Lorain County Community Guide - Aug. 10, 2023

Lorain County Fair Special Edition is Aug. 31

Ohio voters reject Issue 1

Ohioans soundly defeated Issue 1, a proposed amendment to the Ohio Constitution that would have made it more difficult for citizenled initiatives seeking to amend the state’s governing document.

Lorain County reflected the statewide trend on Aug. 8. With all precincts reporting, Issue 1 failed 53,119 votes to 31,489 votes, or 62.8 percent to 37.2 percent, according to complete but unofficial results from the Lorain County Board of Elections.

Lorain County and statewide Democrats celebrated what they saw as a rebuke of Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who pub-

licly touted Issue 1 as a means to defeat a so-called leftist agenda by making it more difficult for progressive groups outside of Ohio to change state law in their favor — including with a proposed constitutional amendment protecting reproductive rights appearing on the Nov. 7 ballot in Ohio.

“This was a stupid idea by (Frank) LaRose, this was just stupid and I hope tonight’s statistics show him that maybe you need to think before you do this stuff,” said Lorain County Democratic Party Chairwoman Sharon Sweda, who was attending a Democratic watch party at Quaker Steak & Lube in Sheffield.

“It didn’t matter if you were a Democrat or a Republican or an independent,

DAVID SANDS | The Community Guide

RIGHT: Lorain County Democratic Party Chair Sharon Sweda beams with excitement at early voting results, while Lisa Mackin, Avon City Democratic Party Chair, looks surprised at the early lead against Issue 1 on Aug. 8.

Wellington first responders host National Night Out event

WELLINGTON — Sizzling burgers and the splash of a dunk tank provided the backdrop to Wellington’s National Night Out on Aug. 1.

The annual event brought together the Village’s safety forces and the community they serve, allowing local families and children to meet police, fire and EMS in a new way, Wellington Police Sgt. Kayla Athanas said.

Athanas, who has organized the event for the past few years, said the evening of food and games is a chance for residents to see the faces of first responders who may be coming to them on their worst days.

“Most likely when they do see us, or fire, or EMS, it’s a bad experience or not the greatest experience,” she said – as often the departments are responding to calls for service when they first meet people. “So this is a good time for them to come out, meet and mingle in a very neutral (setting) … it’s just good public relations. We want

the people to know that we are there for them.”

The dunk tank, which featured a rotating cast of fire, police and EMS workers, was a popular new addition this year — especially when the littlest attendees were allowed to

run up, hit the button and send whoever was working it flying into the cold water below.

Athanas said the funds raised from the dunk tank go to fund the village’s Safety Town next week, as well as next year’s Night

Oberlin College sues insurance companies over Gibsons Bakery settlement

result of the lawsuit. Court records didn’t specify when the next hearing will be in the case.

Oberlin College has sued four of its insurance providers in Lorain County Common Pleas Court to force them to cover the multimillion-dollar judgment that Gibson’s Bakery won against the college in 2019.

The college filed suit in April against Lexington Insurance Company of New York; United Educators Insurance of Bethesda, Maryland; Mount Hawley Insurance Company of Peoria, Illinois; and StarStone Specialty Insurance Company of Cincinnati.

At the time of the events that led to the Gibsons lawsuit, Oberlin College said it had insurance policies providing “at least $75 million in total insurance coverage, which is more than enough to pay the underlying judgment and substantial unpaid defense costs” it incurred in the nearly six-year legal battle.

Out event.

Athanas said she reached out to local businesses for donations to help cover food costs, and the police, fire and EMS all brought out vehicles for kids to explore. Donna Clawson,

Oberlin College claimed the insurance companies wrongfully refused “to honor promises they made in their respective policies to protect the interests of Oberlin College” and its former vice president and dean of students, Meredith Raimondo.

The case is assigned to Judge Chris Cook, whom the college is asking to force the insurance companies to cover the more than $36 million it paid the Gibsons last year as a

The college got $1 million from one of its insurance companies, but “also incurred millions of dollars in defense costs pursuing its appeals,” according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit did not give an exact dollar amount the college spent on legal fees.

Oberlin College’s insurance policies included $25 million in commercial umbrella liability coverage from Lexington; $10 million from Mount Hawley; $5 million from StarStone; and $25 million in overlapping educators legal liability coverage from United Educators, according to the lawsuit.

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JEFF BARNES | The Community Guide Beka Brasse, 3, pushes the bottom on the dunk tank at Wellington’s National Night Out event on Aug. 1, sending EMT Dan Cole into the water.

Edward LeRoy Long, Jr.

Edward LeRoy Long, Jr., 99, of Oberlin, passed away peacefully Friday, July 21, 2023, at Kendal at Oberlin.

Edward is survived by his sons, Roger Long (Patsy McDonald), Charles Long (María Vázquez) and Douglas Long (Kathleen Perry); grandchildren, Michael Long (Jasmine Owens), Joseph Long, Daniel Long, Diego Long, Alexandra Long, Christopher Long, and Emily Long; and great grandchild, Oliver Long. He was preceded in death by his mother, Helen Long (nee Pratt); his father, Edward LeRoy Long, Sr., his wife, Dorothy Long (nee Whitney); and his sister, Millicent Brown (nee Long).

Edward was a lifelong builder of homes and of intellectual and spiritual communities. In everything he did he demonstrated his extraordinary skill as a craftsman, a writer, a scholar, and a mentor. He was deeply devoted to the life of the mind and he used his academic and religious work to advance a version of Christianity that rejected prejudice, hatred, and violence in favor of openmindedness, acceptance and peace.

Edward was born March 3, 1924 in Saratoga Springs, New York and spent the first part of his life with his parents in nearby Schuylerville, New York. When he was a young child the family moved to Yonkers, New York where he graduated from Roosevelt High in 1942. He received a Bachelor of Civil Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1945, a Bachelor of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in 1948, and a PhD in Philosophy and Religion from Columbia University in 1951. He was ordained as a Presbyterian minister in 1948.

His first job was teaching physics at RPI. After completion of his degrees in 1951 he a took a joint appointment as minister to students at Blacksburg Presbyterian Church and associate professor of philosophy and ethics at Virginia Tech. Shortly afterwards he became the first head of the new department of philosophy and religion at Virginia Tech. In 1957, he moved to Oberlin College with his wife Dorothy and young family. He was appointed to the rank of Professor in 1965. While at Oberlin he had a Guggenheim Fellowship that he spent writing A Survey of Christian Ethics, widely used for decades in the graduate teaching of Christian Ethics. He also spent one year as a special fellow at Harvard University Law School and had an Underwood Fellowship from the Danforth Foundation to study moral issues related to higher education.

In 1976 he joined the faculty of Theological and Graduate Schools of Drew University. After an active ten years at Drew, he retired in 1986. After retirement, he continued to write and to

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publish (including several more books) for another thirty-seven years, having a second career longer than his combined years at Oberlin and Drew. During this time, he remained active in the social witness work of the Presbyterian Church.

A prolific writer, he is the author of 16 books and more than 75 articles or chapters in leading journals or other publications. He delivered over 150 sermons, including his last, delivered in April of this year at age 99. He celebrated the 75th anniversary of his ordination in May. Throughout his working life he was active in numerous professional organizations, both as a member and as an officer, including the American Academy of Religion, American Society of Christian Ethics, American Theological Society, and the Society for Values in Higher Education.

Edward devoted much of his life’s work to advocacy for world peace. As a college student during World War II, he struggled with the issues of the day, eventually becoming a conscientious objector. Throughout his career, he frequently spoke and wrote on the topic of war and peace. He wrote several books addressing these issues.

A true renaissance man, Edward balanced his academic pursuits with a love of working with his hands. As a child, he assisted his father and grandfather in building his parent’s cottage on Queechy Lake; he completed his first fieldstone chimney (for that cottage) at the age of 13 and went on to build many others. Shortly after his marriage to Dorothy, he started work on his beloved cottage on the hill behind his parent’s cottage on the lake. Over the years, he made many additions to that cottage as his family grew, including a secluded study further up the hill where he spent many happy summers writing. Shortly after arriving in Oberlin with Dorothy and three young sons, he built the family home on Shipherd Circle.

In 2010 he moved to Kendal at Oberlin, where he quickly became deeply immersed in the intellectual, administrative, and political life of this extraordinary community. He relished his role as resident curmudgeon, a role tempered by his deep concern for Kendal community values, the quality of care, and the future relevancy of the community. He remained an integral part of this community right up to the very end, writing his last thoughts on these topics just days before his passing.

A memorial service will be Thursday, August 24, 2023 at 1:30 p.m. at First Church in Oberlin, 106 N. Main Street, Oberlin. A reception will follow at Kendal at Oberlin, 600 Kendal Drive, Oberlin.

In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to the Residents Assistance Fund or the Staff Emergency Fund at Kendal at Oberlin at www.kao.kendal.org/donate or 600 Kendal Drive, Oberlin, OH 44074 or First Church in Oberlin at www.firstchurchoberlin.org or mailed to 106 N. Main Street Oberlin, OH 44074.

Arrangements were in the care of Dicken Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Elyria.

For online condolences, visit www. dickenfuneralhome.com

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Edward Ellis

Edward Ellis, 88, the son of Edward and Jean Scott Ellis, died Wednesday, July 12, 2023 in Gallipolis, Ohio.

He graduated from Marion Steele High School in Amherst in 1951, enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, and attended Bowling Green State University. He was self employed, training race horses and selling antiques, when he met his late wife, Patricia, an elementary school teacher in Cleveland Public Schools.

He is survived by his older brother, John (Carolyn) Ellis of Sarasota, Florida; his nieces, Linda (Trevor) McNeill of Pipersville, Pennsylvania, Jeanine Ellis (Tom Klausing) of Powell, Ohio; Jeanette (Glen) Hale of Sarasota, Florida; and several great-nieces and nephews. Funeral arrangements are through Willis Funeral Home, Gallipolis, Ohio. A memorial service will be held in the fall.

Deanna Mae Andrews

Deanna Mae Andrews (nee Barnett), 78, of Amherst, passed away Saturday, August 5, 2023, at Denise’s Adult Care in Lorain, following a brief illness.

Arrangements by Hempel Funeral Home.

Break-in at Amherst Memorial Studio

The Amherst Police Department is investigating a break-in at Amherst Memorial Studio, 180 Jackson St., on Aug. 1. Police say an investigation showed the headstone/monument business had been forcibly entered with multiple items missing including a laptop essential for daily operations of the business.

The business is offering a $2,000 reward for the laptop’s return. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Amherst Police Department at (440) 9882625.

JEFF BARNES | The Community Guide Slone Enos, 2, sits in a firetruck during Wellington’s National Night Out on Aug. 1.

NIGHT OUT

FROM A1

wife of firefighter John Clawson, donated trays of homemade desserts, while others volunteered to man the grill.

Mayor Hans Schneider said residents really appreciate their safety forces — highlighted by the dozens who came to the Village Square for the event.

In a place Wellington’s size, Schneider said the

Village is lucky to have all three services inhouse, and many workers live in the Village or nearby townships.

“We’re all in this together,” he said. “The safety services we have here are here for the public — it’s not just a call them when you need them. If you see them out, say hi … it’s OK to come up and say hi to a police officer, it’s OK

to stop by the fire department and thank them, it’s OK to do the same with the ambulance (service).” National Night Out is an annual campaign to promote police and community partnerships. The campaign was first established in Pennsylvania in 1984 and has grown to include cities and departments across the country.

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Amherst-raised author’s debut novel out this fall

ALEXA STEVENS CORRESPONDENT

“Being a kid is hard.

Being a witch is harder,” reads the first sentences on the back of a upcoming book from an Amherstraised author.

Amherst-raised Pittsburgh resident Sheldon Higdon is set to publish his debut novel “The Eerie Brothers and The Witches of Autumn,| with Scary Dairy Press on Sept. 22.

While the novel is geared towards middle-grade audiences it can be read by anyone, Higdon said.

“When I wrote the book, I didn’t write down to the kids,” Higdon said. “I wanted to treat the kids who will read it with respect. Because I know they’re smart. I know they’re smart and they’re intelligent and they’re creative and imaginative. And so I wrote it as if I were writing it to adults.”

Higdon hopes not only young adults, but also older readers, can find resonance with the novel.

“It’s just not all about rainbows and sprinkles and stuff like that. It’s funny, but there’s some serious moments,” Higdon said of his book. “It’s lighthearted, but there’s scary moments, so anybody can read it. Matter of fact, the publisher, when they put the age

for the book, it says from eight all the way up.”

The book follows 12-year-old twin brothers

Horace and Edgar Eerie as they face supernatural events and time travel to the 1692 Salem Witch Trials with their best friend Lenore to stop Hex, who is absorbing witch abilities and collecting totems carrying the seeds of each of the four seasons.

Horace and Edgar deal with family secrets and cope with the death of their mother as they explore the supernatural world.

Higdon discovered his love for horror in Amherst.

“In Amherst, all I did was ride my bike everywhere. I used to go to the movies all the time,” Higdon said. “I knew somebody who worked there, so as a kid, when I was like 12 or 13 when ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’ came out, and I went and he let me come in for free, and I just sat there all by myself and watched that film — and an R-rated film on top of that.”

Higdon graduated from Firelands High School. He later received a Master of Fine Arts in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University in 2013.

“Originally I was born up in Illinois and then we moved to Ohio because I already had the family

there,” Higdon said of his time in Amherst. “I think I was three or four. I lived in a few places. I can’t remember the road of the first house we lived in, but the house that I mainly remember is a duplex on Jackson Street. And I grew up there, so right down the street is the high school. So I would always hear the football games — the bands and stuff. And then right there was Hastee Tastees and Hotdog Heaven. And so those two places, I was at all the time.”

While “The Eerie Brothers and The Witches of Autumn” does not take place in Ohio, Higdon is working on a novella that is set in Amherst -- renamed Five Corners of Ohio after the five-corner area of Amherst’s downtown.

When the book is released in September, Higdon hopes to conduct signings in and around Amherst. He also hopes that this book will be a series of four — one book per season.

“I’m excited about it and I just hope that people will run out and get it and support it,” Higdon said.

“I hope, if anything comes out of it, I hope at least one kid will read it like it, and then maybe grow up and write.”

Ohio announces Intel course pathways

Ohio’s community colleges will roll out new courses and career pathways to support Intel.

On Aug. 2, Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted spoke at Central Ohio Technical College in Newark where he was joined by higher education officials from across Ohio in bringing forward a set of newly developed courses to support Intel’s talent pipeline in the state.

The curriculum was developed with support from Intel’s Ohio Semiconductor Collaboration Network, of which Lorain County Community College is a member. The state announced courses including manufacturing foundations, semiconductor 101 and vacuum systems that will be added to advanced manufacturing and engineering programs with opportunities for short-term certificates in semiconductor manufacturing or an associate of applied ccience degree that will provide an entry point to careers.

The pathways, Husted said, are affordable and the state is committed to building an educated workforce.

“Ohio is committed to building the greatest workforce in the Midwest. That’s our aspiration. When you think of the Midwest we want to be the Silicon Heartland as Pat Gelsinger described us but we want to be the economic juggernaut in the Midwest,” Husted said. “We want to have the

best educated and trained workforce in the Midwest. That’s our aspiration. And also have those values that people love about the Midwest: hard work, honesty, integrity, kindness, friendliness, all the things that make living and working in the Midwest a wonderful thing.”

Husted said he loves working on economic development because when they get it right, everyone wins “..because businesses get the talent they need to succeed and people get the skills to live their version of the American dream doing whatever wherever, whatever they want, wherever their passion takes them.”

Jack Hershey, president of the Ohio Association of Community Colleges, said his organization was tasked with working with Intel to develop courses at record turnaround time and they have risen to the challenge and are excited about the opportunities that will be created.

“We don’t have this industry in Ohio. We had to start from scratch in terms of putting all of this curriculum together. That’s exciting and daunting at the same time. The speed at which this happened is amazing,” Hershey said.

In January 2022 Intel announced a $20 billion investment in Ohio on a 1,000-acre campus to be constructed near Newark in Licking County. The semiconductor manufacturing plant is expected to create 3,000 jobs at Intel along with 7,000 construction jobs in addition to

numerous jobs created through Intel’s Ohio supply chain network.

Building on national best practices and with the support and blessing of Intel, Rick Woodfield, chief academic officer of the Ohio Association of Community Colleges, said the new courses were developed in a manner that was inclusive and could be used to reflect industry needs across Ohio.

“The task that Intel gave us was to create the ecosystem. Not just create employees for Intel, but to look at the entire state and say what do we need in this workforce that really matters: What skills, what will lead to good employee candidates for Intel will lead to good employee candidates for a lot of industry across the state,” Woodfield said.

Jim Evers, vice president and general manager of Intel Ohio, called the announcement a special day and the company takes its role in supporting Ohio’s economic development seriously.

“Since moving here, I get asked why did Intel choose Ohio? And it certainly was part of the robust infrastructure that we see, the state’s history of being a manufacturing powerhouse. And also because of the world-class career and tech schools, colleges and universities,” Evers said. Access to top talent is a priority for Intel and for the semiconductor ecosystem that you heard about coming to Ohio. The impact is going to be profound.”

KEVIN MARTIN THE COMMUNITY GUIDE

you weren’t about to give up your rights, your democracy, for Frank LaRose.”

“You always have to be cautious, you always have to know it can go either way. I always tell candidates, ‘Don’t get in the race if you think you can’t lose.’ But that aside, we have had such an outpouring of people who really — it didn’t matter what side they were on — they absolutely could not understand why they should support such an initiative,” she said.

A proponent of Issue 1, Lorain County Republican Party Chairman David Arredondo said he wasn’t surprised it went down to defeat. He blamed “out-of-state money that poured in” and said opponents got their message out to voters first.

“They were up with ads that preceded ours by a month and those ads were very deceitful and confusing and had a lot of people unsure of what the heck it was all about,” Arredondo said Tuesday night. “It took a while for us to get our forces together, to get our ads up and unfortunately it was too little, too late to get people to come out and vote yes.”

He said he encountered “a few Republicans” who voted against Issue 1 early because they misunderstood the proposed amendment, “and later figured out it was really about the constitution and they regretted having voted already.”

“I’m not surprised there were some people who voted yes who should have voted no,” Arredondo said.

More than 20,000 early voters turned out in a 3-to-1 margin against Issue 1 in Lorain County, casting 16,576 “no” votes (75 percent) to 5,401 “yes” votes (25 percent), according to the first round of complete but unofficial results posted by the Lorain County Board of Elections after polls closed on Tuesday.

Supporters of Issue 1 included the Ohio Republican Party, the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, Ohio Right to Life, the Buckeye Firearms Association, and numerous trade and business councils. Opponents included the nonpartisan League of Women Voters, the Ohio Democratic Party, a bipartisan group of four former Ohio governors and five former Ohio attorneys general, and the Ohio ACLU.

The special election cost Ohio an estimated $20 million, with local boards of elections receiving reimbursement from the state.

“It has been an incredible journey meeting people, talking with people,” Sweda said. “As a Democrat who has always been out canvassing and knocking on doors and knowing you can meet a lot of opposition, this was completely the opposite. You never had opposition, it was fun.”

Other reactions

Ohio politicians and organizations had a variety of reactions to Issue 1’s failure.

● “Today, Ohioans sent a clear message: one person, one vote must remain a bedrock principle in a representative democracy,” said U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Toledo. “I was proud to stand with a clear majority in voting No on Issue 1 as outside interests and the Ohio legislature attempted once again to undermine the rights of each and every Ohioan -- just as they did with the criminal bailout of First Energy, as they did in passing illegally gerrymandered districts to enshrine their rule, and now again in this attempt to silence citizen-led initiatives. Today, we protected Ohio’s constitution. Tomorrow, the fight continues.”

● “We did it. Tonight is a major victory for Democracy in Ohio. The majority still rules in Ohio, and the people’s power has been preserved – because Ohio voters showed up and overwhelmingly voted down Issue 1,” said Dennis Willard, spokesperson for the One Person

One Vote Campaign, which fought Issue

1. “Voters saw Issue 1 for what it was: A deceptive power grab designed to silence their voices and diminish their voting power. We defeated Issue 1 because an enormous coalition that spans ideological divides came together to defend democracy.”

● Ohio AFL-CIO President Tim Burga, whose labor organization ran a statewide campaign against Issue 1, said in a news release that Tuesday night’s election results “showed the impact of a united labor movement that rallied to defend the Ohio constitution and protect simple majority vote by educating, informing, and mobilizing voters across the state to vote NO on Issue 1.

● Protect Women Ohio, a pro-life group, said Tuesday night’s election results “prove exactly why Ohio’s constitution needs and deserves additional protections,” blaming “liberal dark money groups funded by a Swiss billionaire” that “swooped in during the 11th hour and blanketed Ohio with deceptive ads.”

● “Today, Ohioans won. Ohioans saw

Issue 1 for what it was — an attempt to deny our families a voice, even when it comes to our most personal decisions, said Rhiannon Carnes, spokeswoman for Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights. Now, Ohioans will turn their focus to rejecting extremism and government control to ensure families have the freedom to make decisions that are best for them. Ohioans believe that abortion is a personal, private decision that should be up to them and their families without government meddling in their business.”

● President Joe Biden weighed in on the election results on Twitter, posting: “Today, Ohio voters rejected an effort by Republican lawmakers and special interests to change the state’s constitutional amendment process. This measure was a blatant attempt to weaken voters’ voices and further erode the freedom of women to make their own health care decisions. Ohioans spoke loud and clear, and tonight democracy won.”

Kevin Martin and Owen MacMillan contributed to this story.

These policies were intended to provide seamless coverage for lawsuits like the Gibson litigation,” according to the lawsuit. “Unfortunately, the defendant insurers have failed to pay a penny toward the $36,590,572.48 sum that Oberlin paid the Gibson plaintiffs. They also have failed to pay for the full cost of Oberlin’s appeals, which were pursued at the behest of the insurers in order to reduce their collective exposure.”

The insurers allegedly told the college that “some, if not all, of the damages” would be covered, according to the lawsuit.

Insted, Lexington and United Educators allegedly “engaged in a systematic, multiyear effort to avoid their coverage obligations by attempting to shift responsibility from the Gibson lawsuit to each other,” other insurance companies or the college, according to the lawsuit.

Lexington and United Educators also allegedly “both had numerous pretrial opportunities to resolve the underlying litigation for a small fraction of the eventual verdict” and could have settled the case

for for less than $10 million on the eve of trial, according to the lawsuit. The college had even demanded the insurance companies do so, according to the lawsuit.

None of them did, according to the lawsuit, with Lexington failing to pay “a single cent” and Oberlin College facing “complete abandonment” by United Educators.

Mediation between the college and United Educators failed in early 2021, and the insurance company refuse to renew Oberlin College’s policy after a 34-year policyholder relationship, according to the lawsuit.

Background

After losing at trial and with all of its appeals exhausted, the college paid the Gibson family and their bakery more than $36.5 million in damages last year. The verdict and damages stemmed from the aftermath of student protests over the arrest of Oberlin College student Jonathan Aladin in November 2016. Aladin tried to buy wine from the bakery with a fake ID,

was chased out of the store and assaulted clerk Allyn Gibson — the son and grandson of its owners.

Different versions of what happened outside the store after Aladin ran and Allyn Gibson chased him persist, but Aladin and fellow students Endia Lawrence and Cecilia Whettstone were arrested by Oberlin police. Aladin initially faced a felony robbery charge that was later dismissed.

All three students later pleaded guilty to misdemeanor attempted theft and aggravated trespassing, and Aladin to an additional charge of purchasing alcohol underage. They served no jail time and read statements in court that Allyn Gibson had the right to pursue them after the attempted theft and that his actions weren’t racist.

Following the arrests, Oberlin College students protested outside the bakery for two days. They handed out flyers that alleged a long history of racism at the bakery. Raimondo was accused of supporting student protesters during the drama, including helping to hand out flyers.

The Gibsons sued in 2017 after college officials refused to apologize or issue a statement saying the family wasn’t racist.

No evidence of racism by the Gibsons or the bakery was presented during the 2019 civil trial. Instead, Gibsons employees and community members testified the Gibsons weren’t racist. Other evidence presented at trial included text messages and emails by Oberlin College officials mocking the bakery and its products and threatening to “rain fire and brimstone” on the business.

A monthlong trial in Common Pleas Judge John Miraldi’s court in 2019 ended in a verdict in favor of the bakery and the Gibsons, who were awarded $44 million in damages by a jury. Miraldi reduced the award to $25 million because Ohio law sets caps on monetary damages in civil cases.

Three years of appeals followed, during which time the damages earned interest. The college paid the full judgment after the Ohio Supreme Court declined to hear the case, including $6.5 million in legal fees to the Gibsons’ attorneys.

CARISSA WOYTACH | The Community Guide

Lorain County Republican Party Chairman David Arredondo volunteered at the Board of Elections on Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023.

As part of the biennial budget passed last month, schools across Ohio will receive funding for menstrual products and dispensers for grades 6-12 this fiscal year.

The bill provides $2 million toward dispensers and $3 million toward purchasing products, according to a news release from Ohio Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio, D-Lakewood.

The bipartisan provision puts Ohio with more than 20 states addressing access to feminine hygiene products in schools. Funding can be used for tampons, pads or similar items, according to the bill text.

In a July 26 news conference, Antonio said a lack of access to products can cause barriers to students.

“We’ve regulated the provision of toilet paper and paper towels in restrooms, so too we should do the same for menstrual products,” Antonio said during the news conference. “Menstruation is a natural, biological occurrence experienced by more than half the population and should not be treated any different than any other basic bodily function.”

The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce plan to release applications for funding in the coming months, Senior Legislative Aide Brendon Embry said. Embry works in the office of state Sen. Nathan Manning, R-North Ridgeville.

The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce was newly created in the budget and is now a cabinet-level agency reporting to the state governor.

In Lorain County, several schools recognize the need for menstrual products in districts; and many organizations are stepping in to fill those needs.

Lorain Schools’ Director of Wraparound Services Stephanie Alexander-Johnson said the district heard about the proposed funding when the state budget passed. She knew there was a need in all of the district’s 13 buildings, from elementary to high school — often filled by school nurses providing requested items to students.

“We are making sure that we provide those needs already,” she said, and while happy for the opportunity at state funding, they are always thinking ahead.

Oberlin Schools sees a similar need in its district.

Jay Nimene, director of student, family and staff support, said the funding will be an asset for students.

“Not all young girls can afford to purchase products needed for their menstrual days, and at times that fact may be embarrassing,” he said.

Not having access to menstrual products can reduce attendance. According to the National Education Association, 84 percent of teens who struggle to afford menstrual products have missed school.

It’s another barrier to education districts like Lorain are addressing with wraparound services, and any funding from the state would be a boon to the effort — and have a positive impact on attendance, Alexander-Johnson said.

“Period poverty is such

a big push right now. … We have to find ways to end that because every young lady and woman needs to have these resources,” Alexander-Johnson said. “So we need to make sure that we provide that.”

Part of providing those resources means partnering with organizations in the county.

Path and Green provide menstrual and personal care items to girls at Lorain Schools and eight other districts in the county.

Founder Sarah Yoder started by collecting products for Clearview Schools in early 2021, inspired by a TikTok video of a church in Oregon providing personal care items, alongside clothing, jewelry and makeup to girls in need.

At Lorain High and other schools she provides monthly care packages to teens who qualify for free/reduced lunch and sign up for the service, and hygiene bags for fifth-grade girls after they complete a health class module on puberty.

Since its inception, Path and Green have distributed more than 16,000 menstrual items or more than 640 packages. Along-

side the menstrual products — packaged in discreet, brown paper bags — are often hair care products or small bottles of nail polish, and a card with words of encouragement.

Looking at the funding allocated in the state budget, she said it’s a great start, but expressed concern at how much each district could expect to receive when there are nearly 1,700 high schools in the state and only $5 million allocated to the project.

“I think it’s a really great start,” she said. “I’m excited that they’re hearing us and that it’s an issue. But what I’m concerned about is how it’s being implemented.”

She said for smaller districts like Firelands the funds will go much further, but it may not be enough to cover the costs in larger districts’ middle and high schools.

“Just putting on another thing that they’re going to have to take care of — I don’t think it’s a bad thing when it’s done well,” Yoder said. “… I always want my services to be a relief (for school districts) and not a burden … where I feel like this initiative, they’re putting a lot of extra

work on school districts as a whole.”

Yoder does everything short of finding students in need herself and distributing the actual packages in the building, she said.

She said some of the feedback she’s heard is that the items Path and Green provides take a burden off girls and their families facing “period poverty.”

An end to “Period poverty,” or the inability of someone to cover the costs of menstrual items, is a key goal of the Community Foundation of Lorain County’s Women’s Fund.

In 2021 the fund launched Change the Cycle, noting on its website that families struggling with food insecurity rarely have the funds to purchase hygiene supplies — especially for school-age girls.

According to the Women’s Fund, 18 percent of women in Lorain County live below the federal poverty level, and one in five women and teens reported missing work or school due to a lack of access to menstrual products.

Brittany Lovett, Community Foundation marketing and communications officer, said Change the Cycle has been partnering with local libraries, schools and the United Way of Greater Lorain County to get products in the hands of those who need them.

“I’m glad they’re focusing on our youth,” Lovett said of the state’s funding allocation. “But the Women’s Fund, they’ve been already distributing things and I think this is just a way that we know the middle schoolers, the high schoolers are going to be served then they can focus on those ages where individuals may need it outside of that.”

The Women’s Fund’s goal is to collect 1 million pieces of menstrual products by 2026, and any money raised is used to purchase products in bulk to hand out to those in need through The United Way and other partner agencies.

Since September the fund has collected 180,000 pieces and distributed 140,000, Lovett said.

“It’s one of those things that if it affects you, you know,” Lovett said. “Regardless of what financial situation you’re in, if you need period products, you need them. So the fact that they’re able to supply them to people who may not be able to get them otherwise is really commendable.”

To donate to Path and Green, visit pathandgreen.org or its Facebook page. To donate to the Women’s Fund, visit peoplewhocare.org.

CARISSA WOYTACH THE COMMUNITY GUIDE

JEFF BARNES | The Community Guide

ABOVE: Mattie Schmidt, 5, gets her face painted by Christine Burman during the 50th anniversary celebration of Sandstone Village on Aug. 5 in Amherst.

RIGHT: William Fought gives a blacksmith demonstration at Sandstone Village.

Amherst alumni take the field

RUSS GIFFORD | The Community Guide

LEFT: Amherst’s Gabi Brezina moves with the ball against alumna Madison Reynolds in the Comets Alumni Game on Aug. 5.

BELOW LEFT: Amherst alumna Lexy Alston turns with the ball against the Comets Juila Ciura in the alumni game.

BELOW RIGHT: Amherst’s Isabella McGee moves with the ball under pressure from alumna and Assitant Coach Kami Dumais.

Wellington, Clear Fork scrap ahead of season start

RUSS GIFFORD | The Community Guide

LEFT: Wellington’s Tess McDonnel battles for the ball at Norwalk during a scrimmage last month.

ABOVE: Amherst’s Jillan Markowich tries to push the ball past the Clear Fork back line during a scrimmage.

Pittsfield Township Historical Society

The Pittsfield Township Historical Society will host an ice cream and pie social event from 12-4 p.m. Sept. 10 at 16889 State Route 58. Premium ice cream and homemade pies will be offered by donationg.

There will be games for children and “cow pie squares” with a live cow. Bets on a square are $10 for a chance to win a 50-50 raffle. A basket raffle will be available, with several $50 cash prizes.

There will also be antique cars on display and the 1830s chool house will be open for tours, as well as the plans to build a museum.

A live band will provide music.

Amherst Public Library

Registration is required for regular programming by calling (440) 988-4230.

● The Amherst Public Library Board of Trustees will hold a regular meeting at the library on Monday, 5:45 p.m. Monday. The meeting is open to the public.

● Amherst Library’s 19th annual Scavenger Hunt is now open. Stop by the second floor of the library to pick up a form, then spend the month of August visiting local businesses to look for some of our favorite sweet treats. Match the treats at each location on your own of as part of a team. Each participant will receive a coupon for a free scoop of ice cream from Sugar Buzz. Correct answers will be entered into

BULLETIN BOARD

a prize drawing. Entries must be received by the Youth Services department by 8:30 p.m. Aug. 31.

● Help clean out the craft closet at 2:30 p.m. today or 6:30 p.m. Aug. 28. Attendees can complete a craft project they missed or use supplies to create something new.

● Music and Movement is 11:15 a.m. Aug. 18. It is designed for children ages 2-6 and their caregivers.

● Read to therapy dogs is 6:30 p.m. Aug. 15.

● Baby playdates are open every Monday through Aug. 28. Ageappropriate toys and books will be available for babies and their caregivers to play and socialize at the library.

● Tai Chi for balance and fall prevention is 10:30 a.m. Thursdays Aug. 17 through Sept. 21.

● Beach Glass 101 is 6:30 p.m. Aug. 17.

● The Friends of the Amherst Public Library will be in the library parking lot with the Amherst Police Department, Amherst Fire Department, and Amherst Utilities Department to collect school supplies to benefit students in Amherst Exempted Village Schools

4-7 p.m. Aug. 16. Collection may move indoors in the event of inclement weather. School supply lists can be found at: https://www.amherstk12. org/parents-students/supply-lists

1973 Lakeland Conference Championship

Teammates from the Marion L. Steele classes of 1974-76, as well as coaches, trainers, cheer-

The Lorain County Community Guide Bulletin Board is for local nonprofit and not-for-profit events. Items are published on a space-available basis and will be edited for style, length, and clarity. Send your items to news@lcnewspapers.com

leaders and managers associated with the 1973 football team are invited to join for a celebration of the 50th anniversary on Sept. 15 at the Marion L. Steele vs. Berea-Midpark home game. Attendees will meet at the high school gym lobby, the former senior lounge, at 6 p.m. The team will be recognized at halftime. An informal social gathering will follow at 9 p.m. at Ziggy’s. For information, contact Kris Diaz at (216) 315-0605 or kris. diaz74@gmail.com

Amherst Historical Society

● The Amherst Historical Society will present “Murder She Rhymed,” a 1920s murder mystery dinner theater this September.

Written by Jack Pachuta and directed by Valerie Farchman, it is set in 1928 Moose Jaw, Sashatchewan, a haven for Al Capone and a place of vice and corruption.

Tickets are $40 per person, $35 for AHS members. Dress for a 1928 party with prizes, a buffet and raffles.

This year’s performances are 6 p.m. Sept 16 and 23 and 2 p.m. Sept. 17 and 24. Reservations are required by Sept. 8. For more information or to reserve tickets, call (440) 988-7255 or email office@amhersthistoricalsociety.org

● The Amherst Histori-

cal Society would like to interview individuals with ties to the sandstone quarry – either those who worked there or had a family member who worked there. Interviews are being planned to begin in September or October. For more information, call (440) 988-7255 or email office@amhersthistoricalsociety.org

Herrick Memorial Library

To register for programs, call the library at (440) 647-2120

● Read to Putter 3:154:30 p.m. Thursdays

How-to water bath canning class 1-5 p.m. Aug. 19. Fran Blank will teach a hands-on class in canning tomatoes using the waterbath method. All materials will be provided. This class will be held at the United Church of Huntington, 2667 State Route 58, Huntington Twp. This class is for adults.

● How-to pressure canning class 1-5 p.m. Aug. 12 and 26. Fran Blank will teach a hands-on class in canning green beans using the pressure cooker method. All materials will be provided. This class will be held at the United Church of Huntington, 2667 State Route 58, Huntington Twp. This class is for adults.

● Perseid meteor watch 8:30 p.m. Aug. 12 at

Huntington Community Recreation Park, 27711

State Route 58 in Huntington Twp. A telescope will be available for views of Saturn, nebulae and galaxies. Feel free to bring your own observation equipment, chairs or blankets.

Ohio Genealogy Program

The Lorain County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogy Society will present “Railroads of Lorain County” virtually at 7 p.m. Aug. 14. Historian, preservationist, photographer and model railroader Adam Matthews will discuss the companies that have operated in Lorain County over the past 170 years. For more information, or to receive a free, online link to the meeting, email meetings@loraincoogs.org and ask to be added to the list.

Avon/Avon Lake Republican Club

At 5 p.m. today at the Knights of Columbus Ragan Hall, 1783 Moore Rd., Avon the Avon-Avon Lake Republican Club will present Dakota Sawyer, a radio host, Ohio House Bill 163 supporter and former candidate for Ohio State Representative. Sawyer will speak on digital currency, and the problems he sees with a potentially cashless society. Members are free, guests are $5.

Avon Democratic Club

Join the Avon Democratic Club for its annual baseball fundraiser at 7 p.m. Aug. 10 at Mercy Health Stadium, 2009 Baseball Boulevard, in Avon, as the Lake Erie Crushers face the Washington Wild Things. Tickets can be purchased by going to: https:// secure.actblue.com/donate/ adcbaseball2023

Proceeds will benefit the Avon Democratic Club, local Democratic candidates and voter outreach.

Oberlin Heritage Center

● The Civil War to Civil Rights historic walking tour is 11 a.m. Saturdays in August. The 90-minute tour higlights historic events surrounding Oberlin’s progress and setbacks in race relations from early Oberlin to the 21st century. The tour meets on the front steps of First Church UCC,

the corner of Routes 58 and 511. The tour is $6 for adults, children, students and members are free. Advanced registration is highly recommended.

● The Heritage Center’s summer camp registration is now open.

Atronomy and antiquity camp is 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 14-18. It is for children ages 10-15.

Members (including children and grandchildren of members) $110

Non-members $125

For more information, please email our Museum Education and Tour Manager at tourinfo@oberlinheritage.org or register online at oberlinheritagecenter.org

● Root beer and yesteryear is 1-4 p.m. Sept. 23. This event will feature live music, historic portrayals, old games, exhibits and root beer floats for everyone. Throughout most of its history, Oberlin was a “dry” town, meaning alcohol couldn’t be served within city limits – but root beer was available. The floats are generously provided by Oberlin IGA, while free popcorn is made possible by the Oberlin Athletic Boosters Club and Bethany Hobbs.

● Every Good Story Has a Plot is 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Sept. 30. Business owners, families and con artists have all walked Oberlin’s Main Street. The Oberlin Heritage Center will highlight some familiar faces in its Main Street Memories program on Sept. 30. Attendees will walk through Westwood Cemetery for an hour, and talk to reenactors portraying individuals from Oberlin’s past.

Reservations are required, space is limited to 20 people per time slot. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for members and $5 for children.

● An introduction to historical redlining in Oberlin is 6:30 p.m. Oct. 17. Redlining is the discriminatory practice in which services, often financial services like loans, are withheld from neighborhoods often occupied by minorities, low-income, or otherwise marginalized groups. It is also a term used to describe many forms of housing segregation.

● OHC will present this new program at the Oberlin Public Library in the Community Room on Oct. 17 at 6:30 p.m. This program is free and registration is not required.

brother

53. Famous Allen Ginsberg

poem 55. Band booking

57. *Hello in Normandy region 61. *Hello in Haifa 64. Letter-shaped girder 65. Female reproductive cells 67. Did like a lunatic 69. L in AWOL 70. Nada 71. Greet the day 72. “Musical” constellation 73. Precedes whiz 74. It typically has 4 doors

DOWN

1. Stars and Stripes country

2. *Unspoken greeting in France

3. Ned Stark’s youngest daughter

4. Prevents one from seeing

5. Have as logical consequence

6. Mosque prayer leader

7. *Japanese greeting move

8. To crack, as in case

9. Out of shape

10. Kindred

11. *Hello in Spain or in Mexico

12. Overwhelm like bees

15. Hymns of praise

20. Borders on

22. Choler 24. Shadow-utilizing timepiece 25. *Hi, in France

26. Prefix with type

27. Places in the heart

29. Praise 31. Kind of hug 32. In accordance with law 33. In the cooler 34. Like surrendered land

36. 1/60th of min, pl.

38. *Shakeable appendage

42. Horse greeting?

45. Don’t try this here? (2 words)

49. *Greetings to ____

51. “Toddlers & ____,” reality

TV

54. Amiss

56. Sunlight’s interference

57. Hillary’s hubby

58. Do as directed

59. Getting warm

60. Cup of joe

61. White ____ in retail

62. “Metamorphoses” poet

63. ____ Verde National Park

66. Contend

68. Cub’s home SOLUTION

Do youremember a time someonewas kind to you?

Who wasit?

Whatdid they do that was kind?

Alittleact of kindness cangoa long way toward makingsomeone have abetter day. Can youdrawa smile on each of thesefaces?

Do

Who wasit? Whatdid you do that was kind? How did it make you feel?

In Marchof2022, the kindergartners of West Side School in Healdsburg,California recordedlaughter andmessages they wrote to cheer people up. Theyset up aphone number where people could call and listen to these happy messages Their Peptok line received more than 11 million calls in ayear!

How did it makeyou feel?

Draw apicture or write about that memory

Kindness Bingo

Read each of the acts of kindness on this Bingo card.

Trytodoeach of these simple acts of kindnessinthe coming week. Color in a box every time you do one. Canyou color in the entire Kindness Bingo card in aweek?

Buddy Bench

ThisisTrevor. He is new at school.He’seating lunch all alone because he doesn’t know anyone yet.

Draw some new friends sitting with Trevor on thebench. It’s kind to introduce yourselfand your friends to someone new!

Kindness News is Good News!

Lookthrough the newspaper for examples of people being kind. Cut them out and make aKindness Poster.

Standards Link: Use the newspaper to locate information.

Theteachers came up with anothergood idea. They asked students to make posters with positive messages and hang them around their communities Posters are posted on telephone poles, in store windows, and on walls

Once youdisplayyourposter, takea pictureofitand send it to: Woodword@kidscoop.com Includeyourfirstname,age and state. Somewill be shared on our Instagram page.

With hundreds of topics,every KidScoop printable activitypack features six-to-seven pages of high-interest extra learning activities forhome and school! Getyour free sample todayat: