Lorain County Community Guide - March 23, 2023

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Volume 10, Issue 12

Lorain County keeps close eye on Ohio HB1 CARISSA WOYTACH THE COMMUNITY GUIDE

A Republican-introduced bill looks to flatten Ohio’s tax rate, possibly at the cost of local funding.

The bill, introduced last month, looks to streamline Ohio’s income tax rate at a flat 2.75 percent, regardless of income bracket, and change property tax valuation limits and eliminate some tax credits for homeowners.

Bill sponsor state Rep. Adam Mathews, R-Lebanon, said in his initial testi-

mony the bill will help “restart Ohio as the economic engine of the Midwest” by flattening the income tax rate, and would give more local control over tax policy by eliminating the 10 percent rollback.

It would set the income tax rate for every Ohioan making more than about $26,000 a year at 2.75 percent. Currently, Ohio’s income tax brackets ratchet up by income level, the highest being 3.99 percent for those making more than $115,300 per year.

It would also make property owners totally liable

for their property taxes — eliminating the owneroccupancy and nonbusiness credits — but reduces the taxable value of property from 35 percent to 31.5 percent.

To pay for the income tax cuts, it suggests reducing local payments to schools and municipalities by about $1.2 billion a year.

Proponents of the bill, who testified in the state House Ways and Means Committee on March 7, praised the bill’s reduction in taxes on Ohio families.

Doug Kellog, state project director for Ameri-

cans for Tax Reform, and director of Ohioans for Tax Reform, said his organizations were “thrilled” to see legislation reducing the tax burden on Ohioans.

If passed, it would make Ohio’s flat tax rate one of the lowest in the country, behind only Arizona, and would “return billions of dollars to Ohio taxpayers, wisely using surplus revenues and limiting spending on local governments to achieve tax reductions.”

But opponents argue the bill will increase residential taxes and slash fund revenues, while only benefit-

Wellington Fire Chief still wants answers on radio contract KEVIN MARTIN THE COMMUNITY GUIDE

WELLINGTON — Wellington Fire District Chief Mike Wetherbee responded to Lorain County Commissioner Dave Moore on March 17 and said the residents citizens of Lorain County still deserve an answer for why the board voted to rescind an $8 million contract with Cleveland Communications for upgraded radios.

Wetherbee, president of the Lorain County Fire Chiefs Association, took exception to Moore’s comments in response to a request from Elyria Mayor Frank Whitfield’s request for help from the county.

“After reading the article published in today’s paper regarding Elyria asking for assistance with their radio purchase, and reading Commissioner Moore’s response it is growingly irritating and somewhat obvious that both commissioners Moore and Riddell have no interest in the radio needs of Lorain County’s safety forces.

Their main concern is making sure Motorola and the MARCS system has an equal opportunity to submit a bid, which they have had all along,” Wetherbee wrote via email to the Chronicle-Telegram.

Moore told The Chronicle on Thursday that the county was still moving forward on the upgraded L3 Harris radios and “making sure it’s done right.” Wetherbee pointed out Commissioner Jeff

Riddell has referred to the contract on several occasions as “a bad bid, done badly.”

“Neither commissioner, nor anyone for that matter, has been able to explain what was ‘bad, or done badly’ about the bid,” Wetherbee wrote. “The RFP was written and advertised by experts, the bids submitted were reviewed by these experts and the recommendation made by these experts.

The bid also sat in our county prosecutor’s office for several weeks with no red flags indicating anything was ‘bad, or done badly,’ and the project was allowed to go to vote on Dec. 21, 2022.”

On Jan. 9, the commissioners voted 2-1 to rescind the contract with Cleveland Communications, and later that month Cleveland Communications filed a lawsuit against the Lorain County Board of Commissioners alleging breach of contract and denial of due process.

“It begs the question, how can the county be in a lawsuit regarding this bid process and be ‘moving forward making sure it is done right’, when it was never proven to have been done wrong. Not to mention the Motorola representatives in and out of county buildings, and the passing out of MARCS information in various county meetings,” Wetherbee wrote.

Mission Critical Partners authored a 2019 study commissioned by Lorain RADIOS PAGE A4

ing the wealthiest Ohioans.

Local entities like the Lorain County Metro Parks, municipalities and libraries have expressed concerns about what the cuts could mean to their own budgets.

No small potatoes

The Lorain and Elyria libraries are closely monitoring HB1 and its potential impacts. The bill is complicated and confusing, Lorain Public Library System Executive Director Anastasia Diamond-Ortiz said in an email, with mul-

tiple layers that could have a “devastating impact on Ohio’s public libraries.”

Changes to the income tax laws would cut state funding for libraries by more than $74 million over two years, she said, and changes to local property tax levies could cause libraries and local governments to lose “at least $239 million,” she said.

“Now is not the time for the state and the General Assembly to be cutting local services to Ohioans,” she wrote.

Elyria Public Library HB1 PAGE A3

Just a taste

JEFF BARNES | The Chronicle-Telegram

Ryan Friend of the Wellington Community Theater, performs a scene from “Little Shop of Horrors” at Cherished Creations in downtown Wellington on March 18. Members of the Wellington Community Theater and Wellington High School Drama Club performed scenes at participating Main Street Wellington businesses to promote the upcoming performance at the Patricia Lindley Center for the Performing Arts, 627 N. Main St. March 30 to April 1. Doors are at 6:30 p.m., showtime at 7 p.m.

New CCW permit numbers fall in Lorain County DAVE O’BRIEN THE COMMUNITY GUIDE

Fewer new concealed carry weapons permits were issued in Lorain County in 2022 than in 2021, state officials reported this month, citing a predicted decrease due to last year’s introduction of permitless carry in the state.

Sheriff Phil Stammitti’s office issued 263 licenses and renewed 1,025, in Lorain County in 2022 — a total of 1,288. The year prior, he issued 439 new or temporary emergency licenses and 801 renewals.

Attorney General Dave Yost’s 2022 Concealed Carry Report, which was released March 1, also detailed

the number of licenses suspended, revoked or denied.

There were 18 licenses suspended, five revoked, two denied and three license processes suspended in Lorain County in 2022, according to the attorney general’s office. No temporary emergency licenses were issued, renewed, suspended, revoked or denied in Lorain County in 2022.

Changes to state law starting in June 2022 allowed qualifying Ohioans to carry a concealed handgun without a permit.

The law preserved the permitting system put in place in 2004, which means CCW permit holders can continue to carry handguns when traveling in states that honor Ohio’s CCW permits “and sometimes can

skip the background check when buying a gun, depending on the retailer’s policy,” according to Yost.

“Nevertheless, the change in state law resulted in a predictable and significant drop in the number of concealed-carry licenses that were issued and renewed by Ohio’s 88 county sheriffs, who administer the program,” he wrote.

Statewide, county sheriffs issued a total of 89,782 permits in 2022. That included 27,031 new licenses and 62,751 renewals.

Compared with the 94,298 new licenses in 2021, 2022’s numbers decreased by about 71 percent. There also were 108,622 renewals in 2021, meaning that 2022’s renewal CCW PAGE A4

INSIDE THIS WEEK County

Roll Arena celebrates 75 years ● A6

Oberlin

Nexus appeal goes to Ohio High Court ● A5

Wellington

Civil War Club highlights history ● A6

OBITUARIES A2 • CLASSIFIEDS A4 • CROSSWORD A7 • SUDOKU A7 • KID SCOOP A8

Page A2

Thursday, March 23, 2023

Lorain County Community Guide

OBITUARIES Steven Lockard

Clarence Scott Jones

Ralph A. Hayes

Steven Lockard, 34, passed away at his home on Thursday, March 2, 2023.

Steven was preceded in death by his grandparents, Lou and Lois Repko, and Clarence and Lois Lockard.

Steve is survived by his wife, Tiffany; son, Gavin; parents, Bill and Deborah; brother, Fred, his wife, Dawn and family; sister, Jessica, her husband, Charles and family; in-laws, Ben and Bobbie, Stephen and Shannon, and family.

Lieutenant Junior Grade Lockard, a native of Amherst, enlisted in the United States Navy in November 2006 as a Nuclear Machinist’s Mate after graduating high school. After completing basic training, he attended Machinist’s Mate ‘A’ School and Nuclear Power School in Charleston, South Carolina, and qualified on the MARF prototype plant in Ballston Spa, New York.

In October 2008, he reported to USS California (SSN 781) and served as a member of the Machinery Division. During this tour, he completed his Enlisted Submarine Warfare qualifications. Next, he served at Norfolk Naval Shipyard - Nuclear Regional Maintenance Department as a Nuclear Repair Coordinator. While on shore duty, he deployed to USS Emory S. Land (AS-39) to support the Pacific forward-deployed Nuclear Expeditionary Manning team and qualified as an Enlisted Surface Warfare specialist. His next assignment was to USS Delaware (SSN 791), where he served as the Machinery Division Leading Petty Officer.

He was selected for the LDO Commissioning Program and commissioned to the rank of Ensign on April 1, 2019. He reported to USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74), where he served as the Electrical Officer, Quality Assurance Officer, Topside Work Control Officer, Main Propulsion Technical Assistant, Diving Officer, 1 Plant Station Officer, Electrical Technical Assistant, and Electrical Division Officer during the ship’s Refueling Complex Overhaul. He was most recently assigned to Norfolk Naval Shipyard - Submarine Fleet Maintenance as a Project Officer and Shop 99 (Temporary Services) Division Officer.

His personal decorations include the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (1 award), the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (6 awards), and the Navy Good Conduct Medal (4 awards).

The Navy brought him to Virginia as his career duty station. He met Tiffany while stationed on the USS California. They explored the East Coast over the early years of their marriage before making it back to Virginia for the birth of his pride and joy, Gavin. Raising their son, Steve and Tiffany turned many 757 locals and military friends into family and enjoyed many laughs and much love with these people. From fire pit nights, to sporting events, to parties including karaoke in the garage, Steve, Tiffany, and Gavin have been surrounded by love in their time as a family.

Steve enjoyed life with many adventures. Anything involving dirt, deer, mountains and his precious son completed his world. On the rare occasions when the Navy took a back seat, he focused on enjoying time with his family whether it was lounging around the fire, watching movies at excessive volumes, or breathing in the fresh air of nature. Over the last couple of years, Steve enjoyed coaching Gavin and his friends on the soccer field even after admitting his knowledge of the game was minimal. He persevered and learned a new talent, kid control. Coaching a dozen young boys is a gift, and Steve was the recipient of such a gift.

Steve and Gavin were always a team, having special moments together and creating lasting memories.

If he wasn’t on the soccer field, he was involved in everything outdoors with no exception. Whether it was fishing, hunting, outdoor sports, indoor gaming, and his latest passion with best friend Bryan, brewing the finest beverages one could imagine, Steve was always ‘all in’ when it came to succeeding in whatever he was doing.

Steve was the proverbial ‘fix-it guy,’ always looking for that one item out of place, broken, or needing to be replaced. His fix-it attitude greatly influenced purchasing and renovation of a long-ago family-owned cabin.

With his brother, Fred, they made this a place for family and friends to enjoy the outdoor adventures he did as a child. This cabin will continue to represent Steven for years to come and provide a place of much-needed respite for future generations.

Steven’s family would like to extend their deepest gratitude to all of his shipmates and friends for their compassion and support.

Steven will always be surrounded and held close by a family that loves him more than words. He will now be at rest at the family cabin on a West Virginia mountainside enjoying the rising sun and fresh mountain air and watching over Gavin as he grows to be the amazing young man he always dreamed of.

Clarence Scott Jones, Jr. affectionately called “Beannie” by family and friends, 75, of Wheaton Illinois, passed away on Sunday, March 5, 2023 after valiantly battling multiple medical issues.

Clarence was born February 15, 1949 to Clarence Scott Jones and Helen Thomas Jones in Oberlin Ohio. Though Clarence lived and worked in many cities and states, Oberlin was always considered home. Clarence excelled in football, basketball and baseball at Oberlin High School where he graduated in 1966. He was left-handed and had a great stretch at first base. He taught his right-handed sister, Dianne “Pepper” to bat left-handed that she does to this day. He was a gentle giant, but fierce on the playing fields. His love of music, particularly jazz was attributed to his parents, Clarence and Helen Jones. His father played the trumpet and his mother was music teacher at Murray Ridge School in Elyria Ohio.

Growing up in Oberlin, Clarence enjoyed time spent with his Jones cousins, Cheryl, Gail, Phyllis, David and Lisa, especially playing Monopoly and listening to Motown sounds with Cheryl, Gail and Phyllis. He loved being the “big” cousin to Mark Thomas and Sheila Thomas Benson from New Jersey who spent summer days in Oberlin. Clarence was the number one fan of his sons, Clarence “CJ” and Justin. With great pride and joy, he was seen on the football, basketball and lacrosse sidelines cheering for his sons. In his adult years, golf became a passion as well as watching ESPN and the news channels for hours.

Clarence graduated from Central State University and was a proud brother of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity. He enjoyed wearing the red. He worked decades in the human resources and labor relations fields in Ohio, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and NYC. His job prior to retirement was in NYC where he was one of many who ran through ash caused by the 911 attack. His building was next to the twin towers. He was a witness to the horrors of that day, an event one does not forget.

Clarence was predeceased by his father, Clarence Scott Jones of Oberlin, maternal grandparents Robert S. and Dorothea Thomas of Oberlin, paternal grandparents Howard O and Josephine Jones of Oberlin, and uncle Howard O Jones Jr. of Oberlin. He is survived by his sons Clarence Scott Jones II of Wheaton, Illinois and Justin Lloyd Jones (Brittany) of Manassas, Virginia, grandson, Jackson Montgomery Jones of Manassas, Virginia; mother Helen Thomas Jones of Atlanta Georgia; sister H. Dianne Jones Poyer (David) of Atlanta Georgia; uncle Don M. Thomas (Marilu) of NYC; nieces; nephews; cousins; and friends – all of whom he dearly loved and kept close in thought and heart.

Grave site service will be held 10 a.m. Saturday, May 6 at Westwood Cemetery in Oberlin, Ohio. A reception will follow.

Ralph A. Hayes, 81, of Wellington died Friday, March 17, 2023, after an extended illness.

He is survived by his wife of forty-nine years, Pauline (Denger) Hayes.

Mr. Hayes is also survived by his son, Bradley (Nicole); and grandson, Henry, of Wellington; stepdaughter, Paula Marett of Cincinnati; sister, JoAnn Hayes of Cleveland; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Mr. Hayes was preceded in death by his parents, Harold and Lucille (Puder) Hayes; his sister, Sandra (Hayes) Bidlake; and brother-in-law Gail Bidlake.

A 1960 graduate of Wellington High School, Mr. Hayes served in the U.S. Army from 1961-1963. Following the service, he returned home to Ohio and began his career as an accountant working for several local manufacturing businesses, including Abex Corp., LaGrange Screw Products, and Wellington Gear & Screw Products, of which he was a founder and chief financial officer. Later in life, Mr. Hayes was an advertising salesman for the Wellington Enterprise, Oberlin NewsTribune, and Amherst News-Times.

Mr. Hayes was active in the community throughout his life. He served the people of Pittsfield Township as both Township Clerk and Trustee for nearly thirty years. He also acted as treasurer of the Herrick Memorial Library and the South Lorain County Ambulance District for numerous years. He was elected to three terms on the Wellington Board of Education and served as the first president of the Wellington Schools Endowment (a role he was proud to see his son assume several years later). He was also instrumental in the creation of several community organizations, including the Central Lorain County Joint Ambulance District, Main Street Wellington, and the Pittsfield Township Historical Society.

Mr. Hayes was known for his lifelong interest in local history and family genealogy. He was an avid collector and dealer of rare books, with a special interest in Ohioana, the Western Reserve, and American Indians.

He also invested time and energy in caring for his family farm, which was first acquired by his grandparents and where Mr. Hayes resided his entire life (save for the years he spent in Germany with the Army).

Per Ralph’s wishes, there will be no funeral or visitation. Private interment services will be held at the East Pittsfield Cemetery at a later date.

Memorial donations may be made to the Pittsfield Township Historical Society, P.O. Box 324, Wellington, OH 44090.

Expression of sympathy may be shared online at www.norton-Eastman funeral home.com

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Thursday, March 23, 2023

Lorain County Community Guide

Page A3

HB1

Find Us On

FROM A1

Executive Director Jen Starkey agreed with Diamond-Ortiz’s concerns.

While Elyria Library hasn’t run local numbers yet, Starkey said they receive about 41 percent of its annual budget from the state library fund — which would be slashed under the new law.

While it wouldn’t be the first time the library had been through budget cuts — she remembered changes in revenue the mid-2000s forced layoffs — but slicing programs, services and staffing is something Starkey would like to avoid.

In 2009 the Elyria Public Library laid off 11 employees and reduced hours to balance its budget in the face of a $1.2 million funding loss expected in 2010, after then-Gov. Ted Strickland proposed $2.4 billion in spending cuts amid a state budget deficit.

“I’m hoping that this bill, by the time it gets to voting on, will have changed, but we haven’t even thought about how we might absorb that yet,” she said.

Jim Ziemnik, Lorain County Metro Parks executive director, estimated the parks system stands to lose about 10 percent of its budget if HB1 moves forward as its currently written.

“That would be about $1 million from our annual budget,” he said. “Which isn’t small potatoes for us.”

It would necessitate a hard look at staffing, capital projects and events — trying to spread the pain throughout the budget rather than concentrating in one area, he said.

It could mean shorter park hours — allowing the park district to lower personnel costs without laying off employees altogether, but expects the seasonal and weekend help, especially in the summer, would be the first people lost.

“It wouldn’t be pleasant. Especially coming off of COVID where record numbers of people were in our parks,” he said. “That would be painful.”

He said HB1 will influence the Metro Parks plan for a levy in November, and what its ask could be from voters.

He said the park district is cognizant of Lorain County taxpayers and doesn’t want to ask for more money than it needs, but if the Metro Parks wants to expand its offerings, it may have to ask for more money.

Ziemnik pointed to the more than $3.5 billion in the state’s rainy day fund, arguing the state could balance its budget — even with the proposed cuts — without going after local government money.

State Rep. Gayle Manning, R-North Ridgeville, disagreed. Ohio’s “rainy day fund” is meant to be the state’s savings account for one-time emergencies.

Still, that doesn’t mean she’s in support of HB1’s current iteration.

She said she’s heard from school districts and local leaders against the proposal, all telling her “loud and clear” of the adverse impact it could have.

Some of the biggest complaints she’s heard are on the eliminated rollbacks and changes to property taxes.

Manning, and others, expressed concerns for senior citizens, not wanting to see those on fixed incomes taxed out of their homes.

HB1 looks to eliminate the 2.5 percent homestead credit on property taxes, instead replacing it with a flat $125 credit.

Manning said she can’t see the bill passing as-is, and while she believes in lowering taxes, it can’t be done on the backs of local communities and services.

Rep. Joe Miller, DAmherst, said the bill will give a small tax credit to working families, while “giving away the house” to the wealthy.

Like Manning, he’s heard opposition from public schools and higher education, stating the changes will put a burden on public services.

He suspects it will make fair school funding an even bigger challenge, as it would reduce a community’s ability to raise local funding, but said everyone is still speculating right now.

“It will be interesting to see if there’s a sub-bill that will come out, but I’m not sure that the logic behind it and the formula that they’re creating is going to allow us to continue to invest in Ohioans the way we should be,” he said.

The bill hopes to entice higher earners to come to, or stay in, the Buckeye State, but Miller questioned that, stating no one wants to live in an area without a quality education, libraries and dilapidated infrastructure.

‘This cannot happen’

Several municipalities agreed the potential restructuring would negatively impact city services, though there are little hard numbers on what those shortfalls could be.

In an email, Elyria Finance Director Ted Pileski said fewer dollars coming into the local governments could mean less safe communities, and “a less safe Ohio.”

Police and fire are the most expensive line items in local budgets, with neither department bringing in revenue to offset salaries or equipment purchases.

Wellington Mayor Hans Schneider said the village is still trying to figure out its potential impact from changes to property taxes.

For 2023, the village estimate it will receive about $402,000 in local property tax income and $115,574 in local government funds.

If the village loses 3.5 percent on both, it would be about $20,000 — which may not sound like a lot, but every dollar makes a difference, he said.

“We don’t think this is a good thing for us,” he said.

“But we’re going to have to see. This is early on, I’m certain there’s going to be more dirty hands in this before it’s done and we’ll have to see what, if anything, comes out of it.”

At its March 6 Council meeting, Lorain City Council unanimously passed a resolution urging the state to restore local government funds to pre-recession levels — but that legislation couldn’t be discussed without bringing up House Bill 1.

Mayor Jack Bradley said HB1 has the potential to cost schools and municipalities $1.2 billion and would eliminate local government funds completely.

Like Pileski, he noted that would mean cutting police, fire, and city services, and impacting public schools.

“This loss of revenue to our cities is not going to help the struggling middle-class families in our community,” Bradley said.

The bill benefits the richest Ohioans, he said.

An opponent to the bill, Policy Matters Ohio,

estimated families making $50,000 a year will see a tax cut of $3 or less, while those making $500,000 a year would see an annual tax cut of more than $5,000.

Councilman Rey Carrion, D-6th Ward, called it an attack on the middle class and said if Lorain needs to take a busload of people down to Columbus to speak out against the bill, then that’s what needs to be done.

“This city was crippled when that local fund was diminished and reduced,” he said. “If this falls in place, we’re going to see a totally different dynamic, a totally different financial landscape for years to come and the (budget) issues we’re discussing in the last month in our finance committees are going to be magnified 10 times. …

We need to send a strong message that this cannot happen.”

‘How much can you absorb?’

Lorain County Auditor Craig Snodgrass said the bill still has a long way to go, and has a lot of moving parts.

“It’s premature to say ‘here’s what’s going to happen,” he said of the potential impact on Lorain County.

Looking at property taxes, he questioned if dropping the taxable home valuation offsets taking away tax credits, and said some analysis has to be done on what it means for different home valuations — if it’s a proportionate cost or savings between a $500,000 home versus a $50,000 home.

He said school districts are one of the biggest benefactors or losers on property taxes, just by how their “share of the pie” is cut. The majority of a property’s tax bill is school related, he said, and each school district would have to look at how any changes impact them.

“It goes back to providing services in an area, and there’s a cost of doing business,” he said. “Some budgets might be able to absorb greater impacts than others and others are riding that fine line. But if you’re taking a reduction in revenue, something has to happen on the expense side.

You’ve got to cut expenses or raise revenue. Our cities, townships, villages, county deal with that. How much can you absorb?”

A long-standing protection to locally funded entities also comes into play.

House Bill 920, passed in the mid-1970s, limits property tax increases, even when home values spike.

But it also keeps revenues for fixed-rate levies steady if property values decline.

Snodgrass said until he can get a more finite direction on what HB1 will do to tax credits, and other variables, it’s counter-productive to try to estimate anything.

He said the bill itself has really caught people’s attention and was pleased to see the discussions starting early — especially including local governments, libraries and other impacted parties.

“I know (Mathews) is trying to reduce taxes,” Snodgrass said. “I think the simplest form in some people’s minds would be income tax. Others might think differently. But if you cut revenues one place, where’s the bucket going to fill that?”

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Page A4

Lorain County Community Guide

Thursday, March 23, 2023

Annual cotillion spotlights debutantes DAVE O’BRIEN THE COMMUNITY GUIDE

NORTH RIDGEVILLE — Following months of planning and training and hard work by its young debutantes, the Lorain County Section of the National Council of Negro Women put on its fifth annual Vision of Beauty Cotillion Saturday night.

Nine young women from Lorain County spent the late fall and winter months taking courses on life skills, including communications, financial literacy and having healthy relationships.

They also learned dance and etiquette, in anticipation of Saturday night’s main event with its classic white dresses and dancing in front of family and community members.

Lorain County NCNW holds fundraisers and accepts donations throughout the year to support the program, so it isn’t a financial burden on the young women or their families.

Amid a flurry of activity the 8820 Event Center on Bender Road on Saturday night, two of the debutantes took a break to talk about what the program meant to them.

Jada McCall, 17, a student at Lorain High School, said she was introduced to program by

Taylor Whitfield, another debutante she knew through the Lorain International Pageant princess.

Meetings started in the fall and dance lessons in January, she said.

Jada already had some dance experience, but learned some new skills in etiquette class like how to set a table.

“I never even knew there was a specific way,” she said.

Taking part in the program allowed her to meet new people, learned greater self-worth, and become “a little more confident,” she said.

Jada also is a National Honor Society member, a track and field athlete, cheerleader and copresident of Lorain High School Peer Mediation.

A future exercise physiology student at The Ohio State University — where she is also thinking about taking American sign language — Jada said she was excited for Saturday night’s finale.

Kavonna Shepherd, 18, a student at Elyria High School, said some of the cotillion’s former alumni and her cousin encouraged her to get involved.

A self-described “extrovert” and member of Elyria High School’s Link Crew, who helped mentor incoming first-year students and volunteered

with the Lorain County Urban League, she said the program is about coming together, working together and building friendship.

The future Tennessee State University nursing student encouraged anyone who is interested in going through the program to do it.

“Everyone is so supportive,” Shepherd said.

“They’d have a huge support group.”

For more information on the debutant program, email lorainncnw@gmail. com.

RADIOS

ABOVE: Debutantes and their escorts parade through The 8820 event center at the fifth annual Lorain County Section of the National Council of Negro Women’s Vision of Beauty “Masterpiece of Greatness” Cotillion on March 18.

RIGHT: Debutante Jada McCall and her mother Melissa Martinez, of Amherst, dance together.

CCW

FROM A1

County that recommended the L3 Harris system over the Multi-Agency Radio Communications System preferred by the state of Ohio.

Wetherbee and other fire chiefs tested each system and said L3 Harris was the best option for their needs, enabling ease of communications inside of buildings

JEFF BARNES | The Chronicle-Telegram

FROM A1 running on Wi-Fi. “Mission Critical Partners agreed to sit down and review the RFP with county officials and quickly left the table. Could it be that they refused to compromise their integrity?” Wetherbee wrote.

“Personal feelings and political agendas put aside, commissioners Moore and

Riddell still owe everyone an answer on why they voted to rescind the vote for L3Harris and breach the county’s contract with CCI (Cleveland Communications), with no grounds for their accusations of wrong doing or illegal activity.”

numbers decreased by about 42 percent. Under state law, permit holders who wish to renew their licenses must do so every five years with county sheriffs, who also are responsible for suspending and revoking licenses.

Ohio sheriffs denied licenses to 825 applicants who failed to meet man-

dated requirements and revoked 454 licenses for felony convictions and/or mental incompetence, as required by law, according to Yost’s office.

In Lorain County in 2021, there were 438 new licenses and one temporary emergency license issued, plus 801 licenses renewed for a total of 1,240. Sixteen

licenses were suspended, six revoked and six denied.

In Lorain County in 2020, there were 792 new licenses issued; 1,048 licenses renewed; 49 licenses suspended — seventh most among the 88 counties, according to the attorney general’s office; seven licenses revoked; and eight licenses denied.

of Lorain Law Department, Lorain City Hall 3rd Floor.

TIME AND PLACE FOR OPENING BIDS: 11:25 AM, Lorain time, City of Lorain Council Chambers, Lorain City Hall 1st Floor. (There are 3 separate projects. They will be read sequentially.)

COMPLETION DATES: September 15, 2023 Bidders must be listed on the ODOT pre-qualified list for highway construction.

Bidders shall submit a list of available equipment, and labor shall be paid not less than the prevailing wage rate as determined by the Ohio Department of Commerce for Lorain County. NO BID WILL BE OPENED WITHOUT THE CERTIFICATION OF QUALIFICATION OR THE ACCEPTABLE LETTER OF APPLICATION ATTACHED TO THE OUTSIDE AS DIRECTED. Bids must be accompanied by Certified Check or Cashier’s Check or Letter of Credit equals to ten percent (10%) of the amount bid, or a bond for the full amount of the bid as a guarantee that if the bid is accepted, a contract will be entered into and a performance bond properly secured. Should any bid be rejected, such instrument will be forthwith returned upon proper execution of a contract.

Cash deposits will not be accepted.

Each bidder must insure that all employees and applicants for employment are not discriminated against because of their race, creed, color, sex or national origin. All bidders must comply with the provisions of the American

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

Bid blanks and specifications may be secured at www. cityoflorain.org.

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

By order of the Director of Safety/Service LCCG. 3/16, 3/24/23 20716805

CLASSIFIEDS ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS CITY OF LORAIN, OHIO 2023 TLCI BEACHSCAPE WEST ERIE AVENUE ROAD DIET AND HAWK LOR-6-6.85 TLCI PID 116996 Sealed bids will be received by the Engineering Department of the City of Lorain, Ohio until: TIME AND PLACE FOR RECEIVING BIDS: UNTIL - 11:00 AM, April 3rd, 2023, Lorain time, Law Department, Lorain City Hall 3rd Floor.

TIME AND PLACE FOR OPENING BIDS: 11:15 AM, April 3, 2023, Lorain time, City of Lorain Council Chambers, Lorain City Hall 1st Floor.

COMPLETION DATE: December 1, 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 be forthwith returned upon proper execution of a contract.

Cash deposits will not be accepted.

Bid blanks and specifications may be secured at www.

Lorain County Absolute Tillable Land Auction Thursday, April 6th - 5:30PM 2 Parcels – Good Drainage High Percentage Tillable

Auction will be held at the Brighton Park Pavilion 21451 State Route 511, Wellington, OH.

+ 110 ACRES SCAN HERE TO STAY UP TO DATE

Property is located on Peck Wadsworth Road. From Brighton take State Route 511 North then turn left on Peck Wadsworth Road. Watch for RES signs.

cityoflorain.org.

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

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

Bidders shall submit a list of available equipment, and labor shall be paid not less than the prevailing wage rate as determined by the U.S. Department of Labor Davis Bacon requirements for Lorain County, Ohio. NO BID WILL BE OPENED WITHOUT

THE CERTIFICATION OF QUALIFICATION OR THE ACCEPTABLE LETTER OF APPLICATION ATTACHED TO THE OUTSIDE AS DIRECTED. The Director of Safety/Service reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids.

No Pre-Bid meeting is scheduled.

By order of the Director of Public Safety/Service LLCG 3/9, 3/16, 3/23/23 20716593 ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS CITY OF LORAIN, OHIO LOCAL ROADWAY IMPROVEMENTS ORC COMPLAINCE BIDS ROADWAY REHABILITATION FOR VARIOUS STREETS Sealed bids will be received by the Law Department of the City of Lorain, Ohio under the following schedule: TIME AND PLACE FOR RECEIVING BIDS: UNTIL - 11:00 AM, Monday, April 3, 2023 Lorain time, City

hartblacktop@yahoo.com Andy White 419-651-2152 – Joseph Mast – Mary Hartley – Seth Andrews, Broker

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NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Please be advised that the City of Lorain will host a public hearing on Monday, March 27 in the Lorain City Council Chamber at 200 West Erie Ave., Lorain, Ohio at 5pm to discuss the plan of operation and governance for the energy aggregation program. Please contact Breanna_Dull@ cityoflorain.org for additional information.

BREANNA DULL, CMC L.C.C.G. 3/16, 3/23/23 20716920 NOTICE OF MEETING The South Lorain County Ambulance District will have a meeting at 6PM on April 11, 2023 with a committee meeting.

Amy Szmania, Clerk South Lorain County Ambulance District LCCG 3/23/23 20717053

Thursday, March 23, 2023

Lorain County Community Guide

Page A5

LCCC president advocates increased funding share for community colleges KEVIN MARTIN THE COMMUNITY GUIDE

Lorain County Community College President Marcia Ballinger is calling on state leaders to provide a greater share of higher education funding to community colleges.

On March 16, Ballinger recapped her efforts at LCCC’s Board of Trustees meeting, saying she argued to leaders in Columbus that community colleges remain underfunded and to meet the moment and opportunities that exist with Ohio’s workforce needs, community colleges need a funding boost.

Ballinger testified March 14 before the Ohio House Finance Subcommittee on Higher Education in support of House Bill 33, the biennial budget bill for fiscal years 2024-25.

With a recommended $1 billion in new spending for higher education through the state share of instruction, only 30 percent is targeted toward community colleges, with approximately 70 percent supporting four-year universities.

“And the challenge with part of that is that 70 percent of the new jobs that are being created

by JobsOhio and others,

70 percent of those jobs don’t require a bachelor’s degree, they require an associate’s degree or a credential. And so one of the messages that we have been sharing is that it would be more beneficial to have an increased share going to community colleges because the expectations for the 23 community colleges statewide has never been greater,” Ballinger said.

With employers in need of skilled employees, Ballinger stressed Ohio industry cannot afford to wait years for the investments that are needed.

“That just isn’t feasible,” she said.

Ohio Association of Community Colleges President Jack Hershey testified to the Higher Education Committee, requesting an additional $150 million in funding each year for community colleges, arguing the current balance heavily favoring universities “does not seem right.”

“Every day, leaders at our colleges are working with business and industry, local chambers of commerce, and local or regional economic development leaders on how to address their desperate need to hire qualified workers, and hire them quickly,” he said.

“None of this is meant to imply that the state should ignore the value and importance of bachelor’s degrees; however, the reality is that the postCOVID labor market is moving away from the traditional reliance on bachelor’s degrees, toward one that places more value on in-demand shorterterm skills-focused programs. We see this shift in demand not only from local employers, but from students as well.”

Universities receive $100 million more per year than community colleges, Hershey said.

Ballinger and Hershey are also asking Statehouse leaders for an increased allotment of grant funds available to community college students. They argued the Ohio College Access Grant should be replaced with the Ohio Work Ready Scholarship.

During the pandemic, LCCC created shorttrack, 16-week certificate programs, providing a credential for students seeking an entry path into high-demand industries.

LCCC currently has 65 short-track programs that currently do not receive state funding, something Ballinger and Hershey would like to see changed.

JOHN SEYFRIED | Provided

From left: Oberlin College Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences David Kamitsuka; Oberlin College President Carmen Twillie Ambar; Excellence in Teaching award winners Keith Tarvin, Megan Kaes Long, Ana Maria Diaz Burgos, Renee Romano, and Dean of the Conservatory, Bill Quillen. Not pictured are award winners Bryan Parkhurst and Dang Thai Son.

Oberlin College announces Excellence in Teaching Awards STAFF REPORT

OBERLIN – Oberlin College and Conservatory recently recognized six faculty members with Excellence in Teaching Awards for the 2021-22 academic year.

The recipients are: ● Ana María Díaz Burgos, associate professor of Hispanic studies. ● Megan Kaes Long, associate professor of music theory. ● Bryan Parkhurst, assistant professor of music theory and aural skills.

● Renee Romano, Robert S. Danforth Professor of History. ● Keith Tarvin, professor emeritus of biology. ● Dang Thai Son, professor of piano.

A ceremony was held for the recipients at college President Carmen Twillie Ambar’s home on Feb. 28, the college announced.

The annual Excellence in Teaching Award recognizes faculty in the college and conservatory who have demonstrated sustained and distinctive excellence in their teaching at the college and conservatory, the col-

lege said in a news release.

An award is given in each division of the college: Arts and humanities, social and behavioral sciences, and natural sciences and mathematics.

The College Faculty Council solicits nominations, which are then reviewed by a faculty committee.

The conservatory dean recommends six to seven conservatory faculty to the Conservatory Faculty Council, and together they review and narrow the list of recommendations to three recipients.

Auditor takes Nexus tax appeal to Ohio Supreme Court DAVE O’BRIEN THE COMMUNITY GUIDE

Lorain County Auditor Craig Snodgrass is taking his legal dispute with the Ohio Board of Tax Appeals, Ohio Tax Commissioner and owners of the Nexus pipeline to the next level: The Ohio Supreme Court.

The fight is over whether Nexus should pay the share of property taxes it promised to Lorain County entities when its backers first proposed building the natural gas pipeline.

Snodgrass estimates the pipeline will underpay the Ohio counties along its route $600 million over the next 30 years. Lorain County was promised $7.3 million in taxes the first year Nexus was in operation, but received less than half that in back taxes under a settlement between state tax officials and Nexus owners.

Under the deal, the multimillion-dollar corporations would pay taxes on only 58 percent of the Nexus property tax valuation.

“After lengthy consideration and input from multiple stakeholders in Lorain County and throughout the state of Ohio, I have decided to file an appeal with the Ohio Supreme Court to challenge the final decision and order of the Ohio Board of Tax Appeals relating to the valuation and assessment of the Nexus pipeline system for tax years 2019, 2020, and 2021,” Snodgrass announced in a news release Monday.

“I have made this important decision because I believe that an appeal would be in the best interests of Lorain County and the political subdivisions in Lorain County, and would be in the best interests of county auditors throughout the State of Ohio,” he wrote.

Snodgrass has said Nexus is not paying enough and has shorted the Lorain County JVS, Firelands, Keystone, Midview and Oberlin school districts;

Lorain County Public Health; the Wellington Fire District; the Central Lorain County Ambulance District; Kipton and several Lorain County townships of promised tax revenue.

The disputed tax value also will affect Columbiana, Erie, Fulton, Henry, Huron, Lucas, Medina, Sandusky, Stark, Summit and Wayne counties.

In his statement, Snodgrass wrote that Ohio legislators “expressly provided county auditors with the statutory right to appeal any final determination made by the Tax Commissioner relating to the ‘true value’ of public utility personal property.

This statutory right was granted because county auditors are in a position to provide an important check on the Tax Commissioner’s rulings.”

A BTA decision, a 2-0 vote made Feb. 9, strips Snodgrass of his legal right to appeal and challenge the value of the pipeline from 2019-2021 “and every year thereafter,” he said.

That will cost Lorain County and political subdivisions within $15.7 million for the last four tax years, 2019-2022 “and significantly more in personal property tax revenue thereafter,” Snodgrass said Monday.

An appeal also saves his office and other county

auditors the “time and expense of intervening in all future personal property tax proceedings filed with the Board of Tax Appeals in order to protect their statutory rights, even if they agree with the Tax Commissioner’s determination,” he said.

The BTA decision “will wrongfully bind county auditors to the terms of settlement agreements reached between the Tax Commissioner and the taxpayer, even if the county auditor was not a party to the settlement agreement and did not know the contents of the settlement agreement when it was entered,” Snodgrass said. “This imposes an undue burden and expense upon county auditors that conflicts with the plan language of the statute.”

The 256 mile-long pipeline cost an estimated $2.6 billion to build — $400 million to $500 million more than initial estimates — and its builders argued it should be taxed on less than half that: $950 million instead of an initial taxable estimate of $1.68 billion.

After the state tax commissioner put the taxable value at more than $1.4 billion, Nexus asked for a reassessment, was denied, then appealed to the BTA in 2020.

Nexus asked for a second reassessment, which was

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again denied. It then appealed to the Board of Tax Appeals in September 2020. In February 2022, then-Ohio Tax Commissioner Jeffrey McClain struck a deal with Nexus’ corporate owners/partners DT Midstream and Enbridge on the lower value.

That led to Snodgrass’ appeals, for which he has taken some heat but also found support from the Board of Commissioners.

At his board’s March 7 meeting, Commissioner David Moore reminded the public he voted against hiring a law firm to represent Snodgrass in the appeal in September 2022.

“I said it was an unwinnable case, and that was true,” Moore said March 7. He said he has been fielding calls and messages from other counties and his own constituents about the Nexus controversy.

Moore said he was given a legal opinion that he can’t reverse the vote to hire the law firm to represent Snodgrass, whom he has accused of wasting money.

Commissioner Jeff Riddell said March 7 there is pressure on the board to get Snodgrass to accept the settlement so Nexus tax money can be released to Lorain County school districts that had budgeted it for use.

“There’s a settlement,

but that money is not being paid,” he said March 7, encouraging school districts and those affected to contact Snodgrass “and let their issues be known.”

In a statement to The Chronicle-Telegram March 13, Commissioner Michelle Hung said she has supported Snodgrass since he decided to uses his legal authority first to hire an appraiser then a law firm to appeal the state’s position in court.

Snodgrass was doing his job when he hired an appraiser and a law firm to fight the state and Nexus, she wrote.

“The residents don’t have high-priced lobbyists work-

ing for them, and they look to their elected officials to make sure this is a good deal for the schools and our children’s future,” she wrote. “I am not OK with the schools losing money, and the possibility of the residents being asked yet again for a levy to support the schools because corporate business isn’t paying their fair share.”

Hung wrote that she didn’t see a downside to taking the matter to the Ohio Supreme Court.

The tax shortfall for Lorain County is “not a one-time loss,” she wrote.

“It will be our schools and our children that suffer the effects of the shortfall.”

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85 SOUTH MAIN STREET OBERLIN OHIO 44074 MARCH 23, 2023 BOARD AND COMMISSION MEETING DATES ALL MEETINGS WILL BE Live Streamed @ http://oberlinoh.swagit.com/live MARCH 27, 2023 ....... RESOURCE CONSERVATION & RECOVERY – 5:00 P.M.

Tom orlando

Lorain County Clerk of Courts

MARCH 28, 2023 ....... OPEN SPACE COMMISSION – 5:00 P.M. NOTICE: DISABLED MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY WHO MAY NEED ASSISTANCE, PLEASE CALL 775-7203 OR E-MAIL: banderson@cityofoberlin.com NOTICE REQUIRED: TWO (2) WORKING DAYS IN ADVANCE OF MEETING (48 HOURS) CLERK OF COUNCIL’S OFFICE.

Page A6

Thursday, March 23, 2023

Lorain County Community Guide

The wheels still are turning for the Roll Arena JON WYSOCHANSKI FOR THE COMMUNITY GUIDE

ELYRIA — There have been numerous changes in Elyria since 1948, but over those 75 years the Roll Arena has remained a constant on Cleveland Street.

State, national and world champions have come through its doors, and beyond the competitions, countless couples have held hands or shared their first kiss on the floor. Memories were made in a place where time stands still, but the disco ball doesn’t.

Fred and Karin Smith, are the the third owners over the last seven and a half decade The Smiths purchased the rink in 1997, but Fred’s connection to it goes back longer. Fred, a Columbus native and retired State Department diplomat, skated there competitively. He was the North American Champion in men’s freestyle in 1960 and in pairs freestyle in 1966.

“The first time I was in the building was 1960,” he said. “I represented this rink in competition in 1969 and ‘70.”

Original owners Chuck and Bob Stang built the 27,000-square-foot building with its 180-by-80-foot hardwood maple floor at a time when state Route 57 was only 10 years old and major freeways like Interstates 71, 90 and 480 and the Ohio Turnpike didn’t exist. North Ridgeville and Avon — among the fastestgrowing cities in Ohio in modern times — were still townships and wouldn’t reach city status until 1960 and 1961, respectively.

The Roll Arena opened March 17, 1948.

Originally the rink was a rectangle with no rounded corners. An organist always provided the music.

“There wasn’t a switch to

PROVIDED

Opening day of Roll Arena is pictured March 17, 1948, as members of the Stang family greet eager patrons. Last weekend was the 75th anniversary of the roller skating rink. popular music and artists with a DJ until the late 1960s and ‘70s,” Fred said.

“All rinks had an organ.”

In the early 2000s, the Smiths introduced laser tag and a rock climbing machine in an attempt to draw more interest. Those two options didn’t ultimately prove to be as popular as skating.

Fred said when he began competitive skating in the 1960s, the Elyria Roll Arena was one of the most powerful competitive clubs in the country. The coach then, Ron Jellse, was one of the most famous coaches in the United States, he said.

The rink still holds the largest invitational competition in the United States every April, drawing skaters from across the country.

It will also host the Great Lakes Regional Championships with people from five states competing to qualify for the U.S. Championships.

“We produced a number of national champions,” Fred said. “Elyria has had dozens of United States champions.”

Allan Mitschke, general manager for the past 15 years, said he thinks roller skating will remain an activity people enjoy regardless of how the times change. It’s an inexpensive sport compared to ice skating, he said, which helps the business weather uncertain times.

While there are fewer roller rinks than once existed, the Smiths and Mitschke said they see roller skating as an Ameri-

can mainstay like bowling, rather than going the way of, say, drive-in theaters.

“Roller skating tends to do well when the economy isn’t,” Mitschke said.

Karin — who was the South American champion from 1985-87 in team dance skating — enjoys seeing young people come with parents or grandparents. It’s that generational aspect and the memories people share that’s the best part of the business, she said.

“We try to keep this as a family atmosphere and affordable,” she said. “It’s something everyone can do together. We have had couples meet here who are now married.”

It was in fact roller skating that connected the North and South American

champions, and 34 years later, here they are.

“I was working in the embassy in Santiago, Chile, and someone had given me the name and number of a woman who was an international (skating) judge and referee,” Fred said. “It turned out to be Karin’s mother and that’s how we met.”

Roller skates as we know them with four wheels were first invented in 1863 by James Plimpton of Massachusetts, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica. Plimpton broke from an in-line wheel construction, which had been the norm since roller skating appeared in the mid-1760s, for two sets of parallel wheels on the heel and front of the boot, the encyclopedia states.

In the 1980s, in-line skates once again made an appearance on the scene.

They’re better for speed but not for figure skating, Fred Smith said.

“It turned out to be a little more difficult to do jumping, dancing and spinning on an in-line skate,” he said.

While the past may have seen rinks busier, popular artists such as Pink and Taylor Swift are out there promoting roller skating, Karin said.

“I’ve seen a lot of artists doing video on skates,” she said. “It’s good to see it’s popular now.”

Social media platforms are also bringing a new generation into the fold, Mitschke said.

“TikTok has been a huge driver,” he said.

Fred Smith said he thinks the rink’s motto above the entrance is important at a time when childhood obesity is an issue. It states “where fun leads to fitness.”

“That’s what I wish people were more aware of,” he said. “We’d like to see even more kids do this. It’s a way to listen to the music you like, be with your friends and although you don’t realize it, if you’re skating at a fairly rapid pace, you burn 650 calories an hour.”

It’s not only kids out on the floor. Art Ripley, 88, of North Ridgeville takes part in practice and lessons for a few hours each week.

Ripley, who retired in 2014 from Oberlin College, where he worked as a communications engineer for 35 years, skated at the Roll Arena off and on competitively in the 1960s and ‘70s. Today it’s still a way to keep healthy and active, he said.

“I highly recommend it,” he said.

History on display

JEFF BARNES | The Chronicle-Telegram

ABOVE: Wellington High School Civil War Club hosted their annual military history fair on March 18. The proceeds benefit the club for its Gettysburg Field Study.

RIGHT: Grand Army of the Republic uniforms were on display by the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War during the annual military history fair hosted by the Wellington High School Civil War Club.

Work continues BRUCE BISHOP | The Chronicle-Telegram

Construction crews are making progress at the University Hospital Amherst Beaver Creek Surgery Center. The facility at 917 North Lake Street in Amherst broke ground November 1, 2022.

SUBSCRIBE! Love local news? Get 52 issues a year by signing up for a subscription, conveniently delivered to you each week in the mail. Get the Lorain County Community Guide, Amherst News-Times, Oberlin News-Tribune, and Wellington Enterprise bundled together for the same low price!

Call (440) 329-7000 during business hours.

Thursday, March 23, 2023

Lorain County Community Guide

Page A7

BULLETIN BOARD Tax preparation

Oberlin Community Services will offer free federal tax help from 12-4 p.m. March 28 and April 4 at Oberlin Community Services, 85 S. Professor St. Families and individuals making less than $60,000 per year can file for free through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program. Those with higher income may qualify for AARP’s Tax-Aide.

This clinic is open to Lorain County residents by appointment only — appointments last about 30 minutes and can be made by calling (440) 774-6579 during OCS business hours.

Amherst VFW Post 1662

165 Cleveland Ave. Amherst, OH 44001 (440) 988-8823 Fish Fry Fridays through April 7 Open to the public. Serving 4:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Cash only, carry-outs available. Call ahead to order.

Pancake breakfasts

● The Amherst Eagles Club will host its annual pancake breakfast 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday at the Amherst Eagles Club, 1161 Milan Ave. Adult tickets are $10, children 3-to-10years-old are $5 and kids 2-and-under are free.

Tickets can be purchased at the door or from any Amherst Cross Country Girls team member. Checks should be made payable to the Amherst Athletic

Boosters. ● The Rotary Club of Oberlin will host its pancake breakfast 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 2 at Oberlin Elementary School, 210 North Park St., Oberlin.

Proceeds support Oberlin Safety Town.

Tickets are two for $14, one for $8 and children 5 and under eat free. To purchase tickets in advance, Venmo @OberlinRotaryClub.

Firelands Genealogical Society

“Help I’m Adopted!

Finding Your Biological Family Using DNA” will be the topic at the Firelands Genealogical Society meeting at 7 p.m. March 27. Dana Ann Palmer will speak via Zoom and answer questions afterward at the Laning-Young Research Center, 9 Case Ave., in Norwalk. Finding your biological family when you’re adopted can be tricky. Learn some techniques to piece together your family using DNA and other records.

Meetings of the Firelands Genealogical Society, a Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society, are free and open to the public.

Easter Egg Hunts

● The Amherst Lions club and Amherst Steele Leo Clubs will host its Easter Egg Hunt 11 a.m. April 8. The two clubs have been hosting the event since 1996.

The Easter Bunny will arrive at 10:30 a.m., courtesy of the Amherst

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.

Fire Department. There will be three separate hunt areas marked by age level: toddlers to 3-year-olds; 4-to-6-year-olds; and 7-to10-year-olds.

In addition to the candyfilled eggs, there will be specially marked eggs children can redeem for prizes at the end of the hung.

Parents are requested to not enter the designated areas when the hunt first begins, but to join the children a few minutes into the hunt. For those too young to walk on their own, the Easter Bunny will have plenty of eggs to hand out, Lions Club President Lori Elswick said in a news release.

Parents of children with special needs can ask a Lion or Leo Club member for assistance.

The event is free, but donations support Amherst Lions vision care and other community projects. The Amherst Lions will also be collecting unwanted, used eye glasses to be recycled and distributed to those in need. Collection boxes will be set up.

For more information, visit Amherst Lions Club on Facebook or email AmherstOhioLions@gmail. com. ● The Rotary Club of Oberlin’s Easter Egg Hunt is 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. April 8 on the West College side of Tappan Square. It is for children ages 2-to-12years-old and will feature

the Easter Bunny, face painting, games and other activities.

Amherst Historical Society

● The Shops at Sandstone Village will reopen for the season from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, and be open every Saturday until Nov. 18.

The Shops at Sandstone Village are at 763 Milan Ave., Amherst. ● Norm Miller’s program, “My Civil War Ancestors and the Songs They Sang,” will be at 7 p.m. March 29 at the Amherst Historical Society, 113 South Lake St. Norm will tell stories about his Civil War ancestors and the songs they sang, as well as discuss his family’s history. Light refreshments will be served during this free community program.

Please RSVP by March 24th to (440) 988-7255 or office@amhersthistoricalsociety.org. ● The Eggstravaganza is 1-4 p.m. April 1 at wo locations: The Easter Bunny, raffle baskets, food for sale, and more will be at the Amherst Historical Society, 113 S. Lake St. A balloon artist, face painter, two petting zoos, crafting stations, trivia and egg scavenger hunt in the Historic buildings with prizes, and more will be at The Sandstone Village, 763

THEME: EARTH DAY ACROSS 1. Blood-related problem 5. Econ. measure 8. Blue 11. A perch for Christmas partridge?

12. Domain 13. Fill college entrance form 15. Archaic preposition 16. Chili seed 17. Ski run 18. *Swedish environmental activist 20. Makes lace 21. Pi meson, pl.

22. Digital map marker 23. *Rachel Carson’s “____ Spring” 26. Heater 30. “Wheel of Fortune” vowel request 31. Trouble, in Yiddish 34. Epochs 35. Type of single-story house 37. Noble title 38. Sandler and Driver 39. Not “out of” 40. Advice on shampoo bottle 42. *Pollinator of plants 43. ____ Cray, a.k.a. the father of supercomputing 45. *Earth Day founder 47. Benatar or Boone 48. Lacking clarity 50. Singer-songwriter Tori 52. *1969 Santa Barbara disaster 55. To some degree 56. Dig like a pig 57. Honoree’s spot 59. Apartments, e.g.

60. Swine and avian diseases 61. Primary source for Nordic mythology 62. Cash machine 63. It’s all the rage 64. Swallow’s house DOWN 1. PC “brain” 2. Christian fast 3. The Hippocratic one 4. Group of minstrels, e.g.

5. *Environmentally-friendly 6. Draws close 7. Spasm of pain 8. See him run?

Milan Avenue, Amherst, Ohio 44001. ● Afternoon Tea is 1-3 p.m. May 21 at The Grange Hall in Sandstone Village. Please join us for tea and refreshments, enjoy beautiful wedding dresses on display, and tour the Village gardens maintained by the Amherst Garden Club. Tickets are $20 per person, $15 for members.

Please RSVP by May 15 to (440) 988-7255 or office@ amhersthistoricalsociety. org. Payments can be made by cash, check or card.

You can also register and pay by card using https://form.jotform. com/230463915767161

● The Sandstone Village Car and Bike Show will be June 4 with registration from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. and the Car Show from 12-4 p.m. There will be a photo area, Village building tours, garage sales, a blessing of the cars and bikes, raffles, DJ, food court, and more!

Spectator parking will be at Amherst Junior High School with shuttle service to Sandstone Village.

North Pointe Ballet

North Pointe Ballet will preent a screening of “Because of You” in honor of World Autism Awareness Day at the Lorain County Community College Stocker Arts Center cinema hall at 12 p.m. and 1 p.m.

April 1.

Each of the two, 45-minute showings will include a screening of the 20 minute dance piece which explores a family’s journey with their child’s Autism diagnosis, a live dance performance except, a demonstration of a virtual reality component simulation the experience of a dancer with Autism, an explaination of educator resources and a question-and-answer session with the artists.

The event is free, but registration is strongly encouraged at northpointeballet. org/waad/.

Avon Democratic Club

Join the Avon Democratic Club for our meeting on 6:30 p.m. April 13 at the Avon Senior Center at 36784 Detroit Rd. All are welcome.

Candidates Geoffrey Smith and Wayne R. Nicol will discuss their campaigns for Municipal Judge of the Avon Lake Courts.

The Avon Lake Municipal Court serves Avon Lake,

9. “The Sound of Music” backdrop 10. Yellow #5 in list of ingredients 12. Highly-ranked ecclesiasts 13. On the move 14. Arranged in advance 19. Usually the last inning 22. Wound fluid 23. Delhi dresses 24. Absurd 25. Like a dryer trap 26. *Cuyahoga River disaster, Clean Water Act precursor 27. Omani and Yemeni 28. Tarantino in his own movie, e.g.

29. Ruhr’s industrial center 32. ____-friendly

Avon and Sheffield Village.

To learn more about the ADC, visit our website at www.avonohdems.com.

Black River Audubon Society

The Black River Audubon 65 Year Anniversary Outstanding Speaker program will feature wellknown naturalist, author and birder Scott Weidensaul and his program “A World on the Wing: The Global Odyssey of Migratory Birds” at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Carlisle Reservation Visitor Center, 12882 Diagonal Rd., LaGrange.

This program is free for members, $10 for nonmembers. Preregistration for attendees is required and tickets can be purchased by following the link at www.blackriveraudubon.org.

League of Women Voters of the Oberlin Area

The League of Women Voters of the Oberlin Area will hold a public informational meeting about Ranked Choice Voting and what it could mean for Lorain County voters.

The meeting is in the Dye Auditorium of the Oberlin College Science Center at 6:30 p.m. April 26. Speakers will include Justin Wells, the Co-Executive of Ranked Choice Ohio, and Duncan Buell, Chair Emeritus in Computer Science and Engineering at the University of South Carolina, a noted researcher in electronic voting, and currently visiting professor at Denison University. The meeting will consider what ranked choice voting has to offer the voters of Lorain County and what difficulties lie in wait before any implementation can happen. Parking will be available in the Woodland Street lot across from the science building.

Lorain County JVS

Lorain County JVS Landscape and Greenhouse Management 2022 alumni, Isaiah Allen from Clearview, was recently presented the 110% Award. This award, sponsored by AgCredit, is available to the three different FFA Chapters in Lorain County.

33. Mourner’s wish 36. *Refuse turned fertilizer 38. Consumed (2 words) 40. Monotonous routine 41. Teenagers’ emotions 44. A mirage?

46. City in Netherlands 48. Between violin and cello 49. Not silently 50. Polly to Tom Sawyer 51. Disfigure 52. ____ Approach, music education 53. Serve soup 54. *Plastic tops of coffee cups 55. Sine ____ non 58. College entrance exam, acr.

SOLUTION CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE A2

SOLUTION CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE A2

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Thursday, March 23, 2023

Lorain County Community Guide

© 2023 byVickiWhiting, Editor Jeff Schinkel, Graphics Vol. 39, No. 16

hile the article below is just pretend, we wrote the article in the format of a real news article.

Fastest Snack

Who will reach the movie theater snack bar first? Race against a family member!

Woodword knows that when you report on the news, you need to have “balanced reporting.” That means that the reporter includes information from people with different opinions about the news.

Viewpoints

A balanced news report provides different points of view about the news.

There is a highway that starts in Alaska and ends at the southern tip of Argentina in South America.

Or does it start in Argentina and end in Alaska? It depends on your point of view.

This silly news article is about Popcorn declaring itself the best movie snack. This is Popcorn’s viewpoint. Clearly not everyone has the same opinion, so the reporter interviewed a couple of other snacks to get their point of view.

Standards Link: Understand point of view.

Which moviesnack does Red Licorice think is the best?

Why?

Which moviesnack does Chocolate Mints think is best?

Why?

If you were interviewed for this article, what would you say?

HOLLYWOOD — In an interview Tuesday, Popcorn declared itself the best movie snack in the world.

“Not to brag, but I’m the best-sellin movie snack of all time. Obviously,g people really love me!”

While signing autographs for fans, Popcorn added, “I’m crispy, buttery, salty and delicious. I’ve been a movie tradition for generations!”

Red Licorice was asked to comment Popcorn’s statement. “It’s true that on movies wouldn’t be the same withou Popcorn,” Red Licorice said. “But witt all that crunching, Popcorn can be kin h of noisy. I’m sweet, tasty and quiet, d which is good in a movie theater.”

After hearing Red Licorice’s comme Chocolate Mints said, “I’m quiet, toonts, And I’m in a box that you can close . and

take home if you don’t finish during movie. I’m delicious and convenien the t.”

Dismissing concerns about noise, a confident Popcorn replied that “peopl with good manners know how to eat e popcorn quietly in a movie theater.”

“Besides,” Popcorn added with a gri “Chocolate Mints can melt in a warmn, car ride home. Popcorn never melts. ”

Graph It!

Ask some friends which movie snack they like the best and why.

Then write a short article explaining which movie snack is the fr favorite among your friends.

Make a graph to show your results.

What’s Outside the Picture?

Look at a photo in the newspaper. Cut it out and glue it in the center of a blank piece of paper. Think about what is outside the edges of the photo.

Draw or list what you think is outside what you see in the photo.

Standards Link: Answ wer questions based on evidence in te ext.

Choose a Photo

The photos that go with a news article can give more information and create a feeling about a news event. Which photo would you choose for the above article?

Cut it out and glue it into the box in the article above.

Standards Link: Understand point of view using visual cues.

andards Link: Display data in graphs.

BALANCE BOX FRIENDS GRAPH HOME LICORICE MELTS MINTS NEWS OPINION POPCORN QUIET SNACKS TRUE VIEWPOINT

Standards Link: Use visual cues to understand points of view.

G N K G R A P H S V S O J Q S T E Q D L

T I S T B N C M N X L N N E A I I T E P

E I A I L O R R I O

M P C U A P O U R P

N O K Q N W C E F C

VIEWPOINT

The noun viewpoint means the way someone looks at a situation to form their own opinion.

A E S M C E I M X O

From the dog’s viewpoint, humans get all the best food.

I R M S L V B H D N

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

U O W X E I L O J R

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

I’m a Mosquito!

Advertising Points ofView

Look at three ads in today’s newspaper. Write down the name of the company advertising, what they are selling and why they think people should spend money with them.

ANSWER: Hip pop music!

Standards Link: Compare and contrast points of view.

This week’s word:

Write about a mosquito from a mosquito’s point of view.