in the next two months with a brand new roof, flooring, trim, lighting, electrical and a new kitchen, he said.

A second men's house also is in progress, Wade said via video from Lake County, where he and his family are living and setting up a 36-bed Christian campground.

"You're making the world a better place, you're changing lives," Commissioner Matt Lundy told Wade.

Let's Get Real Executive Director Kim Eberle and her staff also were lauded by commissioners for providing peer support counseling to those in recovery, with commissioners noting it was difficult for the nonprofit to

raise donations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Let's Get Real's mission "is to provide information, education, and resource assistance to families and loved ones in their journey from addiction to recovery," according to its website.

Small-business grants Commissioners also announced the fifth round of CARES Act-funded small-business grants totaling $62,500 to 13 small businesses.

The newest round went to Ellis Family Carpet Cleaning and Duct Cleaning, Jazz on Broadway, the Amherst Downtown and Betterment Association, Barbiers Tavern, Burning River Boutique Inc., Mastertech Service, Midwest Siding Co., Sadie Scissorhands LLC, What the Cupcakes, American Heritage Apparel Inc., Arabica Coffee Bistro, Giovanni's Hair Design and Phantom Ink Tattoo Body Piercing Studio.

The $5,000 grants need not be paid back, Community Development Director Don Romancak told commissioners.

As of Tuesday, county officials have received 182 applications for up to $5,000 in grant funds, including 24 applications in the last week. Nearly half the applications have come from women-owned businesses and almost 20 percent from minorityowned businesses.

Thirty-one applications have come from minority women-owned businesses, Romancak said. Nearly $209,000 remains to be disbursed out of the $750,000 commissioners dedicated to the program.

The grants should help small businesses in Lorain

County weather the pandemic through the winter until vaccines are widely available, Romancak said.

"The better we handle this virus, the better off our small businesses are," he said. "We can't have a strong economy if we're not healthy."

To be eligible, businesses must have gross revenue of $1 million or less; must have been in business prior to March 1, 2020; have 15 or fewer full-time employees; and operate at a business or storefront location.

The deadline to apply for the grants has been extended, and additional grants will be announced next week. Questions may be directed to Lorain County Community Development Department staff at (440) 328-2322.

“We are pleased to know that the grant is becoming more recognized throughout the community and more businesses are taking advantage of the opportunity," Commissioner Sharon Sweda said.

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CLASSIFIEDS

to approve the revisions to the final development plan at Harborwalk to allow for boat/RV storage in a R-PUD district.

135-20* Auth the S/S Director to enter into a contract w/ lowest & best bidder for the Black River WWTP Clarifiers Rehab project. 136-20* Auth S/S Director to apply for, accept and enter into water pollution control loan fund agrmt for rehab of Black River WWTP digesters and solids handling equipment. 137-20 Auth the S/S Director to enter into contracts for the purchase of supplies for use by the Lorain Utilities Dept. not to exceed $500k.

138-20 Auth the S/S Director to enter into an agrmt w/ Coldwater Consulting for prof services related to the Black River Dredge Reuse Facility Solids Evaluation. 139-20 Repealing Lorain Codified Ordinance Ch. 1539 "Point of Sale" and related ordinances. 140-20* Auth the Auditor to pay invoices submitted by the Fire Dept. that invokes the Then & Now Certification Exception Process totaling $3411.76.

141-20* Auth the Auditor to pay invoices submitted by the Safety/Service Dept. that invokes the Then & Now Certification Exception Process totaling $16,121.75. 142-20* Auth the S/S Director to enter into a contract for the sale of approximately 7.71 acres of land located in the Colorado Avenue Industrial Park. 14320* Amending Sec. 1548.04 "Requirements for Placement of Portable Storage Units" of the Codified Ordinances and Sec. 1 of Ord 126-20. 144-20 Auth the S/S Director to enter into an agrmt to amend the contract previously entered into w/ CT Consultants for the construction of new water lines in the Red Hill pressure district. 145-20 Amending Sec. 16.4 of Ord 16-20 providing for the creation of one management classification series within the BHP Dept and revising and correction various positions previously omitted from Ord 16-20. (*Denotes legislation was passed as an emergency.)

L.C.C.G. 11/26; 12/3/20 20673716

City Hall- 4th Floor Lorain, Ohio 44052. All bids shall be ADVERTISEMENT subject to the additional items FOR BIDS and conditions set forth on the CITY OF LORAIN, OHIO bid forms.

SALE OF CITY PARCEL By order of the Director of 401 IDAHO AVENUE Public Safety/Service The City of Lorain will be ac cepting bids for a City owned L.C.C.G. 11/5-12-19-26; parcel of land located at 401 12/3/20 IDAHO AVENUE, LORAIN, 20672740 OHIO PP#0200051116001.

Parcel is sold in as-is condi tion. The bidder is responsible ADVERTISEMENT for all costs. These costs inFOR BIDS clude but are not limited to: CITY OF LORAIN, OHIO transfer costs, survey, title BICYCLE IMPROVEMENTS fees, closing costs, recording (WASHINGTON fees and all other costs associAVENUE BIKEWAY) ated with the deed preparation LOR-LORAIN CMAQ PID and title transfer.

108526 Bids are due December 3, Sealed bids will be received by 2020 at 11:00 AM to the Enthe Engineering Department of gineering Department, Lothe City of Lorain, Ohio until: rain City Hall 4th Floor. The TIME AND PLACE FOR opening of the bids will take RECEIVING BIDS: place December 3, 2020 at UNTIL - 11:00 AM, De11:15 AM in the City of Lorain cember 4, 2020, Lorain Council Chambers. In the time, Engineering Deevent no bids are received partment, Lorain City for the individual parcel prior Hall 4th Floor. to 11:00 AM on December 3, TIME AND PLACE FOR 2020, then the bidding proOPENING BIDS: 11:30 cess shall remain open for the AM, December 4, 2020, Loparcel and the City may thererain time, City of Lorain Counafter, at its sole discretion, accil Chambers, Lorain City cept or reject any bid received Hall 1st Floor. for the parcel after December COMPLETION DATE: October 3, 2020. Any materials or 15, 2021 objects that are found on the Bids must be accompanied by parcel will become property Certified Check or Cashier's of the bidder and be the bidCheck or Letter of Credit der's responsibility. The City is equals to ten percent (10%) of not liable for any materials or the amount bid, or a bond for objects that may be found on the full amount of the bid as a the parcel property. guarantee that if the bid is acAll bids must be submitted in cepted, a contract will be ena sealed envelope with the tered into and a performance bidder's name and contact inbond properly secured. Should formation on the outside of the any bid be rejected, such inenvelope and be accompanied strument will be forthwith reby a certified check on a solturned upon proper execution vent bank, drawn and made of a contract. Cash deposits payable to the City of Lorain, will not be accepted.

Ohio, in the amount of 10% Bid blanks and specifications of the total bid in good faith. may be secured at www.

Should any bid be rejected, cityoflorain.org or at the Ensuch check will be forthwith gineering Department, 200 returned to the bidder; and West Erie Avenue, Loshould any bid be accepted, rain, Ohio, 44052 between the such bond or check will be rehours of 8:30 AM and 4:30PM turned upon proper execution Monday through Friday. and securing of the contract.

Each bidder must insure that Bid forms and specifications all employees and applicants may be obtained by contacting for employment are not disthe City of Lorain Engineering criminated against because Department at 440-204-2003 of their race, creed, color, or at 200 West Erie Avenue, sex or national origin. All bid

ders must comply with the provisions of the American Disabilities Act. All federal minority business enterprise and women business enterprise requirements shall be met. All contractors and subcontractors involved with the project will to the extent practicable use Ohio products, materials, services and labor in the implementation of their project.

Bidders must be listed on the ODOT pre-qualified list for highway construction. Bidders shall submit a list of available equipment, and labor shall be paid not less than the prevailing wage rate as determined by the U.S. Department of Labor Davis Bacon requirements for Lorain County, Ohio.

NO BID WILL BE OPENED WITHOUT THE CERTIFICATION OF QUALIFICATION OR THE ACCEPTABLE LETTER OF APPLICATION ATTACHED TO THE OUTSIDE AS DIRECTED. The Director of Safety/Service reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids.

No Pre-Bid meeting is scheduled.

By order of the Director of Public Safety/Service

L.C.C.G. 11/12-19-26/20 20672739

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS CITY OF LORAIN, OHIO SR 611 SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS (LEAVITT RD TO OAKDALE AVE) LOR-LORAIN SRTS PID 109068 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, December 4, 2020, Lorain time, Engineering Department, Lorain City Hall 4th Floor.

TIME AND PLACE FOR OPENING BIDS: 11:15 AM, December 4, 2020, Lorain time, City of Lorain Council Chambers, Lorain City Hall 1st Floor.

COMPLETION DATE: October 15, 2021 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.

Bid blanks and specifications may be secured at www. cityoflorain.org or at the Engineering Department, 200 West Erie Avenue, Lorain, Ohio, 44052 between the hours of 8:30 AM and 4:30PM Monday through Friday.

Each bidder must insure that all employees and applicants for employment are not discriminated against because of their race, creed, color, sex or national origin. All bidders must comply with the provisions of the American Disabilities Act. All federal minority business enterprise and women business enterprise requirements shall be met. All contractors and subcontractors involved with the project will to the extent practicable use Ohio products, materials, services and labor in the implementation of their project.

Bidders must be listed on the ODOT pre-qualified list for highway construction.

Bidders shall submit a list of available equipment, and labor shall be paid not less than the prevailing wage rate as determined by the U.S. Department of Labor Davis Bacon requirements for Lorain County, Ohio. NO BID WILL BE OPENED WITHOUT THE CERTIFICATION OF QUALIFICATION OR THE ACCEPTABLE LETTER OF APPLICATION ATTACHED TO THE OUTSIDE AS DIRECTED. The Director of Safety/Service reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids.

No Pre-Bid meeting is scheduled.

By order of the Director of Public Safety/Service

L.C.C.G. 11/12-19-26/20 20669158

Page A4

Thursday, Nov. 26, 2020

Lorain County Community Guide

Small retailers cross fingers for holiday shopping JASON HAWK and LAINA YOST

Doorbuster sales and huge crowds hunting deals won’t be as big a part of the after-Thanksgiving party this year.

Under the shadow of COVID-19, some of the trappings of Black Friday are changing. Sixty percent of Americans say they plan to buy holiday items online this year, according to the National Retail Federation.

That means a certain amount of worry for small retailers who rely on foot traffic.

"People are for sure nervous," said Janet Haar, director of the Oberlin Business Partnership. "If this quarter is a dud, we're going to have businesses really hurting.”

Some shoppers say they feel safer visiting Oberlin, where mask use is high, Haar said. But retailers are growing afraid that customers won’t turn out for Black Friday and Small Business Saturday, which usually help buoy stores through the slow first quarter of each year.

"I really think they're just trying to go with the flow at this point," said Anthony Gallo, president of the Lorain County Chamber of Commerce. "Shop local. Shop small. To be honest, they need it more than just that Saturday after

Thanksgiving.”

Nine months into the pandemic, many have found creative ways to reach customers, rather than relying on walk-in shoppers, he said.

But the Saturday after Thanksgiving is still “small businesses’ time to shine.”

Gallo said The Mermaid’s Tale gift shop in Amherst is one business that has stepped up. Owner Judy Recknagel is likely to break even while many other entrepreneurs take losses in 2020, “which is a huge thing, considering,” he said.

Recknagel said she remembers being terrified during the statewide spring shutdown.

She decided to launch a series of “kitchen table videos” to showcase her merchandise on Facebook, and found an audience. Now about 35 percent of her business is virtual, with live videos that result in large sales.

Black Friday will be a challenge, though, she said. Recknagel can’t open early or hold coffee-anddoughnuts promotions that draw big groups of shoppers. In fact, she limits the number of people allowed inside to six at a time.

By spreading out deals and helping local customers online via social media, she is actually ahead in November sales compared with 2019.

“People don’t want us to go

away. They’re invested in us,” Recknagel said.

Most years, Amherst’s downtown shops benefit from downtown holiday events such as Miracle on Main Street, which features a tree-lighting ceremony and parade featuring the arrival of Santa Claus.

Main Street Amherst Director Teresa Gilles said that event has to be canceled. Even with much of the celebration outside, the risk level in Lorain County has grown too high, she said.

“We don't want to be a superspreader," she said.

Instead, Gilles’ nonprofit is organizing a “Christmas Extravaganza” for Dec. 9, which will allow merchants to show off their wares on Facebook Live.

"You'll be able to call in and buy stuff right then and there. I'll be live the entire time," she said.

Lorain resident Mia Arredondo organizes her city’s Small Business Saturday Downtown Cookie Crawl every year. The event draws people downtown to local businesses.

Arredondo said there was a lot of back-and-forth about holding it this year, and that she reached out to all the participating businesses to make sure they were comfortable.

The event will go on as planned, from noon to 3 p.m. next weekend on Small Business Saturday.

Cookies, which are baked by

Spectrum Catering, will be individually packaged. All stores will also follow safety guidelines, including a mask requirement.

Usually, the goal is to draw people downtown and into stores, Arredondo said. This year, she doesn’t want to create gatherings but rather to remind people that local businesses are still available.

Arredondo said a host of new businesses have opened on Broadway since 2019, and there’s a lot to see.

“We really want a unified way to promote our new businesses,” she said. “… Every business is trying to explore what this new business style is. It’s determining how to survive and thrive in this new environment.”

Competing with online retailers is nothing new for small businesses, Arredondo said.

But a lot of Broadway businesses are trying new things like curbside pickup. Arredondo said small businesses are flexible and willing to help customers however they can.

Her fiance, Jevon Terance, who owns his fashion boutique on Broadway, has made a bigger push on online sales than he has in the past.

“Even though we’re doing this with COVID, just with the times, everyone loves to online shop,” Arredondo said.

Avon has opted against pro-

moting holiday business events, Economic Development Director Pam Fechter said. She worries that some of the city’s smallest shops won’t survive the pandemic, but “Avon is very committed to making sure everyone is safe, first and foremost,” she said.

There’s a steady stream of retail traffic, but Fechter said it’s going mainly to the city’s big-box retail chains such as Kohl’s and Target, where shoppers feel they can get their holiday quick fix. Tiny specialty shops have been struggling.

Avon has made $100,000 in grants to small businesses — capped at $2,500 each — to help them weather the storm.

"You worry that it's not enough, but we had some businesses that were so grateful because it was enough to make payroll for a week," Fechter said.

Walmart, Meijer and other major regional and national retailers aren’t locally owned and compete against stores that are, Gallo said, but they are trying to do their part.

He said they employ large numbers of Lorain County residents and want their customer base to be strong.

Amazon is the real elephant in the room, he said.

If you want to order online, try to still buy from a local store, he said. They often deliver or make arrangements for curbside pickup.

end up with a bad situation with COVID, it's because (first) you could give it to a health care worker, and we're hurting there... and secondly, if the beds get taken up, you won't have beds for other situations.

Q: Parents are worried about their kids. When there is a case at school, who do you consider to be a "close contact" that needs to quarantine?

A: The one thing about how the schools designed it is they really had kids wearing masks and staying separated. So they really did a nice job of not having to quarantine too many people.

So an example might be two kids are sitting next to each other on the bus. Even if they have masks on, they're going to get quarantined...

Maybe they eat lunch together and they don't have a mask on. If they can't spread kids out enough and they're only a few feet away from each other when they're eating lunch, they're probably going to get quarantined. We've had a few of those.

The other one is a scenario like after school. Maybe you have a child who hangs out with a child after school. Even though in school they didn't get quarantined, they might get quarantined anyway because they go and play with that kid.

We haven't really had a lot in the classrooms. There are some specialty classrooms that we've had a couple issues where they're right next to each other. Or we've had some with tutoring, where the tutor has to sit right next to the child and one of them came back positive and the other one gets quarantined.

positive, then they have to stay out the full 10 days and 24 hours with no symptoms.

COVELL Q&A

FROM A1 The concern is private parties.

The only time we see it spread in a restaurant is when six people from six different homes come to the restaurant and eat together for two hours, and then four or five of them develop it... So if you close bars and restaurants, they just go home and do the same thing in somebody's house.

And so I think the curfew idea was really to get people to realize now's not the time to go out and socialize. It's go out, get what you need and come back home.

Q: Have county health officials had many problems with businesses that aren't complying with the rules already in place?

A: We occasionally find some folks that aren't following the rules. Most of the problem we've had has to do with businesses that are struggling with people who show up without a mask, and what are we supposed to do about that — a "Do I have to kick them out of my business?" kind of thing.

In general, our bars and restaurants have done a pretty good job. Our regular businesses have done a pretty good job.

Q: Would shutting the state down again through the holidays help?

A: I know some school districts are struggling because of staffing issues. When you have this high of a case count, it's going to affect people, in my staff and your staff and in the staff in schools... in terms of shutting downs bars and restaurants or shutting down other things, where we don't know that it's spreading in those facilities, I'm not sure if that has an effect or not.

Here's the psychological effect, I would say: When we had things shut down, people were really serious about, "Oh my goodness, we've really got to stay home."

Somehow we've got to get that message out so that people understand it's personal behavior that's the problem, and we need to control that piece.

So I don't know that a full shutdown is really the way to go with that... I think instead, we need really strong messages from our hospitals and from the health departments and from businesses to say, "Get it together, people.

Please hang on. We've only got a few more months 'til the vaccine, and we can make it."

Q: What news can you give about a vaccine?

A: I am pretty optimistic about a vaccine, actually. A few months ago, somebody pressed me on this, and I came up with somewhere between Dec. 1 and March 30, we're going to have a

vaccine. Now of course everyone thinks I'm just lucky.

The answer is we're going to have at least two vaccines probably approved sometime in December — that's the Pfizer and Moderna.

Those are two doses. There are also some cold chain issues around those, so those will be really good for medical workers, so hospitals, other folks like that, that can vaccinate their own staff so those frontline workers who are working so hard right now, they can be protected. Then we'll also look at long-term care facilities and some other places like that.

There's a couple of other vaccines that are also coming that may be a single dose, easier to maintain in terms of cold. Those might be better for mass vaccination.

But either way, the first vaccines will be here in December and January for the frontline workers and the high-risk people. And then I think in March (or April), we'll have enough to start vaccinating the bulk population.

Q: If the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are approved in December, does that mean they'll be available in December?

A: For those of you who don't know, most of the vaccines have been pre-made in anticipation of them getting approved. So they pre-made about 10 million each.

I think Moderna said they may even have 20 million ready to go if they get approved, and if they do get approved then they'll have 20 million immediately.

That's not a lot for the whole country, so it's probably more like 60,000 or so in Ohio, so I mean you're not really talking about a huge number... Pfizer mentioned they can have a billion doses by April.

Q: What issues are you seeing that contribute to the huge increase in Lorain County cases over the past few weeks?

A: I've tried to be the calming voice to say, "Hey listen, this is what is going on," and try to calmly talk about that. And I've said my voice would change a little if the hospitals got in trouble.

Well, we're right on the edge of that right now, and my voice is changing. I'm saying get serious, because again, as hospital beds fill up, it's not just about treating COVID patients.

The problem is if you get in a car accident, your child is on a bicycle and flips over, or you have a heart condition or something like that, there may not be a bed for you if they're all taken up

by COVID patients.

The idea to slow the virus down isn't because you personally may

Q: Are family gatherings really a big deal during the holidays? Isn't my family safe?

A: Everyone kind of assumes that if I'm genetically related to my brother or my sister, they must be in my bubble. They're not in your bubble unless they live in your house. So the more families you bring together, the more (risk of that spread) you have.

The safest thing is to do Thanksgiving and Christmas just with your immediate family in your house, and then maybe Zoom or do some other things.

If you do say, "Well my brother lives around the corner from me, and I want to have just his family and my family" — well, OK, then limit it. Separate the tables.

Wear a mask when you're inside together. Limit the time that you're together.

I have an 89-year-old mother.

I'm not going to have her over for Thanksgiving in the first time for as long as I can remember.

But again, I want her around for next year's Thanksgiving, and my worry is if I bring her over for this year, I may not have her for next year... Hang in there.

This is the year to sacrifice a little around the holidays.

Q: We've heard complaints that non-COVID deaths are being attributed to the virus. Have all the deaths in Lorain County been people with other issues?

A: We actually looked at that, because we were concerned, because we had heard that. We found a couple of irregularities, they're not actually in our numbers... but then we found out, no, they actually had COVID a while before and they weren't actually attributed to their death.

Think about this: If you die of pneumonia, and you had COVID, well that makes sense. It's a COVID-based pneumonia.

But if you die of a heart attack, and you had COVID six months ago, well that's probably not the cause of death.

Q: What qualifies someone as recovered in the eyes of Lorain County Public Health?

A: If it's been at least 10 days from when you started symptoms, and you have 24 hours of no symptoms, you're recovered... It's when you can go back to work.

Q: Does contact tracing start when a student or school staffer test positive with a rapid test? Are parents notified then?

A: If nothing else comes out of this, let's make sure we're clear: Do not get an antigen test.

Rapid antigen tests are not that accurate, and the problem is they're not a confirmed case. So if you come back positive with an antigen rapid test, go get a PCR test so that you know for sure whether you had it or not.

If you get an antigen test, we will not necessarily be contacting you...

We don't even investigate those unless we have the time to do it, and when you have 944 confirmed cases in a week, you don't have time to do these others.

Q: How long must children quarantine? We hear that in some cases they're out of school only a week before returning, not 14 days.

A: That would be if the child didn't actually have COVID. So what's happening is you have COVID symptoms, the nurse sends you home and it turns out it's not COVID. It turns out it's something else. Then they can come back as soon as the symptoms are gone.

If it turns out they're COVID-

Q: Who doesn't have to wear a mask? Police?

People who work outside?

Sports teams?

A: There's some exemptions where obviously you wouldn't wear a mask. Obviously if you're running in the park, you're not going to be wearing a mask, most likely.

Police officers, actually, they technically can be exempted in certain areas, (if) they're in an arrest scenario when they're chasing someone... We are recommending to those police officers, whenever they're in a meeting, whenever they're in a scenario like that, that they're wearing a mask. And even when they walk up to a car, it's a good idea to be wearing a mask.

The same with firefighters.

They're wearing that PPE when they go and deal with folks. But when they're back at the firehouse, that's again when we want them to keep separate and wear a mask.

In terms of who has a medical exemption, there are some folks who have asthma and other things, and they struggle a little bit wearing a mask. For those folks, that's when you try to stay out of public settings.

Q: There are a lot of people who aren't wearing masks — in stores, in public meetings, in the drive-thru, taking them off to speak — or they aren't wearing them properly. What do you say to those people?

A: You've heard it before: Masks do work. If I'm wearing a mask and you're wearing a mask and we're six feet apart, now we have three barriers between us. It really does work pretty well.

So here's what I would say: Try to wear it properly. Let's make sure we're putting it up over our nose, right? It's all the way on, not down (over the chin).

The other thing is business owners have been frustrated because they ask people to wear a mask and sometimes that turns into an argument.

I still don't understand this.

We've talked for many years about the Greatest Generation and how World War II people have really done incredible things for our community. I still think it's worthwhile to wear a mask, wash your hands and stay separated so those World War II veterans that are still around don't die of COVID. Frankly, I think that's a reasonable thing to ask. It's an inconvenience, I understand — I don't love wearing a mask — but again, it's not that hard to do it, and we can slow the spread.

Thursday, Nov. 26, 2020

Lorain County Community Guide

Lorain County school districts buckle down Many districts are not waiting for the county to go purple before making big decisions.

Lorain and Oberlin schools have been fully online throughout the fall. Oberlin had planned to return to in-person learning in late November, and put its plans on hold until at least mid-January.

The Lorain County JVS was the first to announce it would join them as cases rose.

Avon Lake High School and Troy Intermediate School both followed.

Vermilion, which had started off online and then returned to in-person classes, has announced plans to close its buildings again following Thanksgiving break.

On Nov. 16, there were 10 teachers out of Vermilion High School. "Missing eight teachers is the breaking point for us, and we had 10," said Superintendent Phil Pempin.

Bus drivers were also short-staffed, along with a number of coaches, and the entire boys basketball program from grades eight to 12 were quarantined.

Elyria will also go online following the

holiday. Superintendent Ann Schloss said she has 30 classes that weren't covered in the course of a week.

A number of teachers were out with the virus and others had leave for other scheduled reasons, such as maternity. Substitutes are hard to come by — in a normal year, Elyria has about 100, and there were only 53 to start this year.

Avon announced Thursday that it would close Friday and Monday in preparation to go virtual through at least Dec. 4.

Clearview Schools, which have struggled with staffing issues the past couple of weeks, said they would go fully remote from Monday, Nov. 23 to at least Dec. 18.

"With the trends in COVID cases increasing, absences are expected to continue to rise," Superintendent Jerome Davis said in an email. "Thus, we have made the decision to transition all hybrid students at Vincent Elementary School, Durling Middle School and Clearview High School to online learning effective Monday (Nov. 23) through the remainder of the semester."

Herrick Memorial Library takes steps The Herrick Memorial Library in Wellington has locked its doors due to increasing COVID case numbers. The library is still open for business. Patrons who want to use its services should call (440) 647-2120 when they arrive or knock on the doors for entry.

HANG ON

FROM A1 playing a bizarre lottery.

"If I buy more tickets, I have more of a chance of winning," he said. "This is a reverse lottery. If I have smaller groups, I have less of a chance of 'winning' COVID, which I don't want to win."

The microbiologist's view Kestler has spent much of his life studying HIV, which is a sexually-transmitted virus. COVID is different — it's spread through saliva droplets, which stay in the air for minutes at a time.

That's what makes it so dangerous.

"If I am walking down a hallway with my mask off and I launch a cough into the air, and you walk by that same hallway five minutes later, you're at risk," he said.

His big fear is for multi-generational homes. Teenagers seem to be much less affected by COVID, but can pass it to older relatives whose bodies can't fend it off.

So Kestler was concerned about college students returning home for Thanksgiving, and hoping against hope they would first isolate themselves to protect parents, brothers, sisters and others.

Very young children such as preschoolers for some reason aren't as much of a vector for the virus, he said. They may get infected, but they often don't get sick, and they don't seem to be spreading COVID to older people. Kestler said he's at a loss to explain why.

So far, schools have discovered some students are infected, but that hasn't led to outbreaks. By far the worse "spreader" locations are bars, he said — especially those with loud music, no masks and lots of drinking, because alcohol dumbs down your ability to make wise decisions.

Restaurants are more complicated, Kestler said.

It's possible to enjoy a good meal out, but he always looks for red flags. For example, Kestler won't eat at any restaurant with a sign that says safety policies are required by the order of Gov. Mike DeWine.

Heaping the responsibility on DeWine's shoulders signals the owners may not be committed to them — "It's not in their DNA," he said.

"If that's their attitude, don't go there.

They're not serious about it," he said. "You want people who are serious about taking care of their customers so they come back.

Nobody wants their customer base to die off."

Kestler correctly predicted hours in advance that Gov. Mike DeWine would impose a curfew on businesses last week.

To some extent, that's a worthwhile regulation, he said. "But if the drinking and the partying moves from the bars to the basements of people's homes, where you have no possibility of control, you're going to be getting just as much spread," he said.

Like Lorain County Health Commissioner David Covell, Kestler said responsibility for spreading the virus doesn't rest with schools and businesses, but with small, casual gatherings.

Sleepovers, parties and get-togethers with friends and family are the culprits, he said.

Masks and vaccines When it comes to stop the spread, masks have been divisive territory.

In laboratory testing, cloth masks fail in some ways, but in others they are still incredibly helpful, Kestler said.

In March, health experts didn't promote mask-wearing as they should have because they feared customers would buy up the entire stock of medical-grade masks, he

said.

"We didn't want there to be a run like there was on toilet paper, and is right now again on toilet paper," he said.

But when hospital staff started wearing cloth masks, the proof was plain to see: They curtailed spread to a huge degree.

Mask-wearing could carry another big benefit: Patients who wear them and still get COVID seem to experience a much milder form of the disease, said Kestler.

In short, the smaller the dose of a virus you're exposed to, the milder your symptoms could be. The phenomenon is known as "variolation," and it's been key to developing immunizations for many years.

The big question is how long masks and other safety protocols will be needed. Kestler said the earliest vaccine doses may be available shortly into the new year, and the first are almost certain to go to health care workers, then to nurse homes.

Several vaccine trials are underway, and a few developers have touted incredible early results. Pfizer said its vaccine appears to be more than 90 percent effective, and Moderna said its version is 94.5 percent effective.

Kestler said the two vaccines are extremely alike, but formulated in a slightly different way. The key difference is the Moderna vaccine can be stored at a temperature like that in your kitchen freezer, while the Pfizer version must be supercooled.

Both are good news, he said: "I've been looking at vaccines my entire adult life, and I will tell you this is the safest vaccine I've ever encountered, which is very, very good."

Looking behind and ahead Scientists will spend years studying the world's response to the COVID crisis, said Kestler.

"You can look back and see a lot of things that were done wrong," he admitted.

Ohio's response in the spring earned high marks from the LCCC microbiologist, though he believes residents relaxed their guards too much in the summer. Masking early on would have been a tremendous help, he said.

The belief among many that the virus is somehow a hoax didn't surprise Kestler.

The same mindset plagued the response to AIDS in the 1980s, he said.

But the data medical professionals have about COVID-19 is undeniable, said Kestler. The virus isn't political. It knows no borders, religion or race.

And it doesn't care whether you think it's real.

Kestler said the virus will change the way we live.

The traditional handshake, he believes, will disappear. Restaurants will have to find new strategies. People will have to think differently about how they interact.

But there will also be new opportunities.

"I'm a biologist, and I will tell you life goes on," Kestler said. "And so does business. So does livelihood. All of those things will go on, and they will be different."

In the meantime, don't give in, he said.

Wear a mask to show others you care about them. Take a walk, maintain your activity level and go out in the sunlight.

Reach out by phone or video chat to someone who's having a hard time coping.

Keep each other in good spirits.

"We are going through a very dark period, I will tell you," Kestler said. "It is going to go for a few more months like this. We need to be ever-vigilant."

Page A5

HANG ON

FROM A1

Instead of handling three or four new cases at a time, they've been getting batches of 40 at a time.

"It's put all hands on deck," Covell said.

DeWine said the situation is "grim," but didn't follow through on a threat to shut down restaurants, bars and fitness centers as case counts rise — instead, he's put a statewide 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew in place through Dec. 10.

Covell met Nov. 19 with Lorain County police chiefs to talk about enforcement of the curfew because public health officials don't have power to fine violators.

He also met Friday with school superintendents to discuss staffing issues, student cases, high school sports and recommendation for other groups that meet regularly.

Amherst Watching case numbers rise, the city of Amherst had already moved to its highest level of precaution without closing down ahead of Thursday's purple watch designation.

"We've gone back to having as many of us working from home as we can. Single people in offices, doors closed to the public," said Mayor Mark Costilow.

"It's worrisome. The numbers we're seeing are staggering," he said.

City workers are not changing meters, driving together in vehicles or taking on any jobs that would require them to go into private residences.

The goal, Costilow said, is to prevent city workers from getting sick so that power, water and other essential services can continue running.

Several city of Amherst employees have had COVID, and some have recovered.

Elyria Mayor Frank Whitfield said the city began the transition to remote work a couple of weeks ago in anticipation of a purple watch status.

Elyria city employees are who able to work from home will do so. Some departments, like Wastewater, rotate schedules so that not everyone is working together in the office or on site all at once. And when certain tasks need to be performed in office, employees will still come in to do so.

City Council meetings went virtual starting Monday.

"We feel prepared for this," Whitfield said. "We had practice in March and April. ... We haven't figured it all out yet but we're on the right track."

Lorain Lorain City Hall will be closed to the public starting Monday. City Council is working to allow for remote public input for its meetings.

Additionally, the lobby of the city's Utility Billing Department will be closed to the public until further notice. Payments can be left in the drop box or made online.

Wellington Village of Wellington facilities have

been closed to the public as of Monday.

The decision came the morning after Lorain County was elevated to "purple watch" status because COVID cases and hospitalizations have spiraled out of control.

"We woke up today and had a day to think about it. We also had a day to see what other communities are doing, and it seems like everybody is moving in that direction," said Mayor Hans Schneider.

Village workers are all healthy, and he said the plan is to keep it that way by limiting exposure.

The goal, said Schneider, has been to minimize Wellington's risk as much and as long as possible.

He said residents, who have shown reluctance at times, are now buying into safety protocols.

"You will have some naysayers... but I think that percentage is extremely small," he said. "They're vocal on social media, but overall this community has pulled together."

• Town Hall and its gymnasium are closed to the public. The village is asking residents to conduct business by telephone, email or internet. Utility payments may only be made by phone, online or dropped off in the utility payment box located in the front of Town Hall. Any questions about utility bill payments should be directed to the utility billing office at (440) 647-4626. The lobby areas for both the Wellington Police Department and first floor of Town Hall will remain open for dispatcher access and dropping off mail and other documents.

• The Public Works Department, Electric Department facility, Water and Wastewater Plants are closed to in-person visitors.

Customer service or other inquiries should be handled by phone or email. Contacts can be found at www.villageofwellington. com.

• Village Council meetings held at 7 p.m. on the first and third Mondays of the month remain closed to the general public until further notice. Meetings are live-streamed on Facebook. If members of the general public wish to participate in council meetings, text Schneider at (440) 935-4733 either prior to or during the council meeting.

Oberlin Limited City Hall hours are being maintained in Oberlin, with officials available by appointment.

City Manager Rob Hillard said he continues to evaluate operations. "We’re encouraging folks to follow the preventative protocols to reduce the spread," he said.

“In terms of specific changes, we still maintain a posture of limited gathering around town," said Hillard. "So any sponsored events have been limited. The tree lighting ceremony we have was canceled, but we’re actually having a fire truck and Santa ride throughout the neighborhoods of town."

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Page A6

Thursday, Nov. 26, 2020

Lorain County Community Guide

© 2020 by Vicki Whiting, Editor Jeff Schinkel, Graphics Vol. 36, No. 51

In the 1600s, the Wampanoag Nation had about seventy thousand people living in 67 villages.

This map shows some of them. The large print shows the Wampanoag name of a village. The small print gives the modern name. hen the Pilgrims arrived at what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts, they met native peoples who had lived in the area for thousands of years. Their name, Wampanoag, means “People of the First Light.”

This name was chosen because they lived on the east coast and they received the light of dawn before anyone to the west.

MASSACHUSETTS TITICUT

PAMET Truro

PATUXET

Bridgewater

Plymouth

NAMASKET Middleborough

COHANNET Taunton

AGAWAM Wareham MANOMET

SEEKONK ASSONET MATTAPUSIT

MASHPEE

ACUSHNET

Select one article from today’s newspaper and identify two people or groups of people affected by the news in the article.

Write one or more sentences telling each person or group’s point of view about the news.

Main topic of article:

CUMMAQUID Barnstable

MANNAMOYIK Chatham

Person or group #1:

New Bedford

AQUIDNEK SAKONNET Little Compton

AT L A N T I C OCEAN

NAUSHON

Point of view:

CAPOWAK

Can you find the region shown on the map at right on a U.S. map?

Martha’s Vineyard

AQUINNAH

CHAPPAQUIDDIK

Gay Head

NANTUCKET

Standards Link: History: Students understand the reasons that Americans celebrate certain holidays.

Based on map developed by Nanepashemet for the Plimoth Plantation Wampanoag Program. Recreated with permission of Plimoth Plantation, Inc.

This trouble-making turkey has taken some words out of these paragraphs. Can you find where each word belongs?

Celebrations of thanksgiving in North America did not _______ with the Pilgrims at __________ in 1621. Gratefulness was (and is) a very important part of ________________ life.

The Wampanoag have held ___________ to give thanks since ____________ times. And not just for a good _____________. The Wampanoag give thanks for the birth of a child and other good fortune. In fact, giving thanks was the __________ reason for Wampanoag celebrations.

Find It! Give each person at

The arrival of colonists from Europe was seen differently by different groups of people. The Wampanoag were cautious and unsure about these new people. The colonists were relieved to be done with their long voyage, but afraid of what might lie ahead.

I am the shape of all things given by The Creator.

I have no end and no beginning.

I am the shape of life itself.

What am I?

9

21 - 5 = A 18 - 9 = C

6

15

9

11 + 6 = E 14 - 8 = I

13

21 - 8 = L 24 - 9 = R

Standards Link: Reading Comprehension: Follow simple written directions.

Headline Poem Challenge

Clip at least 10 headlines from today’s newspaper and divide them into their parts of speech (noun, verb, adjective, etc.).

Create a poem about Thanksgiving using all the words you clipped.

Standards Link: Writing Applications: Write in a variety of genres including poetry.

17

© 2003 Plimoth Plantation, Inc.

your Thanksgiving feast a page of the newspaper. See who can find each of the following in his or her paper: • An odd number • The word “thanks” • Something to be thankful for • A delicious food • A Thanksgiving event • A good place to visit

Standards Link: Writing Applications: Use strategies (e.g., point of view) to write for a variety of purposes.

Thanks for always being such a great friend, Chris!

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

WAMPANOAG VOYAGE HARVEST W N E R U T A N P E COAST H A S F O R T U N E PILGRIMS T T M O E T N P L S CREATOR U I I P G W A O E T PLYMOUTH O V R H A R V E S T NATIVE M E G D Y N D A R F PLENTY CORN Y F L L O C O R N C DAWN L I I I V C G A H T FORTUNE P L P L E N T Y G S SEED Standards Link: Letter sequencing. Recongized identical LIFE words. Skim and scan reading. Recall spelling patterns.

What do math teachers do on Thanksgiving?

ANSWER: Count their blessings.

Standards Link: History: Students understand the history of how communities in North America varied long ago.

Person or group #2:

Point of view:

In November of 1620, exploring colonists found corn buried in the ground.

They called corn “Indian wheat.” Here are two viewpoints on this same event:

16

Use the newspaper to understand different points of view.

APTUXCET

POKANOKET POCASSET Fall River

RHODE ISLAND

Today’s Kid Scoop provides two different points of view about the coming of the Pilgrims to North America.

Wellfleet

Bourne

Swansea

Bristol

NAUSET

Think About It!

… telling a friend you’re thankful they’re your friend!

This week’s word:

VIEWPOINT

The noun viewpoint means an opinion about something.

The Wampanoag have a different viewpoint about Thanksgiving than some others.

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

Thanksgiving I am thankful for …

Complete this sentence.

B

OUR TOWNS

Lorain County Community Guide • Thursday, Nov. 26, 2020

LC8 delays winter sports season JASON HAWK and LAINA YOST

“It’s a wait-and-see game now.”

Columbia Raiders Athletic Director Jeff Jump

The Lorain County League has postponed the winter sports season until at least Dec. 7 as the coronavirus crisis intensifies.

The decision was made on the advice of county Health Commissioner David Covell, who met with school officials Friday.

"The governor, he's saying

don't even go see your family members on Thanksgiving. When we're seeing that message, how can we play basketball?" said Wellington Dukes Athletic Director John Bowman.

The LC8 includes Black River,

Brookside, Clearview, Columbia, Keystone, Firelands, Oberlin and Wellington.

Bowman said pushing the season back wasn’t the most popular decision, but it was the right one.

Member schools don’t want to

put student athletes at risk.

Team practices are allowed to continue, but no scrimmages or games will be played. LC8 athletic directors will meet again Dec. 4 to reassess the situation.

“It’s a wait-and-see game now,”

As mask frustrations boil over...

said Columbia Raiders Athletic Director Jeff Jump.

He said Friday that his players were healthy, but three or four schools in the conference had entire teams quarantined.

Postponing the season meant canceling the first Raiders girls basketball game, which was scheduled for Friday versus Independence. Jump said players SEASON PAGE B3

Paradox Prize paves way for Oberlin bus route pilot JASON HAWK EDITOR

Kristin Bauer | Chronicle

Elaine Brown, owner of Lu's Pizza in Grafton, puts down tape markers Friday for patrons to practice social distancing while picking up their pizza takeout orders.

... local businesses bear the brunt

JASON HAWK, LAINA YOST and DYLAN REYNOLDS

L

u’s Pizza found second life after it was destroyed by fire in April 2019. Now the downtown Grafton business is coping with another kind of firestorm as COVID-19 takes a toll.

Co-owner Elaine Brown said the Lu’s dining room has been closed as the virus spreads, “Not that we have it here, but I’m scared of getting it here.”

The decision was made when Lorain County moved into purple watch status Thursday. It was hard, but nec-

essary to protect staff, Brown said.

It was also partially based on increasing friction over customers who are reluctant to wear masks, she said.

“Now we have to be the mask police and everything,” she said. “We’re the ones who are going to be shut down over people being ignorant.”

Brown said that as bad as the pandemic’s gotten, there are still about a half-dozen customers a night who walk in without masks. There have even been some arguments between customers with masks and those without.

It’s gotten to the point that the Browns placed a large sign by the register warning customers they

absolutely must mask up. It’s the first thing pizza-lovers see when they enter.

Workers at Nancy’s Diner, also in Grafton, called police after asking a customer to put a mask on, in an incident owner Denise Worthy documented on Facebook.

She said her staff has enforced Ohio’s mask mandate, especially since her business could be penalized if customers don’t wear masks. One customer became irate when staff asked him to put on a mask.

Worthy said the man cursed out workers, which is when the dishwasher asked him to leave. She said MASKS PAGE B2

COVID forces WHS online for a day JASON HAWK EDITOR

WELLINGTON — The first bell rang early Nov. 17, but no students filtered into Dave Conklin's classroom.

Buried in prep work, he'd missed the last-minute alert that Wellington High School was going fully

remote for the day because a staff member tested positive for COVID-19.

Conklin said he was confused for a moment, then flipped over to the virtual model teachers have been getting ready to use for the past couple of months.

"Cases are spiking. It's just a crazy time, especially as we head into cold weather," he told the Wel-

lington Board of Education later that night.

Principal Tina Drake spent the day locked in her office, tracking down everyone who may have been exposed to the virus.

Administrative assistant Karen Wright praised Drake for keeping worries under control through a harrowing day.

"We all are very con-

cerned," she said on behalf of staff. "We all have different issues, family that can't be around COVID, can't even be remotely near anyone who has been.

There was a lot of fear today, a lot of confusion, a lot of questions."

Students need steady guidance to cope with the ONLINE PAGE B2

Bomb squad founder dies, age 83 JASON HAWK EDITOR

AMHERST — When dynamite was involved or a suspicious package showed up, police called Donald Darmos.

"Anytime anyone had explosive grenades, you'd call Don. He was the guy you'd want to get ahold of," said Lorain County Sheriff Phil Stammitti.

Darmos was a longtime Amherst resident, police officer and a bomb technician.

Building on what he learned over 30 years, he started the county's bomb squad in 1997 under then-Sheriff Martin Mahony, and shepherded

OBERLIN — Bus service available to Oberlin residents is ready for a big expansion Jan. 4, thanks to a $100,000 Paradox Prize grant.

City Council voted last week to approve a contract with Lorain County Transit for 2021.

Right now, busing in the city is only available Mondays and Thursdays. The new deal will set hours from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, with a second shift from 9:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.

The travel area will also greatly increase. Right now, riders are limited to Oberlin, except every other Thursday, when they can go to Elyria and Lorain.

Starting in January, they'll be able to access a triangle from Amherst to Elyria, providing access to a large number of employers, the Lorain County JVS, Lorain County Jobs and Family Services and Lorain County Community College.

"We're hoping that some of these jobs that we know are available out in this new service area, that Oberlin residents will be able to get to them," said Carrie Handy, Oberlin's planning and development director.

Electric car-sharing service through Sway Mobility of Cleveland is also part of the package. Two cars will be parked in Oberlin and a third will be available at Place 2 Recover on Cooper Foster Park Road on the southern border of Lorain.

The estimated cost to run the one-year pilot program is $145,000.

Most of that cash comes from Fund Our Future, a nonprofit that in June 2019 founded the $1 million Paradox Prize.

Its goal is to help people get to work. Those without cars often can't get to a job site, which means they can't afford a car — and that paradox perpetuates the cycle of poverty.

Handy said Oberlin's goal is to help 150 people get to work in 2021. There are "hard and fast targets" that Oberlin has to meet to continue getting Paradox Prize money as it's released, she said.

Private companies have historically helped pay for LCT service in Oberlin, including Oberlin Community Services, Mercy Health Allen Hospital and Kendal at Oberlin. Handy said she is reaching out for continued support.

The expanded service won't use traditional timed bus routes. Instead, trips can be scheduled by calling LCT's dispatch center up to two weeks in advance.

"We're hoping that with the data that we get, maybe we can come up with a fixed route so we can have a regular route that people can just jump on and jump off," Handy said.

PARADOX PAGE B2 1960-2020

Celebrating 60 years in service!

Beriswill

it until retirement in late rise through the training 2001. programs and FBI acINSURANCE AGENCY, AGENCY, INC. INSURANCE INC. home - farm - auto - health - life - business He died Friday at age 83. creditation necessary to home-farm-auto-health-life-business "Don was well known become an explosives Call or stop in Full service independent and greatly respected for expert. for a FREE insurance INSURANCE his knowledge, experiBut as a veteran, he had agency.

QUOTE. ence and candor," Amherst a big advantage — Darpolice posted over the mos would use his netweekend. work of old war buddies Tom Brezina, who is to get his hands on live now an explosives specialordnance that could be ist for the U.S. Department Donald Darmos used in practice detonaof Homeland Security, tions, Brezina said. remembers Darmos as a mentor who It was always enough for the put him on his career path. county's bomb squad to train once a Protecting What’s Important "Don Darmos was old-school. month despite a limited budget, honScott Beriswill Denise Breyley Came from the military. Had a lot of ing skills that were used far and wide. 35881 Grafton Eastern Rd. 173 Depot Street Grafton, Ohio 44044 Wellington, Ohio 44090 explosives experience," he said. www.beriswillins.com (440) 647-6010 By today's standards, Darmos didn't BOMB SQUAD PAGE B3 (440) 926-3312

SUBMIT YOUR NEWS TO: NEWS@LCNEWSPAPERS.COM

Page B2

Thursday, Nov. 26, 2020

Lorain County Community Guide

ACADEMIC CHALLENGE CHAMPIONS OBERLIN — Langston Middle School students recently competed in the annual Academic Challenge Championship of Lorain County.

On Nov. 17, Nora Baker, Grant Abeyta, Aubrey Abeyta and Maia Tritt arrived at school ready to compete and placed second overall. They scored 30 of 48 points during the meet. The highest score was 35 of 48 points.

The following day, Sylvia Nisky, Liam Steggall, Alexis Luckey, Evana Krauss and Rose Boyer placed first overall in the competition. The group topped Firelands Schools by one point in the final round of the championship.

Provided photo

Langston Middle School students participated in the Educational Service Center of Lorain County Academic Challenge.

MASKS

FROM B1 the customer shoved the dishwasher and tried to get physical.

“You have about 10 to 20 seconds to wear a mask before you sit down,” she said. “I’m not really sure what the heartache is. … The majority of customers, whether they agree with it or not, they’re doing it.”

The angry customer had left by the time police arrived, and Worthy said the dishwasher didn’t want to press charges.

But the incident rattled her enough to post to Facebook on Nov. 14, imploring customers to wear masks. She also noted that if the man would like to message her, she’d be willing to have a discussion with him.

She hadn’t heard from him as of Thursday.

Leo Braido, owner of Oberlin IGA, said he’s had his share of mask compliance issues in recent months. If someone enters his grocery store without a face covering, it only takes management about a minute to address the issue.

“I’ve been threatened, I’ve been cussed out, all kinds of things,” he said.

Typically, he takes the burden of confronting customers, because he doesn’t want employees potentially in harm’s way.

IGA has provided more than 1,000 masks to shoppers since the start of the pandemic. Not all of those customers have been anti-mask; some simply forgot them, Braido said.

While issues have fallen off greatly at Oberlin IGA in the last couple of weeks, they’ve increased in other areas.

That’s because Gov. Mike DeWine threatened to step up enforcement on businesses that don’t enforce mask rules.

Jeff Armbruster, North Ridgeville’s safety service director and a former state senator, owns the Marathon gas station at the intersection of Grafton and Royalton roads. He said the mask mandate is not always easy for staff to enforce at the convenience store.

“When you’ve got one cashier or you’ve got all hands on deck and you can’t afford to have one person in the front of the store telling people to wear a mask, it becomes a very difficult task,” Armbruster said.

Bigger chain retailers can hire someone specifically to stand at the entrance, greeting customers and making sure they’re wearing a mask, he said, but that’s not a luxury all smaller businesses have.

Armbruster feels so strongly about the topic that he appealed to the public at Monday’s City Council meeting to comply with the mask mandate when shopping from retailers.

In addition to wanting the public to stay safe from possible spread of COVID-19, he also fears the consequences his business could face if customers were photographed or recorded shopping without a mask, even if staff were following all the rules.

“When you have somebody that says, ‘You could be shut down for somebody taking a movie of it,’ I don’t know,” Armbruster said. “The small retailer and the small business is in real trouble in today’s atmosphere. …

They’re struggling to keep the customers coming in in order to make payroll, and now we have to become the mask police.”

Worthy agreed that businesses have been put in an extremely difficult position.

“The inappropriate behavior just cannot be allowed within businesses,” Worthy said. “You’re forcing businesses to shut down or be penalized. That’s wrong because we’re struggling enough as it is. We don’t want to put any more stress on ourselves or our employees.”

She is trying to see anti-mask frustrations from the customers’ perspectives, too. When people walk into Nancy’s Diner, they might have any number of issues weighing on their shoulders — they lost their job, are struggling to provide for their family or they may have lost a loved one.

Understanding is one thing, but Worthy said she won’t tolerate customers putting hands on her staff, and she will still enforce the mask mandate while people aren’t sitting down in her restaurant.

“I know my anxiety is going through the roof, because I don’t know what’s going to happen next,” she said. “…

You’re on edge all the time.”

FAMOUS LANDMARKS ACROSS 1. Octagonal sign 5. “Don’t have a ____!”

8. Can of worms 12. Pathetic 13. Spanish sparkling wine 14. Pico de gallo 15. WWII side 16. Like word of mouth 17. Church song 18. *Victoria in Zimbabwe or Horseshoe in Canada 20. *Home to Rock of Cashel and Blarney Castle 21. Massachusetts university 22. “____ Be Home For Christmas” 23. Olympic torch, e.g.

25. On the move 28. Menu words 29. *Golden Gate or Mackinac 32. Goodbye, to bambino 34. Ruling in Islamic law 36. Variable, abbr.

37. Can, with thou 38. South American monkey 39. *Versailles or Buckingham 41. Thus far 42. Yoko’s John 44. Collectively 46. Party bowlful 47. Memory failure 49. Goals 51. *St. Basil’s or Canterbury 55. Independent, slang 56. Initial stake 57. Field of Dreams state 58. More than one stylus 59. Barnes and Noble or Barnum and Bailey 60. Jaunty rhythm in music 61. Don Quixote’s enemy 62. Urge Spot to attack 63. Besides DOWN 1. BBQ side 2. Taxon, pl.

3. Fail to mention 4. Bygone Spanish money 5. Jeweler’s unit 6. Egg-like curves 7. *The Western one in Israel or the Great one in China 8. *La Sagrada Familia or St. Peter’s

Levies on the ballot

Two Oberlin city levies will be placed on the May 4 primary ballot as renewal issues for voters to consider.

The first is a 1.2-mill general operating levy would continue to generate $147,208 per year, according to the Lorain County auditor's office.

It supports police and fire forces, recreation, Westwood Cemetery, code enforcement and other day-to-day expenses.

The second is a 3-mill refuse levy that would continue to generate $368,019 per year for garbage, brush and recycling collection.

Both are set to expire at the end of 2020, with collections ending after 2021 unless the renewals pass.

The Oberlin Public Library is also expected to request renewal of a $726,646 operating levy.

None of the renewals would increase taxes.

Santa’s coming to town

Santa Claus will arrive in Oberlin at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 28, riding aboard a fire engine.

The parade route will start at South Pleasant and East Hamilton streets and wind through the city.

ONLINE

FROM B1 crisis, she said, and so do adults, because the stress is mounting up.

The Wellington Schools haven't announced plans to move operations fully online, like Elyria and two Avon Lake schools recently have.

But Board of Education member Jessica Reynolds expressed relief that Conklin and other teachers are ready to take their classes online at a moment's notice, because "it's likely" they'll have to soon.

In July, the school board built a COVID-19 reaction plan that's flexible enough to handle the changing threat posed by the virus, said board President Brett Murner.

There's no magic number of cases that would theoretically close the Wellington Schools, he said. For now, the district is taking the pandemic day by day, situation by situation.

Administrators' hands may be forced by logistics, though.

With substitutes in short supply, Superintendent Ed Weber said the district may eventually be forced to move online due to staffing shortages.

That's already a problem other districts are facing — take Clearview, which on several recent days has closed school buildings because of COVID-related staff issues.

Olmsted Falls, which spills over the Cuyahoga County border, announced it would do the same two days this week because of shortages.

Drake said she warned students a few weeks ago to be ready to move online when needed. Teens and teachers alike have been learning how to use remote technology so they're prepared for the switch.

In the meantime, teachers can share their screens with in-person and at-home students as needed. For now, that's a necessity, but Conklin said he believes it will be a selling point to attract students to Wellington once the pandemic ends.

There is a downside. Conklin said remote learning has effectively killed the time-tested tradition of the snow day.

"It may be bittersweet, but it is a reality," he said.

Wellington students attend in-person two days a week, with every child learning online on Wednesdays.

Weber said he expected Wellington High School to reopen Thursday.

PARADOX

FROM B1 Oberlin hasn't had "real" bus service since LCT scaled back its operations in January 2010, she said.

Fares will be $2 for adults; $1 for students, children, senior citizens and people with disabilities; and there are also day pass rates.

In 2016, the Oberlin Connector service had 2,146 trips.

That number took a staggering drop in 2017, but has since recovered — last year, it was used 2,533 times.

A memo to Council suggests 2020 ridership is almost certain to drop due to the COVID-related state shutdown from March to May.

9. Having wings 10. ____ of Man 11. Scottish cap 13. Ceiling panel in the Pantheon 14. Type of wheat 19. Cuban dance 22. Glacier matter 23. Medieval knight’s spiky weapon 24. Coffee shop order 25. *Home to Taj Mahal 26. Phonograph record 27. Artist’s support 28. Back, at sea 30. Director Reitman 31. Indian restaurant staple 33. Giant Hall-of-Famer 35. *Moulin Rouge or Nether-

land’s landmark 37. Incense without prefix 39. Weasel-related onomatopoeia 40. Enigma machine’s output 43. One born to Japanese immigrants 45. Roman magistrate 47. Hawaiian veranda 48. V.C. Andrews’ “Flowers in the ____” 49. Naysayer’s favorite prefix 50. Bucolic poem 51. Type in all ____ 52. Agitate 53. Hole punchers 54. Like the White Rabbit 55. Any doctrine

SOLUTION CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE A2

SOLUTION CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE A2

Thursday, Nov. 26, 2020

Lorain County Community Guide

Page B3

Amherst cops: Beware 'Home Alone'-style holiday bandits JASON HAWK EDITOR

AMHERST — 'Tis the season for burglaries, and Amherst police say residents should be on the watch for Grinch-y thieves.

They sent a "residential burglaries notice" to homeowners in the city on Saturday, warning of thefts in and near cluster

homes and condominiums over the last several years.

Investigators believe burglaries in Lorain County and several adjoining counties may be related, according to Sgt. Michael Murphy.

The culprits probably don't rise to the label of an "organized crime" racket, he said.

They may be more along the lines of Marv and Harry from

"Home Alone."

Lt. Dan Makruski said the warning for homeowners was not prompted by any recent burglaries, but was posted so people are more careful during the holidays.

A pattern of seasonal breakins "goes in hand with people knowing others tend to spend more money this time of year" and "they can make a good

haul when people's Christmas presents are around the tree," Murphy said.

Amherst police intend to beef up patrols in neighborhoods they believe are at higher risk.

They are also asking homeowners to be vigilant and report suspicious conductions by calling (440) 988-2625 or texting (440) 988-4422.

A few steps can help prevent

burglaries, such as locking house and vehicle doors. Other advise from Amherst police: • Consider leaving lights, a television or radio on when you're not home, or putting them on a timer.

• Use floodlights with motion sensors, especially above secluded entryways.

• Talk to your neighbors and look out for one another.

Oberlin slams brakes on Deficit, exhausted savings are return to in-person school projected for Amherst Schools JASON HAWK EDITOR

OBERLIN — A boom in COVID-19 cases has forced the Oberlin City Schools to reconsider a plan to return to in-person classes in 2020.

The district's students have been learning online all fall, and had planned to return to school buildings Nov. 30.

That idea was premature, Superintendent David Hall said.

"We looked at the numbers and the rise that was going on, the trend," he said.

"We've decided to err on the side of caution."

"We saw the spike coming up in our own county. We said it's time to stand down until the numbers start coming down. We want to stay safe, and we're not going to rush it."

Oberlin's public schools will now remain fully online until at least Jan. 19, which is the start of the second semester.

Hall said that date could be moved further into 2021, if cases and deaths caused by the virus haven't slowed.

The Oberlin City Schools have only had one student test positive. An increase in adult cases, both in Lorain County and across the region, has had ripple effects, however, Hall said.

He's also kept a watch on nearby school districts that have struggled.

Clearview has had to close Durling Middle School several days in recent weeks because of infections among staff. Wellington High School shut down Tuesday after a staff member tested positive. Two Avon Lake schools have shut their doors due to cases, and Elyria Schools plan to move online after Thanksgiving.

Hall said students learn better if they're physically with teachers, but "at the end of the day, it's not right and we're not ready, we're not going back."

That's tough news for many Oberlin parents who have been chaffing with kids at home. Surveys sent home have shown that 50 to 55 percent of the district's families want to go back in person because they need academic and social support, Hall said.

Some have opted to entrust their children to the Boys & Girls Clubs' "virtual learning center" at Oberlin's Eastwood Elementary.

It provides kids with a place to log on to remote classes.

That program too will get an overhaul.

Hall said kindergarten through second grade will stay at Eastwood, while third to fifth grades are moved to Prospect Elementary School.

The change will allow students to be distanced even more, while providing adults who can give them assistance and oversight as needed.

BOMB SQUAD

FROM B1

Before 9/11, it was uncommon for Ohio sheriff's offices to have their own bomb squads, said Tom Kelley, director of the Lorain County Emergency Management Agency.

Darmos' crew was put to work defusing dangerous situations not only in Lorain County but in Erie, Huron, Ashland and Medina as well, he said.

Stammitti said from time to time old war relics will be discovered in a veteran's home and require disposal. County explosives officers handle bomb threats, are a key part of the response to active shooters and are sometimes used when serving warrants, he said.

Deputies have seen suspects, in an attempt to avoid or delay arrest, set boobytraps that have to be dismantled before the SWAT team can move in.

Teaching those skills was Darmos' passion.

"He was special because he taught us the old-school stuff, the stuff you can't even do anymore," Brezina said. "They didn't have

bomb suits back in the day. They basically gave you a catcher's mask and said, 'Here you go,' ... He taught us stuff that would keep you alive."

Kelley also praised Darmos' depth of knowledge, and the attitude with which he approached the job.

"Don was pretty fearless," he said, recounting stories of disposing of old munitions, including a World War II-era bomb found in a veteran's house.

Darmos was exactly the right person to handle that scenario, Kelley said — he often visited old battlefields in Europe, helping to remove explosives buried in longcold battlefields. Brezina said Darmos was also an avid gun collector and loved World War II uniforms.

And when it came to building his own homemade explosives, everyone knew who was king.

"Don Darmos would go and make pipe bombs and scare the heck out of you," Berzina laughed. "He will be missed."

SEASON

FROM B1 were crestfallen by the news.

He hopes games can eventually be rescheduled, but that might not be possible.

“This is 2020. Everything changes,” he said.

Covell planned to talk to Gov. Mike DeWine Monday. “If we’re serious about this, (I want to know) what we are going to do about winter sports,” he said.

"I think the governor is concerned about it. I think he's just going to want the answer. What's the actual answer?" he said.

There are concerns that shutting down high school sports programs, even voluntarily, will simply push young athletes to travel and league teams.

The Elyria Pioneers and Vermilion Sailors canceled their girls basketball game scheduled for Friday evening. Elyria Superintendent Ann Schloss said it was the only sports activity her district had scheduled over the weekend, and she wanted to take some time to make a decision for the rest of

the season.

With COVID-19 numbers increasing, Schloss said the Pioneers, who belong to the Greater Cleveland Conference, are evaluating whether to move forward with the season. She said all area conferences were having meetings Friday to figure out how to move ahead safely.

Both Elyria and Vermilion school systems have announced plans to go virtual after the Thanksgiving break. Vermilion’s boys basketball teams for grades eight to 12 were quarantined.

“I wanted to give us these few days to figure it out, and it all came up in the last day or two,” Schloss said. “Since I made the decision to go remote, this was the next layer of decisions that needed to be made.”

Basketball practices at Elyria can still continue.

Vermilion Athletics, which belongs to the Sandusky Bay Conference, tweeted that it will try to reschedule

Elyria’s girls basketball game if possible, and that Vermilion’s next game with North Ridgeville on Saturday is still on.

Either way, Schloss said it will be a hard decision.

Extracurricular activities, including sports, are important to students, but Schloss said they’re also taking into account student safety.

Schloss said there are a lot of questions to answer.

Should they press pause on the whole season? Only play districts in its league?

Have small groups only practice skills?

“And that’s what we want to evaluate,” she said. “...

We just want to do the right thing and do what’s best for our families and our students.”

It’s not just sports the district needs to make a decision on, but also extracurriculars like robotics. Some can be done virtually, while others may be done on a smaller scale in-person, Schloss said.

Schloss said she hopes to have a decision soon.

JASON HAWK EDITOR

AMHERST — An $8 million deficit awaits the Amherst Schools within five years if expenses continue to grow while income shrinks.

The district is already spending more than it earns this year, to the tune of $96,237, according to a financial forecast presented last Monday to the Board of Education.

That's not a huge problem the next couple of years, because the Amherst Schools have saved up $17 million to get through hard times.

Treasurer Amy Gioffredo said that savings won't last forever — she projected the cash balance will dwindle to $2 million by fiscal year 2024 and boom into a large deficit the next.

"I'm not Chicken Little," she said. "I'm not going to say the sky is falling. It's the way forecast mechanics work."

Amherst's worst-case school finance scenario has never come to pass, though it's come close. Voters last rescued the district in November 2012 with the passage of a property tax increase.

Staying afloat will require renewal of two levies, said Gioffredo. The first must be re-upped by the end of 2022, and the second by the end of 2023.

"We once said that we would be good through 2018 before we had to come back for a levy," said school board member Ron Yacobozzi. "And through prudent, watchful eyes on the budget, we're now at 2023. I think that says a lot."

Asking voters to raise taxes was not discussed at the meeting.

Superintendent Steven Sayers said

administrators have worked to keep overhead low.

The single largest expense for any district is personnel, which Ohio schools aim to keep at 80 percent of the budget.

In Amherst, the 2020 figure is at 75 percent, Sayers said.

Uncertainty around the next state biennial budget is also in play. About 40 percent of the Amherst Schools' budget comes from state funding, and Gov. Mike DeWine's administration has yet to release numbers for 2022-2023.

Enrollment also continues to fall, which affects state funding. As of Monday, there were 3,638 students attending the district — many new students signed up over the summer, Sayers said, but the number is still smaller than spring enrollment.

Younger grade levels have been growing smaller each year as the city ages.

Enrollment at Marion L. Steele High School especially is on the decline as classes of 300-plus are replaced in the next few years by classes in the high 200s.

At the same time, the COVID-19 pandemic is putting the squeeze on the district's finances. Sayers said that while the state has cut its funding the past two years, the virus has made running clean schools more expensive.

He believes some degree of "rightsizing" will be necessary.

Gioffredo said the situation has to be handled with minimal effect on the quality of the education the Amherst Schools deliver.

Sayers and company have often boasted that student performance ranks Amherst among the top 20 districts in the state, while per-pupil spending is in the lowest 20 percent in the state.

Students elected SkillsUSA regional officers PITTSFIELD TWP. — Five juniors from the Lorain County JVS were elected North Central regional officers during the SkillsUSA State Leadership Conference held virtually from Columbus.

They are Rachel Aponte, a cosmetology student from North Ridgeville; Travis Hunter, a cosmetology student from Wellington; Matthew Markutsa, an industrial electricity student from Avon Lake; Elizabeth Rickard, an industrial electricity student from North Ridgeville; and Haylee Roach, a collision repair student from Clearview.

Five other students also participated in this twoday conference as voting delegates.

“We are very proud of all of our students who were vying for positions and/or participating as voting delegates,” said Michelle Mc-

Provided photo

Elizabeth Rickard, Haylee Roach, Rachel Aponte and Matthew Markutsa. Not pictured: Travis Hunter.

Clintic, Lorain County JVS supervisor and SkillsUSA student coordinator. “These students made the commitment to participate and did very well!”

The first day of the conference included sessions focusing on leadership skills and industry panel discussions on how important career-technical education is to most industry sectors.

Day two included speeches from all candidates, regional officer elections and more industry panel discussions.

As elected officers, the JVS students will be invited to the Regional Officer Training Institute and will be responsible for helping to plan the Regional SkillsUSA competition to be held in February.

85 SOUTH MAIN STREET OBERLIN OHIO 44074 NOVEMBER 26, 2020 BOARD AND COMMISSION MEETING DATES

ALL MEETINGS WILL BE Live Streamed @ http://oberlinoh.swagit.com/live

NOVEMBER 26, 2020 .......OFFICES CLOSED IN OBSERVANCE OF THANKSGIVING NOVEMBER 27, 2020 .......OFFICES CLOSED DAY AFTER THANKSGIVING NOVEMBER 30, 2020 .......SPECIAL CITY COUNCIUL MEETING – 7:00 P.M. PURPOSE: The consideration of a proposal for the use of general fund moneyto assist local non-profits with expenses for services related to the mitigation of the COVID-19 pandemic and for an adjournment into an executive session to consider the employment and compensation of the City Manager.

DECEMBER 1, 2020 .........HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION – 5:15 P.M. DECEMBER 2, 2020 .........PLANNING COMMISSION – 4:30 P.M. DECEMBER 3, 2020 .........OPEN SPACE COMMISSION – 5:00 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.

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Lorain County Community Guide

Thursday, Nov. 26, 2020

OPINION

Same thing, just different words He preached as Beside a walkway on the Oberlin College campus is a sculpture created by the late Paul Arnold, Emeritus Professor of Studio Art. It portrays a painting made by John Frederick Oberlin, the Alsatian minister for whom the college and city are named, to use in his marriage counseling.

Pastor Oberlin, a talented artist himself, painted an accordion-pleated panel that showed different images when viewed from different angles.

When a quarreling couple came to the parsonage, Oberlin would seat them several feet apart and hang the picture before them.

“Francois, what do you see?”

“A bird.”

“And Suzanne, what do you see?

“I see a flower.”

“But you’re looking at the same painting! Why can’t you agree?”

Oberlin would say to the couple, who might be ready to point at each other and scream, “You’re crazy!”

Then he would have them change places and look at the painting again.

After that, perhaps not much more needed to be done to resolve the conflict.

Both Suzanne and Francois realized the truth: You have to see a situation from the other person’s point of view.

The electorate of our

JOHN ELDER

COMMUNITY PEACE BUILDERS

nation, our state, and our county seem now to be almost evenly divided on what picture they see. But how can the Biden voters and the Trump voters gain any of the other party’s perspective, especially when the images shown by TV and radio broadcasters — and even more, by users of social media — tend to be as different as Pastor Oberlin’s bird and flower?

What one side sees as primarily a peaceful protest to protect life for people hindered from equal economic opportunity in their community the other side sees as mostly a violent riot that threatens life and hurts the economy of the community by destroying businesses. Sometimes we may try to see the situation from the other side’s point of view. But realistically, most of us find it too distress-

ing to subject ourselves to input from sources that purvey a picture the opposite of what conforms to our world view. Seeing the issues from both sides in today’s political situation is a far greater challenge than getting Pierre and Suzanne to see their issue from each other’s perspectives in Pastor Oberlin’s parsonage.

How can we begin the process of finding common ground? Again, John Frederick Oberlin provides a model. In April 1794 the Reign of Terror unleashed

by Robespierre resulted in the closing and even destruction of churches throughout France. But Pastor Oberlin navigated the situation by converting his church to a “club house” and infusing the slogans of the French Revolution with the Christian convictions that had always characterized his ministry.

He recognized that there were significant basic values, under different names, shared by both sides. His genius was in showing where there was common ground between what seemed to be fiercely opposing factions. “Egalite” and “fraternite” were other words for “Christian love.”

Of course there were elements of Robespierre’s bloody Reign of Terror in France that Oberlin abhorred, just as there are forces destructive of our

democracy that must be forthrightly challenged in the United States today.

Nevertheless, in the town named for Pastor Oberlin, we might follow his lead by talking less about “alternate realities” and seeking instead to understand the real concerns that are shared, although labeled differently, by the Francoises and the Suzannes of our society.

This is a task that one local organization in particular, Community Peace Builders, is undertaking.

Our goal is to foster mutual understanding in what it is easy to call a “polarized nation,” but which we believe is a diverse country we are all united in cherishing. Our security, both personal and national, depends on our being able to see that, despite the different vocabularies that characterize our political parties, most of us mean — and want — the same thing: transparency by, respect for and trust in a “government of the people, by the people, and for the people.”

John Elder is the former pastor of The First Church in Oberlin United Church of Christ and a member of Community Peace Builders, based in Oberlin.

Continue the conversation by emailing community peacebuilders@aol.com.

Holidays will be different this year I'm moving, and the process of selling and buying a house nowadays is so different than when I bought mine back in 1973.

I can't wait until this is over with and I can be in my new place. I have so much to do when I move in, but it'll be nice when I'm finally settled.

Honestly, I'll be very sad to leave here after 43 years.

I know I'll cry, but it will be better for me to live in a one-level home.

I can't wait to decorate my trailer. My decorations were all accidentally thrown away, but my daughter has lots of tree decorations she said I can use, as she changes her tree theme every two years!

I've been going through my cookbooks looking for holiday recipes. There's lots to choose from! I found the recipe for nobake double pumpkin pie — my son Philip will sure love that! I still want to fix a prime rib for Christmas, too.

I pray for this virus to be over instead of getting worse. As Gov. Mike DeWine says, we need to wear masks and not be around lots of people. I hate wear-

ing this mask, but I do it because we all need to stay safe.

I hope all my readers have had a happy Thanksgiving. Stay safe!

Until next time, enjoy these recipes.

Prime Rib Start with a 10 to 12 lb. prime rib roast. Brush with beer and olive oil on both sides, then season with pepper, onion and garlic salt. Place roast fat-side up on a rack in a pan that has sides. Do not cover! Bake at 300 degrees for two and a half hours for rare in the middle. Keep au jus hot and dip slices in for more done.

Simple Pork Chop Casserole • 2 cups cooked rice • 1 can cream of mushroom soup • 3 pork chops, cooked and cut up Put all in a casserole dish and bake on 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.

Egg Omelet Dish • 6 beaten eggs • 2 cups milk • 2 cups bread crumbs • 1 cup Velveeta cheese,

sheet. Chill. Cut into squares, roll in flour and fry on both sides in a small amount of grease to golden brown (but not too much!). Place in baking dish. Don't dilute the soup. Spread the soup over the meat, put in over and bake at 350 degrees for one hour. This is good with mashed potatoes or rice.

PENNY’S PANTRY PENNY CASE

shredded • 1 lb. sausage, browned and chilled Mix all ingredients and allow to sit overnight. After removing from the refrigerator, allow to sit at least 30 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees until set and light brown.

Poor Man's Steak • 3 lbs. hamburger • 1 cup cracker crumbs • 1 small onion, chopped • 1 green pepper, chopped • 1 cup cold water • Salt and pepper to taste • 2 cans cream of mushroom soup Mix all but the soup.

Press on top of a cookie

Venison Summer Sausage • 3 lbs. ground venison • 1 tsp. liquid smoke • 2 tsps. mustard seed • 1/8 tsp. coarse ground pepper • 1/4 tsp. garlic powder • 1/2 tsp. onion powder • 1 cup water • 3 tbsp. curing salt Combine all ingredients well. Form into 3 rolls (logs). Wrap each in foil, shiny side inside. Refrigerate for 24 hours. Poke holes into the bottom of the foil. Place in a broiler pan and bake at 325 degrees for 90 minutes. Will be reddish when done.

Penny Case is a lifelong resident of Wellington who loves to cook and share recipes.

Wellington school donations The following donations have been received by the Wellington Board of Education: • A flat-screen TV valued at $180 from Bert and George Lasko for the special education department.

• $3850 from the Spirit Boosters for new cheerleading uniforms.

• A portable radio and belt clip valued at $279 from Audiax Communications owner Rick Powell for school buses.

• $50 from American Legion Post 8 for the Westwood K-Kids Club.

• $100 from Sandra Jordan for the Westwood K-Kids Club.

• $150 from attorney Alecia Vidika for the Westwood K-Kids Club.

• $100 from Wellington Indoor Comfort for the Westwood K-Kids Club.

• $100 from Farmer Savings Bank for the Westwood K-Kids Club.

• $250 from Wellington VFW Post 6941 for the Westwood K-Kids Club.

• $100 from dentist Kenyon Glor for the Westwood K-Kids Club.

• $100 from Sheriff Phil Stammitti for the Westwood K-Kids Club.

• $100 from Lorain County Commissioner Sharon Sweda for the Westwood K-Kids Club.

• $150 from Steve and Marcee Maurer for the Westwood K-Kids Club.

• $50 from Beriswill Insurance Agency for the Westwood K-Kids Club.

• $500 from Forest City Technologies for the Westwood K-Kids Club.

• $50 from Norton Eastman Funeral Home for the Westwood K-

Kids Club.

• $100 from Querin Inc. for the Westwood K-Kids Club.

• $50 from chiropractor Jack Coates Jr. for the Westwood K-Kids Club.

• $100 from Gary Jordan for the Westwood K-Kids Club.

• $100 from Superintendent Ed Weber for the Westwood K-Kids Club.

• Plaques valued at $103 from school board member Ayers Ratliff for top sellers in the Peterson Nut Sale to benefit Wellington senior scholarships.

• $100 from J.C. Ratliff for the Westwood K-Kids Club.

• $50 from school board President Brett Murner for the Westwood KKids Club.

a dying man to dying men

The Rev. John Burns’ congregation in Lawrence, Massachusetts, knew he was suffering from a fatal kidney disease and was in his last days on earth.

“As the taper of life grew shorter, he preached the gospel with all the grace of novelty.”

Captain Burns had survived Gettysburg and 27 other blood-soaked battles in the Civil War. Sickened by the sights of war, he became a minister “to PAST IS PRESENT make the world a better JAMES BURNS place.” But due to the kidney disease, he had just six years in the pulpit before feeling the sting of death.

We celebrate Thanksgiving in all the diverse stings of life as well as death, and even in the grip of a viral plague. Whatever your situation may be this year, the Bible instructs us to “give thanks in all circumstances.”

If mankind disappoints us, take heart in “the beauty of the earth and the glory of the skies... Lord of all, to thee we raise a hymn of grateful praise.” But the purest form of gratitude is forged in the crucible of adversity.

James and Elizabeth Burns lost their two children to a frontier fever in the fall of 1805. Jane, age 3, died on Sept. 25 and her brother Alexander, 1, 10 days later.

An uncle in the north of Ireland wrote a stoic letter of condolences to the young couple.

“I am sorry to hear of the deaths of your children, but still I hope that you will submit to the Lord’s will and be thankful for every dispensation of his providence that He is pleased to send your way, that is to say the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away, blessed be the name of the Lord.”

An ancestral cousin suffered similar grief, illness taking his daughter and granddaughter, both named Nancy.

Yet his gratitude to God was strong enough to break through this bleak blanket of sorrow.

He wrote: “The all-wise giver of every good bestows on his unworthy subjects the necessities and comforts of life, both spiritual and temporal. I feel at times that I should blush at my ingratitude.”

Another couple with six children living in humble circumstances focused on the basics. “We thank God that we always have plenty to eat and clothes to wear. We are as happy and content as can be expected.”

David Acheson, a neighbor in both Ireland and America, expressed gratitude to his parents for his upbringing.

“When I reflect on the care you bestowed upon me, the pains you took to instruct my youth in virtuous things, I wonder how it is possible for children to ever be ungrateful to their parents.”

Just a step beyond gratitude lies the need and opportunity for sharing. This need was clearly seen by a missionary cousin serving in India.

“Righteousness has exalted our nation. God’s commands for us to better the world’s conditions are unmistakable. No man can live merely for himself nor can a nation.”

Through any haze of hardship burns a ray of sunshine.

But its promise will only be captured if we reflect on our bonds of kinship and friendship and both where we are and what we have.

As a God-fearing nation, we rest on a bedrock of belief as well as a bountiful harvest. May we bow our heads and give thanks to our creator and provider. May we never need to blush at our ingratitude. And may we instruct our youth in virtuous things.

James Burns is an Ohio native, a retired professor at the University of Florida, and a frequent contributor.

Email him at burns@ise.ufl.edu.

LETTER Jaworski was a unifier To the editor: I am writing this letter in reaction to your fine article regarding the late and former mayor of Amherst, John Jaworski.

It brought back many memories both good and bad. I was a student in graduate school. For us who remember, those were incredibility turbulent times in Amherst politics, not unlike what is happening today on a national level. Although my family was not a supporter of Mr. Jaworski, I realize now what a unifying force he was to become for the city after many years of political strife.

I am looking forward to visiting the soccer fields devoted to his memory and ability to reach across the aisle.

John Zbornik

Teacher recognition

Michael Braddock, a math teacher at McCormick Middle School, was lauded Nov. 17 by the Wellington Board of Education.

Braddock was appointed to the Ohio Department of Education's Performance Standards Committee to help guide decisions about state math curriculum and testing.

Part of the McCormick staff for 11 years, he teaches algebra and honors math, and was presented with a resolution honoring his contributions.

Thursday, Nov. 26, 2020

Lorain County Community Guide

Page B5

Oberlin Council urges state to extend virtual meeting exception

OBERLIN COLLEGE

JASON HAWK EDITOR

OBERLIN — With no end of the pandemic in store for 2020, Oberlin City Council is urging state officials to allow virtual public meetings to continue.

As alarm grew in the spring, the Ohio Legislature suspended a part of the Open Meetings Act that requires public business to be conducted in person.

Most — but not all — councils, school boards, and commissions are live-streaming meetings online to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The state's exception, however, is set to expire Dec. 1.

"I can't see us going back into Council chambers," Oberlin Councilman Kelley Singleton said last week.

His peers agreed, throwing support behind Ohio Senate Bill 365, which would

extend the provision for remote meetings.

Law Director Jon Clark said he'd be "very, very surprised" if the General Assembly doesn't follow through, but there's no guarantee.

If legislators don't act, then state law is clear — in-person meetings will resume.

"If we're required to hold public meetings publicly, then that's what we'll have to do. We'll have to find a way to do it as safely as possible," Clark said.

Using the Oberlin fire station conference room may be an option, he said, though there are questions about ventilation and occupancy limits.

"I was thinking that it might be a little on the chilly side, but we could have (meetings) in one of the firehouse bays," Singleton said.

City Council put an emergency rush on a resolution that will be sent to Gov. Mike DeWine and state lawmakers.

Thousands of hospitals: U.S. should #MaskUp

Zoom meeting

Olympic gold medalist Tommie Smith, top, speaks with Oberlin alumnus George Smith about the stance against racism he took at the 1968 Summer Olympics, his journey promoting social change and advice to current Oberlin students.

Olympic medalist Tommie Smith talks about racism BROOKIE MADISON THE CHRONICLE-TELEGRAM

The year was 1968 and Tommie Smith and teammate John Carlos had just come in first and third place for the 200-meter dash at the Summer Olympics in Mexico City. As they stood on the podium, they did something that still has an impact to this day.

Smith and Carlos raised their blackglove-covered fists to protest racism and injustice against African Americans in the United States.

In a Nov. 17 webinar titled “The Fist is Still Raised: A Conversation with Dr. Tommie Smith,’’ Oberlin College’s Heisman Club and the Presidential Initiative on Racial Equity and Diversity spoke with Smith about his time at Oberlin College as its assistant athletic director and coach, as well as about racism and comparing the push for social change then and now.

It was moderated by Oberlin alumnus, Heisman Club board member and Hall of Fame inductee George Smith.

Tommie Smith shared what happened before and after the moment on the Olympic podium.

He described himself in that moment as a 24-year-old athlete who had not yet graduated, double majoring, married with a six-month-old son, jobless and injured.

He felt he had to do it.

“The national anthem was a minute and a half long, at least that day it was,” Tommie Smith said. “I had to put a visual picture so people could see my thoughts.”

He said it was planned just beforehand.

“John and I talked in the dungeon right before we came out to accept our medals,” Tommie Smith said. “I told John about the gloves I had and I told him about the things that we needed. We decided this is what was necessary. I calmly handed John the glove and said, 'This is yours if you want it.'"

He said he wanted to display power, suffering and prayer.

“The gloves — power, bowed head — prayer, the raised pant leg to show the sock — poverty and of course my military stance because I was in ROTC,” he said.

“I wanted people to know I am not against this flag. This flag is my flag just like it is yours and my people died to build this country just like most of your parents did.”

Their goal was simply to use their athletic platform to promote social change for African Americans and athletes.

“We were there for a human-rights issue here in America,” he said. “More involvement by the athlete and more open involvement by those who thought athletes had no more to do than run and shut up and be good little boys. You ran a world record today, let’s see what you’re going to do next week. That's what was thought of us.”

He said that the '60s were a time for change.

“We thought it was very necessary to stand up for the first time in the history of track and field to stand up for a speaking right, not just a running right,” he said.

George Smith asked Tommie Smith how

athletics prepared him to have courage to pursue social action.

“Everyone loves a winner,” he said.

“Athletics would give you that feeling of being a winner, even though you’re not always a winner in a race. You’re not a LeBron James in basketball or a Herschel Walker in football. You are a human being nonetheless. People love winners, they love people who love people. They talk to you. You don’t have to like a person to talk to them.”

Tommie Smith said that even before the Olympic Games he was taunted and there were threats against him and his family.

“When I was gone, my wife had to go to the police station and ask for security and was laughed out of the police station,” he said. “All these embarrassments, getting called different names on the street holding my son. Those were the times of negligent love. We were hated before we went to Mexico City, so Mexico City kind of capped off the reason that we sacrificed like we did.”

He said he came to Oberlin for a job opportunity. He served as head coach for track and field, men’s basketball and football. He also worked on a women’s program while at the college.

“I wish I could have stayed in Oberlin longer,” he said. "I wanted to get in the community. I got a haircut across the tracks, but I wanted to understand why across the tracks. Why don’t you come on this side of the tracks? But I didn’t get the chance because I left after six years.”

George Smith asked him what he was most proud of while at Oberlin College.

“I suppose having an office,” he said. “I had a crowded childhood. I had 11 brothers and sisters, five boys and seven sisters.

I was always in a crowded circumstance.

In Oberlin, I had a chance to move some place, into an office, where I could work and think and where I could be viable in a system that needed work and people depended on what I did. I was fired, I didn’t leave. I was fired because they said my teaching and my coaching was below departmental standard and I wasn’t able to do what I taught. Then they laughed, walked out the office and I was fired the next year. Everything I worked on exploded.”

He said he continued to do the things he wanted to do at Oberlin at other places.

George Smith asked Tommie Smith his thoughts on demonstrations by former NFL player Colin Kaepernick.

“Fifty-two years later,” he said. “That’s basically it. He was on his knees, I was on the platform. His was police brutality, mine was racism. Simple racism, social racism and systemic racism.”

He said Kaepernick’s move was getting athletes charged and involved in what he was doing.

“The need was there, but the platform wasn’t,” he said. “Now, the platform is there and the need is obvious. The athletes, of all colors, are beginning to have notoriety in their positions forward.”

He said the athletes are using their brains and not just their brawn to challenge the system by waking those who are still sleeping.

One hundred health care systems, representing thousands of hospitals in communities across the U.S., are asking Americans to mask up.

Mercy Health here in Lorain County is among the companies banding together to call on residents to wear masks "because wearing a face mask is our best chance at slowing the surging COVID-19 pandemic now."

More than 11.5 million Americans have tested positive for the virus, leading to nearly 250,000 deaths.

Mercy and others warn that if the nation stays on its current course, hospital leaders are increasingly concerned that more health care facilities will be overwhelmed.

Shortages of healthy caregivers make it difficult to handle a rapidly increasing number of patients, they say, pointing to areas of the country where it's already happening.

A plea last week from Mercy Health said the next several months will be critical. Though there has been positive news about vaccine development, no one knows when those vaccines will be ready for widespread use — and in the meantime, everyone must remain vigilant,

take precautions and follow public health orders.

“As the top nationally ranked hospitals, we know it’s tough that we all need to do our part and keep wearing masks," the coalition of 100 health care systems said. "But here’s what we also know: The science has not changed. Masks slow the spread of COVID-19. So please join us as we all embrace this simple ask: Wear.

Care. Share with #MaskUp. Together, wearing is caring. And together, we are saving lives.”

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cites recent studies that have shown face masks successfully limit spread of the COVID-19 virus.

Wearing face masks protects in key ways: by protecting the wearer against inhalation of harmful pathogens and particulates and by preventing exposure of those around the wearer.

In addition to masking, the CDC suggests that everyone minimize their number of non-household contacts, maintain a physical distance of at least six feet and limit the amount of time around others, especially while indoors and in poorly ventilated areas.

WELLINGTON RECYCLES!

Did you know, everything you recycle in your green recycling tote is weighed and recorded? The village of Wellington receives grant dollars from the Lorain County Commissioners, and Lorain County Solid Waste Management District, because you recycle. The more you recycle, the more grant money the village is eligible for! Grant dollars have been used to purchase recycled content park benches, trash/recycling receptacles, crushed red brick for the ball fields at the Rec. Park, the sun shade at the splash pad, and playground equipment.

What to Recycle in your Green Curbside Tote • Glass Bottles & Jars (all colors) • Metal Cans: Aluminum, and steel cans and lids • Paper: Newspaper, magazines, cardboard, mixed office paper and envelopes, paperboard (cereal boxes), telephone books, and catalogs • Plastics #1 - #7 (reattach lid): Bottles and jugs that have a small mouth and wider base, such as milk jugs, soda bottles, laundry detergent bottles, water bottles, and shampoo bottles • Cartons (paper fiber): Juice, Milk, Soy Milk, Soup and Broth, Cream, and Wine

Recycling Tips – • Mix all items together – no separation required • Empty and rinse all bottles, jugs, cartons, and cans • No Need to remove labels • For plastic bottles, empty, crush and reattach lids • For cartons, remove plastic caps and straws • Never place medical sharps or needles in the recycling • Do Not use plastic bags

Not for Recycling –

No plastic bags, cassette tapes, bed sheets, hangers, metal chains, garden hoses, batteries, needles, syringes, electronics, polystyrene foam, buckets, car parts, food, yard waste, light bulbs, drinking glasses, ceramics, pots, pans, and scrap metal.

Hard to Recycle Items Lorain County Solid Waste Management District Collection Center 540 South Abbe Rd., Elyria, Ohio 44035, 440-329-5440 Hours of Operation:

Wednesday 12 PM – 6 PM, Saturday 9 AM – 3 PM (Lorain County Residents Only) • Household Hazardous Waste (see website for accepted materials) www.loraincounty.us/commissioners-department/solid-waste-management/collection-center • Cooking Oils • Electronic Waste • Fluorescent Lamps & Ballasts • Scrap Tires • Papers to Be Shredded

Lorain County Habitat for Humanity –

If you have items such as new paint, used paint that is half full, construction or building items – you can donate them to the Lorain County Habitat for Humanity, www.loraincountyhabitat.org, 440-322-2355.

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Thursday, Nov. 26, 2020

Lorain County Community Guide

Amazing season run

Spencer Gottschling

Kylee Gill

Collin Gill

Victoria Sprague

Savanna Tletski

JVS students place in virtual FFA competition PITTSFIELD TWP. — Five Lorain County JVS students and members of the JVS FFA chapter participated and placed in the Ohio Job Interview Career Development Event, held virtually this year.

This event is designed for FFA members to practice and demonstrate the skills needed in seeking agricultural employment. Each part of the event simulates real world experiences that students will have when seeking employment.

Students had to write a cover letter, resume

and reference sheet, fill out a job application and participate in a virtual job interview.

“I think this contest is great for our students to participate in, since it is almost exactly how job interviews are in the real world,” said adviser Beth Berthold. “The skills used in this contest are helpful to them when they are 15 or 55.”

In the first-year junior or senior division, Collin Gill, an industrial equipment mechanics junior from North Ridgeville, placed

second.

In the junior division, Kylee Gill, a landscape and greenhouse management junior from Keystone, placed 10th. Savanna Tletski, an industrial equipment mechanics junior from Wellington, placed 12th.

In the senior division, Spencer Gottschling, an industrial equipment mechanics senior from Elyria, placed seventh. Victoria Sprague, a landscape and greenhouse management senior from Keystone, placed ninth.

The Dukes girls varsity soccer team found praise from some of its biggest fans on Nov. 17, honored

by Wellington Board of Education members.

The team finished the season with a 16-2 record and won the Lorain County League title for the second year in a row.

Jason Gundert was named the conference Coach of the Year, Lauren Alley was named Lorain County Player of the Year for Division III and there were many other awards for her teammates.

School board President Brett Murner said he is impressed that the team has remained highly competition year after year. The Dukes girls have won the conference title three of the last four years, and were the 2020 district runners-up.

FAIR OFFICERS ELECTED AT ANNUAL MEETING Fair Board officers for 2021 were elected Tuesday, Nov. 10 at the annual meeting of the Lorain County Agricultural Society.

Marie Waite was named president of the executive committee, and Rick Ternes will serve as vice president.

Kim Meyers is immediate past president. Also serving on the Executive Committee are Scott Smith (term expires 2021), Kelly Squire (term expires 2022) and Dan Linden (term expires 2023).

Directors who were voted onto the Fair Board on Aug. 24 were sworn in for three-year terms ending in 2023. They are Tom Adams, Craig Norton, Heath Baus, Scott Smith, Joe Buchs, Matt Hignett and Jed Lamb.

The 2021 fair is scheduled for Aug. 22-29.

Admission prices will be $6 at the gate or $30 for membership or season passes, which provide seven admissions to the fair.

Membership and season passes will go on sale starting Dec. 1 at the secretary’s office on the fairgrounds.

Children ages eight and under will be free at the gate; senior citizens 65 and older and veterans and military personnel with ID are free on Thursday, Aug. 26.

The secretary’s office is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Provided photo Monday through Friday.

Fair board directors Joe Buchs, Matt Hignett, Jed Lamb, Tom Adams, Heath Baus and Scott Smith.

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To schedule online, visit

UHhospitals.org/WomensHealth.

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