Lorain County Community Guide 3-14-24

“Overall, our time on stage was great. Everyone was locked in,” says Inertia

Lorain County band wins Tri-C Rock Off

The

30 bands from around the area in this year’s annual Tri-C High School Rock Off.

The bands competed over three weekends in February at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to get to a field of 12 and compete in the “Final Exam.”

All bands play 15-minute sets in the semifinal rounds. During each of the Rock Off rounds, three bands are selected by a panel of judges to move on to “The Final Exam.”

Inertia, with members from Amherst, Avon, Avon Lake, Bay and Olmsted Falls high schools, was one of the semi-final winners that got to the “Final Exam” to win it all.

Members are Jake Bitzan

The Community Guide

All three of the candidates in the Republican primary race to challenge Sherrod Brown, D-Cleveland, for his U.S. Senate seat addressed many of the same issues when they spoke to party leaders last week.

Secretary of State Frank LaRose, former car dealership owner Bernie Moreno and state senator from Chagrin Falls Matt Dolan all spoke on the key issues of the U.S.-Mexico border, education, energy and their passion for President Donald Trump.

All three candidates devoted time to education, each laying out their focus on parents’ rights and

(bassist), Johnny Graver (electric guitar and backup vocals), Nicholas Szekely (lead vocals), Andrew Krecic (keyboard) and Christian Gendics (drums). The band wowed audiences with its cover of Toto’s “Rosanna.”

Another Lorain County band, Clarence and the Beekeepers came in third.

Inertia won $3,000, as well as $250 for its high school music program. The prize package also includes the opportunity to perform at a format-appropriate Live Nation or House of Blues Cleveland concert as an opening act, or on a secondary performance stage Bitzan said without a doubt Inertia would love to open for Machine Gun Kelly, who two summers ago rocked Cleveland Browns Stadium.

“After winning the Rock

Off, I’d say anything is possible,” he said. All 12 finalists will record one original song at Tri-C’s Gill and Tommy LiPuma Center for Creative Arts, which will be

choices over the opinions of the “bureaucrats.” Moreno said he would help Trump dissolve the national Department of Education. “We’re gonna get rid of it next year. It’s gone. Gone.

And parents are in charge of their kids’ education.”

Another key issue for all candidates was the southern U.S. border with Mexico.

LaRose used his personal experience working at the border while a member of the U.S. Army, a position that he volunteered for.

Every candidate promised to strengthen the border, but Dolan claimed to have the boldest plan of all.

“We’ll have a border that’s

secure and sealed and (I am) the only one in this race talking about temporarily closing the border,” he said.

All three boasted their support for fossil fuels.

But more than any other topic, the candidates competed over how consistently and loudly they had supported Trump.

Moreno, the only one of the three candidates endorsed by Trump, did an impression of him, saying his opponents had been “not so nice to me.”

The primary election in Ohio will take place on March 19, and the ultimate challenger to Brown’s long tenure in the U.S. Senate will be determined.

produced by Jim Stewart Recording and students from Tri-C’s Recording Arts program. These songs will be available as free downloads on www.rockhall.com/rockoff.

Wellington man is guilty in $3M fraud

The Community Guide

A Wellington man, a former Georgia attorney, was sentenced to more than two years in prison for defrauding his former clients out of more than $3 million while representing them in real estate transactions.

Matthew Dickason, 48, and formerly of Atlanta, was sentenced to 27 months behind bars by U.S. District Judge Leigh Martin May on Tuesday, followed by three years supervised release, and ordered to pay more than $3,005,159 restitution to his victims. Dickason pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud charges in October. In a news release, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia said he embezzled the money from his clients, used it to pay for personal purchases and created phony accounting records to cover up the crimes.

The former owner of the Atlanta law firm Matthew

A. Dickason P.C., Dickason specialized in real estate law and was responsible for overseeing real estate sales transactions worth tens of millions of dollars. Clients and victims included banks and mortgage companies, according to federal court records.

Dickason also used clients’ money to pay the expenses of other clients to cover up his crimes, going undetected for years, federal prosecutors said. He put false information into his law firm’s accounting system to make it look like clients’ mortgages had been paid when the money had been used for other purposes, then used new client funds to complete the unfinished prior transactions, prosecutors said.

Dickason was disbarred from practicing law in Georgia. The case was investigated by the FBI, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

Crime lab gets state funding

The Community Guide

The Lorain County Crime/Drug Lab has received $425,000 in state funding to reduce backlogs in testing, improve efficiency and reduce evidence processing time.

It is one of 11 certified crime labs in the Ohio that

will split $3.4 million.

The lab is in the basement of the County Administration Building on Middle Avenue in Elyria and tests suspected drugs for county law enforcement agencies and does drug screenings and fingerprinting services for county courts and police.

Republican primary candidates for U.S. Senate, from left, Matt Dolan, Frank LaRose and Bernie Moreno, speak to county party leaders at German’s Villa in Vermilion last Thursday. The winner will face incumbent Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, in November.

STEVE MANHEIM / CHRONICLE PHOTOS

Community Guide Inertia, a (mostly) Lorain County band beat out

PHOTOS COURTESY AMBER PATRICK

bassist Jake Bitzan.

The Best (Teen) Band in The Land, Inertia, holds its winnings.

Panel reviews four fatal crashes

The Community Guide

The Lorain County Traffic Fatality Review Committee met recently to review details and causes of four traffic crashes that killed four people in Lorain County between Dec. 1 and Feb. 9.

The committee, which is conducted through Lorain County Public Health, meets every quarter to review fatal traffic crashes,

identify trends and develop countermeasures and interventions to prevent similar crashes.

The following factors contributed to the four fatal crashes. Some included multiple factors:

n One crash involved a pedestrian.

n Two crashes involved alcohol.

n Two crashes involved high speed.

Scammer told man put $26,000 in box, mail it; plot foiled

Chinese ‘student’ arrested, pleads

Dave O’Brien

The Community Guide

A Chinese national has pleaded guilty in federal court to taking part in a scam to steal $26,000 from a Huntington Township man in August 2023.

Lorain County sheriff’s deputies and FBI agents investigated after a 69-yearold man’s daughter-in-law questioned why he was packing $26,000 in a cardboard box.

He told her he had spoke to “an IRS agent” who told him to put the cash in a box and wrap it in Christmas paper so it could be picked up by a deputy U.S. Marshal.

This scam is increasingly common, particularly targeting elderly Americans, according to the FBI and federal prosecutors.

Tsz Chun Xie pleaded guilty to a bill of information — a charging document similar to an indictment — charging him with money laundering conspiracy in federal court on Feb. 29.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Jennifer Dowdell Armstrong accepted the guilty plea.

Boyko is scheduled to sentence Xie on April 30, according to court records. Federal court documents said Xie remains in federal custody until then.

Xie, 21, lived in Ontario, California, at the time of his arrest. He is a native of Hong Kong and had been living in the U.S. on a student visa for the better part of a decade prior to his arrest.

In court documents related to the case, federal prosecutors called it a “phantom hacker scam,” where scammers pose as a customer service employee or bank.

That scammer refers the victim to someone impersonating law enforcement agent who says they are going to “protect” the victim’s money from hackers, according to court records.

The intended victim was told this would protect his money from fraud, when he was actually the target of the scam, according to the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office and federal authorities.

In an affidavit filed in federal court, an FBI agent wrote that the victim first was contacted through a message on his computer

impersonating Microsoft and was told to call a telephone number.

A man with a foreign accent answered and told the victim what to do and also not to tell anyone why he was withdrawing money.

The victim and his family contacted authorities, and sheriff’s deputies set up a sting operation. They replaced the victim’s cash with scrap paper, set up surveillance and stationed a sheriff’s detective inside the victim’s house, according to court documents.

When a private ride share pulled up to the victim’s house on Aug. 23, he gave Xie the package. When the car pulled out of the driveway, deputies stopped it and arrested Xie in the backseat and arrested.

During interrogation, Xie told investigators he had pulled off the scam six or seven times before in different states after getting orders to do so from other members of the conspiracy.

He had arrived in Cleveland from California the morning of Aug. 23 after a stopover in Charlotte, North Carolina, the day before, according to court records. Xie was scheduled to fly back to California that afternoon and deliver the package to someone else in on the conspiracy.

Xie told investigators he was given his instructions through messages on the Telegram app and took part in the scam because he needed money.

Agents in four other FBI field offices were trying to track down unidentified fraud victims using digital evidence extracted from Xie’s ride-share app history.

Following his initial arrest, Xie was charged in Lorain County Common Pleas Court, where he pleaded not guilty to attempted telecommunications fraud, attempted theft and impersonation of a peace officer.

Those charges were dismissed by Judge Chris Cook at the request of the Lorain County Prosecutor’s Office in November, and refiled in U.S. District Court by federal prosecutors.

Contact Dave O’Brien at (440) 329-7129.

n One crash involved a motocross bike. No helmet was used.

n Three drivers were younger than 40.

n One crash involved no seat belt use at the time of the crash.

“We all play a role in keeping everyone safe on the road. From driving the speed limit and driving sober to sharing the road with bicyclists and pedestrians,”

county Health Commissioner Mark Adams said.

The committee and the Lorain County Safe Communities Coalition urges Lorain County residents to take the following steps to prevent death and injury on the roads:

n Drive sober, or make a plan to safely travel, especially with the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day holiday. Designate a sober driver, or

order an Uber or Lyft ride share.

Safe Communities also is placing reminders on alcohol bottles at Lorain County Discount Drug Mart locations to encourage sober driving. n Offer a zero-proof drink option at St. Patrick’s Day gatherings. A list of party drinks for designated drivers from past Lorain County Zero-Proof Mix-Off

events can be found online at Lorain CountyHealth.com/trafficsafety.

n Always buckle up. The chance of dying in a traffic crash doubles and the chance of injury increases significantly when no seat belts are used, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Oberlin Ginko Gallery to close

Lauren Hoffman The Community Guide

OBERLIN — Ginko Gallery, a staple of downtown Oberlin for the past 27 years, announced it would close its doors this April as owner Liz Burgess eyes retirement.

“My wonderful landlord Pat Stetson died last year at the age of 94, and I had been thinking about retiring for some time now, so that was kind of the final push,” Burgess said. “I mean I’m getting older, and it’s been getting harder for me to manage all the parts of Ginko Gallery.”

Opened in 1997 by Burgess and co-owners Sharon Denslow and Kathleen Van Meter, Ginko Gallery has supplied Oberlin for many years with an eclectic mix of art supplies and artwork done by local artisans.

“When I started, there were three of us, and it was really a mission to showcase some of the wonderful artists in Oberlin,” Burgess said. “But a couple of years after we started, unfortunately, Sharon passed away and then a few years after that, Kathleen decided she wanted to be a full-time artist, so I’ve been by myself for the past 20 years.” She has been running the gallery by herself, but she hasn’t been completely alone.

“In my free time at home when the shop first started, I was doing fostering for Community Action to Save Strays, or CATSS, a local rescue,” she said. “Well, as I became more focused on the shop, I started to bring my neonatal or bottle baby kittens with me and keep them in the back storeroom so I could keep up with

their hourly feeding and whatnot.”

Afraid the cats might be a distraction or looked at funny in an art shop, Burgess said she would hide them in her storeroom away from customers.

But then the noises started.

“They were so loud,” she said, laughing. “I would have customers come in and ask about the meowing, and so I would tell them, ‘oh, I have foster kittens in the back,’ and they would want to see them. Before I knew it, I had lines of people out the shop door asking to see the kittens.”

Known affectionately as “Ginko kittens,” the little creatures in the storeroom started to take on a stardom of their own among college students and the community alike, Burgess said. Each

year, between 85 and 100 kittens have passed through the storeroom’s doors.

“I have had wonderful volunteers from both the community and especially college students, and it’s been a great experience, especially for people who are pre-vet because they can learn to give shots and things like that,” she said.

“Plus the kittens get socialized at a young age, and we are cutting down on the feral cat population in the process.”

Burgess said she has also loved watching the Ginko kittens grow with many families adopting into the second generation.

“I have had college alumni who adopted a kitten when they were here now have their kids adopting them,” she said.

“It feels wonderful to see these kittens grow.”

Ginko Gallery owner Liz Burgess, left, wraps a customer’s purchase.

Standoff ends when man arrested on Milan Avenue

Lauren Hoffman The Community Guide

AMHERST — A man is in custody following an Amherst standoff that led to a lockdown at nearby schools last Wednesday.

Dan Austin Bullock III, 47, of Amherst, later was placed on a psychiatric hold at University Hospitals Western Reserve Campus east of Cleveland, Amherst Police Chief Mark Cawthon said.

Police and LifeCare were staging at Lake Street and Milan Avenue shortly before 1 p.m. Wednesday for reports of a suicidal man who was making threats against himself and others.

“When officers arrived at the scene of 555 Milan Ave., we were alerted to Mr. Bullock, who was holding a gun to his head and threatening to shoot,” Cawthon said. “Through talking to the caller, we were able to convince Bullock to calm down and come outside where he was apprehended.”

Cawthon said nearby schools, Amherst Junior High and Powers Elementary, were put under a soft lockdown, meaning activities inside the schools continued. Students and staff remained in classrooms and nobody was allowed to enter or exit the

building.

An hour after the incident occurred, Amherst Schools commented on its Facebook page and thanked staff for keeping the schools in normal operation while the situation was handled.

“Thank you to our administrators, teachers and staff who continued teaching and serving students during the police situation, which was off campus,” the statement said. “They followed emergency protocols correctly, minimized the distraction and reassured the students.”

Parents received an email about 2 p.m. alerting them to the situation. In the email, parents were told that the school was advised to enter into a level one lockdown but did not elaborate on how long it lasted.

No further comment was made by the school district.

“Safety is paramount for us, especially in situations like this,” Cawthon said. “While there was no threat to the schools, had the situation gone differently there could have been one, so we took an abundance of caution.”

The road was reopened about 1:45 p.m. and there was no delay to school dismissal. Contact Lauren Hoffman at (440) 328-6902 or lhoffman@ chroniclet.com.

Sewer rates going up

were needed at the wastewater plant causing the city to need to borrow money again.

The mayor said to prevent losing $200,000 per year, the city would need to vote to increase the sewage rates by 10 percent.

“This means that if your sewage bill is $25 a month it will now increase by an additional $2.50,” he said. Despite the rise, the mayor said that comparison data shows that the city still has one of the lowest in the area for sewage rates.

lons of sewage collection will also be raised by 10 percent. After one year the rate will decrease to a 5 percent increase over the next three years until the city reaches a balance in funds.

The mayor also said some of the funds could go toward a future proposed infrastructure bill on the wastewater treatment plant if needed.

and could go to this.”

When Council approved an EPA study on wastewater collections earlier this year, the study showed that significant improvements

“I hate to increase them but there hasn’t been an increase in 20 years and we are losing money,” Costilow said. “Under these new rates, we should hopefully stop losing money within four years.”

Additionally the $5 charge for after 5,000 gal-

“Even when people are using a significant amount of water, we are still within the most reasonable rates,” Costilow said. “There is not another fix.”

The rate hike will take effect in 30 days. Residents will see an increase in their bills April 11.

Contact Lauren Hoffman at (440) 3286902 or lhoffman@chroniclet.com.

Annual Maude Neiding egg hunt is March 30

The Easter Bunny returns to Maude Neiding Park at the end of this month to kick-off the annual Amherst Community Easter Egg Hunt.

The Amherst Lions and Amherst Steele Leo Clubs, co-sponsors of the hunt since 1996, are busily preparing for the March 30 event.

“The Easter Bunny arrives at the park at 10:30 a.m., courtesy of the Amherst Fire Department,” says Lions Club President, Lori Elswick.

The bunny will be available to visit with children before and after the hunt and parents are welcome to take pictures.

“The hunt itself begins promptly at 11, so parents should plan to arrive in plenty of time,” Elswick added.

Student members of the Leo Club will be stuffing some 10,000 plastic eggs with candy treats the week before.

“A few hours before the hunt begins, the Leos will be scattering the eggs across

three different hunt areas set up in the park,” says Leo Club President, Devin Ramirez.

“Many of us attended the hunt when we were younger and this is our time to give back and help make a fun event for Amherst kids.”

The three hunt areas will be marked for toddlers to 3-year-olds; 4- to 6-year-olds; and 7- to 10-year-olds. Some eggs will be marked and can be redeemed for prizes at the end of the hunt.

Parents are requested not to enter the designated hunt areas when the hunt begins.

“This is for the kids to have fun and we don’t want over-excited adults spoiling the fun or accidentally knocking down the young egg hunters,” says Elswick.

For those who are too young to walk on their own, Elswick suggests they visit with the Easter Bunny who will have plenty of eggs to hand out.

Wellington Capitol-stormer sentenced

Dave O’Brien

The Community Guide

A Wellington man who assaulted U.S. Capitol Police and Washington, D.C., Metropolitan police officers on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection has been sentenced to more than two years in prison in federal court.

U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly sentenced Clifford Mackrell, 22, to 27 months behind bars, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia said in a news release.

A 2019 graduate of Wellington High School, Mackrell pleaded guilty in October to assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers. He also was ordered to spend three years on supervised release after his prison term is up and to pay $2,000 restitution.

“(Mackrell’s) actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office wrote.

Federal prosecutors and the FBI said Mackrell, then 19, traveled from Wellington with his father, Michael Mackrell, to Washington, D.C., to participate in former President Donald Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally on Jan. 6, 2021.

According to documents Clifford Mackrell filed in federal court, he had a strained relationship “fraught and full of conflict” with his father since his parents’

divorce. The men decided to go on a road trip to Florida and stopped over in Washington to attend the Trump rally.

Michael Mackrell brought gas masks with him “because they had heard that Antifa and other counterprotesters were going to be stirring things up at the rally,” according to Clifford Mackrell’s sentencing memorandum, filed by his attorney, federal Assistant Public Defender Elizabeth Mullin.

The father and son then marched to the Capitol wearing protective gear including gas masks, bandanas, gloves and backpacks, authorities said.

As Congress went into recess that afternoon due to the actions of the insurrectionists, Clifford Mackrell and his father went to the West Front of the Capitol and attacked the police line there.

Clifford Mackrell assaulted Capitol and Metropolitan police officers, pushing back their barricade. He “assaulted multiple law enforcement officers, including by striking and pushing officers, violently pulling at an officer’s gas mask, and using plywood to push against officers,” federal prosecutors said.

He also tried to gouge out a police officer’s eyes, according to federal court records, by reaching under the officer’s riot shield and grabbing at his face. jan. 6

From A1

“The officer can be heard screaming in agony on a bodyworn camera during the assault,” federal prosecutors said in a news release and in court documents.

Mackrell also pushed a sheet of plywood into a line of officers, forcing them back, and pushed multiple officers.

Following the insurrection, Mackrell bragged on Facebook about what he had done, writing that he and the other rioters “sent (our) message” and that “the cops got there (sic) ass handed to them.”

Several tipsters identified Mackrell from photos and video taken during the assault on the Capitol and contacted authorities.

He was arrested in Wellington on March 17, 2021.

Defense attorney Mullin wrote that Mackrell never used a weapon or hurt anyone during the six minutes he and his father assaulted police officers and that he never attempted to enter the Capitol Building.

He later also felt remorse and “began to realize that he had been part of a terrible event in this nation’s history,” she wrote. She also said that his mental health struggles contributed to his actions on Jan. 6.

In his own letter of remorse, Mackrell told the judge that he expressed “my deepest apologies” for his actions on Jan. 6.

“I am filled with remorse and regret causing harm to law

enforcement officers. I want to make it clear that my actions were inexcusable and completely contrary to the values of respect, civility, and lawfulness that I strive to uphold as a member of society. I take full responsibility for my behavior and understand the gravity of the consequences it has caused, both for myself and for others involved,” he wrote.

Letters of support also were written to the court by Mackrell’s grandparents as well as three friends who named him godfather to their children.

Seeking a lesser punishment of probation, house arrest and mental health treatment, Mackrell’s attorney wrote that “locking up and further disenfranchising an obscure young man from Ohio will do nothing to deter others from engaging in such conduct, especially when the powerful organizer of the rally (Trump) remains free and on track to be the nominee for the president of the United States again. Mackrell “has admitted to, and feels ashamed for, the crimes that he committed. He has lost a job and his liberties and his freedom over the past two years,” Mullin wrote in his defense.

Michael Mackrell, whom court records said was allowed to travel to Washington to attend his son’s sentencing hearing, pleaded guilty to assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers in federal court in September.

A veteran of the U.S. Marine

Corps, 42-year-old Michael Mackrell is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court on March 18, according to federal court records,

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the U.S. Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted the case, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio.

The investigation was handled by the FBI’s Cleveland and Washington field offices with help from U.S. Capitol Police and the Washington Metropolitan Police Department.

More than 1,300 people have been charged with crimes related to the breach of the Capitol and insurrection, including more than 469 charged with assaulting or impeding police.

Five people died during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection and millions of dollars in damage was done to the Capitol grounds.

Federal investigations into the insurrection remain ongoing, and arrests are still being made, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

Anyone with tips is asked to call (800) CALL-FBI (800-2255324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

Contact Dave O’Brien at dobrien @chroniclet.com.

Wellington High principal Keenan to resign at end of the school

The Community Guide

WELLINGTON — Wellington High School Principal Donna Keenan recently announced to the school board that she will resign.

“Donna mentioned to me in a meeting that she was going to resign at the end of the school year and so we asked her to please turn in her resignation early so we wouldn’t have to wait for the summer to post the job,” Superintendent Ed Weber said.

“We are very saddened to see her go and she has definitely left a legacy at the high school.”

As principal, Keenan makes between $70,000 to $100,000 a year, Weber said.

Keenan is responsible for earning the high school a four-star rating at the state level, the highest it has had in years, Weber said.

Additionally, he said she is chiefly responsible for the new arts curriculum pathway Wellington debuted at the high school.

“I have enjoyed my time

year

in Wellington and I love the families and students and staff,” Keenan said in a statement.

“But due to personal reasons, I feel like I can’t do the job justice at this point of my life and I think at this point I need to put family and health first.”

Keenan’s position has not been posted yet as the board has not officially accepted her resignation, but it is expected to be posted soon, Weber said.

“She has been an amazing person for our school and I respect her a lot and wish her the best in her future endeavors,” Weber said.

“I hope we can find someone as good as her to fill her position.”

Keenan has 23 years of experience as a teacher, building manager, assistant principal and principal. She has served as high school principal since 2021.

Contact Lauren Hoffman at (440) 3286902 or lhoffman@chroniclet.com.

Floral shop selling pieces of high school bleachers

Lauren Hoffman The Community Guide

WELLINGTON — Everyone has memories of their high school gymnasium and bleachers. Whether it was excitedly squealing in the stands as a basketball game commenced to lounging through another boring schoolwide lecture, Samantha Stump said high school bleachers have seen it all, or at least that’s what she’s counting on with her latest fundraiser.

“A lot of life happens in that gym and on those bleachers so we thought it would be fun to have your seat from history,” she said. “That’s really where this fundraiser first started.”

Stump, owner of The Platinum Petal floral shop in Wellington, said the idea first started when she was helping clean up the gym last summer.

“The high school got new bleachers last summer and so, of course, the old ones needed to be torn out,” she said. “I spend quite a bit of time at the high school and so I knew they were going to be torn out and thrown

away so I decided we should save some of them.”

After rescuing the pieces of wood, Stump and a few friends cut them down into squares to sell in her shop in hopes of raising funds for Wellington High School’s post-prom.

Many of the squares still have carvings, gum and pieces of non-slip tape on them that add to their appeal, Stump said.

The responses so far have been overwhelmingly positive.

“I have had people call and ask if we can ship out of state to them because they have moved away,” she said. “I think when you move away, your high school is a bit more important to you.”

Others have purchased them as gifts to former teachers, friends and classmates.

“A gentleman bought his seat to send to his high school basketball coach from the ’80s from Wellington because he felt he would appreciate it,” she said. “It’s a good cause and people want to have their seat, especially in a small town like this.”

The Wellington post-prom is

planned to be held at Main Event in Avon.

Designed as a three-hour lockin, the event will include bowling, arcade games and access to the ropes course as well as unlimited drinks, pizza and a gelato bar. Additionally, students will receive shirts as keepsakes of the event.

No date has been announced on when prom or post-prom will be held. Calls to Wellington Superintendent Ed Weber were not returned by deadline.

The keepsakes are available at The Platinum Petal, 110 S. Main St., during normal hours.

The pieces of wood are available for $5 each and consist of a small square portion similar to a seat. All proceeds raised go back toward funding post-prom for Wellington.

“We are a good place for fundraisers and people have loved this one,” she said. “People want to own their own seat in history.”

Contact Lauren Hoffman at (440) 328-6902 or lhoffman@chroniclet.com.

Mackrell

23-year

Thursday, March 14, 2024 Lorain

Oberlin reimagines downtown

Lauren Hoffman

The Community Guide

OBERLIN — The city has moved to adopt a five-year strategic plan aimed at revitalizing the historic downtown space.

Presented by Carrie Porter from the Planning and Development department for the city during a recent City Council meeting, the plan is projected to make several improvements to retail, parking and visuals within the city.

“If we go back to May 2022, the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted downtown and spaces that were vacant (before) the pandemic remain vacant at this time,” Porter began. “We also have the Oberlin hotel that has 9,000 square feet of vacant retail space on the first floor in the heart of downtown and there has been no development within downtown since 2009.”

In November 2022, the city received a $12,500 grant known as the Inclusive Project Planning Grant from JobsOhio that it used to hire Downtown Strategies LLC to start working on a strategic plan. In addition to market analysis, walking assessments and stakeholder input sessions, Downtown Strategies also relied on the voices of more than 400 community members to develop the plan.

“What we learned is Oberlin is a vibrant city with a beautiful, his-

Lauren Hoffman

The Chronicle-Telegram

OBERLIN — The city has made encouraging strides in the world of environmental conservation, according to Environmental Dashboard founder and Oberlin College professor John Petersen.

In a presentation before Oberlin Council last week discussing some of the recent updates with Environmental Dashboard, a citywide sustainable community tracker, Petersen said the project has been put to good use.

“In 2020, our City Council voted to give $136,000 in funding to community health over a four-year period to further develop the city’s Environmental Dashboard as an important communication tool for supporting the city of Oberlin’s climate action and resilience initiatives,” Petersen said. “We are currently in our final year of that initial funding, and I am really enthusiastic about having the opportunity to be able to present you a little bit of that work.”

Designed as a way to connect the people of Oberlin with the environment and to see themselves as a part of a larger whole, Environmental Dashboard collects data within the city to report back on water and electric usage,

toric downtown and while there is not a tremendous number of vacancies, properties that are vacant seem to be good opportunities,” Porter said. “Additionally, everyone seems to want to keep the college’s ‘town and gown’ relationship but would love to see it perfected as well as entrepreneurship opportunities to arrive.”

The new plan addresses five pillars or strategies the city would need to implement to achieve these wants by the community: market analysis; policy and administration; design; tourism; and promotion and economic vitality.

The city also laid out how the plan could be best implemented over the next five years.

“First and foremost a big thing needed to get the community going is the need to implement community roundtable meetings on a monthly basis as well as create monthly merchant meetings,” Porter said. “This helps keep people updated on what is going on in the community and downtown for both our community members and our merchants.”

Action teams would also be formed consisting of community and business members to implement the plan in its continuing stages.

Porter said these actions are already underway in meetings and are set to expand and continue.

greenhouse gas emissions of schools, homes, public facilities and businesses and provides community voices on the matter of climate change.

“Over the last four years, our team has been working very, very hard to advance the city sustainability and resilience goals while also working with community members,” Petersen said. “At the heart of our software is technology we call the hub, which acquires information from many different sources.”

Gathered from buildings and the environment, the data are translated into different visualizations and shared across 23 dashboards in the city. Each is also interactive via a QR code that allows users to control which data they would like to see on the screen.

Additionally, eight key services are being worked on or are already included through the dashboard.

“We already have easyto-manage digital signage with interactive controls for signs, but we would like to be able to include more data on buildings as the city adds metering as well as new environmental data and a transition of historical and current data to CommunityHub,” Petersen said. “We are also working on

In the following one to three years, Downtown Strategies suggested that Oberlin get to work on downtown business recruitment, training, hotel space and general downtown design.

“We want our city to be attractive to visitors and design work will help with that,” Porter said. “It’s also an opportunity to add color and announce that we are downtown area.”

Porter also suggested to Council that it rethink the city’s facade loan program to offer grant incentives to encourage business owners to improve their building’s facades and storefronts.

Sidewalk work is also a part of the plan for years one through three.

“I know a big thing that the community voiced was our parking within the city, particularly public parking,” Porter said. “Under the strategic plan, we will clean up and properly sign public parking lots, including adding painted crosswalks and lighting in those areas.”

For the long-term goals rounding out the plan, Porter said the city will next focus on creating a visual brand for downtown Oberlin reflecting the town’s connection to the arts and culture.

“Oberlin is a cultural hub with excellent performing arts centers, music performances, art educa-

connecting with WENS to provide real-time emergency notifications on the boards.”

CommunityHub is the communication platform on which the Environmental Dashboard works.

For Petersen, the technology could be life-changing for the city and hopefully the world.

“We are putting this climate change information in people’s faces and showing them that it is real and happening,” he said. “The other items that are put into it will help the city as well, like the city calendar.”

For Petersen the calendar provides an opportunity for the city to post jobs, activities and more across the dashboards, effectively keeping Oberlin’s residents up to date and included.

“We can help people by providing places where they can get food, what jobs are available, where to go for warming and cooling shelters and more,” Petersen said. “We could also include information on the city’s ongoing Climate Action Plan.”

Put forth in 2011, the Oberlin Climate Action Plan consists of systematic goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent in 2015, 75 percent by 2030 and be below 100 percent

tion and more but that is not obvious when you visit downtown right now,” Porter said. “Instead, we need to create a branding that shows that.”

Physical signage such as a new city of Oberlin sign and several promotional events with the college are all part of the plan to make that happen, Porter said.

Finally, under the plan the city will incrementally make improvements to major intersections within downtown.

“There is a lot here in the plan but it is all something that will continue to bring people into our downtown space and continue with the economic vitality that we need,” Porter said. “Oberlin is a beautiful city that sees many visitors during the day and we want to continue that.”

Porter also suggested to Council that it rethink the city’s facade loan program to offer grant incentives to encourage business owners to improve their building’s facades and storefronts.

Sidewalk work is also a part of the plan for years one through three.

“I know a big thing that the community voiced was our parking within the city, particularly public parking,” Porter said. “Under the strategic plan, we will clean up and properly sign public parking lots, including adding

by 2050. Currently, the city is on track, Petersen said. Another use of the dashboard is in the school system, he said. “Our premise is that with these in our schools and

painted crosswalks and lighting in those areas.”

For the long-term goals rounding out the plan, Porter said the city will next focus on creating a visual brand for downtown Oberlin reflecting the town’s connection to the arts and culture.

“Oberlin is a cultural hub with excellent performing arts centers, music performances, art education and more but that is not obvious when you visit downtown right now,” Porter said. “Instead, we need to create a branding that shows that.”

Physical signage such as a new city of Oberlin sign and several promotional events with the college are all part of the plan to make that happen, Porter said.

Finally, under the plan the city will incrementally make improvements to major intersections within downtown.

“There is a lot here in the plan but it is all something that will continue to bring people into our downtown space and continue with the economic vitality that we need,” Porter said. “Oberlin is a beautiful city that sees many visitors during the day and we want to continue that.”

Contact Lauren Hoffman at (440) 328-6902 or lhoffman@chroniclet.com.

the metering of the school buildings, they can function as key laboratories,” Petersen said. “Right now kids in the pre-K to third-grade classrooms are competing with kids in fourth through

fifth grades on electricity costs during Ecolympics with these boards and through it these kids are also learning the importance of energy conservation.”

The season nears the end

Wellington’s Adam Michalak hits a three point shot over Lutheran East’s Jesse McCulloch. Wellington, the No. 23 seed ran into the No. 1 seed Lutheran East in the D3 District Final.

fell behind early, trailing 22-3 after the first quarter and 47-10 at halftime. Wellington faced a running clock the entire second half with Lutheran East winning 68-22.

Keystone’s Vivian Cassell gets a layup past Warrensville Heights’ Katherin McCormick.

Keystone led early in the game and had a 29-22 lead at hafltime. However, Warrensville Heights gained momentum in the third quarter and the second half was a back and forth battle. Keystone outlasted them in overtime for a 52-50 win to move onto the Regional Final.

Wellington’s Landon Whitehouse brings the ball up court under pressure from Lutheran East’s Anthony Bruce.

Wellington, the No. 23 seed ran into the No. 1 seed Lutheran East in the D3 District Final. Wellington fell behind early, trailing 22-3 after the first quarter and 47-10 at halftime. Wellington faced a running clock the entire second half with Lutheran East winning 68-22.

Photos by Russ Gifford, The Community Guide

Public Works seeks members

Ohio Public Works Commission District 9 is accepting applications for members of its Natural Resource Assistance Council.

The terms of four current members are set to expire on Sept. 24. There is also a need to fill one vacancy due to retirement.

The council was formed to implement the Clean Ohio Program as approved by Ohio voters.

It is composed of representatives from the three District 9 counties of Lorain, Medina and Huron.

The council will accept nominations from the following five categories:

n A county, municipal corporation, township, conservancy district, regional or joint district or unit of local government that is located within the geographical jurisdiction of the appointing committee;

nA conservation organization, environmental advocacy organization, an organization with a primary interest in watershed restoration, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the Environmental Protection Agency or the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service;

n A city park system or metropolitan park system or a board of park commissioners from a county that is located in the geographical jurisdiction of the appointing committee;

n A statewide organization representing agriculture, an organization representing forestry interests, the Ohio Department of Agriculture, or the U.S. Department of Agriculture;

n An organization representing business, local Realtors, or a planning agency, including a port authority, located within the geographical jurisdiction of the appointing integrating committee.

Interested parties must return the NRAC nomination form, a letter of support from the appointing authority and a resume or summary of qualifications to the Lorain County Engineer’s Office by April 19.

For more information, call (440) 329-5586.

Judge appoints board members

Lorain County Probate Judge James Walther has made three appointments to three county boards as required by his duties under Ohio law, he announced Monday.

Walther reappointed Joseph Hribar of Vermilion as one of three members of the Lorain County Metro Parks Board of Parks Commissioners for a three-year term starting Jan. 1 and ending Dec. 31, 2026.

Elaine Baus of Elyria was reappointed to the Lorain County Board of Developmental Disabilities/Murray Ridge Center Board of Directors for a four-year term starting in January 2024.

Finally, Walther appointed Jason Moore of Lorain as board member and chairperson of the Lorain County Sewage Treatment System Appeals Board for an unexpired term ending Dec. 31.

Transportation open house on March 27

Lorain County Public Health is calling on all drivers, riders, bikers and walkers to share their opinions at a transportation open house it will host on safety and transportation planning at the health department facility, 9880 Murray Ridge Road, Elyria.

It will be held from 5:30-7:30 p.m. March 27.

All who live, work and play in Lorain County or use the roads — including motorists, motorcyclists, bicyclists, walkers, runners and public transportation riders — are invited to attend to give feedback on roadway use and pedestrian safety.

The event is free and refreshments will be provided. Register by March 27 at bit.ly/3OS59JB or simply show up the day of.

For those who can’t attend in person, the live information session will be streamed on Zoom at bit.ly/ss4a at the same date and time.

Public Health was one of 510 entities nationwide to receive a $200,000 federal grant in February 2023 as part of the new Safe Streets and Roads for All Program. The grant requires the creation of a Countywide Safety Action Plan.

The plan will identify measures, locations and projects to lead to a safer and more equitable transportation system, with a main goal of reducing traffic deaths.

Public Health and the transportation consulting firm Toole Design have been working together to develop the action plan, using traffic crash data to identify the biggest problem areas in Lorain County. The team is also studying driver behaviors, user access to safe roads and transportation methods.

Mercy Health - Allen leadership lauded

OBERLIN — Mercy Health - Allen Hospital’s president received recognition as the head of a rural hospital system by Becker’s Hospital Review, a health care industry media organization.

President Carrie Jankowski was named to Becker’s 2024 list of “rural hospital and health system CEOs to know,” according to a news release.

The list, compiled based on research by the trade magazine, recognizes hospital leaders for their contributions and successes of the rural hospitals they serve.

Jankowski, a Lorain County native, started in 1997 as a radiology technician for Mercy Health. She rose through

the ranks, eventually becoming vice president of ancillary and support services. She was named president of Allen Hospital in 2021.

Under her leadership, surgical volume, admissions and revenues have all grown, according to the release.

Farm Bureau scholaships deadline nears

The Lorain County Farm Bureau has multiple scholarship opportunities available for high school seniors and students pursuing postsecondary education who live in Lorain County.

Among the offered scholarships are:

n A general $500 scholarship for students attending either a two- or four-year college or university in Ohio.

n Agriculture-related $1,000 scholarships for students pursuing studies in an agriculture-related field. This includes horticulture, forestry, agribusiness and others.

n Continuing education $1,000 scholarships for students who have completed their first year of studies and are majoring in agricultural-related fields.

n The Al DiVencenzo Memorial $1,000 Scholarship for students who have completed the first year of studies and are majoring in agricultural-related fields.

Students who attended a Lorain County school also may apply for the Joseph Kelly Memorial Scholarship online at https://ofbf.org/foundation/scholarships/joseph-kellymemorial-scholarship.

The applicant, their parent or parents must be a member of the Lorain County Farm Bureau. Completed applications must be received by March 31.

Applications can be found and completed online at ofbf. org/foundation/scholarships/lorain-county-scholarship. A link to the applications can also be found at lorain. ofbf.org.

Anyone with questions may call the Lorain County Farm Bureau office at (440) 877-0706.

International trade webinar Tuesday

The Lorain County Community Development Department and ONE Lorain County will host a free webinar on international trade titled “Going Global: Break into International Trade” at noon March 19.

Participants will have the opportunity to gain insights from international trade expert David Delgado, who has more than 35 years experience in international trade and relations with Fortune 500 companies.

He has traveled to more than 100 countries and currently serves as a professor of global business development and international trade adviser at Cleveland State University’s SBDC Global Business Center.

Delgado will cover the latest trade statistics, trends, entry strategies and other considerations for companies looking to expand into the global market.

To reserve your spot, visit tinyurl.com/ yvy8fspd.

Elyria says no to building 219 homes on golf course

The Community Guide

The Elyria Planning Commission voted unanimously to deny a subdivision plan for the proposed Villas of the Valley housing development at 1100 Gulf Road.

The plan, proposed by developer Villas of the Valley LLC, was a subdivision made up of 219 homes to be built on 32.45 acres tucked into the same property as the Valley of the Eagles Golf Course.

It went before the commission along with several other variances which raised concern among city officials and commission

members.

Project architect Robert Corna went before the commission to request the subdivision plan be approved followed by the acceptance of a number of variances to the city building code.

“Due to the compact design of the subdivision and number of variances being requested, the proposal does not meet with the spirit and intent of the zoning code and would set a precedent if passed,” Elyria Chief Building Official Darryl Farkas said. “I will rely on the board’s discretion going forward.”

Mar few Sh S o m –N t s

rieCuriewas ascientist in atimewhen wwomenhad achancetostudy science.

he won two Nobel Prizes for her discoveries.

She also is the only person –manorwoman –towin the Nobel Prize in two different sciences.

©2024byVickiWhiting,Editor Je Schinkel,Graphics

Marie Sklodowskawas born in Poland on November 7, 1867. Her father wasateacher.Hetaughtmathand science. Marieloved learning and wanted to study scienceincollege.Inthose days, Poland’s universities did not allowwomen.

Marie headed to Paris,whereshe could study at afamous university called the Sorbonne

Help Marietravel from Warsawto Paris

Coloreach

Imagine aspecial flashlight that’ssostrong, its light can go through almostanything, even your body

Doctors use X-raystotake pictures insideyour body to seeyour bones and otherimportant partswithout having to open youup.

Draw aline from each X-raytothe part of the bodyitshows

In 1895, Marie married PierreCurie.Hewas also ascientist.They discovered twonew elements,the tiniest pieces of chemicals They called one polonium afterthe countrywhereMarie was born. They called the other radium.They wonaNobel Prizefor this work,making Marie the rst woman to win aNobel Prize.

Marie’s studiesofradium led her to makeX-raysbetter so that doctors could better see inside bodies

Are you an eagle-eyed reader?

Circle the eight mistakes in the article below.(The first oneis done for you.)Then, rewrite the article correctly

Little Curies SavedMillions

During World WarI, Marie Curie wuz awar hero. Her X-ray machines helped doctors save lived. But the X-ray machines were only in largecity at that tyme.

Curie inventer the furst “X-ray car” called a“Little Curie.” It was acar with an X-ray machine and a darkroom to print the X-ray images. Her car was driven to battlefields, and army surgeon used the X-rays to guide life-saving surgeeries.

Women in the News

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