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Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024
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County mirrors U.S. housing cost rise Carissa Woytach The Community Guide
Nearly half of the country’s renters spent more than 30 percent of their income on housing in 2023, according to new U.S. Census Data. That is more than 21 million renters, according to the 2023 American Community Survey
1-year estimates released today. The numbers were similar in Lorain and Lorain County, with about 43 percent of renters in the county spending 30 percent of their income on rent; while in Lorain it was about 47 percent. The median rental cost on a national level jumped from about $1,354 in 2022 to $1,406 in 2023.
In Lorain County, median rents increase by less than $30, according to the ACS, a roughly 3 percent increase. Lorain County’s median home values rose about 3.6 percent in the same time period, from $216,060 to $223,800. The percentage change was in line with the state’s median home value
increase, but was a larger increase than some surrounding counties. Lorain County Chamber of Commerce President Tony Gallo said Lorain County’s home and rent prices remaining relatively stable in the year was a good thing. “We’ve always tried to say that Lorain County and the city is a
100-year-old windows have many stories to tell
AMHERST — A beacon of light with its ornate art glass windows, St. Peter’s United Church of Christ is the only place of worship on aptly named Church Street, and congregants are celebrating the artistic details that make their church a standout. On Sunday, the church will celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the dedication of those art glass windows. “Today, you could not replace those windows,” said church historian Linda Gatz, of Amherst. “They are invaluable. It’s a piece of art, religious art and it’s very spiritual. If you arrive early, you can sit there and just get lost in it, meditating.” In her role as historian, Gatz has unearthed photos and stories about the windows going back to 1924. For example, she learned that a group of children saved pennies so that their Bible class could help to purchase a window. “These are art glass windows, a category of stained glass windows, that have details hand painted on them,” she said. The church has four feature windows with several smaller windows. “My favorite is ‘Jesus Knocking,’” Gatz said. “It represents the idea that if we hear a knocking
and open the door, He will come in. God and Jesus are always here. People stop them from coming in.” The colorful glass is far from the humble beginnings of the church. A small group of German immigrants helped erect St. Peter’s, which was founded in 1857. Services were performed in both English and German until the 1950s, Gatz said. The windows were added in 1924 and have undergone several refurbishments over the years, with the most recent one taking place in 2018. Gatz, a retired history and government teacher, found it fun to discover the history of the windows and church, finding all sorts of photos and documents. Many of the photos were undated or did not include names, but the Amherst Public Library and Amherst Historical Society have helped tremendously, she said. “It’s been my joy to do this and put it together,” she said. “I grew up in an Episcopal church and we had one feature window. My husband and I moved to Amherst when we retired and his family helped found this church, so it’s very meaningful to me.” A special service will be held at 10 a.m. Sunday by the Rev. Don Nichols, followed by performances by the handbell choir and church choir. A potluck dinner will follow. Everyone is welcome.
See HOUSING, A2
No crying in baseball? Unless they are happy tears from a proud Guardians coach
St. Peter’s UCC in Amherst to celebrate majesty and history of its stained glass Christina Jolliffe The Community Guide
great place to own a home, build a family and start a business, and maybe the data is reflecting that in a positive way,” he said. Cuyahoga County only saw a 2 percent median home value hike, while renters in the urban center saw about a 3.6 percent increase in median monthly rent costs.
Chris Assenheimer The Community Guide
CLEVELAND — The Guardians’ come-frombehind victory over the Twins on Monday night brought manager Vogt Stephen Vogt to tears. Trailing for much of the game after Minnesota chased starting pitcher Matthew Boyd in the third inning, Cleveland bounced back in a big way to win 4-3 Monday night. Rookie Kyle Manzardo hit a goahead home run in the eighth inning to send the Guardians to their eighth win in 10 games against the Twins. “I’m so happy for him,” manager Stephen Vogt said of Manzardo. “Everybody dreams of hitting that big home run or that big base hit in the major leagues to help your team win a game. And for him to hit that go-ahead home run in the eighth inning, that’s a moment you dream of from the time you’re 3 or 4 years old. Everyone who grows up wanting to play baseball has dreamed of that moment. The smile on his face looking back at our dugout, that was incredible. “But my favorite part is (Josh) Naylor at second base (after a leadoff double), standing there watching it and cheering, waiting for him at home plate with a smile on his face. That’s the kind of stuff that this team does.” Vogt began to choke up before a Ohioasked School reporter him if he was getting PHOTO PROVIDED 2024 emotional. Report Card St. Peter’s United Church of Christ stained glass “I love these guys,” he said. windows will be celebrated Sunday.
Lorain County SCHOOL DISTRICTS
Schools get report cards from state LORAIN COUNTY SCHOOLS: HOW THEY DID DISTRICT
Most unchanged from last year; Keystone and Oberlin show improvements Columbia, Sheffield-Sheffield Lake, Vermilion and Wellington all lost between a half-star and full star. Ohio released its new state report The annual score cards evaluate the cards for public school districts last performance of every public and comweek. In Lorain County, about half of dis- munity school district and building in tricts saw no change between overall the state based on students’ results on standardized tests. scores in 2023 and 2024. This year’s report cards, the third in Amherst, Avon, Avon Lake, Elyria, Firelands, Lorain, Midview and North a row to use a one- to five-star rating Ridgeville all remained unchanged on system for districts in five different components, saw statewide gains in the new cards. Keystone and Oberlin saw gains in literacy and math proficiency. their overall scores, while Clearview, Districts and school buildings are Carissa Woytach The Community Guide
listed as needing supports if they score one or two stars in a component; meeting standards if they score three stars; or exceeding standards if they score four or five stars. A sixth category, college, career, workforce and military readiness, was provided for all schools for information purposes. It will not be included until the 2024-25 school year. Elyria Superintendent Ann Schloss said the tests given to create the report cards released Friday are a snapshot — one test, one day in time.
OVERALL
ACHIEVEMENT PROGRESS GAP CLOSING GRADUATION
½ ½ ½ ½ ½ ½
Amherst Avon Avon Lake Clearview Columbia Elyria Firelands Keystone Lorain Midview North Ridgeville Oberlin Sheffield Sheffield Lake Vermilion Wellington
Fall sports underway for Dukes. A6
Oberlin
Golf Club celebrates 125th year. A4
½
INSIDE THIS WEEK Wellington
Amherst
SOURCE: Ohio Department of Education and Workforce
‘Arsenic and Old Lace’ returns. A3
SPORTS A6 • CROSSWORD A7 • SUDOKU A7 • KID SCOOP A8
EARLY LITERACY