Lorain County Community Guide - March 19, 2020

COMMUNITY GUIDE

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AMHERST NEWS-TIMES • OBERLIN NEWS-TRIBUNE • WELLINGTON ENTERPRISE Thursday, March 19, 2020

www.lcnewspapers.com

Volume 7, Issue 12

SPECIAL EDITION

LIFE ON HOLD Coronavirus closes K-12 schools, colleges, restaurants, locks down nursing homes JASON HAWK EDITOR

"We've never seen a situation exactly like this."

Dr. Amy Acton, head of the Ohio Department of Health, wasn't kidding.

Fearing a contagion that if left unchecked could kill more than three in every 100 Ohioans — around 400,000 people — the state WKSU feed took drastic action last week.

Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy By executive order, Gov. Acton and Gov. Mike DeWine speak Friday. She Mike DeWine banned estimated the number of people infected with gatherings of 100 or more coronavirus was 100,000 — and as of Tuesday, people, and

by Monday that number had tripled.

WHY IT'S SERIOUS

Health experts say COVID-19 is a concern because of its death rate. Of those who contract the disease, 3.4 percent reportedly die.

By comparison, the death rate for influenza is 0.1 percent. More people have died from the flu, because a higher number of people got the flu in the first place — but coronavirus is more deadly, period.

By comparison, the death rate for SARS was about nine percent, smallpox was 30 percent and Ebola was 50 percent.

State health experts stressed throughout the week that COVID-19 is highly contagious and they expected cases to double every six days.

Gov. Mike DeWine said early on that officials knew exactly what would happen if swift and drastic steps weren't taken right away. All they had to do was look overseas.

"We have the potential for becoming Italy," he said.

The Western European country was perhaps the worst hit outside of China, where the virus originated.

In Italy, officials dragged feet and the rate spiked to 77 deaths for every 1,000 patients who were infected.

The fear was a repeat of the Spanish flu. During World War I, it killed 50 million people — a worse body count than from the war.

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GOING VIRAL

This week, we take an in-depth look at how the public health emergency is affecting everyone, from school children to college students, athletes, movie-lovers, the elderly, families and local government. We encourage you to read through all sections of this week's edition, regardless of which community you live or work in. Vital information is spread through all four sections. the number had dwindled to 50. President Donald Trump suggested limiting "crowds" to just 10 on Monday, but stopped short of issuing his own order.

"We cannot be in close proximity to each other," DeWine said in a March 12

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VIRUS PAGE A2

Health chief closes polls

Kristin Bauer | Chronicle

Kathleen Sullivan, a voting room assistant, wipes off one of the voting machines at the Board of Elections on Monday afternoon. Poll workers wiped down the stations with rubbing alcohol throughout the day in an effort to keep voters safe from COVID-19.

Primary voting will continue with absentee ballots JASON HAWK EDITOR

The polls never opened Tuesday.

Using extraordinary emergency powers, Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton ordered polling locations closed "to avoid the imminent threat with a high probability of widespread exposure" to COVID-19.

The disease poses a huge risk to the public, especially to the elderly and people with weakened immune systems, she said in a near-midnight order.

The primary election was thrown in chaos Monday afternoon.

After days of promising it would move forward as planned, Gov. Mike DeWine said he would seek court approval to stop in-person voting.

"This was not a decision that was easily made, like most of these decisions that we've had to make. But I believe it is the right thing to do," he said.

DeWine said he would not force Ohioans to choose between their health and their constitutional duty to vote — though he admitted he lacked the authority to close the polls ELECTION PAGE A2

INSIDE THIS WEEK

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

press conference.

The ban, until further notice, effectively shuts down parades, fairs, festivals, sporting events, theater productions and any other large meetings.

It does not affect airports, grocery stores, retailers,

shopping malls, or other places where large numbers of people "are in transit," DeWine said.

There are also exceptions for weddings, funerals, religious services, protests and other gatherings that would specifically be protected by the First Amendment.

At first, voting did not meet the definition of a "mass gathering," said Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, but that changed as state officials took extraordinary steps to bar in-person voting and extend absentee balloting.

Amherst

Oberlin

Wellington

On the hunt for a time capsule from 1991 • B1

College dining hall worker among first LC cases • C1

Fate of school bond issue and levy up in the air • D1

OBITUARIES A2 • CLASSIFIEDS C4 • CROSSWORD C4 • SUDOKU C4 • KID SCOOP D4

Page A2

Thursday, March 19, 2020

Lorain County Community Guide

VIRUS

FROM A1

The governor also closed K-12 schools, at first calling it "an extended spring break," and then calling on teachers and students to continue working remotely by any means possible.

He ordered classes to end effective at the end of the day Monday, but many rushed to close their doors ahead of that deadline. Amherst and Wellington were among the districts that opted to have kids report one last time Friday — Firelands and Oberlin held out, but ultimately chose not to have students report Monday at all.

School is canceled through at least April 3. The closures may be extended if needed, DeWine said.

"We will review it as we go. We frankly have no idea at this point whether we'll extend it beyond that," he said.

Unless a child has a medical problem, the risk of death from COVID-19 is not very high.

Justifying school closures, DeWine said children are potential carriers that can spread the disease to the vulnerable.

The extreme measures were taken as state health officials confirmed a fifth coronavirus patient, a 55-year-old Trumble County man who was admitted to the intensive care unit.

DeWine and Acton said the case was one more signal that COVID-19 had become widespread throughout the state.

Officials expect more and more cases because the disease can take two weeks to manifest symptoms, and because it takes time to test which patients have normal influenza strains and which have more serious coronavirus infections.

Based on what has been witnessed in other nations, COVID-19 cases can double every six days.

When the forced "social distancing" measures were announced last Thursday, there were 30 negative tests, 52 people under investigation and hundreds who were told to self-quarantine across the state, according to Acton. That number boomed over the weekend, and by Monday there were 50 confirmed cases and 14 hospitalizations in Ohio.

At the very least, one percent of the population was already carrying the virus, she said during the state's press conference. That's more than 100,000 people — and by Tuesday, the estimate had risen to 300,000.

"These are the hard decisions," she said, but will "absolutely save lives."

"We are all sort of waking up to our new reality," she said.

"We are basically slowly shutting down most of our structures of society."

The goal of the extreme measures is to keep the number of coronavirus cases down enough so they don't overwhelm Ohio's hospitals, Acton said.

Medical personnel are the front line and "need to be MASH-like," deciding who can ride it out and who needs serious treatment, she said.

DeWine said his executive orders were made not only to protect ourselves, but loved ones and complete strangers.

"Everyone has to think about other people. That's why this is so very important," he said.

"We understand the sacrifice this is going to entail, but this is the best medical advice we can get by people who study viruses, and we know it's the right thing to do," he said.

Acton said coronavirus in Ohio may peak in late April to mid-May. "This will be the thing this generation remembers," not unlike 9/11, she said.

NO EVENTS

Due to the unprecedented circumstances forced on our communities by the COVID-19 pandemic, our Bulletin Board will not run this week. If your event has been canceled or rescheduled, please let us know at news@lcnewspapers.com. It's impossible to tell for now when event listings will be published again.

OBITUARIES ROBERT YOUNGLESS, 81, of Amherst, passed away Sunday, March 8, 2020, at his home, following a full and meaningful life. Arrangements by Hempel Funeral Home.

CONSTANCE "CONNIE" ROVERE (nee Richards), 74, of South Amherst, passed away Friday, March 13, 2020, at University Hospital in Cleveland, following a lengthy illness. Arrangement by Hempel Funeral Home.

MARK SERBACK died Friday, March 13, 2020, at his home in Grafton with his wife, Sandra by his side. Arrangements handled by Hempel Funeral Home.

Yost: Open meetings may be curbed during emergency JASON HAWK EDITOR

The public may be closed out of government meetings to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said Thursday.

The state's Open Meeting Act requires officials to conduct business transparently. It stops city councils, trustees, county commissioners, school boards and other bodies from making decisions behind closed doors.

But in a state of emergency — like the one Gov. Mike DeWine put in place to curtail the spread of COVID-19 — some rules deemed to be "time-consuming formalities" can be broken, or at least bent, Yost said.

For example, public officials normally have to give 24-hour notice before meeting. That rule can be thrown out the window if

necessary during the emergency, he said.

One big issue: Yost said government bodies may be able to bar members of the public from attending meetings to limit coronavirus exposure.

That doesn't mean meetings could be secret. The attorney general said video of meetings would have to be aired or streamed.

He did not specify whether those meetings would have to be available as they happened, or whether they could be taped and released later.

A time-tested rule is that officials still must show up in person to either speak or vote at a meeting.

That part of the Open Meetings Act can't be Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost held a press changed. "That probably conference by video Thursday to talk about remeans we will have some strictions on public meetings. folks who are coughing the law. Public officials recognize that disruptions or have fever who should probably not show up" to a should be able to take part mean we're just going to in meetings by video like live a little bit differently. meeting, Yost said. corporate executives often But we're still going to get However, he persondo, he said. done what we need to get ally feels the Legislature "It's important for us to done," he said. should move to change

THE ENEMY UP CLOSE Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Here's the culprit: This illustration shows COVID-19 as it appears when viewed using an electron microscope.

It belongs to the broad family of viruses known as coronaviruses.

ELECTION

FROM A1 himself.

That power is only his in the event of an invasion by a former power.

In a press conference, he drew comparisons between the havoc wreaked by the coronavirus and an invasion.

Franklin County Court of Common Pleas Judge Richard Frye denied the governor's request late in the evening, raising questions about what would happen if DeWine denied the ruling.

That's where Acton stepped in, invoking an Ohio law that grants wide powers to make special orders to prevent the spread of contagious diseases.

DeWine said the rights of voters will be preserved. Each voter will be given an ample opportunity to vote.

He's proposed extending absentee voting through June 2, but has not committed to allowing any in-person voting.

Early votes cast across Ohio will still be counted, he said.

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who oversees elections, said suspending in-person voting is a serious matter, and the state did everything possible to avoid it.

The health and safety of our fellow Ohioans is non-negotiable, he said, calling it "the only thing more

important than the right to vote."

DeWine said canceling Election Day was not a perfect alternative, but it was the "best of bad" options.

He would prefer to delay elections until September, he said, but cannot because of the Democratic primary.

Ohio is obligated to allow voters to send Democratic delegates to the party's national convention, LaRose said.

Louisiana, Georgia and Puerto Rico have all postponed voting as well.

The period to request an absentee ballot has been extended. You can print a request form at www.loraincountyelections.us.

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SOLUTION TO CROSSWORD ON PAGE C4

SOLUTION TO SUDOKU ON PAGE C4

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Thursday, March 19, 2020

Lorain County Community Guide

Page A3

RESTAURANTS REELING

Owners and employees wrestling with financial hit of forced closures STAFF REPORT

Restaurants and bars scrambled after Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine ordered all to close by 9 p.m.

Sunday to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Only delivery, takeout and drive-thru orders are being allowed.

Many were forced to change their business models in a matter of hours to adjust to the historic closure.

Amherst Sunday was “unlike anything anyone has had to deal with” for Chris Russo, who owns several businesses including The Brew Kettle, Amherst Cinema and Hot Dog Heaven.

He spent a large part of the afternoon and evening working to figure out how to change his business models to accommodate the governor’s order.

“As of yesterday and as of last week we were planning safety protocols and how we were going to handle that. Today we completely switched gears,” he said.

Curbside pickup and delivery options are being explored for The Brew Kettle and Hot Dog Heaven, but coronavirus-prevention measures may shut the theater down entirely for now.

Russo said he’s facing an “ever-changing environment, so it changes by the hour.”

One thing that is certain is that employees at Russo’s businesses will be affected, and he is still working to learn more about safety nets that may be available for them.

“Unfortunately, it's going to be a huge economic impact on our staffs,” he said. “We are going to have to lay off a lot of employ-

ees.”

Meanwhile, diners filled Ziggy's Pub & Restaurant to near capacity in its final few hours before closing.

Husband and wife Tim Johnson and Susan Jackson of Vermilion were working at their transportation logistics business in Lorain when they heard DeWine’s order to close; they headed to Ziggy’s as soon as they heard the news.

“I said, ‘Let’s go. We’re out of here,’” Jackson said. “Because we don’t know how long it’s going to be until we can just get out, enjoy and relax.”

Ziggy’s general manager Paul Baraniak said the bar and restaurant, which employs nearly 50 people, will start offering curbside pickup from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day and will adjust hours as needed.

Being without work is a concern for bartender Skyler Grm, who said he needs to find some source of revenue to pay the bills.

“I honestly don’t know what to do,” he said. “I drive for Lyft.

I haven’t done it in a while but I think possibly when I get off here I’m going to restart that and start Lyft driving. It’s not that much money, it’s not good money by any means, but it’s money.”

Oberlin The Feve's ownes encourage customers to check the restaurant's Facebook page for daily updates on business and hours.

Black River Cafe and its sister restaurant, Oberlin Kitchen, are offering carry-out and delivery options and will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., with dinner starting at 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Hours for Sunday were not available.

The restaurants are using one employee on site and one employee for deliveries.

“As long as the state allows us, we will be open for our wonderful customers,'' assistant manager Valerie Villlanueva said.

The cafe has hand sanitizer all along the walkway available for customers and is disinfecting surfaces, allowing them to air dry since the cafe is closed.

The Hotel at Oberlin will serve breakfast from 7-10 a.m. and will serve lunch and dinner from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. It has one cook and one server working and are sanitizing around the clock.

‘We want everyone to stay safe, wash their hands and have a backup plan,” manager Carlos Perez said.

Lupitas Mexican Restaurant will offer carry-outs from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Lorenzo’s Pizzeria is staying open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., running carry-out and delivery services. The staff is taking orders by phone, bagging the food and taking it to customers' cars.

“Our wait staff is involved in kitchen work, getting food, making soft drinks and getting disposables, so they don’t suffer,” owner Larry Cariglio said.

The restaurant has about 15 cases of gloves in stock, but no masks because none were available for purchase. Staffers have been sanitizing all surfaces in the restaurant. They are using the dining area to expand carry-out space for social distancing.

Cariglio said that one supplier has called and said it will no longer be delivering food after Monday.

Quick and Delicious manager Shirley Owens said she doesn’t know how long she will will be able to do carry-out.

“We are trying to ready ourselves in case of a shutdown,” she said.

Owens said the staff is wash-

ing perishables and being sure to properly store food items.

Wellington Bread-N-Brew is taking calls or in-person orders and has yet to decide on a closing time. The restaurant will continue to open at 7 a.m. and is down to two workers instead of its usual three.

Dimitri’s restaurant will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for carry-out only. Co-owner Jacob Grimmett has cut his usual 52 hours in half to make sure all of the staff gets hours.

He said he's also raised pay for servers, whose income usually is supplemented by tips.

Around lunch time Monday, Dimitri’s had received only 15 orders, when it usually has at least 100 checks. Grimmett said they are using the down time to clean and sanitize.

The restaurant will still honor its half-price burgers on Wednesdays via carry-out; it usually goes through 120 pounds of hamburger meat.

Fort’s Old Town Tavern will be open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m and is offering carry-out service only.

It has cut its staff to two workers, one in the kitchen and one server and told the rest of their employees not to come in because they won’t be able to pay them.

The bar and restaurant has signed up to be on Uber Eats, DoorDash and Grubhub.

Lorain Some businesses closed out Sunday with a bang.

Normally closed on Sundays, Bascule Brewery opened its taproom doors after the governor’s announcement. Regulars took pets, while others played guitar before it shut its doors.

“There's a beauty to being a small business owner, to where

you can kind of write your own script and, as you can see, there's kind of an air of solidarity here tonight,” owner Chris Kambouris said. “As soon as everyone got the news, I just immediately started getting phone calls about how people can show us support and that's really beautiful.”

Kambouris said his business is shifting to take-out only, as it has always been a brewery first and taproom second. In the midst of the shutdown, he expects to see creativity and innovation among his fellow small business owners — and suspects once the order lifts, it’s going to be like the end of Prohibition.

“It's important to show as many local businesses as much love as you can right now but I feel kind of calm, I feel kind of optimistic about all this,” he said.

“I feel like we just need to stay informed, and just kind of hang together — pull together — and make the best of things right now.”

While Cindy Gargasz plans to get growlers to go in the coming days, she came in for a pint Sunday evening. For her, the brewery is a place where her husband, John, lives on.

Known to many as “Mr. Lorain,” John Gargasz died unexpectedly in January 2019.

Before his death, Cindy said they had planned to open a wine bar, and many of the items they’d bought found their way to the Bascule Brewery after John’s passing.

“I'm afraid it's gonna hurt — it's gonna hurt a lot of small businesses,” she said. “I'm afraid we're gonna lose some of them.”

Bruce Bishop, Dylan Reynolds, Carissa Woytach, Laina Yost and Brookie Madison contributed to this report.

Postponing tournaments ‘tough’ but ‘wise decision’ ALBERT GRINDLE

THE CHRONICLE-TELEGRAM

COLUMBUS — The Dayton Carroll and Beloit West Branch girls basketball teams were warming up last Thursday for a 1 p.m.

Division II state semifinal at Ohio State's St. John Arena.

The clock stopped at 15:59, causing a stir among the small crowd that already had been limited by the Ohio High School Athletic Association over concerns about the coronavirus.

Minutes later, the public address announcer directed the media to a hastily prepared news conference with OHSAA Executive Director Jerry Snodgrass, who somberly announced at 12:49 p.m. the suspension of the state girls basketball, wrestling and hockey tournaments and regional boys basketball tournaments.

"We're taking our advice from the CDC, as well as the Ohio Department of Health," Snodgrass said.

"Everything right now points to that the spread of this has increased tremendously at mass gatherings.

Those mass gatherings, we

have one. We have many across the state right now.

We have 630 wrestlers alone — just the participants — at our state wrestling tournament.

"We really have to make the wise decision, as tough as it is, to postpone indefinitely."

News developed quickly throughout the sports world Thursday morning, beginning with the NHL suspending play. Men's college basketball conference tournaments quickly followed in a domino effect, culminating with the Big East stopping a quarterfinal between St. John and Creighton at halftime.

Snodgrass made his announcement approximately 70 minutes before Gov. Mike DeWine postponed all school classes for three weeks. Snodgrass had been in contact Thursday morning with DeWine as well as most of the country's other high school athletic executives.

The West Branch and Carroll players and coaches were in the process of exiting St. John Arena when the news conference ended.

"I can't say I know exactly

their emotions," said Snodgrass, a former high school coach and athletic director.

"I do know what they've put into it. Do I have a feel for those emotions? Absolutely, as does our whole staff. It's not just the work we put into making these events happen, it's the emotions that go into it.

"One of the things I think we all know (is that) when crisis situations occur, you need people to be united. I can certainly respect people who disagree, but I will tell you having the opportunity to talk with the athletic directors and the coaches in that meeting, they were 100

percent supportive, understood — disappointed, disappointed, but understood.

I think that speaks volumes for our schools on the partnerships that we ask from our coaches and administrators to know that we're doing what's best for kids.

We're not doing this for any other reason than for what's best for kids, communities and the nation's health right now."

The OHSAA was careful to use the word "suspended," leaving the door open to finish tournaments at a later date. Spring sports will not be played for at least three weeks.

The OHSAA likely will be taking a massive financial hit from the suspension because 78 percent of the nonprofit organization's revenue comes from tournament ticket sales.

The 2019 boys basketball ($982,138) and girls basketball ($143,083) combined to bring in more than $1 million — wrestling figures were not available at www. ohsaa.org — while the 2019 spring season operated with a loss of $24,134, with the lone positive being boys and girls lacrosse ($10,979).

"You can tell we're taking a hit," Snodgrass said.

Snodgrass also main-

tained the OHSAA will have an open mind despite the uncertainly revolving around COVID-19.

"We have some very creative thinkers in our office — very creative," Snodgrass said. "What will we do to try to make some experience? I don't know, but I also know we have the creative thinkers because we're invested in this — maybe not as much as the kids are and maybe from a different angle, but we serve studentathletes. We're not letting them down. We're not. I think the situation might be, but we all learn to react to that and deal with it."

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Thursday, March 19, 2020

Lorain County Community Guide

How the COVID-19 crisis unfolded each day in Ohio JASON HAWK EDITOR

A daily parade of edicts have been handed down in afternoon press conferences with Gov. Mike DeWine, as state officials try desperately to control the spread of coronavirus.

Here is a look at the way the state addressed the problem: THURSDAY • DeWine issued an executive order requiring all K-12 schools to close by the end of the day Monday. Many shut their doors before the deadline.

• Nursing homes were restricted to one visitor per patient daily.

• Gatherings were restricted to no more than 100 people, with exceptions for churches and other events with First Amendment protections.

FRIDAY • Another executive order restricted access to county jails, just as DeWine had done for prisons. It allows no visitation, and each jail must bar anyone who is sick.

• Juvenile courts and detention facilities were put on a similar lockdown.

• President Donald Trump’s administration provided waivers to allow schools to continue to feed students breakfasts and lunches.

It is up to each school district to organize those efforts. “We know that there are some children who really rely pretty much exclusively on that food they can get from school,” DeWine said.

• “We are attempting to build that support system around the people of Ohio and around our businesses and institutions that are coming together to help us through this difficult time,” said Lt. Gov. Jon Husted.

• State officials asked for access to the national stockpile of personal protective equipment — masks, gloves and other protective gear. It was granted within 24 hours.

• DeWine raised the possibility of closing daycare centers, and warned parents to start thinking about alternatives. The medical community recommended removing children from daycare, he said.

• The governor urged employers to send home sick workers.

• The Cleveland Clinic starting helping test for coronavirus, up to 500 tests per day, said Dr. Amy Acton, head of the Ohio Department of Health.

• Infection may peak in late April to mid-May, Acton speculated. Cases are expected to double every five to seven days.

• DeWine recommended that courts postpone or cancel proceedings, but did not issue an order requiring that action.

• The governor said there was no reason to postpone the primary election. Husted said the election was already underway, and stopping it would be disruptive. Polling stations aren’t “mass gatherings,” he said.

• Acton estimated that 100,000 people were infected with COVID-19 in Ohio.

SATURDAY • The first Lorain County case was confirmed.

• Casinos and racinos were closed but the horses at several are running.

• DeWine clarified that clergy would be allowed into otherwise locked down nursing homes for end-of-life situations.

• Lori Criss, director of the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, said in-person visitations at the state’s six psychiatric hospitals

CASES SO FAR

There are 5,000 confirmed cases of novel coronavirus and 96 deaths in the United States as of Tuesday. Worldwide, there are more than 194,700 cases and the death toll has surpassed 7,896.

Compare those numbers to a week ago, when only 120,000 people were infected and about 4,260 had died.

In Ohio, there were 67 cases as of Tuesday in 16 counties. They resulted in 17 hospitalizations, affecting people age 14 to 86.

had already been discontinued.

She announced emergency rules to expand telehealth services for people who have mental health issues. It expands services to everyone with a phone line.

• Doctors and dentists were urged to postpone elective surgeries to free up as many resources as possible.

• DeWine asked veterinarians and dentists to turn over extra face masks to hospitals.

• He said there were talks about limiting mass transit, but no decisions. “Nothing is off the table,” DeWine said.

SUNDAY • DeWine announced restaurants and bars would not be allowed to remain open for dine-in services, and had until 9 p.m. to close. Only carryout and delivery would be allowed.

• The Ohio Department of Commerce offered a one-time liquor buy-back option to support bars and restaurants. It was partially aimed at defraying costs for establishments that had stocked up ahead of St. Patrick’s Day. • The Ohio Development Services Agency started the application process for federal disaster loans of up to $2 million for businesses hit with temporary loss of revenue.

• Nonprofits will also be eligible for low-interest loans through the U.S. Small Business Administration’s program.

MONDAY • DeWine ordered the closure of all fitness centers, gyms, bowling alleys, public recreation centers, movie theaters, indoor water parks and trampoline parks.

• Gatherings were limited to no more than 50 people.

• DeWine announced that, lacking the authority to do so himself, he would seek court approval to stop in-person voting on Election Day. The election, he said, would be extended through June 2 via absentee ballot only.

• People ages 65 and older should not leave their homes unless absolutely necessary, the governor said. The advice also goes for women who are pregnant and people with pre-existing medical conditions that put them at risk.

• In a week, Ohio went from zero to 50 confirmed cases of coronavirus, including 14 hospitalizations, said Acton.

• Grocery stores, drug stores and banks will remain open, she promised.

• Food and beverage companies were asked to turn over extra sanitary gloves to county emergency management agencies.

• Husted made a plea for Ohioans to support restaurants by ordering carryout and delivery.

• The state is offering to pay for employer training under the Tech Cred program, said Husted. Upgrade your computer skills, learn

to code and upscale your employees, “so when we rebound, we will be able to restore the Ohio economy,” he said.

TUESDAY • DeWine said the order to close the polls was made in the best interest of the voters and the 35,000 poll workers who would have been put at risk. Many infected people don’t know they have coronavirus, and could unwittingly spread it to poll workers, or vice versa.

“We felt this could be a real, real disaster,” he said.

• Preventing an overload of the state’s hospital system has been a top concern. DeWine ordered a halt to surgeries and other medical procedures to preserve personnel, beds and personal protection equipment.

• There’s no way to prevent a surge, but because of the steps we’ve taken to slow down the spread of COVID-19, we can cut hospitalizations by two-thirds, and deaths by half, said Acton.

• Mike Abrams, CEO and president of the Ohio Hospital Association, said procedures are being delayed to let us focus on high-priority cases.

• Thomas said medical heads have agreed on criteria for what is elective and what is not, so hospitals statewide are on the same page.

• Tamara McBride, chief of the Bureau of Health Preparedness said Ohio received the full allocation of personal protective equipment from the federal stockpile, but it’s not enough. State officials are asking for other industries to give their surplus.

• Husted: We’ve expedited the process for allowing residents to qualify for unemployment benefits.

At the same time, Amazon has announced it will hire 4,600 people in Ohio for warehouse and delivery jobs.

‘Community spread’ led to restrictions on nursing homes JASON HAWK EDITOR

A Stark County man who became Ohio's fourth novel coronavirus patient made it clear to state officials that the disease had gone statewide.

The 53-year-old was hospitalized at Mercy Medical Center in Canton, according to Dr. Amy Acton, director of the Ohio Department of Health.

In a press conference with Gov. Mike DeWine, she said hundreds of people who were in direct contact with the patient were being tested.

The man had no history of travel and no known history of contact with anyone with the disease, she said.

She called the Stark County man “the first case of community spread.”

That's a term medical professionals use to describe the virus being transmitted from a few carriers to a larger percentage of the population. Acton said she believed about one percent of Ohioans are infected.

“We can expect to see this

all over Ohio,” she said.

The situation led to a near-lockdown of nursing home facilities across the state.

Saying older people are "medically fragile," DeWine ordered them to limit visits to one person per resident each day.

He also ordered nursing and assisted living facilities to log everyone who enters, including staff, vendors and family members. All must have their temperature taken and undergo a basic health assessment.

"This is the next step we felt we had to take to protect this vulnerable population," he said.

Additional restrictions were ordered as the week went on.

Acton said the steps were necessary because the coronavirus' fatality rate increases with age.

Overall, it has a 3.4 percent fatality rate, meaning more than three of every 100 people who contract it die.

For 40- or 50-year-olds, that rate holds at one in 250, she said, and among people in their 80s it can

kill about 15 percent of patients.

Dr. Andy Thomas, chief clinical officer for the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, said five percent of patients with COVID-19 end up in intensive care.

Not every hospital in Ohio has the capacity, rooms and proper equipment to manage the expected influx of patients, he said. Most already run at high capacity.

"If this becomes a rapid escalation... this is something that could overwhelm our hospitals," Thomas said.

Acton said Ohioans need a vaccine. One is being developed, and could get to trials in about three months, but it might take a year to a year and a half to be in full production.

She said it's possible that antiviral medications already on the market, even over-the-counter drugs like Tamiflu, may have some effect on COVID-19. That has yet to be confirmed.

In the meantime, Acton is running tests on the hundreds who have been

exposed to coronavirus.

The amount of testing her department can do is limited.

Last week, the state had received only one testing kit, which includes three liquids used to calibrate testing machines.

Acton said the kit is enough for about 1,000 "runs," and as of last Wednesday between 300 and 400 had already been done.

She said "our labs are up and running. They're doing a couple of batches a day at this point."

State health officials are looking for clusters, or "hot spots" for COVID-19, such as certain nursing homes.

To protect vulnerable Ohioans, DeWine said asked residents to reconsider attending any public gatherings, even chicken dinners, that are unnecessary.

DeWine and Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted have cleared their own schedules to avoid exposure — no more meetings, no more shaking hands — and they're focusing on the public health crisis.

They are teleconferencing instead of meeting people in person, and have instructed cabinet members to do the same, DeWine said.

DeWine said now is the time to control the risk the disease poses.

"Everything about life involves a risk," he said.

"What we should not be doing is to take unnecessary risks."

It may be difficult for residents "to get it," but the key is not to panic and take rational steps to protect yourself and loved ones, he said.

How long the restrictions will stay in place is anyone's guess — even the governor's. DeWine said he understands the change will be tough, "but it's not going to be forever."

"We're all dawning into the awareness that life as we know it is going to change," said Acton.

State officials can't put every citizen on lockdown, and no plan to contain COVID-19 will be perfect, she said. All they can hope for it to make the crisis more manageable.

DeWine does have the

power to order all government buildings closed as a last resort.

“After consulting with experts, we know that the decisions we make in the next few days and weeks will determine how many lives are lost in Ohio and how long this pandemic will last," DeWine said.

"Therefore, I’m recommending that Ohio limits a variety of large gatherings in order to protect public health."

He suggested religious institutions should limit practices that could spread germs, such as shaking hands or sharing a cup of wine during Communion, and people who are at higher risk should consider staying home instead of going to places of worship.

DeWine ordered that visitations at Ohio’s adult and juvenile corrections facilities be suspended.

Contractors who aren't critical to corrections facility operations won't be allowed inside. Those who are admitted must be screened, including submitting to a temperature reading.

Early Cuyahoga cases put Lorain County on high alert JASON HAWK EDITOR

Coronavirus cases next door in Cuyahoga County put local businesses and government agencies in a state of alert last week.

After three Cuyahoga County patients tested positive for COVID-19, University Hospitals revealed they were seen by UH physicians.

The patients were placed un-

der home quarantine and monitored by the Ohio Department of Health and the Cuyahoga County Board of Health, UH announced. None were immediately hospitalized.

At the UH Cleveland Medical Center emergency room, the patients were met by infectious disease experts who wore eye protection, gowns, gloves and masks. They were examined in negative pressure rooms to contain the virus.

Six UH caregivers who were

in close contact with the patients were also placed in home isolation and being monitored.

The hospital system is in continuous communication with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Ohio Department of Health, local governments and local EMS teams, according to a release from UH spokeswoman Kristen Kutina.

All patients who enter UH facilities are screened for COVID-19.

"If you have reason to suspect

that you might have COVID-19, we recommend that you call your UH primary care physician for instructions," the release said. "We do not recommend coming into your physician’s office or a healthcare facility without a doctor’s directive to do so."

Jonathon Fauvie, a spokesman for Mercy Health, asked Friday for people to stop visiting its Lorain County locations.

"For mother/baby and pediatric patients, visitors are

limited to a designated partner or primary caretaker/guardian (only one at a time)," he said in a release. "Exceptions will be considered based on end-of-life situations or when a visitor is essential for the patient's care."

"We recognize that this can be disappointing to our visitors, patients and residents, and we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you or your family. The health of you and our patients is our top priority."

Do you have a local story to tell? Call us at 440-329-7122

INSIDE: ‘FIRST BITE’ DEMOLITION PARTY CANCELED • B2

AMHERST NEWS-TIMES THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2020 • SERVING AMHERST SINCE 1919

Toilet paper? Nah, they wanted books instead JASON HAWK EDITOR

Long lines formed Saturday and shelves were decimated at the Amherst Public Library as families stocked up on books, videos and games to weather the coronavirus storm.

Library director Don Dovala described an earlymorning rush when the doors opened, and viewed it as a positive.

“People need us, and they decided that if we’re going to be closed they wanted

to make sure they had the resources they’ll need,” he said.

The library board voted to close through at least Sunday, April 5 in reaction to the coronavirus outbreak.

Because users will not have the ability to return materials, all new overdue fines will be waived. The policy went into effect Friday.

Dovala said a large collection of digital books, magazines, music, television shows and movies will still be available online.

Visit www.amherstpubliclibrary.org/emedia to connect

to Hoopla, the Ohio Digital Library, Flipster Magazines and Tumblebooks.

Dovala said he plans to work at the library during the closure, “mostly just catching up, making sure the shelves are in order.”

He was waiting to see how the library’s bond issue would be received by voters on Tuesday.

If the request for $5 million to expand the library’s footprint were to fail, he said the down time could be used to rearrange materials at the LIBRARY PAGE B3

Jason Hawk | Amherst News-Times

◄ Kelly Mantin checks out materials Saturday at the Amherst Public Library, where there was an early-morning rush ahead of the library’s closure.

LOCAL RESPONSE AMHERST SCHOOLS

The possibility schools would close was in educators' minds early on.

School superintendents met March 6 with Lorain County Health Commissioner David Covell, and started working together to prepare for an outbreak.

"We are having ongoing conversations about a lot of different possible scenarios," said Amherst Superintendent Steve Sayers.

"I think closing school is always an option if the situation calls for it," he said.

Before Gov. Mike DeWine ordered all schools closed, local school board members were already looking at making their own restrictions.

In a March 9 meeting, Amherst Board of Education member Rex Engle said he was concerned about students preparing for field trips across the United States, including a trio of Steele High School students getting ready to travel to hard-hit New York City.

Trips should be canceled if the risk continues to grow, he said at the time, correctly predicting how events would play out.

"It's a state of panic right now, and with three or four cases in the state of Ohio, it's only going to escalate," Engle said.

He also sits on the Lorain County JVS board, and said there were concerns about vocational students traveling for competitions.

Lost and found

FIRELANDS SCHOOLS

When schools were still open, Firelands Superintendent Mike Von Gunten said keeping buses clean was a priority for his large, rural district.

Buildings and buses were put on a daily disinfection cycle to protect students and staff.

"If kids are sick, we ask them as we've always asked them not to come to school," Von Gunten said. "That's no different than any time in the past."

CITY WORKERS

"We're trying to limit face-to-face contact as much as we can," said Amherst Mayor Mark Costilow on Monday. "Any non-essential service that we typically provide, and doesn't need done at this moment, we're suspending."

Projects that normally take more than a day are being postponed so they aren't thrown into limbo if a city worker gets sick.

For example, water line extensions, fire hydrant replacements and commercial water meter replacements that had been planned have been put off for at least a few weeks, said Costilow.

He is thinking about limiting public access to city offices without having to shut down. That includes trying to speed up the launch of online payments for utilities.

SAFETY FORCES

Amherst police officers and firefighters are prepared to wear masks and gloves if necessary on calls, said Mayor Mark Costilow.

First responders are being cautious about how many people go out on health-related calls, especially firefighters who are older.

CITY COUNCIL

The city's legislative body will still meet Monday — it has to pass a 2020 budget by the end of the month.

But Mayor Mark Costilow said he wants to limit both public access to meetings and agenda requests that go before Council.

LOCAL PAGE B2

Photos by Jason Hawk | Amherst News-Times

Teacher Russ Marty holds a Powers Elementary School time capsule buried in 1991, while Norm Miller peeks inside Saturday.

Time capsule unearthed ahead of Powers Elementary demolition

JASON HAWK EDITOR

It took some time Saturday morning to find the X marking the spot of a time capsule laid by Amherst students back in 1991.

Russ Marty, who grew up to teach at Steele High School, was a nineyear-old student when the capsule was buried in the front yard at Powers Elementary.

The capsule was supposed to be opened in 2041, but with the building set for demolition in the coming weeks, he made it his mission to unearth it now.

The only problem is that no one remembered exactly where the time capsule had been placed in the earth.

Bob Dinallo, who was principal at the time, said it was buried near the sandstone sign in front of the school.

Marty couldn't find it with a shovel, so he called in contractor Doug Irvin, who donated his time and excavator.

Going on clues from Dinallo, and using a photo published by the News-Times, Irvin dug all around the Powers sign. An hour wore on,

Contractor Doug Irvin uses a small excavator Saturday to dig for a three-foot-long time capsule buried by somewhere near the sandstone Powers Elementary School sign on Washington Street. and no capsule turned up.

Norm Miller, who served as the district's transportation head for many years, said he remembered filling the hole in 1991, but also

SUBMIT YOUR NEWS TO: NEWS@LCNEWSPAPERS.COM

couldn't recall exactly where.

"I remember speaking. Then I booked it over to the bus garage and CAPSULE PAGE B2

Page B2

Amherst News-Times

Thursday, March 19, 2020

LOCAL

FROM B1

OFFICE ON AGING

Rides to medical, dental and other appointments — other than life-sustaining dialysis — have been canceled by the Amherst Office on Aging.

That means no trips to Walmart or hair salons for older residents of the city who get government assistance with transportation.

Meals on Wheels deliveries will continue as long as possible. Volunteers have been told to ring the bell and hand off meals, but not to enter any homes.

SPRENGER HEALTH CARE

"We're taking it very seriously," said Executive Vice President of Operations Kevin Kauffman.

Sprenger operates six locations in Lorain County and nine more elsewhere.

At Amherst Manor, The 1907 at Central School and all other Sprenger facilities, visits have been limited.

Only immediately family members and close friends are allowed, and no children ages 12 and under.

Everyone entering Sprenger buildings will be screened, including a respiratory assessment. Staff will pose a series of questions about background, fever and illnesses visitors may have experienced in the past 14 days.

Access has been limited to the main entrances of Sprenger facilities and doors are being locked, Kauffman said.

The company has canceled all sponsored community events, including popular Easter egg hunts. After Christmas celebrations, "Easter in our second most heavily attended family event," said Kauffman. "... I can assure you that to take this off the table is heartbreaking for us."

The elderly are more susceptible to COVID-19 than younger people, he said, and Sprenger is "prepared to pivot and be far more aggressive" to safeguard the health of residents.

LIFECARE AMBULANCE

Paramedics wear protective gear on every run, but LifeCare Ambulance CEO David Richards said the COVID-19 pandemic is making those practices more important than ever.

If emergency medicine workers are downed by either coronavirus or the flu, "we're dead in the water," he said.

The danger posed by the coronavirus "is actually making us better as a company," said Richards.

The big problem facing LifeCare, which provides coverage to Amherst, is keeping supplies replenished, he said.

Normally, his company keeps a two- to four-week supply of gloves, masks and disinfectants on hand.

There are concerns they'll run short, but for now Lorain County's three hospital systems are replacing every single item used.

University Hospitals, Mercy Health and the Cleveland Clinic have access "to tons of bunkers worth of things that are given to the people who need them most," said Richards. "Right now, we're the people who need them most."

His crews are starting to see some people self-diagnosing themselves as coronavirus patients. There's been an uptick in the number of older residents who can't get to the hospital themselves and call for ambulance service, he said.

"As soon as you cough once, you have a certain percentage of the population that says, 'Oh my God, I have to get tested,'" Richards said.

That's an overreaction to the situation, he believes, and while you should be taking precautions, hospitals aren't testing everyone who is worried they have the virus.

If you haven't been outside the U.S. in the past 30 days, on a cruise or in contact with someone who has tested positive, you're not going to be tested right now because testing supplies are in short supply, he said.

LifeCare is coming to the end of the regular flu season with high staffing levels. Richards said his company was averaging a call-off each day until last week, when the number dropped to zero.

The ambulance service has also hired a large crop of new EMTs, which has bolstered the ability to respond to call volume.

Seasoned workers know better than to panic, Richards said — they've seen so many health threats during their careers that they're not fazed, and those veterans are making sure the new people are calm.

"We're obviously spending an incredible amount of time on this whole thing," said former LifeCare Vice President Herb de la Porte, who still works with the company.

"It seems like internationally, a whole lot of people who get this have to be hospitalized, and that is a scary thing because we don't have that many resources," he said.

Jason Hawk | Amherst News-Times

The inside of Powers Elementary School is empty and dark. The exception in the gymnasium, where the roof has already been removed and sunlight streams in.

‘First Bite’ demolition party canceled JASON HAWK EDITOR

If you dreamed of helping knock down the walls of Powers Elementary School, we have bad news.

"The First Bite" fundraiser, which would have given you a chance to get behind the controls of an excavator and do some damage, has been canceled.

It had been planned for April 1, and would have marked the start of demolition at the Washington Street school.

Chuck Grimmett, head of buildings and maintenance for the Amherst Schools, said the event would

have drawn a crowd far larger than 100 and violated restrictions put in place by Gov. Mike DeWine to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

"If we start drawing that many people, we'll hear about it for sure," Grimmet said.

It wouldn't be right, he said, to cancel school, sporting events, concerts and plays, and then sell tickets to a demolition watch party.

All asbestos has been removed from inside the old Powers Elementary, and the building is ready for tear-down, Grimmett said.

The gym roof was removed by workers abating hazardous materials.

With school canceled — possibly

for the rest of the year, DeWine hinted Sunday morning on CNN — workers could start tearing down the school early.

"It's ready to go. There's nothing in there," Grimmett said.

Trees will stay on the property, he siad, as will the Powers Elementary School sign, as a monument to the work done there for so many years.

Maintenance employees have been placed on reduced "summer" hours and buildings were closed to the public as of Wednesday.

Every child in grades three to 12 walked home Friday with a notebook computer in hand and is expected to continue lessons online.

Lorain County JVS Honor Roll The Lorain County JVS has released its second quarter Honor Roll for the 2019-2020 school year.

It recognizes students who have achieved a GPA of 3.5 or higher.

From Amherst: Matthew Arcuri, Austin Bentley, Jadyn Brockmeyer, Brendon Crum, John Curtin, Mikayla Cutlip, Hannah Deichler, Sierra Gonzalez, Emily Graven, Chase Handy, Adam Henderson, Austin

Hennes, Destiny Hudson, Stephen Hutchison, John Jacobs, Veronica Janoski, Damien Jara, Lucas Johnson, Brandon Krejci, Tyler Laubenthal, Benjamin Mckee, Celeste Meyers, Autumn Mitchell, Maddison Morrow, John Pando, Avery Porter, John Prioletti III, Antonio Rodriguez, Alexis Vincent, Michael Wirth, Jayden Yenni.

From Firelands: Cole Bober, Lau-

ren Brown, Chancellor Chenoweth, Sydney Clark, Clayton Deshuk, Grace Gilles, Stephen Gurchik III, Mason Hickman, Zackary Hunkin, Frank Janezic, Aaron Kirk, Asandra Larges, Jeremiah Leon, Jessica Los, Emma McCrann, Amber Michalski, Jason Milks, Savannah Molnar, Luke Oliver, Logan Ramsey, Joy Schlessman, Sean Scott, Jacob Smith, Kaylee Wells, John Willis.

plastic pipe was spotted, district Building and Grounds Supervisor Chuck Grimmett jumped down into the hole with a shovel and pulled it loose.

"It's compromised," Marty said, opening the capsule and letting water pour out. "It's is soaked. And it reeks."

Inside, damaged by nearly 30 years of sitting water, were a ruined VHS tape, class pictures,

News-Times clippings, school tags and a Comets T-shirt.

A slap bracelet, pencil pouch, green school mug and a plastic ALF figurine were in better shape.

Miller is the grandson of the school's namesake, former Principal Fred Powers.

"The nickname for this place when Grandpa bought it was Freddy's Frog Pond. It was a swamp.

This proves it," he said.

CAPSULE

FROM B1 changed clothes to get back to work," he said.

"It was a million years ago, it seems."

With only dirt and gravel uncovered, Miller rang up Dinallo for help. The former principal said the time capsule was buried under the frostline on the southeast side of the sign — and with that "map," the lost treasure was found.

As the three-foot-long white

POWERS ELEMENTARY

While schools are closed, Principal Beth Schwartz plans to share a chapter book with students each day via video.

Follow @mrs_schwartz on Twitter for her reading of "The World According to Humphrey."

Schwartz said she talked to her own children about what their schedule will look like for the next few weeks. "It's important to set-up a routine for wake-up time, academic time, time to play, quiet time and, yes, even still a bedtime during these next few weeks while they are home," she said.

CANCELED

• The Amherst Fire Department's breakfast with the Easter Bunny that was scheduled for March 28 has been canceled.

• The Workshop Players production of "Pippin" has been canceled. It was scheduled to open March 26.

"We thank the cast, crew and directors for the time, talent and energy they put into the show," the theater's board of trustees said in a statement sent to the newspaper. "We are uncertain of the rest of our season, and we will be discussing this in the next week."

Chuck Grimmett, the Amherst Schools' building and grounds superintendent, uses a shovel to finish uncovering the time capsule.

Thursday, March 19, 2020

Amherst News-Times

Estate gives $50K for pool pavilion at Maude Neiding executor of the will to decide what kind of project they desired at the Maude Neiding Park pool on Cleveland Avenue.

"They didn't want it to go into basic maintenance.

They wanted it to go to something that could improve the lives of people at the park," Costilow said.

Anderson said the donor is from Colorado and as far as she could tell has never lived in Amherst.

The executor wouldn't elaborate on any tie to the city, she said.

The money has been received, and Building Inspector David Macartney is drawing up plans to make

JASON HAWK EDITOR

An anonymous donor has left $50,000 to Amherst officials to be used at the Anna Schmauch Memorial Pool.

The late benefactor's estate wants the city to build pavilion seating, "something for seniors to get out of the sun," said Mayor Mark Costilow.

The request started with a call to Town Hall on Nov. 1, and Costilow said it at first it seemed like a prank.

Jami Anderson, who serves as secretary to the mayor, worked with the

the pavilion a reality.

Anderson said the pavilion will cover picnic tables outside the concession stand, and will be built from recycled materials.

The covering will look like other pavilions at the park, with a gold roof to match the poolhouse.

Costilow promised City Council the cost of the project will not exceed $50,000, since that is the amount of the gift.

"Good things like that happen once in a while," said Costilow.

Anderson said the pool will open in early June, and the pavilion is expected to be ready by then.

Third wave of sidewalk repair notices is coming JASON HAWK EDITOR

Up to $200,000 will be spent on sidewalk repairs this summer in Amherst, as authorized Monday by City Council.

This will be the third year Mayor Mark Costilow's administration has pushed for sweeping fixes where walkways are cracked, upheaved or crumbling.

Building Inspector David Macartney has already been out marking spots that could be deemed unsafe.

He is looking for issues that could cause tripping hazards or prevent wheelchairs or strollers from passing smoothly.

Not all marked sidewalks will have to be repaired, Costilow said. Letters will go out to property owners who will be required to do work.

They can choose to make repairs themselves or hire a contractor — or, if they do nothing, the city will hire a firm to do the work and pass the charge on to the resident.

"It either gets paid by the resident or put on their state tax," Costilow said.

The number of residents who will receive repair notices is a little smaller this year, he said: "We're really getting a big

piece of the city done."

There is an appeals process for those who receive a repair notice they believe is incorrect.

In a March 2 meeting, Carl Rosso of Milan Avenue said city, cable, gas and electric company vehicles have pulled up on sidewalks and caused damage. He asked what oversight the city has put in place to protect against undue cost to homeowners caused by those types of vehicles.

"It's not a perfect world, but we give everybody as fair a shake as possible," Costilow told Rosso.

Eric Long of Elyria Avenue asked why residents without sidewalks don't have to install them. He said it's only fair for Council to require walkways everywhere.

City code requires sidewalks to be installed wherever there is new construction.

Law Director Tony Pecora said he believes it would be possible for Council to require sidewalks to be installed in front of all homes.

But Councilman Phil Van Treuren said he would not support that kind of demand.

He said there is a major price difference between requiring repairs and forcing residents to spend tens of thousands to install sidewalks where there are none.

Engle, Pellitieri to be inducted into Lorain County hall of fame Two Comets athletic greats will be inducted into the Lorain County Track and Cross Country Hall of Fame this spring.

The 12th class will be enshrined on Friday, April 17 at North Ridgeville High School.

Art Engle was Oberlin College's first state track champion, winning the 220-yard dash in 1924.

He also served as a track coach for Amherst from 1946 to 1950. Under his watch, the Comets finished second at the 1947 Class B sectional and third in the same contest the next two years.

Engle was a teacher at the former Birmingham High School and from 1935 to 1949 was head of the science department

at Amherst's high school.

He was named principal at Central Junior High School in 1961.

Engle died in 1986 at the age of 81.

Dominic Pellitieri, a 2001 graduate of Amherst Steele, won the Division I state pole vault championship in his senior year, defeating teammate Nick Bigrigg.

His divisional state record of 16 feet 1/4 inches remains the Lorain County and Southwest Conference record.

As a junior, Pellitieri was second at the Division I state meet after taking second at both the Amherst district and regional meets.

As a football player, he was named first team AllSWC, Lorain County, and

All-District at quarterback.

He had a 17-5 won-lost record as the Comets' starter, which included back-to-back state playoff appearances.

Pellitieri went on to be part of the Kent State track and field team but injuries took a toll.

He is currently a President’s Club power banker with Quicken Loans.

Pellitieri was one of the original bankers hired in 2006 when Dan Gilbert opened the Cleveland Web Center.

Others who will be inducted include Elyria shot put star Alexis McCall, Avon Lake cross country and track star Scott Hiles, Brookside high-jumper Eric Wagner and Midview sprinter Aaron Fenzel.

SCHOLARS GABRIELLE BASINSKI of Amherst has received a bachelor of arts degree from the College of Wooster.

A biology major, she is a graduate of Amherst Steele High School.

administered by the Ashbrook Center, a nonprofit organization that provides rigorous educational programs for both college students and high school civics, government and U.S. history teachers.

ARDITH AMON, a recent graduate of Amherst Steele High School, has been selected as an Ashbrook Scholar.

The top-rated academic program, which focuses on politics, history, and economics, includes a minimum $2,000 annual scholarship to attend Ashland University.

The Ashbrook Scholar Program is an honors program for undergraduates studying political science, history or political economy at Ashland. It is

KATHRYN IWANEK of South Amherst has been named to the dean’s list for the Fall 2019 semester at Heidelberg University.

She is a senior studying biology.

The following students have been named to the dean’s list for the Fall 2019 semester at Ohio Wesleyan University: • ISABEL SOLOWIEJ of Amherst.

• CALVIN STULL of South Amherst.

• KATY TUGGLE of Amherst.

Page B3

LCCC REACTS

Lorain County Community College moved its courses to an online format last week, and has extended spring break through March 24 to get courses online.

In-person classes were at first set to resume on Wednesday, March 25. They have now been pushed back through at least April 20.

Business operations are continuing as normal, so college buildings are open.

"We've been ahead of this and following protocols to be prepared and protected," said Tracy Green, vice president of strategic and institutional development at LCCC. "They have done extensive cleaning and sanitizing to create a healthy and safe environment for everyone."

COMMISSIONERS

County Commissioner Matt Lundy worried last Wednesday morning that panic over COVID-19 could dampen voter turnout for the primary election.

"Please don't use it as an excuse not to go vote," he said.

Lundy acknowledged many people are disappointed that events across Northeast Ohio are being canceled, or public access is being limited.

For example, the OHSAA has locked down access to the girls basketball state tournament, which means family members won't be able to watch the Elyria Catholic team compete.

Lundy called the restrictions "part of an important sacrifice we can all make" to slow the spread of the virus.

"It's going to be an inconvenience, but it will be well worth it if we can save lives," he said.

Lundy also used his platform to call for reform, saying there are many employers who don't provide paid sick days that would help stop illnesses from spreading.

It's an issue he pushed for while serving in the state legislature. At the time, Lundy pushed for five paid sick days but met big opposition.

LORAIN COUNTY METRO PARKS

As a public health precaution due to COVID‐19, all Lorain County Metro Parks indoor public facilities are temporarily closed to the public.

Programs and scheduled events have been canceled. All fees associated with programs and facility rentals will be refunded.

Outdoor parks, playgrounds, and park trails will remain open to visitors.

Staff will continue to report to work and participate in increased efforts to disinfect and sanitize buildings.

Mercy Health Outpatient Services will continue to hold appointments at the Amherst HealthPlex, 47160 Hollstein Dr. Contact Mercy Health for additional details.

Those who choose to visit outdoor Metro Parks spaces should follow all of the recommended sanitary protocols.

County parks are tentatively scheduled to reopen Saturday, April 4.

BLOOD BANKS

Vitalant, which helps provide blood to hospitals across Lorain County, is asking healthy people to keep donating.

It is also alerting people not to give blood if they have visited mainland China, South Korea, Iran or Italy within the past month, have had a COVID-19 infection or been exposed to someone suspected of having a COVID-19 infection.

“Hospitals will be extremely challenged if COVID-19 infections increase,” said Ralph Vassallo, Vitalant’s chief medical and scientific officer.

“The last thing we want them worrying about is having enough blood for trauma victims and cancer patients.

That’s why it’s imperative that healthy individuals donate blood at drives and blood donation sites now.”

“According to the Centers for Disease Control, the risk of contracting COVID-19 is currently low,” he said.

“Furthermore, due to the nature of the virus, it is highly unlikely that it can be transmitted through blood transfusions.”

The Red Cross echoed the call for help from blood donors.

“We’re asking the American people to help keep the blood supply stable during this challenging time,” said President Chris Hrouda. “As communities across the country prepare for this public health emergency, it’s critical that plans include a readily available blood supply for hospital patients.”

To give blood, call 877-258-4825 or visit www.vitalant.org; or call 800-7332767 or visit www.redcrossblood.org.

BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS

Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio has made what its interim president described as “an extremely difficult but necessary decision” to close all of its 39 locations for three weeks.

Ron Soeder, interim president and CEO of the organization, said the clubs will re-evaluate conditions at the end of the shutdown period and determine whether or not to re-open on April 6.

“We are following the governor’s prudent guidelines for preventing the spread of COVID-19 and consider this to be the responsible thing to do,” Soeder said. “At the same time, this is difficult.”

BGCNEO serves more than 8,600 kids in five counties.

In Lorain County, the clubs are working in concert with local school districts to ensure members have access to meals.

Updates will be provided at www.bgcneo.org/news.

“We know many of the kids who come to our Clubs depend on us for a hot meal, and we are doing everything we can to ensure that is not taken away from them, even temporarily,” Soeder said.

NAMI GROUPS

The National Alliance on Mental Health has canceled all support groups and classes through April 5.

Even though the gatherings are under the 100-person threshold laid out by Gov. Mike DeWine, the group said it is in the best interest of the public to help with social distancing.

The organization will continue to provide services to Lorain County. The NAMI office will operate from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday as normal unless circumstances change.

LIBRARY

FROM B1 library to make more space.

“It’s an unknown until we find that out,” he said Saturday.

That answer never came.

Instead, state health department Director Amy Acton issued an emergency

order closing the polls to limit Ohioans’ exposure to COVID-19.

The library won’t have any answers now until June 2 — and even if the levy passes, the state’s delay will push back the start of construction.

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Page B4

Amherst News-Times

Thursday, March 19, 2020

CORONAVIRUS FACEBOOK FEEDBACK

We asked people on social media: What is your family doing to cope with the drastic steps announced in Ohio due to coronavirus? How is it going to affect your everyday life? What are some of your worries and concerns during this strange time?

Melody Fox-Gallam "Good hand washing, making sure there is enough practical food items, etc. Not going overboard."

Emmy Johnson "I'm scared. I have respiratory issues and I would not survive COVID-19."

Kristen Skidmore Hill "I guess we're just gonna relax at home most of time.

Maybe hit the park to keep us from going crazy. I'll put the kids to work and do some spring cleaning also."

Carol Komar Duta "Pray and enjoy family time, stay out of stores as much as possible and just wait for this horrible virus to be over."

Shannon Hope Meeks "Create, reflect, organize, read, family time."

Thomas Fetcenko | Chronicle

Elyria’s Mick Burnett wins an 18-3 technical fall over Arlington’s Jesse Bowers at 138 pounds on Feb. 16 at the dual team state tournament.

Wrestlers reeling after OHSAA postpones state tournament SHAUN BENNETT THE CHRONICLE-TELEGRAM

Being pinned in the state championship match might not have been more devastating to area wrestlers than last Thursday afternoon's announcement by the OHSAA that it was "indefinitely suspending" all postseason tournaments, including this past weekend's state wrestling tournament at Value City Arena in Columbus.

"Ever since they scaled down (the attendance) I kind of had it in the back of my mind that this could happen," Firelands senior and four-time state qualifier Payton Burgdorf said.

"I had one of my friends text me about it today and I thought he was messing with me at first. Then I looked on Twitter and saw (a media post) and knew that it was obviously legit."

The OHSAA made the decision last week to limit attendance for postseason events, and it was announced each qualifying athlete would be allowed four tickets for family members.

After high-profile COVID-19 cases such as Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks and NBA player Rudy Gobert were confirmed, the NBA shut down operations.

The MLB and NHL seasons were postponed Thursday, and the NCAA

men's and women's basketball tournaments canceled.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine called for a ban of public gatherings of more than 100 people, prompting the OHSAA to suspend its sporting events.

"I don't really know if it's going to get rescheduled," Elyria senior and four-time state qualifier Mick Burnett said. "We've been talking as a team and just trying to stay as positive as we can, but it's definitely hard news to hear. I'm kind of at a loss for words. It's crazy."

Burnett was attempting to win his second straight Division I state championship, while teammates Dylan Shawver, a three-time state placer, and junior Jake Evans were projected to win their first.

"I've been texting and talking with Ben Doehr and Dylan and Bryce (Allison), the three other seniors we have going down," Burnett said. "I feel lucky because I got the opportunity (last season) to wrestle for a state title and I was lucky enough to win. But the other guys are the ones that I really feel for. It just sucks because it's such a bad situation and I don't think it can get more worse than this."

A few hours after the OHSAA's announcement, DeWine ordered the closing of all schools for the next three weeks, beginning Monday.

That will be a particular thorn in the

side of the wrestling state qualifiers, who work all season so that they are peaking for the state tournament.

"At this point of the season I feel like I'm at the very top that I'm going to get at and to not have known that I just wrestled my last match last week and I can't go out this following week to reach my goal that I set my freshman year and I can't completely finish what I started, it's almost heartbreaking to think of," Burgdorf said.

The development is also disappointing for several area wrestlers who were set to make their first trip to Columbus.

"Especially with (Elyria first-time state qualifiers) Colin (Noel) and Ben, it wasn't going to be normal for them in the first place (with the attendance restrictions) but at least they still got to go down, and now this happens," Burnett said. "It's just terrible."

The uncertainty of whether the state tournament will be rescheduled or canceled outright is particularly taxing on the senior qualifiers, who must wait to find out if their high school careers are over.

"Luckily this wasn't my first time, so I know what the atmosphere is like down at state, I've gotten that experience," Burgdorf said. "But I hadn't fulfilled my goals for the season, so... I don't know... it's just weird."

LOCAL FOOD BANKS Ohio agencies that help put food on the tables of families in need are making adjustments during the COVID-19 pandemic.

They are changing how food is distributed to limit crowd sizes, emphasizing drive-through pick-ups and appointment-based services, according to a statement Friday from the Ohio Association of Food Banks.

Steps to limit exposure include: • Providing take-home containers to hot meal sites and other feeding programs where people gather under the same roof.

• Packaging additional privately-funded, nonper-

ishable foods to distribute to older adults.

• Enhancing sanitizing practices within warehouses, instituting telework options where possible and requiring waivers for volunteers to minimize spread of the virus while keeping as many hands on deck as possible to distribute food.

“Our food banks are adapting to this public health crisis swiftly and expertly, thanks to their training and experience in responding in crisis and disaster,” said Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, executive director of the Ohio Association of Foodbanks.

“But this pandemic poses serious challenges to our

AN ECONOMIC DISASTER Coronavirus will cost American businesses billions of dollars.

Even a couple thousand can be devastating to small businesses, though, and state officials are trying to find ways to limit the damage.

Lt. Gov. Jon Husted said he is urgently working with business leaders to find opportunities to limit the economic impact of the pandemic.

Consumers also need protections during the public health crisis. Attorney General Dave Yost is prepared to take steps against companies that

normal food distribution channels, as well as Ohio’s broader response to food insecurity."

The organization is asking for fast action from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Congress and the president to reduce the rising risk of hunger amid the outbreak, she said.

Ohio’s food banks asked Congress to pass the House Emergency COVID-19 Bill introduced Friday.

It would suspend work and training requirements for the food stamps program during the crisis. The bill would also provide

price gouge customers.

He said he is working with retailers to lock prices of household necessities such as toilet paper and cleaning supplies.

Workers should have safeguards, too, officials acknowledged. Businesses need to be flexible and help non-essential workers through this crisis, especially as they struggle to care for children with schools recessed, said Dr. Amy Acton, director of Ohio's health department.

Gov. Mike DeWine said he is

waivers to schools, child and adult care centers and other facilities to serve meals in ways that don't put large groups of people together.

The COVID-19 Bill would also temporarily increase food stamps benefits to help make up for lost wages for workers without paid time off, and provide benefits to households with children while Ohio schools are closed.

Displaced workers, families, seniors and others can apply for government relief at benefits.ohio.gov, by calling 844-640-6446, or if necessary, in-person at the local Job and Family Services office.

considering the risks associated with regulatory oversight of certain types of businesses, such as inspections on residential nursing facilities.

He said his administration would send a letter to President Donald Trump asking to waive regulations that "are not in the best interest of the people of Ohio" during the emergency.

"We must treat this like what it is, and that is a crisis — a crisis like most of us have not seen in our lifetimes," DeWine said.

Christy Stahl "Guess since kids will be off and they have school work to do online and can't have a fun spring break 'cause of the freak out, we will stay home, play board games, watch movies, spring clean, play outside and try not to go crazy."

Chuck Copp "I’m not changing anything in my daily life. Personally I think that it’s not a big deal. This is nothing more than a common cold."

Jess Jacobs "I'm out of work until April 10. No income means no money for food and bills. It's scary."

Barbara Patterson "I am concerned about the availability of fresh foods that I prefer. I am concerned about adjusting to work at home if my employer makes it possible. I do need to take some time to go shopping for food and supplies.

I hope they are available. I am concerned about the economy in general."

Laura St. Clair "Ohio made the right choice. Not drastic at all. The people emptying store shelves are taking things too far.

A one-month supply is all you will really need, not two or three cart-fulls unless you have a large family."

Toni Campana Davis "I am always stocked up, so I don’t need to buy anything. I will not change my routine much. I will stay away from crowded places for a little while, like malls, department stores, busy restaurants, etc. I will wash my hands more often."

Shelly Hill "We will buy a few gift cards from our favorite local restaurants and businesses because we plan to stay at home more for the time being. We also plan on doing some old-fashioned letter writing and cards to family and friends."

Tabitha Watts "It will make things more challenging at work for my husband and I with the change in demand levels. But it will make somethings easier. I don't have to find rides for my son to get home from school. Other than that, it's same old same old. I have plenty of college homework and my job is still active."

Mary Butler "Would not necessarily affect my everyday life, but my concern is my health. I have to be careful because of having gone through cancer."

Vickie Jarrett DeHart "Not concerned for me and the majority of my house, but take extra precautions for my son with cancer. Other than that, hoping we don’t choke each other over the next few weeks."

GAS PRICES PLUNGE

Ohio gas prices fell below the $2 mark over the weekend, down an average of 27 cents to $1.99 per gallon, according to AAA East Central.

With a decrease of 1.8 million barrels, the region saw its first substantial drop in gasoline stocks in two months, according to the Energy Information Administration’s latest report.

Fears about COVID-19 and the crude price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia pushed prices lower last week.

After President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. Department of Energy would purchase oil to top off the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, crude prices rallied briefly.

They are likely to continue decreasing as the world grapples with the international public health crisis and associated economic challenges that could lead to a global recession, AAA said.

COACHING RULES

The OHSAA implemented an indefinite no-contact period on Friday, barring any high school coach, paid or volunteer, from providing coaching, instruction or supervising conditioning and physical fitness programs or open gyms to members of a school team in their sports.

The mandatory no-contact period is in effect for all school-sponsored sports through April 5.

Additionally, there will be a mandatory shutdown of facilities used for the purpose of conducting athletics activities.

INSIDE: SPRING SEMESTER CALLED OFF AT COLLEGE • C2

OBERLIN NEWS-TRIBUNE THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2020 • SERVING OBERLIN SINCE 1930

STORES HIT WITH SPIKE IN DEMAND

Jason Hawk | Oberlin News-Tribune

Nicole Tucci shops for toilet paper last Thursday. At that point, most stores were fairly went stocked for toilet paper, but hand sanitizer was sold out everywhere. The situation worsened over the weekend and store shelves were wiped clean.

Mad rush for hand sanitizer, toilet paper JASON HAWK EDITOR

The hand sanitizer was all gone, and the crisis was barely underway.

Shoppers left store shelves bare this past week, stocking up on household cleaning supplies as Ohio's coronavirus worries deepened.

In Lorain County, we visited 13 stores and called 11 others to gauge the situation last Thursday, just ahead of Gov. Mike DeWine's executive orders closing schools and banning gatherings of 100 people or more.

By that time, residents were just starting to understand what was happening and went on high alert, stockpiling household cleaning supplies and hygiene

LOCAL RESPONSE CITY OF OBERLIN

"The health and safety of our employees and the Oberlin community is our highest priority," said Oberlin City Manager Rob Hillard in a statement on the local impact of the coronavirus.

"We are taking practical precautionary steps within the city's organization, such as additional cleaning of city buildings, encouraging employees to stay home if they are ill, restricting non-essential business travel and practicing social distancing," he wrote.

City meetings through from March 16 to March 20 were canceled, including City Council. Further cancellations may come, said Hillard.

City services remain operational, but officials are asking residents to avoid conducting business with public employees in person whenever possible. You can make utility payments online or use a drive-up drop box in the City Hall parking lot. To schedule other services such as yard waste collecting or large trash collection, call 440-7751531 or email info@cityofoberlin.com.

In a follow-up action Monday, all city offices were closed to the public. Only the police station will remain accessible for the forseeable future.

"Signs will be posted on all city facilities directing any visitors to contact appropriate city departments via telephone, email or to obtain information through the city’s website at www.cityofoberlin.com," said a release.

OBERLIN CITY SCHOOLS

As the coronavirus threat became clear, Oberlin City Schools Superintendent David Hall said he kept in close contact with Oberlin College President Carmen Ambar.

The public schools welcome tutors from the college for a number of programs, and Phoenix track and tennis teams compete at the college's athletic facilities. "We're connected together," Hall said.

Oberlin bus drivers and cafeteria workers took extra precautions to sanitize surfaces, and teachers were given cleaning bottles for their rooms.

Hall planned a wipe-down of the district's facilities, and schools will get deep cleanings over the extended spring break.

MEALS FOR STUDENTS

Free breakfasts and lunches will be offered by the Oberlin City Schools through Friday, April 3 with the help of LOCAL PAGE C2

products.

We were able to find just one trial-sized bottle of hand sanitizer remaining, at Rite Aid in Wellington. Other retailers — every single one we visited or contacted — were already wiped out.

In all but a couple locations we visited, there were "temporarily out of stock" signs and customers loading up on bottled water.

"All of our suppliers are receiv-

ing product now. The manufacturers of sanitizer are slowly trying to catch up, but it's going out of the warehouses as fast as it comes in," said Leo Braido, owner of Oberlin IGA. His grocery store received a shipment Thursday morning. The doors opened at 7 a.m. and the entire supply was gone by7:45 a.m.

Braido said employees didn't

even get it unpacked and on the shelves before it was sold out.

He got a larger shipment Monday, and put out a warning on social media that it would take time to move it onto the sales floor.

Toilet paper was in decent supply at most stores except Walmart and Aldi.

At Walmart on US Route 20 in STORES PAGE C2

OBERLIN COLLEGE

Dining hall worker tests positive JASON HAWK EDITOR

A dining hall worker at Oberlin College has tested positive for COVID-19, President Carmen Ambar announced in an email Sunday night.

The employee worked in Stevenson Hall and last reported to work on Wednesday, March 11, she said.

The dining hall will be sanitized as soon as possible, and will reopen only after the all-clear is given by Lorain County health officials, the email said.

The employee is not being identified.

Ambar said public health researchers are contacting people the dining hall worker was in close contact with.

"This news, while difficult, is not unexpected," she wrote. "All of the readily available information about this virus tells us that many of us have been exposed. As testing becomes more available, we will invariably see the number of cases rise nationally and in our community as well. This is why our efforts at social distancing are so important."

Even before the case was made public, students were told to leave the Oberlin College campus by noon Monday if they had the means.

This semester's classes will be completed by remote learning.

Students with flu-like symptoms were advised to contact campus health services or Mercy Health Allen Hospital by phone, and not to go in person until directed to do so.

Steve Manheim | Chronicle

Oberlin College students pick up boxes for packing at Carnegie Library on Friday. Students will learn remotely through the end of the year. Senior biology major Sean Kuo, originally from California, called the process heartbreaking. “This isn’t how I wanted to go out,” he said. “Sometimes we can’t really help these things, so it is what it is.”

"Calling first helps ensure appropriate measures to prevent COVID-19 are in place," Ambar's email said.

Faculty and staff are still expected to "continue the work of the institution," Ambar wrote. "It is important that we serve our students and maintain the College. But, we want to do this work with your health and safety at the forefront of our

SUBMIT YOUR NEWS TO: NEWS@LCNEWSPAPERS.COM

mind. If you are feeling ill, please do not come into work."

The college is developing a telecommuting policy.

In the meantime, the college has provided hand sanitizer stations in residential areas and public spaces, and signs have been posted reminding everyone to wash their hands.

POSITIVE PAGE C2

Page C2

Spring semester called off at OC BROOKIE MADISON THE CHRONICLE-TELEGRAM

The decision was made to shut down Oberlin College and send students home early for spring break.

But as the situation worsened and state officials moved to contain the spread of the coronavirus, they were eventually dismissed even earlier.

In-person classes were suspended Friday with no expectation of students returning for the spring semester.

The college consulted with the Lorain County Public Health Department, which supported the decision.

Students were instructed to be out of campus housing as of noon Monday, and packing boxes were handed out Saturday.

"This approach will allow us to do our part in slowing the spread of COVID-19 and to protect those who are most vulnerable," Oberlin College's director of media relations Scott Wargo said. "Additionally, this decision also ensures that we can avoid more dramatic disruptions later and enables our students to return home while the option still exists."

As of March 30, classes will resume via remote learning.

“It is our expectation that students will not return to campus for academic coursework this semester,” Oberlin College President Carmen Twillie Ambar said.

Students with extreme conditions preventing them from leaving campus were able to petition the college regarding their departure from campus, said Wargo.

College professionals vote to support union workes facing layoffs JASON HAWK EDITOR

The Oberlin College Office and Professionals Employee union has passed a resolution supporting union workers who have been given layoff notices.

The vote was cast during a membership meeting on March 10, according to Jamie Jacobs, a program coordinator at the college.

It comes after a Feb. 18 announcement that 108 United Auto Workers members who work at Oberlin College will lose their jobs this summer and be replaced with lower-paid hires.

The layoffs will impact custodial and dining service workers.

"OCOPE feels strongly that the support of UAW and union workers is not only the ethical choice, but the necessary path," said a statement released to the News-Tribune. "If Oberlin College would like to continue to represent itself as a socially conscious educational institution, the administrators must take into account the needs of the most vulnerable employees and turn away from exploitative (practices)."

The resolution passed by OCOPE said its members "stand in solidarity with our UAW brothers and sisters and wholeheartedly support them in their fight to preserve their jobs and the dignity of labor at Oberlin College."

"We strongly condemn the administration’s plan to lay off unionized custodial and food service workers and to replace them with outsourced labor; and we oppose any union-busting techniques," it said.

"Furthermore, we are convinced that Oberlin’s future is best secured when the college treats all of its workers like the valuable members of the campus community they are – rather than as expendable units of labor."

POSITIVE

Thursday, March 19, 2020

Oberlin News-Tribune

FROM C1 Oberlin College workers are also stepping up efforts to clean buildings and disinfect high-use areas. Supplies have been made available to clean public computers, desktops and instruments.

"The full extent of this pandemic will not be known for some time," Ambar's email said. "We do know that it will likely get worse before it gets better. We are all working through this challenge at our own pace and in our own way. I want you to know that we are here to help as we all work to make the best decisions we can to support our entire community."

STORES

FROM C1 Oberlin, a few lonely packages remained on otherwise empty racks.

Aldi on Kresge Drive in Amherst was completely wiped out.

Cleaning wipes and even household bleach stocks were low.

There was no hand sanitizer at Drug Mart in Amherst, either, but complementary antibacterial wipes were offered to customers entering the store.

"You don't need to go panic-buy things. The supply chains are OK," Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said in a press conference.

He said he talked with representatives from Walmart, Meijer, Target, Walgreens, Rite Aid and others by phone, and the retailers are confident they can keep up with "ordinary

demand."

Those stores have frozen prices instead of allowing demand to drive them through the roof to boost profits during the coronavirus crisis, according to Yost.

He's also asked retailers to institute quantity limits so a few shoppers don't buy up the whole supply.

"Look folks, you don't need four cases of toilet paper," said Yost. "If you take all the toilet paper we're going to need for all the bathroom visits for 320 million people in 2020, there's enough for everybody."

Stockpiling huge quantities for youself will create a shortage for your neighbors, he said — "It's going to be OK. Please, don't buy more

than you need."

There is no need to panic, Yost said.

Ohioans didn’t take him at his word.

Over the weekend, they picked grocery store shelves clean of canned goods and other nonperishables.

At the Chestnut Commons Walmart, meat was in low supply and freezer cases stood nearly empty.

Lines everywhere were long, from Walmart to Target locations countywide.

Gov. Mike DeWine has promised grocery and drug stores will stay open no matter what — but he could go back on that promise, as he walked back assurances the primary election would continue.

LOCAL

FROM C1 Sodexo.

Free meals will be offered to students in prekindergarten through 12th grade between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. "Grab-and-go" bags will be handed out at Eastwood and Prospect elementary schools. Parents and students can drive, walk, or ride bikes to pick-up breakfast and lunch bags.

Because schools are closed, students will not be permitted to eat in the buildings.

The district will provide enough meals for two or three days per student on March 19, 23, 26, 30 and April 2.

Families that need additional assistance with food, rent or utility support should call Oberlin Community Services at 440774-6579.

LORAIN COUNTY JVS Every student has a digital device at the Lorain County JVS, and Superintendent Glenn Faircloth was among those who signaled early on he wanted to have students continue classes remotely if Gov. Mike DeWine were to order school doors closed.

Before that order was handed down, he met with Principal Tina Pelto and tech support workers to discuss taking classes online if needed.

"I think we would be OK," Faircloth said midweek. "I'm just checking with IT to make sure we can."

Working from home, students can't get hands-on experience in auto-collision repair, masonry or industrial electricity labs, he said.

Some programs require a certain number of "seat hours" to earn certification, which could endanger some seniors' prospects.

"The unfortunate thing is this is new to us all. It's not like we know what to do, really," he said.

Early last week, organizers of vocational competitions and events such as the Business Professionals of America leadership conference started canceling.

OBERLIN MUNICIPAL COURT "We're doing as much as

85 SOUTH MAIN STREET OBERLIN OHIO 44074 MARCH 12, 2020 BOARD AND COMMISSION MEETING DATES ALL MEETINGS WILL TAKE PLACE AT 85 SOUTH MAIN STREET

MARCH 24, 2020 .....OPEN SPACE COMMISSION 5:00 – CONFERENCE ROOM 1 MARCH 24, 2020 .....RESOURCE CONSERVATION & RECOVERY 6:30PM – CONFERENCE ROOM 1 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.

we can on the telephone, and we're minimizing the number of people who are coming into the court," said Judge Thomas Januzzi on Monday.

Only two people reported that morning for cases, and the rest were handled by phone or continued to another date, he said.

Those entering and leaving the court were asked to use hand sanitizer, and inside there was spacing between seats for social distancing.

Januzzi said he would remain on the bench as long as necessary Monday, and on Tuesday planned to whittle down the remaining cases as much as possible.

Fortunately, there were no arrests over the weekend that put suspects in jail, he said — as the health crisis continues, arrestees will be arraigned quickly.

Municipal courts are "the emergency rooms of courts," Januzzi said — they see people the same or next day after they were charged. Local courts are essential to the function of society and shouldn't be allowed to close, he said.

Gov. Mike DeWine has sweeping authority to close government buildings. But Januzzi said DeWine, who previously served as Ohio attorney general, "knows you can't just arrest people and hold them with no opportunity of being held."

"I don't believe the governor would do that. I think he fully understands the role of the courts in a civilized society," he said.

NURSING HOMES A step ahead of a state clampdown on access for elder care facilities, Welcome Nursing Home in Oberlin took its own drastic steps.

President Jill Herron said the family-run facility decided to "take the most conservative route" and place extreme restrictions on visitors.

Almost no one is being allowed in.

"We have canceled all our outside activities, entertainment, people who come in," Herron said.

"If someone is end of life, of course we are allowing someone to sit at their bedside," but in most other cases, even family members have been told they cannot enter Welcome, she said.

Families are being allowed to knock on exterior first-floor windows to keep in contact with loved ones inside. They are also allowed to drop off items outside the doors.

Herron said residents who leave the facility for church or social activities have been asked to cancel.

Even routine medical appointments outside the building have been canceled, with physician approval, she said.

Those few who are allowed to enter Welcome

Nursing Home will be screened for symptoms characteristic of COVID-19. That includes taking the temperatures of staff and visitors.

"I am so proud of our residents and our families.

We did a resident meeting yesterday to explain all of this, and everybody has been so appreciative and understanding," Herron said.

"We would much rather start off strong and be able to ease back, maybe, if we feel we can," because once coronavirus is given a foothold in the building it will be too late.

Herron said she is telling families it will be at least two weeks until restrictions are lifted.

Kendal at Oberlin provides independent and assisted living options as well as hospice and other types of care. The facility announced it is also limiting visitors to the Stephens Care center to combat the spread of COVID-19.

“We encourage friends and loved ones to communicate with our residents in ways other than in-person visits, such as video chat, telephone or social media,” said Stacy Scott Terrell, chief health services officer. “These precautions are vital to helping us avoid and minimize the possible spread of this virus.”

Plans are in place for a wide range of emergencies and are being updated as new information becomes available, according to a statement provided last week.

Kendal is educating staff, residents and families on coronavirus symptom awareness and infection control best practices, it said.

Staff are being instructed to stay home and not work if they are ill.

OBERLIN PUBLIC LIBRARY The Oberlin Public Library is closed until further notice, according to an update released Monday.

No fines will be charged during the closure. Hold pick-up dates will be extended.

Librarians will answer phone calls, emails and Facebook messages from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday.

All online resources will be available, including e-books and downloadable audiobooks.

GOVERNMENT HOUSING The Lorain Metropolitan Housing Authority, which operates some residences in Oberlin, announced Friday it would limit exposures by shutting down lobbies, community rooms, exercise rooms, communal bathrooms and water fountains.

Residents were encouraged to keep visitors to a minimum. Group meetings were suspended, and

LMHA started cleaning high-touch areas such as doorknobs and elevators more frequently.

CANCELED • The Friends of the Oberlin Public Library book sale has been postponed due to the concerns for the safety of patrons and staff. Originally set to begin April 2, it has not yet been rescheduled.

• Oasis Animal Shelter has canceled its art auction that had been set for Saturday, March 28. The event will be rescheduled later this year.

• The Maple Cook-Off, scheduled for Saturday, March 21 at Henry's Barn in Oberlin has been canceled.

• Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day festivities on April 4 have been canceled, according to the Oberlin Heritage Center.

"With safety and health issues in mind, Oberlin Heritage Center will not be hosting our 'Please a Pollinator, Befriend a Beekeeper, and Explore History' on that day. We will be completing pollinator beds and planting on Saturday, May 16 during our regularly scheduled Grounds Clean-up Day," OHC staff said.

• The Indigenous Peoples' Day Committee meeting on Thursday, March 19 has been canceled.

• The 2020 Oberlin Community Easter Egg Hunt has been canceled.

"The health and wellbeing of our community is of utmost importance," said a post from OberlinKids, which sponsors the event.

CHANGED • Oberlin Community Services will offer drivethrough food distribution from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 14. Normally, the nonprofit provides food to southern Lorain County residents in person, but that has changed during the public health crisis.

Residents are requested to line up on South Street.

The drive-through line will be in the Depot Street parking lot.

• The Oberlin Heritage Center's annual meeting has been rescheduled for Wednesday, July 8.

"We have been monitoring the COVID-19 situation for some time and although we would love to meet with you in April and share in your fellowship, hear from wonderful speaker Amy Margaris, and honor our incredibly deserving Community Award recipients, we are postponing the meeting, dinner, program, and awards ceremony," said a message from Executive Director Liz Schultz and Board President Gail Wood.

All registrants will be contacted about transfer and refund options.

Thursday, March 19, 2020

Oberlin News-Tribune

Conservatory clarinet student is Yamaha competition winner Amer Hasan, a student at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, has been named a winner of the national 2020 Yamaha Young Performing Artist Competition.

He is one of only 11 musicians across the national to earn the distinction.

Hasan is studying clarinet performance at Oberlin under the tutelage of Richard Hawkins. He has been recognized twice by the National YoungArts Foundation and has received top awards in the Vandoren Emerging Artist Competition and the Fischoff National and M-Prize International chamber music competitions.

A native of Chicago, Hasan has made several festival appearances, including a residency and tour with Carnegie Hall's National Youth Orchestra of the USA, Brevard Music Center Festival, National Arts Centre’s Young Artist Program and the National Orchestral Institute + Festival.

He has performed with the Akron Symphony Orchestra, the Firelands Symphony Orchestra, the Illinois Symphony Orchestra and the Cleveland Pops Orchestra. He is a substitute clarinetist with the New World Symphony in Miami Beach.

Page C3

TAUGHT FORD TOUGH

Provided photo

Auto technology juniors and seniors at the Lorain County JVS, and their instructor Eric Hohman, pose with a car donated by Mike Bass Ford. The Ford Automotive Career Exploration program was started in 2018 and gives students a chance to practice service technician skills. “It goes over all of the new technologies that we have in vehicles, from advanced steering suspension systems to advances in electronics and engine performance," said JVS instructor Eric Hohman.

Oberlin goes for $300K in housing renewal grants

Amer Hasan The Yamaha Young Performing Artist Competition recognizes outstanding jazz, contemporary and classical musicians.

“Amer is incredibly deserving of this distinction for his musical accomplishments, and we look forward to watching him continue to move toward a promising future while building upon the YYPA legacy," said John Wittmann, senior director of artist relations and educa-

tion for Yamaha Artist Relations Group Indianapolis.

Hasan and other winners will each receive an all-expense-paid trip to the YYPA Celebration Weekend in June during the Music for All Summer Symposium at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana.

They will perform in front of thousands and take part in workshops designed to help launch professional music careers.

Kristin Bauer | Chronicle

Harry Kestler, Professor of Microbiology at Lorain County Community College, explains what COVID-19 is and what precautions are being taken to prevent the spread of the virus.

With $1.35 million in funding on the line, Oberlin officials are teaming up with others in North Ridgeville and Sheffield Lake.

The three cities are trying to land Community Housing Impact and Preservation grants from the Ohio Development Services Agency.

As partners, each community has funds set aside for repair and rehabilitation of privately owned, owner-occupied homes.

“The CHIP program is vital to keeping people in their homes, protecting property values, and improving quality of life for county residents,” said Lorain County Commisioner Lori Kokoski on March 5.

The county qualifies to seek up to $400,000 in CHIP funding, with additional funding up to $350,000 for North Ridgeville and $300,000 each for Oberlin and Sheffield Lake through the partnership.

The grant runs on a two-year cycle, during which time funds must be committed and expended.

“The CHIP program allows the county

and local communities to cooperate and leverage funding in order to better serve the needs of our homeowners,” Commissioner Sharon Sweda said. “This program helps to improve quality of life for our residents and keep our communities competitive.”

The partnership with North Ridgeville is new for the 2020 funding round. Oberlin and Sheffield Lake have been partners in the last several CHIP grants.

“The board is pleased to be able to expand our partnership to bring more resources into the county,” said Commissioner Matt Lundy. “Expanding our collective abilities is vital to maintain and improve our housing stock and services for our residents.”

CHIP funds are used to preserve housing in all Lorain County communities, except for Lorain, Elyria and Vermilion, which operate their own programs.

For more information about CHIP, call Lorain County Community Development at 440-328-2322.

Virus expert: ‘The cases APPLY ONLINE NOW! are seeded in America’ 2020census.gov/jobs LAINA YOST THE CHRONICLE-TELEGRAM

ELYRIA — Lorain County Community College professor of microbiology Harry Kestler has been filming videos about the coronavirus, sharing his expertise with the online world.

Kestler has been teaching at LCCC for more than 20 years on viruses, specifically HIV. But he studies all kinds of viruses, and he watches them closely.

He has been tracking COVID-19 daily, tabulating data and teaching his students about the novel coronavirus.

By looking at the data, Kestler said China and South Korea appear to have solved COVID-19, as the number of cases have either stalled or begun to decline. He said Italy is a disaster not just with COVID-19, but people who are not getting the medical care they need.

"We're trying to keep that from happening," Kestler said. "So, that's what the governor did the other day... I think that was a good thing to do. What we're trying to do is not have the surge of cases come all at once. Because they are there. The cases are seeded in America."

Since Tuesday when three COVID-19 cases were first confirmed in the state, Gov. Mike DeWine has signed an executive order banning gatherings of more than 100 people with some exceptions, shut down restaurant seating, closed K-12 schools and asked colleges to move classes online.

Most people who get COVID-19 will not die from the disease, Kestler said, but some will. It's the speed of the spread that is the problem, he said, and that the state will be much better off if it can get ahead of the curve.

Kestler said they want to spread the

cases out so they can help more people with the current capacity of hospitals.

China built its own hospital in three weeks to help treat patients, but Kestler said the U.S. won't be able to do that.

For the next month or month and a half, Kestler said the country and Ohio are going into the storm.

"We can come out of it, if we all try to help each other," Kestler said. "So, my responsibility is to keep my distance from people."

Part of that is avoiding grandparents and the elderly, Kestler said. If the virus gets into nursing homes, Kestler said it will be devastating because the high-risk population is those older than 60.

"Nursing homes are ground zero," Kestler said.

It's also important to be able to track a patient's footsteps and see where they've been and where they could have possibly spread the virus. Kestler said that if the precautions work, Ohio should be much better off.

Because hundreds of coronaviruses exist in bats, Kestler said it's possible this could all happen again. But ultimately, this is all temporary and everything will go back to normal.

He said it's important to remember the lessons from the outbreak of the virus.

"And be good to each other," Kestler said. "That's a big deal, it really is. We all need to be understanding, this is going to be very painful for everybody... Remember, it might be unnecessary for you, but you might be doing something very, very good. Your suffering, your trauma, your misery is beneficial to somebody else's life, to somebody else's goodness."

To hear more from Kestler on COVID19, coronaviruses and the flu, watch his video with The Chronicle-Telegram at www.chroniclet.com.

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Page C4

Thursday, March 19, 2020

Oberlin News-Tribune

CORONAVIRUS CUYAHOGA COUNTY

Two schools in Cuyahoga County were among the first to be affected by the coronavirus.

Four students from Hawken Upper School on Cleveland's east side self-quartantined after traveling to a conference in Washington, D.C. with a man who since tested positive for coronavirus.

Solon High School also reported that two students were in quarantine after being exposed to someone with the disease.

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

The Diocese of Cleveland responded to the coronavirus outbreak on Tuesday by announcing immediate liturgical changes.

Until further notice, priests, deacons and extraordinary ministers of Communion must wash their hands with soap and water before and after Mass.

Wine symbolizing the blood of Christ will not be given to either liturgical ministers or congregants.

"As Catholics, our faith informs us that the whole Christ, that is his Body and Blood, is present when only the host is received," the Diocese announced online. "Provisions, however, should be made for Catholics who can only receive the Precious Blood for Communion because of celiac conditions."

Small holy water blessing fonts and baptismal pools must be drained.

Catholics are also asked to pray for the spread of the virus to be prevented.

THE CLEVELAND CLINIC

The Cleveland Clinic enacted a series of changes effective last week, both in the United States and internationally.

Until further notice, caregivers either diagnosed with or quarantined for COVID-19 will be excused from work.

To prevent infection, the health care provider is asking all caregivers to replace in-person meetings with virtual options such as video conferencing.

All business travel, whether domestic or overseas, has been suspended indefinitely.

All upcoming Cleveland Clinic events are under review for possible cancellation. All in-person volunteer activities at Cleveland Clinic facilities have been canceled.

"As healthcare providers, our first priority is serving our patients and community. We are taking these precautions to ensure we can continue caring for our patients while also protecting the health of our caregivers," the company said in a media release.

HIGHER EDUCATION

Colleges across Ohio and the rest of the nation reacted to the coronavirus outbreak by closing their doors.

Many are moving classes online to prevent the spread of the disease.

Ohio State University suspended all in-person classes for 60,000 students through March 30.

Case Western Reserve University, University of Akron, Bowling Green State University and Kent State University followed suit.

Even Harvard and Princeton have closed their doors temporarily.

the academic year given the ongoing decisions by other entities,” the NCAA said in statement.

Not only basketball was affected. The NCAA canceled every spring sport from baseball to hockey.

The loss of March Madness will be a huge financial hit.

The tournament typically generates nearly $1 billion in revenue for the NCAA and teams.

HEADING TO WORK?

SCHOOL TESTING

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urge employers to “actively encourage sick employees to stay home” and "ensure that your sick leave policies are flexible."

Amid the coronavirus outbreak, the CDC's guidelines are causing some businesses to change their policies.

Take Darden Restaurants, which operates Olive Garden, Longhorn Steakhouse and Cheddars. The company announced last week that employees would get paid sick leave benefits effective immediately.

Letters asking for state testing for K-12 students to be canceled this academic year were sent Friday to Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio Superintendent Paolo DeMaria.

State Rep. Jeffrey Crossman, D-Parma, and Rep. Lisa Sobecki, D-Toledo, asked for the usual requirements to be lifted since schools will be closed at least three weeks during the coronavirus pandemic.

“Now that the Governor has closed the schools, it is unfair to students, parents, and educators to have these tests hanging over their heads upon their return,” said Crossman. “There simply will not be sufficient time to properly prepare students for these tests and to complete the remaining coursework for the academic year.”

Failing to cancel the tests now will create more anxiety and will result in an overly extended school year, Sobecki said.

State-mandated testing is scheduled to begin in April and local districts often test for several weeks through May.

NO TITLE GAME

For some local athletes, the emergency meant losing a chance at glory. The Elyria Catholic girls basketball team, for example, may never get the chance to find out if it was the best in Division III. The Panthers’ shot at a state title was denied when the Ohio High School Athletic Association announced the tournament, along with the state wrestling and hockey tournaments and the regional boys basketball tournaments, have been postponed indefinitely.

The Panthers had already left for Columbus, practicing at Otterbein University and were ready to check into their hotel rooms when OHSAA Executive Director Jerry Snodgrass announced the decision.

“This is something we are handling as a nation and as a world and while it’s a gut punch to our kids and our communities we understand the significance and importance of the OHSAA doing things the right way,” said Elyria Catholic athletic director Jack Duffy.

If the postponed games are not rescheduled, it will be the first time in the 45-year history of the girls basketball tournament that a state champion will not be crowned.

EMERGENCY PAID LEAVE

State Democrats called for a temporary, emergency paid leave program to help Ohio workers affected by the coronavirus outbreak.

State Rep. Juanita Brent, D-Cleveland, sent letters to Gov. Mike DeWine pushing for benefits to ensure the economic security of Ohio families.

“All Ohioans must feel secure not going to work during the COVID-19 pandemic without the fear of homelessness, hunger and basic needs being jeopardized,” she said. “If Paid Family Leave is not addressed, it will trigger more of a strain on first responders and hospitals, and increase the chances of more people contracting COIVID-19.”

Brent and House Democrats expressed concerns about the impact the outbreak is having on lower-income workers, including food and retail workers, nurses and other hourly workers who have to take off work.

MARCH MADNESS

College basketball players also took a hit when March Madness was called off.

The NCAA canceled both the men’s and women’s tournaments less than a month before the championships are normally played.

At first, the sports organization had announced games would continue in arenas without almost any spectators to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The plan didn’t last long.

“This decision is based on the evolving COVID-19 public health threat, our ability to ensure the events do not contribute to the spread of the pandemic and the impracticality of hosting such events at any time during

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LEGALS PUBLICATION OF LEGISLATION The following is a summary of legislation adopted by Lorain City Council on March 2, 2020.

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12. Comic cry 15. Keenness in a certain field 20. D-Day beach 22. Old-fashioned over 24. Move like a serpent 25. *Go back the way you came 26. Hawaiian veranda 27. Banal or commonplace 29. *”Raised ____, “ or “Don’t Walk” 31. Small fragments 32. Bar order, with the 33. Puzzle with pictures and letters 34. *Up-side-down triangle sign 36. Biz bigwig

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

Reso 13-20 Recognizing Longfellow Middle School students Spelling Bee champion and runners up; 14-20 Declare necessity and intent to appropriate a temporary easement @ 610 Broadway for sidewalk rehab; Ord. 1920 Adopt recommendation of Planning Comm to approve reclassification of 4851 W. Erie Ave. from R-3 to B-1; 2020 Adopt recommendation of Planning Comm to reclassify two parcels @ 4125 & 4415 Leavitt Road from R-1b and R-3 to B-1; 21-20 Auth Auditor to pay invoices (2) from Util. Dept. invoking the Then & Now certification process.

N.GREER, CMC.

L.C.C.G. 3/19-26/20 20660645

LEGAL NOTICE DATE: Wednesday April 1st, 2020 TIME: 9:00 A.M. PLACE: Council Chambers

ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS AGENDA Disposition of minutes from previous Zoning Board of Appeals and Planning Commis-

sion Meetings.

B.A. # 7-2020 1009 W. 30th St. Variance requested to reduce rear and side yard setbacks from the required five feet to three feet for construction of new garage. R-1B Zoning Louis Gonzalez, applicant.

Richard G. Klinar, ACTING SECRETARY, LORAIN CITY PLANNING COMMISSION AND ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS IF APPLICANT UNABLE TO ATTEND, PLEASE CALL (440) 204-2034.

L.C.C.G. 3/19/20 20660618

PUBLIC NOTICE The Rochester Township Zoning Board of Appeals will meet on March 24, 2020 at 7:00 PM at the Rochester Township Hall. The Board will reorganize officers and review the renewal of Conditional Use Permits issued in the township. The Board will also hear requests for a zoning Certificate Use Variance on a land frontage sign for Paul Brady, 52185 Griggs Road, Wellington, Ohio, and a zoning Conditional Use Permit for a home grown produce roadside stand for Christine Zuosec, 52703 Bursley Road, New London Ohio. All concerned parties are invited to attend.

Jim Mencl Chairman, Rochester Township Zoning Board of Appeals

L.C.C.G. 3/19/20 20660364

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INSIDE: THE STATE OF WELLINGTON BREAKFAST • D2-D3

WELLINGTON ENTERPRISE THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2020 • SERVING WELLINGTON SINCE 1864

‘NOBODY KNOWS WHERE IT’S GOING’

Photos by Jason Hawk | Wellington Enterprise

Wellington school board members sit at least six feet from each other Monday. "This makes you feel like an army of one," said board member Ayers Ratliff.

School levy's fate remains up in the air JASON HAWK EDITOR

Unknowns piled up Monday night, leaving the Wellington school board with more questions than answers.

The big one: Would there be a decision on its bond issue and levy before summer?

"As the situation remains fluid, we're going to have to adjust, because nobody knows where it's going," board President Brett Murner said during a meeting at Westwood Elementary School.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine had announced a few hours earlier that his administration planned to file a suit seeking to delay the spring primary through June 2, with only absentee voting due to the dangers posed by COVID-19.

Later in the evening, a Frank-

lin County judge ruled against closing in-person voting, and the election was back on as planned.

It didn't last — just before midnight, state health department Director Amy Acton used emergency powers to close the polls.

The roller coaster ride will give the Wellington Schools about three more months to campaign for Issue 16, which would generate $8.7 million to make repairs at Westwood Elementary and Wellington High.

If adopted, the measure would also provide regular income earmarked only for building and grounds maintenance and equipment purchases.

But school board member Ayers Ratliff worried the extension could lead to election fatigue. "You run out of gas, know what I'm saying?" he said.

DeWine closed all schools in

Ohio amid sweeping measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

"Obviously this is a situation no one's every lived with and gone through these extended school closings," said Murner.

Students have been sent home with Chromebooks and expectations to keep learning. Those without internet access were given written packets to work on.

Some administrators may be working from home, said Superintendent Ed Weber. All are developing long-term contingency plans.

School is tentatively set to resume Monday, April 6, if state officials decree the health emergency to be over. It doesn't look like it's heading that way, however — Wellington educators on

School board President Brett Murner talks Monday about spring sports, which have been halted by the OHSAA, including all practices and workouts. The loss will be especially hard for the Dukes track and field team, which was set for its first season with a brand new track. "They didn't have a track and now they have a track that they can stare SCHOOLS PAGE D3 at but can't use, which might be crueler," Murner said.

During closure, school district launches free meal pick-ups Provided photo

JASON HAWK EDITOR

Curbside delivery of prepackaged meals started Monday for families in the Wellington school district, Superintendent Ed Weber told the Board of Education that evening.

The program opened with 11 cars picking up breakfasts, he said. A number of lunch pick-ups wasn't available.

Weber said a handful of dedicated teachers and community members volunteered to hand out food while schools are closed during the coronavirus crisis.

Some are ready to deliver meals directly to homes if

◄"A busy day in our schools distributing food and materials for our students," the Wellington Schools posted Monday on Facebook. "Thank you to our staff and our students/families for your patience and understanding during this unprecedented time.”

called upon, he said.

"If we hear or see a posting that a family is in need, we may do that," he said.

The band of volunteers could handle 10 to 20 deliveries, but not 100, said Weber, and only to families that are shut in.

"I don't want it to be a convenience service," he said.

The school system is already looking at the possibility of expanding to evening pick-ups two nights a week, said Weber.

He told the school board

that Wellington has also gotten a waiver to hand out five days worth of meals at one stop — that way, families could get five breakfasts and five lunches per child at a time.

Board members voiced support for the service but were wary of staff limitations.

Police: Thefts, domestic violence rose along with call volume in 2019 JASON HAWK EDITOR

Crime continues to rise and residents are calling for help more and more, according to the Wellington Police Department's 2019 annual report.

Chief Tim Barfield said his dispatch center has seen a 19 percent increase in call volume over the past two years, and a slight fall-off in 2018

was just a fluke.

"Wellington has a growing population and with that comes the increase in activity," he said.

Criminal complaints were up 28 percent last year, which Barfield called a "disappointing trend."

He took note not just of the raw numbers, but the types of crime the idyllic village struggled with. Thefts, harassment, domestic violence and protection order violations all increased.

Data has allowed officers to make headway in some areas.

"We have made a concerted effort to spend more time patrolling the streets, and we believe an increase of 29 percent more patrol time has made a significant difference in the amount of burglaries, breaking and entering, assaults and motor vehicle thefts that occurred," Barfield said.

The chief also noted fewer POLICE PAGE D3

LOCAL RESPONSE WELLINGTON SCHOOLS

Doorknobs, handles, computers and other "hightouch" surfaces were cleaned thoroughly to prevent coronavirus contamination when schools were still open, said Wellington Superintendent Ed Weber.

"We even discussed cell phone cleaning protocols...

Kids are carrying them, and they are a health concern," he said.

With all Ohio schools now closed, Weber is making contingency plans as far ahead as graduation.

Wellington may choose to live-stream its Class of 2020 graduation ceremony to lower the risk of exposing older family members to illness, he said.

The Wellington Schools opted to close Friday afternoon, and Weber said they will reopen on the governor's authorization.

He said students would be expected to continue learning at home, either with a workbook or online. Chromebooks were made available to students who needed them.

All clubs, activities and sports were postponed until further notice, including the cancellation of "The Addams Family" middle school theatrical production.

Students can get free "grab and go" breakfasts and LOCAL PAGE D3

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Page D2

Wellington Enterprise

Thursday, March 19, 2020

THE STATE OF WELLINGTON

Photos by Jason Hawk | Wellington Enterprise

Village Manager Steve Dupee speaks about accomplishments in 2019 as part of the State of Wellington breakfast on Thursday, March 12.

School and village officials report on priorities in 2020 JASON HAWK EDITOR

There was no hand shaking last Thursday as officials came together for the State of Wellington breakfast.

With coronavirus weighing on everyone's minds, a smaller-thanusual crowd turned out to the Wellington Kiwanis event.

STATE OF THE VILLAGE Getting as many people as possible to take part in the 2020 census will be a priority for the village of Wellington, said Mayor Hans Schneider.

The census helps determine how much federal money will go to local hospitals, schools, road projects, police and fire equipment and more.

The big question, said Schneider, is whether the count will show more than 5,000 residents in town, which would elevate Wellington to city status.

There were 4,802 residents in the last census. "Based on our housing growth over the last 10 years and especially in the last five years... we should go over the threshold," the mayor said.

A charter adopted by voters in 2014 prevents city status from changing much at all — it would even still be called the village of Wellington.

The biggest change: village workers would have the ability to unionize if they were to choose to do so.

This year, a quiet zone will be imposed for trains traveling through the village limits. They will no longer be allowed to blow their horns, a goal Wellington leaders have pursued for two decades.

CSX tentatively announced plans to begin work on its part of the project on March 23.

The village will then install curbing, power out indicators and signs warning pedestrians to be careful at crossings by midsummer.

Schneider said village workers also plan to replace a water storage tank dating back to 1952. The new one will have a 300,000-gallon capacity and require less maintenance.

Along with four new raw water pumps, the updates will enhance water quality, he said.

The cost is around $1.5 million and the Ohio Public Works Commission is kicking in $350,000 in no-interest loans over 20 years.

This year, Schneider said he wants to develop plans for Union School Park on the former McCormick Middle School property on South Main Street.

Concept drawings call for a "grand entrance," bandstand, playground, walking path and gathering spaces.

Development was stalled until passage of an income tax increase last year.

In 2020, Schneider intends to hire an engineering consultant to take the project to the next stage with detailed engineering plans.

Wellington's new police station will also undergo detailed engineering work throughout the year, with construction expected to begin in April 2021.

The existing 1,000-squarefoot police station next to Town Hall will be replaced with a 5,000-square-foot station on East Herrick Avenue at a cost of roughly $1.4 million.

Village Manager Steve Dupee provided a look back at the accomplishments made in 2019.

At the top of the list was the income tax increase, which has helped Wellington's general fund recover. The fund pays for police, streets, sewers, water and public parks.

New income tax collections exceed first-year expectations, said Dupee. He expects it to provide annual revenue of $750,000 after a three-year phase-in.

The amount of general fund cash that isn't tied up has gone from $517,000 in 2015 to $1.54 million last year. That means the village now has 5.6 months of cash on hand.

"This is a positive trend and moving in the right direction for the village," Dupee said.

Other items of note: • Wellington petitioned the Ohio Department of Transportation to reduce the speed limit to 25 mph at the Route 58 railway underpass.

• ODOT will place new BREAKFAST PAGE D3

Proceeds from the Kiwanis Club's 3rd Annual State of Wellington breakfast will be used to help purchase playground equipment at Westwood Elementary School, New Union School Park and Wellington Recreation Park. "Kiwanis is for kids," said President Paul Wilson.

Veterinarian William Spreng is presented with the key to the village by Mayor Hans Schneider in recognition of the care he's given to animals since moving to town 32 years ago. Spreng said he came to Wellington because it's "a great place to raise a family and start a business."

John Cloud Sr. and John Cloud Jr. of Forest City Technologies are presented with the key to the village. The elder Cloud said he came to Wellington 47 years ago. "It's been a dream come true for me, my family and hopefully most of our employees," he said. Ready to entrust the company to his son, Cloud said he is preparing for Forest City to expand over the next quarter-century.

Thursday, March 19, 2020

Wellington Enterprise

Page D3

LOCAL

FROM D1 lunches Monday through Friday.

Curbside service is offered behind the Wellington High School cafeteria from 7:30-8:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

"This type of school closure is unprecedented and the district is making decisions on the best information available at this time," said an email blast from the district. "Future decisions will be made in the best interest of our students and staff as conditions change."

HERRICK MEMORIAL LIBRARY The library has been closed through Sunday, April 6.

Director Janet Hollingsworth said she had been optimistic about staying open in the face of the COVID-19 threat, but "it wasn't doable," she said.

Staff found it impossible to keep up with sanitizing materials as they were returned, she said, and some librarians had to go home because they were at-risk due to pre-existing conditions or caring for someone who is.

The library board will meet again April 2 to re-evaluate whether to stay closed longer.

If the closure is extended, Hollingsworth said she would consider it a disaster.

"We're trying to help as many people as we can, but I'm on a short staff too," she said.

SOUTH LORAIN COUNTY AMBULANCE DISTRICT Based in Wellington, the South Lorain County Ambulance District is taking steps to protect workers.

Director Skip Gentry said EMTs will use high-grade N-95 masks during certain procedures if necessary.

SLCAD is also isolating the front of each ambulance cab from the back to protect drivers. That way, if there is contamination from a COVID-19 patient, only one employee will be exposed.

Gentry said health care providers had an emergency meeting Friday with the Lorain County Emergency Management Agency to go over Centers for Disease Control and Preven-

SCHOOLS

tion guidelines.

"It's pretty highly coordinated and we definitely have protocols set up for any person who may come in contact," with a coronavirus-positive patient, he said.

"We've been working on this for weeks. It hasn't been overnight," he said.

People are worried, and that's understandable, said Gentry. But he said the restrictions the government has handed down, and the fear residents feel, is not the "new normal" — it will eventually end.

"I've been through Ebola, I've been through SARS. I've been through swine flu," he said. "I think we're trying to do this as a graduated, common sense approach. I'm wary and I'm concerned but I'm confident in my people here."

"This too shall pass," he said, "we just have to work through it."

A LITTLE HUMOR Wellington police wasted no time announcing their own strict stet of emergency rules Friday.

"With the ban on public gatherings and the shut down of schools, we have realized this coronavirus is very serious," the department posted Friday on social media. "Therefore we are placing a ban on all criminal behavior. We are asking anyone who would consider breaking the law to postpone that activity until we can all be safe enough to engage in normal discourse. We will update you when you can safely return to illegal activity."

WELLINGTON FIRE DISTRICT Assistant Fire Chief Bill Brown said firefighters are trying to limit exposure as much as possible.

The Kelly Street station has been closed to visitors, and during crash call-outs, personnel are trying to limit who is hands-on with patients.

Brown said firefighters are wearing gloves and masks on calls. On medical calls, one responder is sent in and can call for help if needed.

"We're still going to put fires out and still show up when they call us," he said.

Brown was unfazed by the delay of the spring primary election, announced Monday by Gov. Mike DeWine.

The fire district has a 2.75-mill replacement levy on the ballot. If passed, that money wouldn't start to be collected until January 2021.

Brown said the WFD still has operating funds in reserve to last a year or two.

"If it's delayed a little bit, well, it's delayed. It's not going to crush us right now," he said.

CANCELED • A talk about diabetes prevention, originally set for March 26 at the LCCC Wellington Center, has been canceled due to the coronavirus threat. Dr. Chris Babiuch was scheduled to speak, but the Cleveland Clinic has suspended all community events until further notice. • Septic maintenance and regulations community meetings set by Lorain County Public Health in April and May have been postponed.

Past meetings on septic rules have drawn large groups of people, and the state has barred events with 100 or more attendees.

The following meetings have been canceled and will be rescheduled: April 7 at the Sheffield Township fire station, April 14 at Penfield Township Hall and May 5 at Camden Township Hall. • The Pittsfield Community Church has canceled the Senior Luncheon scheduled for April 4; the Springspiration Day event scheduled for April 14 and the fish fry dinner that was planned for April 17. • The Westwood Parent Co-op‎'s Mom Prom was canceled.

"Unfortunately at this time rescheduling is not an option," organizers announced. "All monies, both sponsorships and ticket sales, will be returned. We ask for your patience as we work to get everything straightened out." • The Duke Pride Carnival set for April 4 has be canceled. School board member Ayers Ratliff said it may be possible to reschedule it, depending on how soon schools resume classes.

FROM D1

Monday said it's likely the academic year is over.

"I know there's a vast amount of things we need to think about ourselves if this extends beyond three weeks, which seems fairly likely," said Murner.

Either way, economists predict a recession is in the cards. Everything from movie theaters to rec centers has been shut down, restaurants have been limited to carryout and delivery, many businesses have sent workers home and the state saw a dramatic spike in unemployment over the past week.

That's a disaster for working people, and a huge red flag for schools that rely on tax revenue.

"I just hope and pray that we don't take the kind of hit we did in 2008 from our income tax," Ratliff said.

When restaurants close, "you know people aren't going to pay school tax," he said.

Ratliff also serves as Wellington's liaison to the Lorain County JVS board, and expressed concern over how closings are limiting vocational studies.

Students at the JVS get hands-on experience in the trades in laboratory settings, "and you can't replace that, let's be honest," he said.

"You can't get that learning back. You can't have carpentry and you're building something at home. It won't happen."

Seniors will also lose out on programs that would have connected them with jobs, he said.

Another issue: Less than 50 percent of JVS students have internet access at home, which means they can't keep up via remote learning.

POLICE

FROM D1 overdose deaths, in part because police work to find help for addicts who seek it.

Officers also wrote fewer tickets in 2019, while they've written more warnings and traffic stops have increased.

At the same time, crashes have slowed — the WPD investigated just 100 this past year.

The number of crashes has consistently fallen since the early 2000s, even while Wellington's population has grown.

BY THE NUMBERS • $1.5 million budget • 47,181 calls fielded by dispatchers

• 7,672 contacts with people during calls for service • 1,051 training hours • 1,111 contacts with motorists • 560 hours worked by auxiliary officers • 357 criminal offenses • 197 traffic tickets • 187 animal-related calls • 95 written warnings for traffic • 90 juvenile complaints • 85 thefts • 82 harassment incidents • 73 domestic violence or dispute calls • 51 warrant arrests • 24 cases handled by detectives • 24 property damage calls • 23 fraud cases • 17 sworn officers • 16 missing persons • 7 dispatchers

BREAKFAST

FROM D2 flashing light signs on Route 58 near WHS and Westwood to slow motorists. Dupee said speed there was unenforcable for a long time because there was a single school zone in place. There are two school zones now. • Police officer Jeffrey Mecklenburg and his K-9 partner Argos were hired part-time last year and then elevated to full-time at the start of 2020.

Recently Argos recovered a hidden knife and got his first drug conviction. Dupee said the K-9 has also increased safety at the Wellington Schools. • A pavement survey examined the condition of 81 streets, rating which were poor and needed repaved the most. Jones Street, Courtland, Wenner, the Taylor Street parking lot and rail crossings all received attention because of the survey. • The village endured a CSX train derailment on May 28, 2019, near the Magyar Street crossing, causing a fire. The village also survived a natural gas shutoff. • Main Street Wellington won the America's Best Main Street Award and $25,000 grand prize. The money has been used to make facade improvements, including restoration of the exterior of the Horr cheese building on West Herrick Avenue.

STATE OF THE SCHOOLS With millions of dollars in levy cash on the primary ballot, Wellington Schools Superintendent Ed Weber talked about what his district has accomplished in the past few years.

"We're talking about

Ed Weber

Tina Gabler

Ayers Ratliff

investments in our quality of life — the quality of life we give our children and ourselves," he said.

Two years ago, the district's overall rating on the state report card was an F — now it's a C. Grades are getting better and graduation rates are too. Weber said the schools are en route to a B grade overall, whether this year or next, and credited teachers and students with doing the hard work.

The literacy grade at Westwood has gone from an F to a C, and the middle school is the next big focus. "McCormick is really going through a transformation. It's going to last about three years, and it's going to be designated as a STEM school," Weber said.

At Wellington High School, students are diving into new Advanced

Placement and College Credit Plus courses, he said.

The future, Weber said, hinges on how voters react to the levy, which will now be before voters through June 2 due to Gov. Mike DeWine’s primary election extension.

A four-year plan to repair aging buildings is in place — all that remains is paying for it, Weber said.

A common theme he's heard is that residents didn't like how school buildings were run "to the breaking point" or having a track that was allowed to crumble for 25 years.

State legislators used to guarantee the school system would get a minimum amount of operating money, but broke that promise and has been slowly sapping funding, which has caused problems.

Over the last five years, the Wellington Schools have lost about $500,000 in money linked to enrollment, said Treasurer Tina Gabler.

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To combat those issues, she has been creating "site-based budgets" that map operating expenses for each school.

Gabler took the treasurer job four years ago as the district was in turmoil, and was the fourth treasurer in five years. Now she is planning to retire and the search is on for new financial leadership.

"What I know for certain is this community is very rich in history, very rich in pride, very rich in support," she said.

Donations to the district show the community wants to invest in the schools, she said.

Ayers Ratliff is the

longest-serving Wellington Board of Education member and has been through the good times and hard ones, too.

He offered what he thought would be one last plea for levy support before Election Day, saying it would help to save Westwood Elementary School from closure.

"The atmosphere in that school, it's tremendous," he said. "We do not want to do away with that."

Board members don't want to relocated Westwood students, to "crowd them up like sardines" in the middle school, Ratliff said. "Our kids deserve better than that."

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Page D4

Thursday, March 19, 2020

Wellington Enterprise

© 2020 by Vicki Whiting, Editor Jeff Schinkel, Graphics Vol. 36, No. 15

March is Women’s History Month

Can you imagine a woorld in which women do not have the right to vote?

Meeting for f Wom W men’s Rights In 1848, a group of people m met in Seneca Falls, N.Y. to talk abbout the problems women faced beccause they didn’t have the same rights as men.

At that time, women could not own property, they could not vote v and very few coould go to school.

men in this How long do you think wom country have had the right too vote?

300 years? 200 years? 150 years??

In thhe United States, women have had that right for only 100 years of the 244 yearrs we have been a country. y And gettiing the right to vote toook decades of pr prrotestingg and writing too lawmakers – whhho were alll men at the time.

c each Draw lines too connect identical pprootest sign.

Victory!

This meetinng was the first woomen’s rights convention ed in the United States. At that meeting, men and women signed a document called the “Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions.”

By signing, these people agreed to the goals of what was becoming the woman’s movement.

On May 21, 19119, the U.S S. House off Representatives finally appproved the 19th Amendment, also known as the Susan B. Anthony Amendment, guaranteeing women the right to vote.

That was just the first step. The U.S. Senate and at least three quarters of the states had to approve it before it would become the law of the land.

For more than 70 years, women and men marched, wrote letters and articles, protested and picketed to get an Amendment to the Constitution the right too which would givve women th vote. Thhese peopple were knoown as suffraggists.

One week later, on August 226, the 19th Amendment officially became nstitutiion n forever part of the U.S. Constituti onn, menn’’s right i h proteecting Americaan wom to voote.

y How maanyyVOTE buttoonss caan youu find on o this t paage??

n Election Day, Nov. 5, 1872, Susan B. Annthony walked into her polling place and voted.

Todayy,more than68 millioonwomenvotein electionsbecauseofthe courageous g suffragists who never nevergaveupthe ggave up the fi for equa fightf

Why waas Susan B. Anthony arrested for f voting?

Use the code to find out!

Two weeks later, a U.S. marshal knocked on heer door.

“I have a warrant for your arrest,” he told Susan. “You are charged with voting without the lawful right to vote.”

In 1872, by U.S. law, a person had to be 21 years or older to vote. Susan was born in 1820. Was she old enough to vote?

=A =C =E

=H =K =L

=M =N =O

=R =S =W

Susan met two other requirements for the right to vote.

She was a U.S. citizen and she had never been convicted Would Susan B. Anthony have been arrestedfor the of a felony crime. Why was she arrested for voting? same reason in 1921? ❏YES ❏ NO

n 1920, exactly 100 years after Susan was born, the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was passed, giving women the right to vote.

While Susan did not live to see women get the right to vote, in 1979 she became the first woman to appear on U.S. money.

Look closely to find the coin that is different.

Standards Link: Investigation: Find similarities and differences in common objects.

PROTESTED PROPERTY PICKETED RATIFIED SUFFRAGE SENECA RIG GHTS WO OMEN YEA ARS SUS SAN THI HIINK VO OTE TE GIV VE TA ALK OW WN

Woomen in Leaadership

Todaay, women can vote and a hold elected office. For several weeks, look through the newspaper for pictures of women who are leaders in the government.

Make a scrapbook with the photos.

Label each one with the woman’s name, her job title and if she was elected to the job.

4. How many years have American women had the right to vote?? ____________________ ____________________ 5. Where and wheen did the first women’s rights meeting take place? ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ 6. What does suffrage mean? ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ____________________ _____________________

S D W K N I H T S P

U E U O F A A F R R

F T R W M L S O A O

F E S N K E P U G T

This weeek’s word:

RAT TIFIED

A C A I R I G H T S

The verb rratify means to give formal consent to make something officially valid.

E P Y I G E V I G E

The law was ratified by a popular vote.

R K R A C E N E S E

G I E T S T S O F T H T R A T I F I E D Standarrds Link: Letter sequencing. Recongized identical words. S Skim and scan reading. Recall spelling patterns.

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

Woman I Admire

ANSWER: At the North poll.

Standards Link: Reading Comprehension: Know the difference between cause and effect.

2. Who is it about? ___________________ ___________________

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

Cause and Effect

Draw a line down the center of a pieece of paper. Label the left side CAUSE. L Label the right side EFFECT. Read a newspaper artticle and find the cause (an event that makes something ething happen) and the effect (what the cause made happen).

1. What W is this page about? ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________

3. Which Amendment to the U.S. Constitution gives women the right to vote? ___________________ ___________________ ___________________

The United States Senate approved the amendment a week after the House.

On August 18, 1920, Tenneessee became the last state neededd to ratify the 19th Amendment.

Afterr reading this page, answer thee questions below. Have an addult check your answers.

Disccuss any that you got wrong.

Describe a woman you admire and your reasons for choosing this woman.