Lorain County Community Guide - Aug. 31, 2023

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Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023

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Volume 10, Issue 34

Amherst man sues city over arrest DAVE O’BRIEN THE COMMUNITY GUIDE

A retired Amherst man has sued the city and members of its police department in federal court for malicious prosecution and false arrest following his arrest last year on charges he allegedly enticed a 12-year-old boy to get into his car.

The criminal charges were dismissed in Oberlin Municipal Court after Judge Thomas Januzzi ruled that a law Amherst police used to charge Don Margolis had been deemed unconstitutional by the Ohio Supreme Court.

Attorney Subodh Chandra of Cleveland filed the 26-page lawsuit in U.S. District Court on Thursday. It makes 20 claims, including violations of Margolis’

Fourth and Sixth Amendment rights, false arrest, failure to train officers, intentional infliction of emotional distress, attempting to influence a public servant and destruction of public records, among others.

The lawsuit names the city, Amherst police sergeants Brian Griffin and Devin Small, Police Chief Mark Cawthon and five unnamed “John Doe” defendants.

The case is assigned to District Judge Charles Fleming.

Amherst Mayor Mark Costilow said Friday he was aware of the filing but was “not going to be able to comment” on the lawsuit.

Background and lawsuit

“All Don Margolis did was be kind to a boy who liked his MG sportscar” on Aug. 24, 2022,

Chandra said in a news release announcing the lawsuit.

The following day, Amherst police arrested him.

Margolis is a married, retired small businessman and U.S. Air Force veteran who was parked outside the Dairy Mart on Cleveland Avenue in Amherst a year ago when, “in a kind and innocent gesture,” he let a 12-year-old boy sit in his vintage 1970s MG sports car, his attorney said.

The boy got out after 30 seconds, but not before a witness reported what they saw to Amherst police.

Officers video-recorded an interview with the boy, who gave “a written statement recounting his entirely innocent interaction with Mr. Margolis,” according to Chandra.

“The boy said nothing improper took place,” the attorney said.

The “All Don Margolis did was be next day, kind to a boy who liked his “despite knowing MG sportscar” nothing Attorney Subodh Chandra improper hapand released the following day on pened,” Griffin called Margolis a GPS tracking unit. and asked him to come to the poThe arrest left Margolis “sleeplice station to discuss the matter. less and devastated,” and him Griffin read Margolis his Miand his family “severely affectranda rights, Margolis asked for ed,” his attorney said. He spent an attorney, and was told to go to 52 days on house arrest until the Oberlin Municipal Court “to recase was resolved in October. solve the matter,” Chandra said.

Four days before Margolis was Amherst police officers then ar- to go on trial, Januzzi dismissed rested Margolis and took him to the charge on Oct. 14, 2022, writcourt in a police car. They seized ing in the court record: “Since it his wallet with $1,300 cash inside is not a law, there is no charge. and Margolis spent several hours Since there is no charge, there is at court, where he was arraigned no charge to be dismissed. Case on a charge of child enticement closed.” without an attorney present.

The charge police filed on his Margolis was detained overclient had been unconstitutional night at the Lorain County Jail LAWSUIT PAGE A3

Golden Acres transfered to Port Authority STAFF REPORT

AMHERST TWP. – The former Golden Acres property will soon be up for sale.

The Lorain County Commissioners authorized County Administrator Jeff Armbruster to work on transferring ownership of the former Golden Acres property on North Ridge Road in Amherst Township to the Lorain County Port Authority for sale on Aug. 25.

Without the port authority involved, the only option the board had was to sell more than 30 acres at auction.

The property is the former site of a county-owned nursing home. The building was abandoned after the nursing home was shuttered by the county in 2015 and it was demolished last year.

“The best use of this ... was to tear down the building,” he said. “Nobody would touch 30 acres of land because of that building.”

Lorain County Metro Parks has expressed interest in the property, and locals want to try and save the popular sledding hill behind where the nursing home once stood, Moore said.

OWEN MacMILLAN | The Community Guide

Jose Ortiz smiles at his daughter Eva, 5, while she visits him at Grafton Correctional Institution on Sunday, Aug. 27.

Parenting from behind bars OWEN MACMILLAN THE COMMUNITY GUIDE

GRAFTON — On Sunday, dozens of fathers spent the day playing games, eating lunch and catching up with their kids.

But the event wasn’t in a park or a schoolyard, but rather the Grafton Correctional Institution, where all of those men are incarcerated.

The event Sunday was the culmination of a weekend-long program which sought to build

parenting skills for inmates to use both from behind bars and after their release.

Called the fatherhood conference, it is a partnership between the Department of Job and Family Services, Department of Rehabilitation and Correction and the nonprofit organization Passages.

“It started because we recognized that in correctional institutions, specifically here at Grafton, we have hundreds of men who are incarcerated and to a degree not able to be connected with their

families the way we want to,” Brian Moore, president and CEO of Passages, said.

So Moore and his organization worked with state officials to craft an educational program which teaches inmates at Grafton how to improve as fathers and as people.

Kimberly Dent is the Executive Director of the Ohio Commission on Fatherhood and she said the program helps build the confidence of incarcerated dads.

“Children do have the best experiences growing up with both

parents,” Dent said. “We tell the men here that although you’re here, that does not mean that you are stripped of your title of father.

You bring that with you, and it is really up to them how they’re going to use that title.”

The program includes a variety of classes which teach about financial literacy, employment and entrepreneurship opportunities upon release and share information about child support and the PARENTING PAGE A2

INSIDE THIS WEEK Amherst

Oberlin

County Fair

Driver sober initiative begins ● A3

1963 March on Washington ● A5

Special coverage ● B1

OBITUARIES A2 • CLASSIFIEDS A3 • CROSSWORD B5 • SUDOKU B5 • KID SCOOP B6

Page A2

Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023

Lorain County Community Guide

Lorain County natives break speed of sound together in Naval flight JON WYSOCHANSKI CORRESPONDENT

Two career U.S. Navy men with Lorain County roots broke the speed of sound a few weeks ago — and formed a bond in the process.

Command Master Chief Warren Wiedemann and Cmdr. Richard Prescott, both originally from the area and now head Rampagers Strike Fighter Squadron 83 on board Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia, crossed paths for the first time this year after more than a couple of decades in the Navy.

So why not take a flight together at speeds in the hundreds of miles per hour with twists, turns and formations at heights tens of thousands of feet in the air?

For Wiedemann, an Elyria native and 1996 graduate of Elyria West who enlisted in the Navy during his senior year, it was the first time flying in an F-18.

“It was absolutely amazing,” Wiedemann said.

For Prescott, an Avon native and 1999 Elyria Catholic graduate who received his commission in the Navy in 2003 after graduating from the Ohio State University and selection for flight training in 2006, G-forces

and broken sound barriers are another day in the office.

Wiedemann wasn’t just selected for this flight with Prescott because the two men shared the common bond of being from Northeast Ohio as well as their combined decades of Naval service to their old Uncle Sam. Incentive flights are offered several times per year by the Navy for sailors with years of exceptional service or performance of a particularly good deed, Prescott said. As the senior enlisted person in their squadron with 27½ years of service, Wiedemann fit that bill.

“He’s been around F-18s for a majority of that and he’d never had the opportunity to incentive flight,” Prescott said. “So before I left as the outgoing commanding officer I wanted to take him on that flight and we did.”

The two men, along with others, manned up around 11:30 a.m. Monday and took off with a “high performance climb” up to 17,000 feet. From there Prescott took Wiedemann through a variety of G-force moves to see how he’d react, a simulated dog fighting maneuver at 14,000 feet down to 5,000 feet and a formation demonstration with another

PROVIDED | The Community Guide

Navy Cmdr. Richard Prescott, left, and Command Master Chief Warren Wiedemann, who are both Lorain County natives, prepare to take off. pilot.

After that it was a climb from about 500 feet all the way up to 18,000 feet with a roll onto the plane’s back so they could look down at the sea, Prescott said.

Usually that’s when people get sick, he added, but not Wiedemann.

The two men joked that a strong intestinal fortitude is to be expected when one hails from the land of pierogi, kielbasa and Cedar Point.

“That’s the third time I’ve done an incentive flight in

my 16 years of flying and Warren is the first one that didn’t puke, which is good,” Prescott said.

All of this happened in the air at speeds of more than 600 mph up to 700 mph.

The pair broke the sound barrier around 12:28 p.m.

Think skydiving, roller coasters or bungee jumping all wrapped into one with about 40 pounds of gear on and oxygen.

“It’s very extreme,” Wiedemann said. “Very awesome.”

Beyond an enjoyable time

in a fighter jet on a sunny day, both men said incentive flights allow leaders on the ground to gain a better perspective of the jobs those in the air do.

“It really provides a better understanding of what they do on a daily basis and what they put their bodies through,” Wiedemann said.

Prescott, who holds degrees from Ohio State and the Citadel and has served on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has flown 65 combat missions over the skies of Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria

on four deployments, according to his military bio.

Wiedemann, who has embarked on numerous aircraft carriers in support of several operations as well as detaching to more than 30 bases around the globe, worked his way through the ranks to his current role as command master chief of Strike Fighter Squadron Eight Three.

He holds a bachelor’s degree of science in organizational leadership and a master training specialist certification.

PARENTING FROM A1

rights of dads who may have lost custody of their kids.

But Moore and Dent agreed that the most important lessons were those that focused on effective parenting, both from inside prison and on the outside.

Many of these dads did not have positive role models of their own,” Moore said. “So society is asking them to do something that might be foreign to them.

We feel an obligation and actually an opportunity while they are here to give them the tools, the support and let them know that parenting from a distance can be possible.”

This was the second year that the fatherhood conference was held at Grafton Correctional, with 206 inmates participating in classes on Friday and Saturday.

On Sunday, about 40 of them were visited by their families in the gym of the facility, playing, eating and laughing together.

“I’ve enjoyed learning about the programs avail-

able to families,” Bill Voegeli, who participated in the program, said. “It’s nice to have this and to be able to spend the day with my kids. I hope they keep it going and are able to grow it more, because I know there were some guys who wanted to participate who couldn’t this year.”

Voegeli was visited by his wife and three sons, and he was holding one of the three throughout what seemed like the entire morning.

Sanathan Moreland and her son Grayson, 4, visited Darrin Moreland and she said the day was unlike any visit they had been able to make before.

“I like that the kids can be free and run and play as much as they like,” she said. “Usually when we visit there are rules and they have to be still and sit down.

Here they get to just be kids and be with their dads.”

Every program participant that The Chronicle spoke with mentioned how much they had learned and how surprised they were by the resources available to them

OWEN MacMILLAN | The Community Guide

Bill Voegeli holds his son Owen, 8, while his family visits him at Grafton Correctional Institution. upon release.

“I’ve learned a lot about the financial side of having a family and I’ve learned there are a whole lot more programs out there available to us after we get out,” Brandon Long said. “It’s really great, you don’t get this in other institutions in the state so it’s a unique opportunity.”

Participating in games and activities alongside the families was Keith Foley, the warden of Grafton Correctional Institution.

Foley said he was impressed by the commitment that the men under his charge had to their kids despite their incarceration.

“They find creative ways to be parents from inside,”

Foley said. “So now this is just going to strengthen the men so when they do come home to our communities they are gonna be ready.”

Dent said that building on the skills and experience that dads already have is critical to fostering the confidence they need to be good parents.

“Every day of the confer-

ence is an opportunity to both empower and also to celebrate fatherhood,” she said. “Celebrate how essential it is for kids to know they are loved by their dads, that their dad had challenges but overcame them and is now ready to be the dad they need.”

Moore also talked about building confidence, adding it was the only way to ensure that those who went through the program could reintegrate into their families and communities rather than reoffend and be taken from those things again.

Officials and participants agreed that the education and information provided by the fatherhood conference was important, but that simply allowing families to be together was even more so.

“This last day is just all about fun,” Foley said. “You know, kids need to have fun with their parents and unfortunately they don’t have many opportunities to build memories like that. These are the important things, the memories.”

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Amherst Police kickoff Drive Sober campaign CARISSA WOYTACH THE COMMUNITY GUIDE

AMHERST — A heavily damaged white car sits haphazardly outside the Amherst Police Department.

It didn’t crash there, but will serve as a reminder to motorists heading toward Labor Day weekend to “drive sober or get pulled over,” Police Chief Mark Cawthon said at the campaign kickoff Aug. 22.

Now through Sept. 4, the Amherst Police Department will be stepping up patrols as part of the annual Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign, part of a national initiative to keep impaired drivers off the road.

Cawthon cited statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that nationally a person is killed in a drunken-driving-related crash every 39 minutes, totaling more than 13,000 killed each year.

In Lorain County, the 84

A person is killed in a drunken-driving-related crash every 39 minutes, totaling more than 13,000 killed each year.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

fatalities since 2020 have seen more than half caused by impaired driving, he said, with seven of the 14 fatal crashes so far this year caused by impaired drivers.

“Each and every day we want you to drive sober,” he said. “We want folks to be responsible on our roadways. If you’ve been drinking, we want you to have a plan (to get a sober ride).”

Cawthon was joined by tow truck operators, the fire department, and members of the county’s Safe Communities Coalition to highlight the start of increased patrols through the three-day weekend.

Erin Murphy, Lorain County Public Health director of health promotion and chronic disease

prevention, said the Safe Communities Coalition has included law enforcement, health and other local officials to work on policies, environmental changes and awareness campaigns for more than two decades. While not its only focus, the Drive Sober campaign is one of its core tenets.

Cawthon said the damaged car sitting along North Lake Street near Route 2 is meant to spark conversations about the dangers of impaired driving.

“We see an influx of traffic around that holiday and we want folks to be aware that the potential is out there, be careful and get that sober ride to get home,” Cawthon said.

inside, with Chandra alleging that “so-called ‘law enforcement’ stole about $400.” Amherst’s Law Department also allegedly destroyed records sought

by Chandra, he alleged in the lawsuit.

The lawsuit demands all of Margolis’ $1,300 back, compensatory and punitive damages with interest, attorney fees and other costs and expenses.

“Unfortunately, Mr.

Margolis was subjected to extreme police abuse — charging someone who police know, from the purported victim, is innocent of any crime, and charging him with a crime that doesn’t exist to begin with,” Chandra said. “As a former federal and local prosecutor, I’m simply appalled by this behavior.

And Amherst’s defiance of the basic rule of law here is astonishing.”

LAWSUIT FROM A1

in Ohio for eight years, Chandra said.

For his part, Cawthon “defiantly excused Amherst police’s mistreatment of Mr. Margolis, telling the Chronicle-Telegram that in ‘his view the law remains on the books and he believes there was probable cause to charge Margolis,’” according to Chandra.

Later, when Margolis’ wallet was returned, it had only a $900 debit card

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TIME AND PLACE FOR OPENING BIDS: 11:15 AM, Monday, September 25, 2023, Lorain time, City of Lorain Council Chambers, Lorain City Hall 1st Floor.

SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION DATE: December 15, 2023 FINAL COMPLETION DATE: December 31, 2023 Bids must be accompanied by Certified Check or Cashier’s Check or Letter of Credit equals to ten percent (10%) of the amount bid, or a bond for the full amount of the bid as a guarantee that if the bid is accepted, a contract will be entered into, and a performance bond properly secured. Should any bid be rejected, such instrument will

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Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023

Lorain County Community Guide

Wellington Schools BBB: Homeowners beware ‘storm kick off another chasers’ after weather damage year in ‘Kindland’ Wellington

STAFF REPORT

CARISSA WOYTACH | The Community Guide

Stuart Muszynski, President/CEO of Values in Action, spoke to Wellington Schools staff about Kindland, an initative to decrease bullying and promote positivity in the district on Monday, Aug. 28.

CARISSA WOYTACH THE COMMUNITY GUIDE

WELLINGTON — Wellington Schools staff and students will spend another year in “Kindland.”

Ahead of the 2023-24 school year Values in Action President/CEO Stuart Muszynski spoke to Wellington School staff about the nonprofit’s Kindland initiative, an ongoing campaign to promote positivity in the community.

The program provides seven lesson plans for teachers, Muszynski said, giving staff a “common language” to help students learn how to get along and make social-emotional learning and behavior management easier.

“In pushing kindness, you’re teaching students how to get along,” he said. “You’re teaching the common language for our society of getting along.”

He referenced when Cleveland’s John Adams High School joined “Kindland” in 2017, its suspension and bullying incidents plummeted and graduation rates improved.

He also noted a 2017 Coca-Cola

study that found employees who practiced one act of kindness a day had more energy and were more engaged.

An Ohio State University study released in January found that acts of kindness helped depression and anxiety, he said.

“That kindness will grow organically because that’s what kindness does,” he said. “It’s infectious … We all know that when we see an act of kindness, we want to do an act of kindness. When we do an act of kindness … we get an endorphin boost, we get actually a chemical reaction in our brains and we want to do more.”

He compared the school district to a pinecone, with individual classrooms as the scales and kindness at its core, noting without that strong core, the pinecone falls apart.

After speaking to staff, Muszynski said part of the idea is “we can no longer separate the air between schools, community, government, families and business.”

Each element affects the other,” he said. “So that if the air is infected in one sector of our society, then it’s going to impact the other sectors. So

we needed that common denominator that everybody could be talking about and doing positive actions with, and that’s kindness. That’s why we’re pushing that, as the idea of creating a ‘Kindland’ wherever you are.”

Nationally there are 4,500 schools participating in the Kindland initiative, and Muszynski believes those simple acts of kindness “will unite our country again.”

In 2022, the initiative recorded more than 61 million acts of kindness in Northeast Ohio, he said, from food drives to helping refugee families.

Also at Monday’s event, Wellington Schools announced senior Nadia Greer, 17, as the winner of a Kindland creative writing challenge.

Greer is one of five students from around the country to win the essay challenge, which answered the prompt “How I would make the world a kinder place.”

Greer said she wrote about why there is no Kindland and how she decided to bring kindness back to Wellington Schools by helping two girls who were being bullied.

She will be a Kindland Ambassador this school year.

Heavy overnight rains Wednesday and subsequent storms Thursday into Friday led to severe flooding and wind damage to homes across Northeast Ohio, including Lorain County.

Since property damage is a concern, the Better Business Bureau serving Greater Cleveland is warning area homeowners to beware of “storm chasers” and out-of-town contractors seeking homeowners’ unsolicited business.

Although not all storm chasers are scammers, they may lack proper licensing and insurance, offer quick but inappropriate fixes or make promises they can’t deliver.

BBB says: ● Assess the damage: Take pictures of the damage and document it thoroughly. Present this information to your insurance company as soon as possible. Consider making minor repairs to prevent future damage, such as putting a dehumidifier and fans in a room or a tarp on a roof. ● Contact your insurance company: If your home or car suffered severe weather damage, ask your insurance company about policy coverage and specific filing requirements. Save all receipts for food, temporary lodging or other expenses that may be covered under your policy. Your insurance company may also have recommended contractors. ● Be careful of door-to-door contractors and utility workers: Ask for identification from any individual going door-to-door. Check the worker’s company vehicle for a business name and contact information.

Write down their license plate number. If you are contacted by a contractor going door-to-door, verify with your city that they have a solicitor’s permit. ● Resist high-pressure sales: Some storm chasers use tactics such as the “good deal” you’ll only get if you hire the contractor on the spot. Sometimes unscrupulous contractors will also offer a deal on repairs, citing they have “leftover material” from another job site. Disaster victims should never feel forced to make a hasty decision. ● Don’t sign over insurance checks to contractors: Obtain an invoice from the contractor and pay them directly. Don’t sign any documents that give the contractor any rights to your insurance claims. If you have questions, contact your insurance company or agent. ● Get everything in writing: Don’t rely on verbal promises made by a contractor. Keep copies of contracts, service agreements, warranties and receipts. ● Be wary regarding places you can’t see: While most contractors abide by the law, be careful allowing someone you do not know to inspect your roof and other areas of your house. An unethical contractor may actually create damage to get work. The same goes for attics, crawl spaces, ducts and other places you cannot easily access or see for yourself.

If you spot a scam, report it to BBB.org/Scam Tracker.

Storms force closure of Lorain County Fair OWEN MACMILLAN THE COMMUNITY GUIDE

Jessica Forthofer showed a champion steer at the Lorain County Fair on Aug. 23.

Later the same day, she watched her shoes float away.

Forthofer, 17, was one of many fair participants surveying the damage Thursday after a historic storm Wednesday night.

“We’ve never seen anything like this,” said Forthofer, who’s been showing animals at the fair since she was 9. “We’ve had rain, but never this bad.”

Massive thunderstorms crept across all of northern Ohio Wednesday night and Thursday morning, dropping a particularly heavy deluge on Lorain County.

Nick Greenawalt of the National Weather Service of Cleveland said that Lorain received 6.34 inches of rain overnight, a total which could make Wednesday’s occurrence a five century storm.

“Roughly 6 inches in 12 hours for the northern Lorain County area would typically be something you would expect only once every 200 to 500 years or so,” Greenawalt said. “The probability of that happening is on the order of about .01 percent, so just on the upper echelon of rarity.”

Greenawalt said more thunderstorms were predicted for late Thursday, and though they would be less severe and faster moving they could still easily

BRUCE BISHOP | The Community Guide

Jessica Forthofer, 17, surveys the damage to parked cars brought by a “five century storm” on Aug. 24 at the Lorain County Fairgrounds. overwhelm an already stressed water system.

“Fortunately it looks like those storms will be moving really quick,” he said. “We are still expecting heavy rainfall, potentially damaging winds… and with the rain that we’ve had it is not going to take too much more rainfall to add additional flooding, with how saturated things are.”

Despite the severity of the storm, Greenawalt said the NWS had not had any reported fatalities across its entire coverage region, from the Indiana border to Erie, Pennsylvania.

The County Fair

The exceptional rainfall Wednesday caused flooding across the county, including at the grounds of the Lorain County Fair.

Fair organizers were forced to close for the day on Thursday, the first time in living memory the fair had been closed like that.

“I’ve been on the board for 19 years, we’ve never had to close it for a full day,” Fair Board member Kim Meyers said. “I’ve been coming to the fair 25, maybe 30 years before that and I can never remember it being where we had

to close.”

Tents were toppled by water and wind, booths and rides were drenched and water filled parking areas up to the windows of the cars parked there.

On Aug. 24 Meyers said a few vehicles were still submerged in the lot after volunteers had spent the day using a crane and farm equipment to pull about 30 vehicles out of the deepest water.

Members of the Fair Board met that morning to assess the damage, before meeting to make the previously unthinkable call to close the fair for the day.

“There was stuff blown everywhere, water under our rides, water under our vendor booths and so it was just a lot,” Meyers said.

While the fair may have lost a day, Meyers said the spirit of the gathering was on clear display in the volunteers working Aug. 24 to get the grounds cleared and ready.

“Everybody is pitching in,” he said. “All the directors are working really hard, the volunteers, the 4-H kids, the FFA kids. We had a lot of volunteers just show up, wanting to help. Picking up, cleaning up, doing whatever they can.”

Meyers said that local businesses and even organizers of other county fairs, in Summit and Medina, had called asking how they could help.

Like many 4H’ers, Forthofer had stayed at her camper on the fairgrounds Wednesday night when the storms rolled in. She watched as the water rose high enough to cover the fire ring outside.

Meanwhile, Zoe Gifford, 18, of Wakeman, saw videos of the damage after she went home for the night and came back early Thursday to help with the clean up.

“This morning, I saw all those cars under the water, and they’re working to get things out but it’s bad,” Gifford said. “Some of the barns were really flooded, but we got brooms and got the water out.

The junior fair board is a little flooded, so we’re working on fixing that.”

Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023

Lorain County Community Guide

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‘It really did influence my life’ Lorain County residents remember March on Washington 60 years later CARISSA WOYTACH THE COMMUNITY GUIDE

After an all-night train ride from Sandusky to Washington, D.C., an almost 18-year-old Sylvia DuVall and her sister, Joan, stepped out onto the Mall.

It was a multitude of people, Sylvia told “The Sandusky Register” in 1963 after she and her sister and a friend were safely back in their Parish Street living room. Some wore coveralls, coming out of fields or off factory lines to join the procession led by Martin Luther King Jr. The 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom saw King deliver his “I Have a Dream” speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, while more than 250,000 attendees watched on.

DuVall, now sitting in her Lorain living room six decades later, said she was struck by how coordinated everything was.

“It was really a feat of coordination with A. Philip Randolph and the unions — you think about it today, I know today we have email and it’s much easier,” she said, noting Randolph (a labor and civil rights activist) had threatened a similar march nearly two decades earlier but was convinced progress was being made after the military was integrated.

DuVall’s mother, Alpha, was a longtime leader of the Sandusky NAACP and sent her two oldest daughters on a 1,000-mile round trip to the U.S. Capitol.

“I did not understand the weight of it … I was getting to be 18 and society used to protect children. I knew why we were going there — I may not have understood the really horrible things that underlaid the reason for the march,” she said. “But it really did influence my life.”

She said later, “We went from the train station over to the mall and marched along that reflecting pool,” she said.

“What was amazing to me was the fact that there were so many people there, I never heard one word of descension, I never heard one word of frustration or irritation. Everybody was committed to what the idea behind the march was and determined to make this effort to change America, or to make America what it purports to be.”

Farther out in the crowd that day, a recent college graduate from Vassar College’s group of friends melded with other early-20-somethings who’d come to Washington, D.C. to work.

Nancy MacRae had just moved into an apartment in Georgetown with a college friend and another roommate and saw information about the march ahead of time.

One of her roommates was “forbade” by her mother from attending the march, MacRae said, and her college friend had a class for her Master’s program, so MacRae found another group to go with.

“I have to tell you the tone of the whole thing … it was like a Sunday school picnic with 250,000 people,” she said.

“It was not a demonstration whatsoever — everybody was happy, it was joyful, it was very exciting and you think of all of the people who were there who were involved in the civil rights movement to speak.”

At 21 years old she understood the historical significance of the gathering, she said, but didn’t know how profound it would really be, as no one could have predicted Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination less than five years later.

She met her husband, James, in the crowd there.

“He approached me,” she said, an unusual thing for an African American man to do to a white woman at the time. “But

CARISSA WOYTACH | The Community Guide

Nancy MacRae holds her wedding photo taken more than 50 years ago in Germany. She met her husband, James, at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963. we were all liberal, we were accepting everybody … so we just started dating.”

In August, James left for Germany and MacRae had just started work for the Peace Corps. And followed him overseas.

“I made up my mind by the time May came,” she said. “We actually married over there at the consulate.” and would go on to follow him to Germany where he worked for the Foreign Service.

The pair stayed in northern Germany for several years and would be married four years before the Supreme Court’s ruling in Loving v. Virginia ruled laws banning interracial marriage were unconstitutional.

“When he passed away we were 18 days short of our 50th anniversary,” she said.

MacRae, now a resident at Kendal at Oberlin, looked back on the march and how inspiring it was to hear King speak.

“He was the important speaker, but everybody rose to the occasion,” she said.

She said she was conscious of the civil rights movement at the time — seeing news coverage of atrocities committed in the South, but it was the first time she’d really been involved in any demonstration.

“We were young — why wouldn’t we go?” she said. “It was the biggest event we’d been near, so there wasn’t any question about going at all.”

MacRae’s fellow Kendal resident Elizabeth Hole was around Sylvia’s age when her parents let her take a friend’s chartered plane from New York to Washington, D.C. after spending the summer at a Quaker work camp in Vermont.

“Martin Luther King had been so wellrevered and Bayard Rustin was a Quaker, so there was strong Quaker support for all of this at the time, so (my parents) let me go,” she said.

After finding a group she knew from Pennsylvania, she found a seat on the ground next to the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. While her back was to the speakers, she was close, she said. Even at 18, what struck her was a group of individuals who’d walked from Missis-

Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights sue over ‘deceptive ballot language’ STAFF REPORT

Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights filed a lawsuit with the Ohio Supreme Court on Monday challenging the recently approved, “deceptive” summary language for Issue 1 — the reproductive freedom amendment ballot initiative appearing on the ballot in November.

The coalition is asking the court to order the Ohio Ballot Board to instead adopt the full text of the amendment as the ballot language.

Alternatively, the court may direct the Ballot Board to correct blatant inaccuracies, according to a news release sent by the group.

“Issue 1 was clearly written to protect Ohioans’ right to make our own personal health care decisions about contraception, pregnancy, and abortion, free from government interference,” Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights spokesperson Lauren Blauvelt said. “The summary that was adopted by the Ballot Board is intentionally misleading and fails to meet the standards required by Ohio law. Ohio

voters deserve to see the full amendment language for Issue 1, which they can find at ReadTheAmendment.com.”

Chaired by the Ohio Secretary of State, the Ohio Ballot Board dictates the language that appears on the ballot for proposed Constitutional amendments.

Its duty is to adopt ballot language that “does not mislead, deceive or defraud voters,” according to Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights, which claims the ballot language passed by the Ballot Board and challenged in its lawsuit does not meet that standard.

“It was like a Sunday school picnic with 250,000 people. It was not a demonstration whatsoever — everybody was happy, it was joyful, it was very exciting and you think of all of the people who were there who were involved in the civil rights movement to speak.”

Nancy MacRae

sippi to the March — the crowd parting to let the tired cluster of Black men and women through.

“They were determined,” she said.

“They’d been taken care of, but they were all muscle, a little dusty, a little dirty, a little ragged and they had done it because they wanted to be there … it was like maybe I don’t fully understand this.”

Hundreds of thousands hitchhiked, drove, rode buses or trains, or, like Hole, flew into Washington, D.C. for the event.

But it wasn’t until she was leaving, joining another friend on a bus back to Pennsylvania, when the magnitude of the crowd struck her, she said.

Traffic seemed to stop to let a caravan of buses out of the area, one after the other through Prince George’s County.

“Where the road curved you could see bus after bus, after bus, after bus, after bus and my sense was that they had stopped stop lights just to let this convoy through,” she said, adding the residents out on their porches as they passed by seemed to have a gratitude, and surprise, that so many people had come for the cause.

“Somehow that was more powerful than actually looking out at the mall, that I really was part of something unique and that wouldn’t be again,” she said.

The event became one of the most famous political rallies in United States history.

When thinking about what a teenage version of herself told a Register reporter all those years ago, DuVall laughed.

In an Aug. 31, 1963 article, DuVall remarked to the reporter about the songs the group sang, including “We Shall

Overcome,” and reportedly began to sing a few bars before her mother shushed her.

When teenage Sylvia was asked why they took the trip to only be in Washington for about five hours, she replied: “The adults have been fighting for this thing for a long time. It’s time we took up our own cross.”

She and her sister didn’t hear King’s famous speech until they got back on the train and listened to the replay on the radio while making another overnight trip home.

It resonated with 17-year-old DuVall, just like it resonates with her 60 years later. It was a building block for many of the advances of the civil rights movement at the time, she said.

She sees things as cyclical — the world now in a “downward spiral” with political tensions high, but it’s also changed for the better.

“There’s a lot more support by the everyday average person for the rights and privileges of everyone being equal now,” she said. “The problem is that we do have a group of people fighting to maintain the old ways and they’re the ones who constantly show up at the ballot box …

“Unless we get a lot of people who are concerned and caring, unless we make them understand that the political scene is not an obscene institution — that’s the way we in America make changes for the good – and unless they embrace that idea and start showing up at the ballot box, then we’re going to have our country run by a few people dedicated to their view of what the world should be.”

AND COMMISSION 85 SOUTH MAIN STREET BOARD MEETING DATES ALL MEETINGS WILL BE OBERLIN OHIO 44074 Live Streamed @ AUGUST 31, 2023 http://oberlinoh.swagit.com/live AUGUST 31, 2023 ............. SPECIAL OURCIT – 3:00 P.M. – 36 S. PROSPECT ST. PURPOSE: TO DISCUSS THE SECOND RIBBON CUTTING AND DEDICATION OF THE OBERLIN UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. SEPTEMBER 4, 2023 ...... OFFICES CLOSED IN OBSERVANCE OF LABOR DAY SEPTEMBER 5, 2023 ......HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION - 5:00 P.M. - 36 S. PROSPECT ST. SEPTEMBER 5, 2023 ......CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARING – 6:00 P.M. – COUNCIL CHAMBERS PURPOSE: TO DISCUSS AND CONSIDER AN APPLICATION FOR AN AMENDMENT TO THE ZONING MAP FROM “R-1”/SINGLE-FAMILY DWELLING DISTRICT TO “C-1”/CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT FOR A PORTION OF THE PROPERTY AT 33 E. VINE STREET AND A RECOMMENDATION OF THE OBERLIN PLANNING COMMISSION TO REZONE THIS PARCEL TO “C1”/CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT SEPTEMBER 5, 2023 ......CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARING – 6:30 P.M. – COUNCIL CHAMBERS PURPOSE: TO DISCUSS AND CONSIDER A RECOMMENDATION OF THE OBERLIN PLANNING COMMISSION TO AMEND CHAPTER 1338 PLANNED DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT REGULATIONS IN THE ZONING CODE TO CLARIFY THE APPROVAL PROCESS FOR A PLANNING DEVELOPMENT SEPTEMBER 5, 2023 ...... REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING - 7:00 P.M. - COUNCIL CHAMBERS SEPTEMBER 6, 2023 ......PLANNING COMMISSION - 4:30 P.M. - 36 S. PROSPECT ST. NOTICE: DISABLED MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY WHO MAY NEED ASSISTANCE, PLEASE CALL 775-7203 OR E-MAIL: banderson@cityofoberlin.com NOTICE REQUIRED: TWO (2) WORKING DAYS IN ADVANCE OF MEETING (48 HOURS) CLERK OF COUNCIL’S OFFICE.

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SPORTS

Lorain County Community Guide

Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023

Send sports news to news@lcnewspapers.com. Deadline for all submissions is 10 a.m. each Monday. Printed as space is available.

Firelands bests rival KRISTIN BAUER | The Community Guide

RIGHT: Firelands High School’s Devin Linn (1) sets up a punt for teammate, kicker Tocco Iafolla (3) that sailed by Vermilion High School’s linebacker Keegan Frey (1) for a field goal on Friday night, August 25. Firelands won 30-0, retaining the Stillman Cup.

BELOW LEFT: Firelands High School’s quarterback Jim Aunspaw (18) makes a completed pass before getting tackled by Vermilion High School’s Collin Angney (23).

BELOW RIGHT: Vermilion High School’s running back Evan Kuhns (33) is brought down by Firelands High School’s linemen Collin Adkins (65) and Logan Galligan (4).

Mapleton sweeps Wellington

RUSS GIFFORD | The Community Guide

LEFT: Wellington’s Nolan Sasack runs through Mapleton defenders. Mapleton won 42-18.

ABOVE: Wellington’s Tyson Boley leads the Dukes onto the field against the Mounties.

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Lorain County

FAIR

Lorain County Community Guide • Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023

Rep. Bob Latta visits Lorain County Fair OWEN MACMILLAN THE COMMUNITY GUIDE

WELLINGTON — The U.S. Congress is in its summer recess, but Rep. Bob Latta, R-Bowling Green, is having one of his busiest times of the year: county fair season.

On Aug. 23, Latta was in Wellington visiting the Lorain County Fair, the largest annual fair in his district and the newest, after redistricting added Lorain County to his representative area in January.

Latta represents 12 counties, and he goes to all of their county fairs in something of a circuit at the end of the summer.

Two weeks ago Latta visited four county fairs and next week he will attend two, in Van Wert and Hancock counties.

“I could say I’ve eaten my way across northern Ohio,” Latta said.

When he isn’t at a fair, Latta said he is meeting with constituents and responding to mail.

“In Washington, we call this a recess, but I call it the August work period,” Latta said.

“I’m literally in my car from here to the Indiana line back and forth all the time.”

Latta said getting to know constituents is the most important part of his job, and that visiting the

many fairs in his district at the end of the summer is a fun way to do that.

He said that one of his favorite things about county fairs is the opportunity they offer to kids who are members of 4-H Clubs and the Future Farmers of America (FFA).

“I’m always impressed with how many (kids) there are and how active they are. The 4-H and FFA are such great builders for youth, these kids get to go out and have hands-on experience and learn how to do it,” Latta said.

Many of the animals ridden, shown and auctioned at the county fair are raised and cared for by young members of these groups.

The 4-H members also form the Junior Fair Board, and will eventually take over on the Senior Fair Board and organize the fair themselves.

Latta’s wife, Marcia, was a member of 4-H and showed hogs at her own county fair as a child. Her family had at least one member in 4-H for 19 consecutive years.

“You had to do chores, you had to do everything,” Latta said. “But these kids learned that responsibility and they learned a lot of other things about how to interact with people. They aren’t shy.”

When asked if Lorain County was his favorite

OWEN MacMILLAN | The Community Guide

Rep. Bob Latta, R-Bowling Green, shares a laugh with constituents at the Lorain County Fair on Wednesday, Aug. 23. fair, Latta gave the expected diplomatic answer but said he’d loved the Lorain County Fair even before it was added to his district.

“Every fair has all of their different characteristics that make them a great fair,” Latta said. “And over here it’s partially that it’s a really, really large fair. It’s one of the biggest in the state.”

As he wandered through the livestock barns in between meetings with constituents, Latta said

that the size of Lorain County and its fair means the number and variety of its livestock on display is impressive.

Another special thing about the Lorain County Fair, Latta said, is the number of people involved in running it and their commitment to improving it continually.

“The great thing is there is so much community involvement,” he said. “And not just involvement, it’s also that there’s people

that want to keep making the fair better. They aren’t just resting on their laurels.”

Latta headed to Bowling Green after visiting the fair Wednesday, but he said Lorain County residents would continue to hear from him.

Every letter responding to a constituent is signed

by Latta, and he said that despite only serving Lorain County since January, his largest number of letters are from here.

“People always think the job is in Washington,” Latta said. “But you have two jobs: it’s your legislative work and it’s the constituent work that you do back home.”

Before he left the fair, Latta stopped by a vendor’s stand to buy something for his wife: fresh kettle corn.

“It’s her favorite,” Latta said. “If she found out they had it here and I forgot, it would not be good for me.”

Junior Fair hog, beef auction sets new records

More than a project

CARISSA WOYTACH THE COMMUNITY GUIDE

All photos THOMAS FETCENKO | The Community Guide

ABOVE: Farm Strong 4-H Club member Creighton Broske, 12, of Henrietta Township, rests on top of his steer, named Big Joe, before saying goodbye after the auction on Saturday morning, Aug. 26 during the Lorain County Fair.

LEFT: Siblings Jenna Arnold, 10, Kipton, 13, and Joey, 13, of Oberlin, walk their turkeys between the barns on Saturday morning, August 26 during the Lorain County Fair. All of their turkeys were named “Tom.”

WELLINGTON – Saturday was a profitable day for Lorain County Junior Fair kids.

The market hog and market beef auctions set new records, netting their 4-Hers thousands of dollars.

For Peter Howard III, 15, his Grand Champion market hog netted him $24 per pound, totaling $6,480 for the Spencer teen and a new record for the Junior Fair.

Peter broke last year’s record of $23 per pound, set when Farkas Farms and K and L Processing/ White Oak Ranch Market bought Emily Kiser’s champion hog.

It was a lot of work, Peter and his father, PJ Howard, said, the summer spent in the family’s barn — something he’s been doing since he was about 5 years old.

“They walk pigs every day, they wash, tan – it’s an everyday thing for all the kids in there,” PJ Howard said. “The bigger animals aren’t as easy as the smaller animals in a cage. You’re out exercising and getting ready for showmanship stuff. It’s a lot of work.”

Peter is a member of Saddle-Lites 4-H Club of Lorain County and plans to put his earnings toward next year’s project.

Bryner Lawncare, Landscaping and Concrete bought Peter’s hog.

Ezekiel Dvorak’s Reserve Champion market hog sold for $20 per pound to North Central Ohio Building Trades. The Laborers Local 758 and Workers Local 33 split the $5,340 purchase.

Ezekiel, 14, said he and his siblings worked all summer – something they’re no stranger to having raised market hogs since he was 9 years old.

“It feels good, me and my brother and sister worked all summer for it … we all enjoy it,” he said.

The New London teen is a member of Brighton Buckeyes of Lorain County 4-H club. He plans to save the money to buy a farm.

Market beef

Patrick Finnegan’s Dairy Beef Grand Champion brought him $3.25 per pound, putting $5,859.75 in his pocket from buyer Ohio Roofing, Siding and Slate.

Patrick, 14, won Reserve AUCTION PAGE B2

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Lorain County Community Guide

First Junior Fair Ag Olympics sees kids compete for title STAFF REPORT

WELLINGTON — It was a race to the finish line Aug. 23 for the first Jr. Fair Ag Olympics at the Lorain County Fair.

Organizer Abby Chenoweth said the competition was open to anyone participating in the Junior Fair, with more than 100 kids representing dozens of 4-H clubs competing for a homemade trophy and bragging rights.

She said a group of fair parents brainstormed the collaborative event, giving kids who may show

animals or compete in different parts of the fair a way to come together.

“So often there’s something for pigs, there’s something for horses and their friends aren’t limited to the species they show,” Chenoweth said.

The evening’s Olympics included an obstacle course requiring a relay team to navigate it with a wheelbarrow, cow milking, laundry hanging, grocery shopping and tire flipping all inside the Horse Show Barn. The top teams from the junior fair would go on to compete against their senior fair counterparts.

All photos THOMAS FETCENKO | The Community Guide

Kelsey Herner, 19, of Grafton competes in the AG Olympics hosted at the Lorain County Fair with her 4H club Barnyard Bunnies on Wednesday, Aug. 23.

Demolition derby marks end of Lorain County Fair OWEN MACMILLAN THE COMMUNITY GUIDE

WELLINGTON — The revving of engines, cheering of crowds and clashing of steel were the sounds that heralded the end of the 177th Lorain County Fair on Aug. 27.

Those sounds emanated from grandstands, the site of the Sunday demolition derby which traditionally marks the final official event of the fair.

The fair itself, like several mangled vehicles on Sunday, revved back to life following a strange and stormy week which saw the first time in popular memory that the fair had to be closed for a full day.

After a “500 year” storm hit the county Aug. 23 the fairgrounds were windswept and flooded, forcing organizers to close Thursday.

Fair Board of Directors member Kim Meyers said it was the first time in his over 40 years attending or working at the fair that it had closed for an entire day.

But the crowds were back in force Friday and the fair remained packed through its official end on Sunday.

A portion of that Sunday crowd packed the grandstands and all additional seating at the main track on the fairgrounds to watch the fair’s legendary demolition derby.

Heats separated the participants by age and car type and carried on the destruction throughout the afternoon.

In one of the youth events Emma Long, 13, of Brimfield took home the second place trophy which was almost as tall as she was.

Long’s father and grandfather are demolition derby drivers, but Sunday was only her second time ever getting behind the wheel in an event.

Her debut was only days prior at the Portage County Randolph Fair.

“It’s really not that bad,” Long said. “People think it is but once you’re in there it’s just fun.”

TOP: Brothers Henry Smith, 3, and Levi, 4, of Elyria, play in their family’s demolition car ahead of the Demolition Derby at the Lorain County Fair.

ABOVE: The Lorain County Fair concluded on Sunday, Aug. 27 with the annual demolition derby.

AUCTION FROM B1 Champion last year, and said he wasn’t expecting to take home the top prize this year.

“I thought my brother had a better one, originally,” he said.

“I knew I had a good one, I just didn’t expect him to beat my older brother’s one. I comes down to how they look that day.”

He plans to split the money between next year’s project and buying a truck.

Patrick is a member of Pitchfork Pals 4-H Club.

Tristan Born’s Dairy Beef Reserve Champion sold for $3.75 per pound to Strong Construction and K and L Processing.

The 17-year-old brought home $5,981.25 and plans to use it to attend a diesel mechanic trade school in Indiana.

He said he’s been showing steer for about four years, but has always had livestock at home on the family’s farm.

Tristan is a member of Farm Strong 4-H Club.

Kelsie Davis’ Modern Beef Reserve Champion sold for $6 per pound to Keller Meats — something she never thought would happen.

“It’s unbelievable,” she said.

“As a little kid I never thought I’d be up here. I thought I was always going to have some crummy calves that people don’t like to look at.”

She’s said she’s been showing steers since she was 8 years old.

Now 15, this is her first champion animal.

She plans to put her earnings toward next year’s project and buy better stock. Kelsie is a member of Born In A Barn 4-H Club.

Jessica Forthofer’s Lottery Grand Champion steer set another record, netting the teen $11.50 per pound. North Central Ohio Building Trades bought the 1,393-pound steer – the Laborers Local 758 and Workers Local 33 split the

Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023

ABOVE: Lorain County Steer Club member Morgan Adkins smiles while looking at her steer. She had the Lottery Reserve Champion steer on Saturday morning, August 26 during the Lorain County Junior Fair Auction.

RIGHT: Pitchfork Pals 4-H Club member Patrick Finnegan waits to show his steer on Saturday morning, August 26. Finnegan had the Dairy Beef Grand Champion steer during the Lorain County Junior Fair Auction. $16,019.50 purchase.

The record was $10.50 set in 2021 when Mezurek Buyer Group No. 2 purchased Chance Mezurek’s Grand Champion steer.

Morgan Adkins’ Lottery Reserve Champion sold for $6.50 per pound, bringing in $9,431.50, purchased by Ross Environmental.

Both girls are members of the Lorain County Steer Club.

Peyton Pickering’s Modern Beef Grand Champion sold to M and R Truck Service for $8.25 per pound, bringing her $12,342. Peyton is a member of Rochester Winning Workers 4-H club.

2023 sale prices

Market Hog Grand Champion: $24/lb. for a 270 pound hog.

Market Hog Reserve Champion: $20/lb. for a 267 pound hog.

Lottery Steer Grand Champion: $11.50/lb. for a 1,393 pound steer.

Lottery Steer Reserve Champion: $6.50/lb. for a 1,451 pound steer.

Dairy Beef Grand Champion: $3.25/lb. for a 1,803 pound steer.

Dairy Beef Reserve Champion: $3.75/lb. for a 1,595 pound steer.

Modern Beef Grand Champion: $8.25/lb. for a 1,496 pound steer.

Modern Beef Reserve Champion: $6/lb. for a 1,397 pound steer.

Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023

Lorain County Community Guide

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Draft Horse and Pony Hitch

Family farms ‘hitch up’ for competition CARISSA WOYTACH THE COMMUNITY GUIDE

WELLINGTON – For Kuchenrither Farms, the Lorain County Fair’s Draft Horse and Pony Hitch competition is nothing new.

Mike Kuchenrither, of Avon, is about the third generation of his family to participate in the event – with his son and grandchildren carrying on the family tradition.

The event sees different classes of horses in harnesses pull a cart, then a larger wagon around the track at the grandstands with judges looking for the horses’ form and how well they follow commands.

It’s an expensive hobby, he said, but something his he suspects his family has been involved in for more than 60 years, almost as long as his family’s farm has been on Sugar Ridge Road.

After the Amish do the initial breaking, it’s a lot of working with individual animals – all Friesian/Percheron cross – he said, getting them all ready for a summer of county fairs and other events.

The harnesses and carts are Amishbuilt, he said “They do a points tournament for part of the United States and the top prize is like $5,000 – so it’s like you’re not doing it for the money,” he said. “You’ve got to

do it because you like it.”

Kuchenrither’s son-in-law, Jake Archer, brought the farm second place in Class 5 on Aug. 27.

Hobby Hill Farms in Oberlin was also competing in several classes, and like Kuchenrither, it’s a family affair.

Jeff Ewell estimated his family’s farm had about two dozen draft horses, with four Belgians and one Percheron at Saturday’s competition.

Ewell said his family’s been competing in the draft horse hitch for more than 30 years, starting when his daughter was small.

Now, his granddaughter rides in a single cart, often pulled by her 9-year-old horse, Nick.

Grace Marlowe, 10, has been working with Nick since she was four years old, she said.

“She was in the cart when she was four out in front of the grandstand,” Ewell said. “She comes by it naturally.”

Ewell and Grace said they work with the horses at home, driving them in teams.

“When we first got (Nick), he’s one you could just hook up and go with,” Grace said. “Sometimes, like last year I didn’t even practice with him, we just hooked him up.”

Hobby Hill’s Jim Reed, of Oberlin, took third place in the class six men’s cart competition Aug. 27.

All photos THOMAS FETCENKO | The Community Guide

RIGHT: Gracie Marlowe, 10, of Oberlin hugs her family’s horse, named Nick, before the draft horse and pony hitch show on Saturday morning, August 26 during the Lorain County Fair.

County Tractor Pull draws crowds LEFT: Bill Hasenpflug, of Henrietta Township, lines up before his heat in the Class C event at the Lorain County tractor pull on Friday, Aug. 25. The County Pull was rescheduled from Thursday after heavy storms forced the Fairgrounds to close.

BELOW LEFT: Harold Connerth competes in the Class C event at the Lorain County tractor pull.

BELOW RIGHT: Chase Morlock competes in the Lorain County Tractor Pull.

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Lorain County Community Guide

Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023

Junior Fair royalty crowned OWEN MACMILLAN THE COMMUNITY GUIDE

WELLINGTON – Against a backdrop of bubbling deep fryers and amusement rides, the 177th Lorain County Fair named its 2023 Junior Fair Court.

The opening ceremony Aug. 20 saw the crowning of Natalie Calfo, 19, of Wellington, as the Lorain County Junior Fair Queen and Holden Harker, 18, of Berlin Heights, as King.

Calfo also ran for queen last year, inspired by her sister Jenna who was named Junior Fair Queen in 2020.

“It’s kind of hard to put this into words, if I’m being honest,” Calfo said.

“I’m just so excited to represent Lorain County because it is such a great fair. The people who are here support each other, and I support them. I’m excited and honored, because all of the Queen candidates up there are incredible people.”

A 2022 Wellington High School graduate, Calfo has been a member of 4-H for 14 years and the Future Farmers of America (FFA) for five.

She is currently studying biomedical science at the University of Akron, and Calfo said she hopes to become a veterinarian.

“I want to be able to continue to help and work with animals,” she said. “I never really plan to get too far away from them or this world.”

Not even her win would keep Calfo away from her animals for long; she said as soon as she was done taking pictures she’d be changing into the overalls she’d packed and tending to the over a dozen cows she was helping show at the fair.

Harker was also inspired by a member of his family to run for the royal court of the fair.

“I had thought about it there for a good little bit…

I talked to my grandparents about it, and I actually promised my Nana that I

would,” Harker said. “So after that you just gotta keep rolling with it, go there the interview process and a promise made is a promise kept at this point.”

He said even though his family lives outside Lorain County now they have been involved in the fair for over a decade.

“I want to make sure I’m involved, I want to make sure I have as much information as I can give,” Harker said. “Being part of the Junior Fair Board was probably one of the best ways to be in the know about what’s going on in our county for a fair that my family has been a part of for coming up on 15 years now.”

There was a return to tradition in Harker’s crowning, making it a proper “crowning” once more.

He was bestowed the golden chrome-and-red felt crown traditionally placed on the head of the Junior King.

The crown was seemingly retired last year in favor of a custom baseball cap, which 2022 King Christopher Krupka still wore while giving Harker his more traditional headgear.

Harker graduated from

OWEN MacMILLAN | The Community Guide

ABOVE: Holden Harker, 18, and Natalie Calfo, 19, pose after being named the 2023 Lorain County Junior Fair Queen and King Sunday, Aug. 20

RIGHT: Senior Fair Board director for Wellington Fred Pitts speaks to the crowd after receiving the Clair Hill Memorial Award on Sunday, Aug. 20 Firelands High School in June and is vice president of the Lorain County Junior Fair Board and a member of 4-H and the Firelands FFA. Harker plans to attend the University of Northwest Ohio to study agriculture and diesel mechanics and to acquire his commercial driver’s license.

Clair Hill Award

Also recognized during the opening ceremony was Fred Pitts, the recipient of the Clair Hill Memorial Award.

The Clair Hill Award is presented by Lorain County Printing and

Getting her turn

THOMAS FETCENKO | The Community Guide

Lillian Chenoweth, of Amherst, competes in the horse versatility show at the Lorain County Fair on Sunday, Aug. 27.

Publishing, which owns The Chronicle-Telegram, WEOL AM-930 and the Lorain County Community Guide.

It is given to a person who goes above and beyond to serve and exemplify the Lorain County Fair, and Pitts clearly fit the bill.

A director on the Senior Fair Board representing the city of Wellington, Pitts grew up farming and served as the president of the Junior Fair Board as a young man.

Pitts was the mastermind

behind bringing an official National Tractor Pullers Association event to the fair.

The Lorain County tractor pull has become a fan favorite and is known to some as “The Friday Night Spectacular,” Craig Adams of WEOL said when presenting the award.

Pitts and his family also created most of the over 300 iconic wooden benches which dot the fairgrounds.

He is currently working on the “Fairs Forever” campaign to update the

fairgrounds’ animal cages.

“I’m a man of few words,” Pitts told the crowd. “They got me. I appreciate it all and thanks for coming.”

The first runner-up for Lorain County Junior Fair Queen was Jill Stannard and second runner-up was Maddie Williams. Both are 17 and from Wellington.

First runner-up for Lorain County Junior Fair King was Matthew Schnell, 18, of Brownhelm Township, and second runner-up was Elijah Kyser, of Elyria.

A quiet ‘Rampage’

THOMAS FETCENKO | The Community Guide

Madilyn Mourton, 5, of Rochester Township brushes her calf named Rampage on Wednesday, Aug. 23 at the Lorain County Fair.

Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023

Lorain County Community Guide

Page B5

BULLETIN BOARD Brownhelm Historical Association

The Brownhelm Historical Association’s monthly meeting is 6:30 p.m. Sept. 6 at the Historic Brownhelm School and Museum, 1950 N. Ridge Rd., Vermilion.

This month’s historical program is “The Legend Behind Johnny Appleseed,” at 7:30 p.m. Refreshments will include apple desserts.

The historical program is open to the public.

Pittsfield Twp. 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.

North Pointe Ballet

North Pointe Ballet in the Park is 7 p.m. tomorrow at Lakeview Park, 1800 W. Erie Ave., Lorain. The concert, presented in partnership with the Lorain County Metro Parks, will feature classical ballet alongside contemporary jass and hip hop works, marking the launch of the company’s

eighth season.

The free concert will be outdoors near the rose garden at Lakeview Park.

Attendees are encouraged to bring a blanket or chair for lawn seating.

Workshop Players

The Workshop Players will present “Deathtrap” by Ira Levin.

Directed by Barry Saxon, In this classic comedic thriller, a washed-up playwright is dying to rise to the top once more. A diabolical solution presents itself in the form of one of his graduate students whose script promises to deliver. Deathtrap provides an abundance of twists and turns and offers hilariously sudden shocks for audiences who will be spellbound until the very last moment.

This not-to-be-missed play is the granddaddy of wellwritten thrillers.

Performances are 7:30 p.m. Sept. 14-16, 22-23 and 3 p.m. Sept. 17 and 24. Doors open 45 minutes before show time.

Tickets are $18.50 and group rates are available Tickets are available online at workshopplayers.org or by calling (440) 634-0472.

Oberlin Public Library

Oberlin Public Library’s Board meeting is 5 p.m.

Sept. 14.

Amherst Public Library

● Join the Friends of the Library at the Sunset Terrace at Lakeview Park, 1800 W. Erie Ave., at 12 p.m. Oct. 26 for its annual Author Luncheon. Enjoy an afternoon lunch program with Bob Adamov, Ohio-

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. based author of the Emerson Moore series. Primarily set in the island resort town of Put-in-Bay, the series follows the adventures of Washington Post investigative reporter Emerson Moore as he becomes entangled in mysteries of the island and beyond. Tickets are $20.00. Tickets will be available for purchase in September 2023 at the Amherst Public Library or from any Friends member. ● September is National Library Card Sign-Up Month and the Amherst Public Library is celebrating with prize drawings for new card sign-ups or existing card renewals! Fun and informative programs for all ages are planned, including Fall Storytimes and the return of Tabletop Game Time Club! See the attached press releases for full details of all events and programs for the first two weeks of September. ● 9/1 - National Library Card Sign-Up Month begins ● 9/1, 9/15 - Music + Movement Storytime ● 9/2, 9/19 - Canine Reading Buddies ● 9/5 - Encouraging Family Reading ● 9/6 - Baby Playdate ● 9/9 - Fairy Tea Party ● 9/11 - Fall Storytimes return ● 9/11 - Watercolor Pencils and More Art Workshop ● 9/11 - Sew Fun Sewing classes begin ● 9/12 - Tabletop Game Time ● 9/14 - Adult Craft: Wine Cork Pumpkin/Apple

● 9/14 - Medicare 101

Team reunion

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

HEALTH & FITNESS ACROSS 1. Century Gothic, e.g.

5. Good times 8. Pi times radius squared 12. D’Artagnan’s sword 13. Before “saw” and “conquered” 14. Honeybunch 15. *Contagious skin bump 16. Centers of activity 17. One of a duo on “Sesame Street” 18. *Estrogen and testosterone 20. Tiny piece of anything 21. *Pertaining to ear 22. Pocket watch chain 23. Bed “on the tree top” 26. Home ground 30. Yankee’s foe 31. Heart-to-heart 34. First Nation nation 35. Clumsy 37. Summer mo.

38. Boris Godunov and Nicholas Romanov 39. ____ 1 jet speed 40. Last in octad 42. Intelligent humor 43. Win or go home competition 45. Actor Snipes 47. Not stood 48. Knitter’s unit 50. *Eye part 52. *Vitamins’ partners 55. Old-time calculators 56. Port of Yemen 57. Memorization method 59. Greek Bs 60. Bank on 61. Crazy one 62. Yamaguchi or Hamill’s jump 63. *”Bad” cholesterol, acr.

64. Rudolph, e.g.

DOWN 1. Like proud marines 2. Moonfish 3. Infamous Roman Emperor 4. Between triad and pentad 5. Flora’s partner 6. Umbrella-like inflorescence 7. “The Untouchables” leader 8. *Richard Simmons’ workout

9. Deliver a tirade 10. Lake north of Cleveland 11. Sailor’s assent 13. *Uncontrollable movement disorder 14. Retire from military 19. Deprive by deceit 22. *”All the rage” diet, e.g.

23. Way to curl hair 24. *Pertaining to kidneys 25. Manila hemp 26. *H in HIIT 27. Type of fishing net 28. Eagle’s nest 29. Easily irritated 32. Naive, alt. spelling 33. Excavated

email office@amhersthistoricalsociety.org.

The Amherst Historical 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@amherst historicalsociety.org.

CS Lewis and Friends

The CS Lewis and Friends book group will meet at the Amherst Library at 7 p.m. Sept. 12 to discuss chapters 10 through the end of Lewis’ “The Great Divorce.” Contact Marcia Geary at (440) 988-9803 or mgeary@gearylawllc.com for more information.

Oberlin Community Services

Oberlin Community Services will be temporarily changing its food pantry schedule.

Drive-up hours will remain from 1:30-5 p.m.

Mondays.

Drive-up food distributions on Wednesdays will be from 1:30-5 p.m. There will be no morning food pick-up.

Fridays will be reserved for the indoor choice pantry only from 1:30-4 p.m.

There will be no drive-up distribution on Fridays.

Avon/Avon Lake Republican Club

● The Avon/Avon Lake Republic Club Friend’s breakfast is 8 a.m. Sept. 6 at Sugar Creek Restaurant.

Deb Wagner, Curator of the 103rd Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry Museum will discuss the Sheffield Lake community on five acres along Lake Erie. The OVI site contains cottages owned by direct descendants of local Civil War veterans, outdoor exhibits, libraries, photos and a museum with Union Army materials and artifacts. Attendees are responsible for their meals. ● Kate Makra, executive director of Cleveland Right to Life and vice-president of the Right to Life Action Coalition of Ohio will discuss the abortion rights amendment to the Ohio Constitution on the November ballot at 7 p.m. Sept. 21

at the Knights of Columbus Ragan Hall, 1783 Moore Rd., Avon. The presentation is sponsored by the Father Ragan, St. Bernadette and St. Ladislas councils. RSVP

by Sept. 15 to rudybreglia@ gmail.com. ● Lorain County Commissioner Jeff Riddell will speak to the Avon/Avon Lake Republican Club at 5 p.m. Sept. 14 on the Seven Districts Alternative Government Plan and the 911 and crime lab crime levy.

New Avon Lake Superintendent Joelle Magyar will speak on the district’s 7.6mill levy. The meeting is at the Knights of Columbus Ragan Hall, 1783 Moore Rd., Avon. Members are free, guests are $5.

Harvest of the Arts

From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sept. 17 is the 40th annual Wellington Harvest of the Arts, a juried fine and folk art festival at 101 Willard Memorial Square. There will also be a handmade quit raffle and lunch at the Friends of the Library Cafe.

The fundraiser provides for community programming for the Herrick Memorial Library. For more information, call (440) 647-2120.

Oberlin Heritage Center

● 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.

36. *Annual exam 38. Not our 40. Young newt 41. Maid to a maid 44. Desert mirage 46. L. Carroll’s and J. Heller’s characters 48. Chose between competitors 49. Funereal bell sound 50. Wild goat 51. Loan attribute 52. Lime-rich soil 53. Dirty money 54. Greek portico 55. Legal grp.

58. *Heart test acronym

SOLUTION CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE A2

SOLUTION CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE A2

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Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023

Lorain County Community Guide

© 2023 byVickiWhiting, Editor Jeff Schinkel, Graphics Vol. 39, No. 39

Smile and the world smiles with you! Smiles have the power to make people happy. Maybe that is why millions of people use the smile emoji when sending messages. And with a smile, people from different countries who speak different languages can communicate.

Doctors even tell us that laughter can help sick people heal more quickly. All in all, a smile is very powerful.

These riddles are from all over the world and the answer to each one is the same thing.

Can you guess what it is?

Sometimes news reports make a mistake. Good journalists will let readers and viewers know of the error as soon as possible.

Other times, false information is designed on purpose to make you feel a certain way.

What is a small, white chest that all know how to open and nobody knows how to close?

1. Read beyond the story’s headline. Headlines can’t tell the whole story.

What is more useful when it is broken?

2. Do some research! Go to the library and look up more information. Your librarian can help you.

Cut out the word balloons below and paste them in the correct order on the comic strip above.

Standards Link: Health: Identify activities and actions that promote or enhance emotional health.

There are jokes from all over the world. What can you learn about people by reading their jokes? Draw your own comic strip using this joke from Martinique.

In a pot there are two kinds of food.

What is it?

3. Look for more information online. Be sure to check more than one online site as some sites simply repeat false information.

What is an entire little house without a door?

I have built my house without any door.

What is it?

In a bowl of china fixed, two liquids with colors unmixed. What is it?

Have you figured out the answer? If not, color all the boxes with odd numbers. Read the letters that are left and you will know the answer.

2 A

7 H

How many smiles can you find on this page?

Standards Link: Reading Comprehension: Follow simple written directions.

5 W

8 E

4 G

Standards Link: Vocabulary Development: Understand comparative and superlative case.

OPEN COMIC SMILE LAUGHTER FOOD JOKES WORLD QUICKLY GUESS ORDER PEOPLE SILLY BOWL LEARN

4. Make sure the publications and websites you use to check facts are trustworthy.

5. Ask a parent or family member to help you understand more about the story.

2 G

Standards Link: Social Science: Compare life in different places and recognize that some aspects of cultures are similar.

One of these statements is true and one is false. Do the research and find out. Then share what you learned with your friends and family!

Smiling makes us feel happier.

TRUE

FALSE

Smiling is contagious.

TRUE

FALSE

Was it easy or difficult to find out if the above statements were true or false? It’s not always easy being a News Fact Checker. But it’s important to always try to get the whole story!

Standards Link: Research: Locate and check information about a given topic using multiple resources.

W O D O O F E R A W Y C P T V L L W O B

L O Q E I A O E C N

K R M M N U Y L I R

C D S P S G L P M A I E A S Z H L O O E

U R E W C T I E C L

Q U J O K E S P U U G B F D L R O W F Q Standards Link: Letter sequencing. Recognize identical words. Skim and scan reading. Recall spelling patterns.

This week’s word:

EMOJI

The noun emoji means an icon or image used to express an idea.

Emily used the smile emoji in her text message to show she liked the joke.

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

What makes you smile?

Good News/Bad News

In today’s paper, categorize stories as either “good news” or “bad news.” Explain why you think newspapers print “bad” news at times. Are there some stories that are bad news to some and good to other people?

ANSWER:‘Smiles,’ because there is a‘mile’between the first and last letters.

Standards Link: Writing Applications: Write formal letters; write persuasive compositions that state a position or proposal.

3 P

Look through the newspaper for three happy pictures.

Label one “Happy,” one “Happier,” and one “Happiest.”

Repeat this game with other words.

Standards Link: Reading Comprehension: Follow simple written directions.

Put the words in the right order to discover the answer to this joke from Poland.

6 N

Superlative Fun

How many silly things can you circle in this picture?

Why does a crane raise one leg when he stands in the water?

9 T

With so much information available in print, on TV and online every day, it is important to know that some information is true and some is false or misleading.

Write a paragraph about what makes you smile. Give at least three details about this.