COMMUNITY GUIDE
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LORAIN COUNTY
AMHERST NEWS-TIMES • OBERLIN NEWS-TRIBUNE • WELLINGTON ENTERPRISE Thursday, June 25, 2020
www.lcnewspapers.com
Volume 7, Issue 26
Schools anxiously planning for fall
Parents aren’t the only ones wondering how COVID-19 will affect return to classes JASON HAWK, LAINA YOST and CARISSA WOYTACH
Unless a miracle cure is found, COVID-19 will make it impossible for school to look normal this fall. Most Lorain County students will start classes again in August, which gives area superintendents about two months to figure out
how to safely open classrooms. “We’ve been strategizing for a while. It kind of depends on what the virus does this summer,” said Lorain County Health Commissioner David Covell. He has been advising schools on how to reduce the risk the virus poses to students and staff. But until the state releases rules for teaching while the pandemic continues — Gov. Mike DeWine
was expected to do Tuesday after press time — detailed plans for reopening can't be drafted. The state will provide a general framework for the fall, but Ohio's 611 local districts will still make most of the big decisions. “Each school is going to be different,” DeWine said in a news conference this week. Most Lorain County school districts have sent or will send surveys
New treasurer, principal among Wellington hires
out to parents about what school should look like this fall. Firelands Schools most recent results show about 65 percent want their kids to attend in-person. “They’re hoping it looks very normal,” said Superintendent Mike Von Gunten. "People feel very strongly, many people do, about whether we should be getting back to normal or whether we should take a more cautious approach.”
Wearing masks A survey sent to Wellington parents showed one big red flag: Parents are not interested in making kids wear masks. Superintendent Ed Weber said it’s not realistic to expect especially very young children to wear masks throughout the entire school day. But that presents a FALL CLASSES PAGE A3
400 ‘COME BACK KITS’
JASON HAWK EDITOR
WELLINGTON — Four major hires that will shape the school system's future, including a new treasurer, were made last week by the Wellington Board of Education. Mark Donnelly was chosen to handle the district's finances as it struggles with two aging buildings and state funding cuts due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mark Donnelly Donnelly has worked for Chagrin Falls and Warren school districts, and was operations director at the Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center. He also served seven years as business services director for the Strongsville Schools. Since last September, the Medina resident has been executive director of the Bond Accountability Commission, an independent body set up Janet Kubasak to watchdog $1 billion in Cleveland school system construction projects. Wellington Superintendent Ed Weber said Donnelly's experience with construction and maintenance won him the job. SCHOOL HIRES PAGE A2
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Classifieds, legals, display advertising, and subscriptions Deadline: 1 p.m. each Monday Phone: 440-329-7000 Hours: 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday News staff Jason Hawk news@lcnewspapers.com Phone: 440-329-7122 Submit news to news@lcnewspapers.com Deadline: 10 a.m. Tuesday Send obituaries to obits@chroniclet.com
Jason Hawk | Amherst News-Times
Main Street Amherst Director Teresa Gilles sits amid piles of boxes filled with hand sanitizer.
Gifts to boost small business morale
JASON HAWK EDITOR
AMHERST — Mountains of hand sanitizer bottles. Stacks of masks. Gloves galore. Teresa Gilles picked her way through the piles Wednesday at her down-
Copyright 2020 Lorain County Printing & Publishing Company
or masks that makes all the difference." Gilles is the director of Main Street Amherst, a nonprofit that helps the city's business community. Wanting to help brickand-mortar retailers and restaurants rebound after months of restrictions, she devised "Come Back Kits."
At the end of June, about 400 businesses will get bags filled with paper towels, disinfectant, a gallon of sanitizer and protective gear. The goal is to help local owner-operators defray some of the unexpected
COME BACK PAGE A3
NEXUS asks again for lower taxes JASON HAWK EDITOR
NEXUS Gas Transmission has filed another property tax appeal, asking Lorain County to accept just $3.6 million from its new pipeline instead of the $9.5 million it once promised. The request has county Auditor Craig Snodgrass furious.
"They promised everybody the world," he said in a phone interview Wednesday. "... They sold everybody a bill of goods on how to get a foot in the door to each county, and now they've reneged." NEXUS has made three attempts since November to reduce the tax amount it is required to pay for the 21-mile stretch of pipeline that runs east and west through the county.
Now the total is down by 62 percent. Snodgrass called the appeals "a shell game" and "a bait and switch," and said the public should be outraged. The state tax commission is expected to rule on the appeal by the end of June. NEXUS PAGE A2
INSIDE THIS WEEK
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town office, sharing plans for putting the supplies in the hands of small business owners who are struggling to get through the COVID-19 pandemic. "Maybe by getting some extra masks, it helps just a little bit," she said. "Maybe it gives them that little extra hand by having gloves
Amherst
Oberlin
Special look
Dangerous sinkhole fix needed at cemetery • A6
Wetland to replace historic Morgan Street reservoir • B1
Oberlin and Wellington police chiefs write about unrest • B1
OBITUARIES A2 • CLASSIFIEDS A5 • CROSSWORD B4 • SUDOKU B4 • KID SCOOP B6
Page A2
Thursday, June 25, 2020
Lorain County Community Guide
OBITUARIES Hattie Louise Moore Jones Hattie Louise Moore Jones was a faithful devoted wife, daughter, Christian, friend and community volunteer. She departed this life Saturday, June 20, 2020. She was born Jan. 10, 1923, in Lexington, Mississippi and was the only child of Willie and Mattie Moore (Taylor). She was married to Leon Jones for 31 years who preceded her death by a tragic accident. She worked as an assembler at American Greeting cards in Cleveland for 15 years and was a devoted 72 year member of Rust United Methodist Church of Oberlin. She is survived by her first cousin Hattie Simpson of Chicago, nieces, nephews and countless friends. Visitation will be Thursday, June 25, 2020, from 10 a.m. until time of servcies at 11 a.m. at Rust United Methodist Church with Pastor Stanley Miller Officiating and Reverend James Roberson delivering the eulogy. Please join us via zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8930122069. Burial will follow in Westwood Cemetery. Due to Covid 19 social distincing and the use of masks will be reqired at all times. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Rust United Methodist Church. Online condolences may be made to www.cowling funeralhomeoh.com.
Robin Sue Sawyer Robin Sue Sawyer, 60, of Elyria, died Thursday, June 18, 2020, at home. Born Dec. 8, 1959, in Oberlin, she was the daughter of Helen (nee Boozer) Gott and Richard Diller Sr. Robin was a lifelong resident of Wellington and 1978 graduate of Wellington High School, where she was a cheerleader and baton twirler. Robin worked in optometry for 25 years in Wellington. She had played on bowling leagues and was a member of the Wellington Eagles. Robin enjoyed bird watching and cooking for family gatherings. She was known for her green thumb and love of plants. Survivors include her children, Angela (Joe) Petriella of Grafton and Mathew (Jeanine) Brattoli of Wellington; grandchildren, Antonio, Emilio, Isabella, Chelsea, Shelby, and Colton and brothers, Dennis (Sue) Diller of LaGrange, and Richard Dillar Jr., of Florida. Robin was preceded in death by her husband, Chris Sawyer; her father, Richard Diller and brother, Larry Diller. Friends and family will be received Friday, June 26, 2020, from 2 to 4 for a drive through visitation, where those who wish to offer condolences from their vehicles may do so, at Norton-Eastman Funeral Home, 370 South Main St. Wellington and then from 6 to 8 p.m. for a traditional calling hours in the building. In an effort to minimize risk to our families and staff, we encourage visitors to wear a mask if able. A private service will be held Saturday, June 27, 2020, and will be webcast at eastmanfuneralhome.com beginning at 11 a.m. Burial will take place at Greenwood Cemetery. Expressions of sympathy may be shared online at www. norton-eastmanfuneralhome.com. ROBERT ALLEN FALATIC, 81, of LaGrange, passed away Monday, June 15, 2020 at his home following a lengthy illness. Arrangements by Hempel Funeral Home. Our condolences go out to to families that have suffered the loss of a loved one. For information about placing an obituary or death notice in the Community Guide, call 440-329-7000.
SCHOOL HIRES
FROM A1 That expertise will come in handy as decisions are made about the future of Westwood Elementary, which needs millions in repairs, as well as Wellington High School, where more work is needed, he said. Donnelly was extended a contract through July 2023. Weber said a number of high-quality candidates were quickly found by a search firm called Finding Leaders. Hiring Donnelly now will allow current Wellington Treasurer Tina Gabler to resign effective June 30. She plans to retire in December. Until then, she will work part-time for the Mount Gilead Schools near her home in Morrow County, Weber said. She will stay on Wellington's payroll to assist Donnelly on an as-needed basis through the end of the calendar year. In another important vote, Janet Kubasak was selected to be the next principal at Westwood. taking over for Erica
Ward, who resigned at the end of the school year. With 20 years of experience in education, Kubasak is a consultant who helps districts develop strategic plans for improvement, and Weber said she has worked on several occasions with Wellington teachers. She is also an adjunct professor at Ashland University, where she has taught master's courses for more than a decade. Weber called her "the catch of a lifetime." "The skills she's going to bring to our staff, to our families, to our students — I just couldn't be more excited about the skill she's going to bring to our school," he said. Ward was principal at Westwood for two years. Weber credited her with helping the school claw up from an F in reading on the state report card to a C. He said it will be Kubasak's job to take students move from a C to an A. Her contract runs through July 2023.
A different Ward was promoted to lead the Wellington marching and concert bands. Hayley Ward has been a vocal and general music teacher at McCormick Middle School. She's also served as assistant under retiring band director Toni Novotny, and was chosen from a pool of 30 candidates to take the baton. Weber said school board members believe Ward is the right person to grow the band, which in recent years has seen numbers fall below 20 members. "They said Hayley had lots of fresh ideas and they like that she has a plan to put those ideas into place," he said. A new guidance counselor was also hired — Amy Sherman will serve students at McCormick. Weber said she will focus on providing emotional and social support to kids at a tough age, "to help them make the most out of not just school but out of life." "She has a really per-
sonal way of connecting with people and will certainly be a support I can see all of our students appreciating," he said. In other business last Monday, the Board of Education learned that a seven-year state investigation into special education services at Wellington has come to an end. Seeing those services improve, the Ohio Department of Education lifted the intense scrutiny the Wellington Schools had been under. Weber said that if issues were not corrected, the state had been ready to take direct control of the district's special education spending. Nancy Nimmo was hired last year to oversee the district's special education services. She said a lot of students who used to be pulled into resource rooms are now learning side-by-side with typical students. "That has made a huge difference, I think, across the board," she said.
NEXUS
FROM A1 But under current Ohio law, NEXUS can appeal again and again — there is no legal cap, according to Robert Rinehart. He serves as both treasurer of the Oberlin City Schools and vice chair of the new Ohio Schools Pipeline Coalition, which represents 39 school districts. Its purpose is to lobby for public utilities policy reform. Rinehart said companies like NEXUS have deep pockets, and he expects a fourth appeal to come next year. The pipeline was a $2 billion project. It stretches a total of 255 miles, transporting natural gas from eastern Ohio through Michigan to Canada. First proposed in 2014, the project received Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approval in August 2017, but not without legal fights from cities and homeowners in its path. Despite protests and lingering legal action, the NEXUS pipeline went operational in 2018. Rinehart said the company's appeals have in part been based on cost overruns from the project. That's not an acceptable excuse in his eyes. "All the numbers come from them," he said. "They made all the estimates. They did all the budgeting... Cost overruns are a part of the project. That's what you're valued at. If you have a cost overrun on a building, that's part of the value of the building." Snodgrass agreed. He said he is not surprised by the NEXUS appeals, because historically public utilities companies have oversold the tax values of their projects. "Just pay what you owe. Just be
fair about things," he said. Local school districts on the pipeline's path stand to lose big money if the appeals go through: • Firelands would get $741,585 less than originally estimated. • Keystone would get $1,024,376 less. • Midview would get $988,384 less. • Oberlin would get $1,198,435 less. • The Lorain County JVS would get $167,817 less. Townships would also get far from what was originally touted: • Camden would get $97,635 less. • Grafton would get $141,956 less. • LaGrange would get $128,269 less. • New Russia would get $17,320 less. • Pittsfield would get $51,713 less. Other local governments that would not receive the amount NEXUS touted: • Lorain County would get $1,033,070 less. • The city of Oberlin would get $11,193 less. • Kipton would get $32,618 less. • The Central Ambulance District would get $37,275 less. • The Wellington Fire District would get $28,442 less. • Lorain County Public Health would get $34,248 less. • The Grafton-Midview Public Library would get $22,867 less. • The Elyria Public Library would get $49,813 less. • The Oberlin Public Library would get $88,863 less. The total tax amount the county would not receive under the NEXUS appeal: just shy of $5.9 million.
For the Oberlin Schools, NEXUS money has long been eyed as a way to pay for a second new school, in addition to the PK-5 building under construction now. Rinehart said the "very aggressive" tax reduction sought in the appeal would almost certainly delay a new high school. And in Camden Township, the reduced amount would put a dent in plans to build a new fire station, Snodgrass said. Firelands Superintendent Mike Von Gunten said he never expected NEXUS to live up to what it advertised. "It's always been a little bit of a wild card if we could ever count on seeing that money," he said. "Like many other things in life, when it sounds too good to be true, sometimes that's just how it turns out." Firelands' share was never worked into a construction budget; instead, Von Gunten said whatever windfall goes his way will be used to help with operating costs. The tax commission won't necessarily bow to NEXUS' appeal request, however. Rinehart said he believes there will be some form of compromise. "I think the tax commission is going to rule in our favor, but how high they go is the question," he said. On its website, NEXUS Gas Transmission estimates the pipeline's value to Ohio at $390 million in local tax revenues for the first five years, with $116 million to local school districts. It also claims the pipeline creates 5,325 jobs and $565 million in wages statewide.
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SOLUTION TO CROSSWORD ON PAGE B4
SOLUTION TO SUDOKU ON PAGE B4
ABOUT THE COMMUNITY GUIDE LORAIN COUNTY COMMUNITY GUIDE (USPS 673-960) is published every Thursday, 52 weeks per year by Lorain County Printing & Publishing Company, 225 East Ave., Elyria OH 44035.
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Thursday, June 25, 2020
Lorain County Community Guide
Page A3
Real estate taxes
COVID-19 RESPONSE UPDATES A look at developments in Ohio's coronavirus pandemic response over the past week: • While the danger is far from over, the number of COVID-19 cases continues to decline in Ohio. As of Tuesday, there were 42,767 cases statewide and 2,735 confirmed or probable coronavirus deaths. A total of 7.379 people had been hospitalized, including 1,876 intensive care unit admissions. • There are problem spots, however. Gov. Mike DeWine noted flare-ups in Southwest Ohio, notably in Montgomery, Greene, Clark, Warren and Hamilton counties. • More children are becoming sick with the virus, according to Amy Edwards, a pediatric infectious disease doctor and
associate medical director for infection control at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital in Cleveland. The danger signs: If your child is having trouble breathing or is not eating and drinking, call your pediatrician right away. • Hospitals have started to build a 30-day reserve of protective gear. Ohio was caught off-guard by the early spread of COVID-19, and experienced a critical shortage of masks, gloves, face shields and other equipment to protect medical workers, police, firefighters and other emergency personnel. "Having a stockpile like this is incredibly important, especially for long-term care facilities like nursing homes," said Gover-
nor DeWine. "With the recent changes to visitation rules, we must continue to recognize that these Ohioans are vulnerable to the COVID-19 virus and that spikes may occur in congregate living facilities." • DeWine announced that Ohio will borrow $3.1 billion from the U.S. Department of Labor to meet the state's unemployment obligation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Renewals of unemployment claims have declined for seven weeks. The unemployment rate went from 17.6 percent in April to 13.7 percent in May. DeWine signed an executive order to expand "good cause" unemployment benefits for people in certain situations, such as those in quarantine, people
caring for loved ones with COVID-19, senior citizens and people identified by a doctor as being at extremely high risk. • Lt. Gov. Jon Husted said Ohioans should be on alert for scammers who try to peddle fraudulent cures, work-fromhome offers and messages asking for personal information. He also warned Ohioans of fraudulent unemployment claims. For resources on how to protect your personal information and protect yourself from fraud, visit www.coronavirus.ohio.gov. • All contact sports practices were allowed to resume in Ohio on Monday, but not without restrictions. Athletes and coaches must still observe precautions to prevent the spread of the virus.
Lorain County Treasurer Daniel Talarek announced Friday that 132,961 real estate tax and special assessments have been processed. They should reach taxpayers this week and have a July 10 due date. Payments will be accepted by mail, online or in a drop box in the vestibule at the Lorain County Administration Building. No cash payments will be accepted. Taxpayers who choose to mail their checks will be considered timely if the payment is postmarked on or before July 10. Ohio law requires that a 10 percent penalty fee be assessed to all payments postmarked after the closing date. "Logistics do not allow for our office to comply with the governor's social distancing policies," Talarek said. "For safety purposes, the public will not be permitted to enter the treasurer's office." Property owners experiencing difficulties with their bills due to COVID-19 should call 440-329-5787.
FALL CLASSES
FROM A1 problem for teachers and other staff, who will be exposed to hundreds of kids. "The thought on masks is that they may be recommended, but they may not be required," he said Friday, after superintendents met with the Lorain County health commissioner. "It's still a little too early to know yet.” A couple hundred masks have been ordered already at Oberlin and the district has started stocking cleaning supplies to protect against the virus. Oberlin Schools Superintendent David Hall said there also are ideas for frequent hand-washing breaks and even having the nurse’s office quarantine students who may become sick. Superintendent Ann Schloss said Elyria Schools already has begun using funds from the CARES Act to purchase cleaning supplies, PPE and sprayers. She said the local districts are the ones who will have to pick up those extra costs. Columbia Superintendent Graig Bansek was adamant about one thing: He would not be the one to require students to wear masks. He was concerned mostly with how special education students would be able to wear one. “That’s a family decision,” he said. Transportation Just getting kids to and from school will be an issue too — Firelands, a rural district, covers more than 90 square miles and each bus usually carries 35 to 60 students, Von Gunten said. Von Gunten said it’s unclear how Firelands can keep students at a safe distance from each other with
the same number of buses and drivers. Adding more bus runs is a possibility, but it will add significantly to personnel, gasoline and maintenance costs. Schloss said Elyria ran a simulation on what it would look like with one student per seat — the current guidelines. The district would need four times the amount of buses, which is financially impossible for the district, that has seen a strain on its income. Lorain Schools new CEO Jeff Graham said he can’t speak to the specifics of the urban district, just wrapping up his fifth day on the job Friday, but compared it to simulations run at his former job as the head of Canton Schools. “But there's a school of 400 students in Canton and we looked at it and I believe it was 40 buses to transport kids that way,” he said. “It's obviously not practical to use 40 buses to transport kids to just one school. So we have to figure something out, that's one of the major obstacles we have to get past.” The other option is to put a limit of the number of kids who are allowed to use school buses. "Neither one of those options is great. We would like to be able to run things as we have in the past," Von Gunten said. Increasing how often the bus routes are run is also an option Midview has discussed. In the State of the Schools address, Superintendent Bruce Willingham said plans for the district aren’t set in stone, but a survey to be sent out may ask parents if they can reliably get their child to school. Social distancing
Providing for social distancing in halls and classrooms won’t be an easy feat, either. There’s only so much space in the buildings, and it can’t be expanded. Firelands can make one-way hallway routes and stagger when kids are allowed to move around inside the school to limit their exposure to each other, but there is a limit — especially at South Amherst Middle School. Von Gunten said the old building has many stairs and levels, which will make rerouting traffic complicated. To limit chances for the virus to spread, Weber said Wellington is considering scheduling changes — for example, holding an extended English class once a week instead of regular periods five times a week. That would cut down on how often students move around and how many other people they are exposed to daily. Similar thought is being given to recess. Playgrounds across Ohio have been allowed to reopen, but Weber said districts recognize the danger still posed by high-touch surfaces such as slides and monkey bars. An alternative being considered is centering recess around group activities such as walks and games, rather than around equipment. Cafeterias are another area of concern, because they are usually packed with children eating sideby-side in close quarters. "We may have to get creative about where kids are eating," Von Gunten said. The good news, Von Gunten said, is that Firelands has a little more time than most other districts to
COME BACK
FROM A1 costs of reopening, Gilles said. The kits were made possible by grants from the Community Foundation of Lorain County, the Nord Family Foundation, Nordson Foundation and the Lakeland Foundation. The Cleveland Clinic Foundation donated 700 cloth masks, while an anonymous donor gave N95 masks. The bags will go to businesses in Amherst, Lorain, Oberlin, Wellington and possibly a fifth town in the county. Janet Haar, director of the Oberlin Business Partnership, said the supplies will be welcome because merchants are coping with big costs right now. For example, many are paying to install plexiglass shields, floor stickers, social distancing signs, rearranging their layouts, limiting the number of customers allowed inside and changing the flow of traffic, she said. "It can be a little overwhelming for some of them," and it's been hard to know how to help businesses survive the changes
brought on by the coronavirus, Haar said. The Come Back Kits probably won't save businesses financially, but they will provide an important morale boost, said Main Street Wellington Director Jenny Arntz. "It's one less thing they have to spend their money on," she said. "But even more it's about knowing there are people out there who care and want to help, to see them do well and be even better than before all the craziness happened" in March. The kits will help. What Arntz said smalltown businesses need most is customers' confidence. She worries about fledgling businesses, those that have opened in the past two years, and were just getting established. But Arntz said the crisis may actually have a positive effect on locally-owned stores and restaurants. "I do see the pandemic in a way forcing people to shop more local," she said. "They're not wanting to go and get exposed at Walmart and the big box stores, and they may not want to do Amazon."
work out a plan. The fall semester doesn’t start until Sept. 1 to accommodate students who take part in the Lorain County Fair. Elyria Schools also has a pushed out the start date to the school year to make time for the new buildings opening in the fall. Going online North Ridgeville was among the first area districts to announce it would allow families to opt in for an online-only curriculum this fall, while others attend in person. A survey of both parents and staff led to the decision, according to Superintendent Roxann Ramsey-Caserio. It showed about 25 percent of respondents were uncomfortable with the risks presented by returning to a brick-andmortar school experience. “We knew pretty quickly that we needed to make an adjustment to accommodate those families and make sure we could offer the high quality programming that we do, online, for those families in the future,” she said in a previous interview. “From there, we began to discuss options for professional development both for our teachers as well as our families, our parents.” The district has been working with the North Ridgeville Branch Library to make wireless hot spots available to kids who need internet access for school. In Wellington, Weber said feedback from surveys across Lorain County show 10 percent to 25 percent of families want an online-only school option to protect their households from the virus. "Some families may choose an online option, and that will naturally
bring numbers down in the classroom," said Weber. Schloss said Elyria probably would follow North Ridgeville and offer an online option, but the urban district faces a bigger problem than many suburban ones: internet connectivity. The district has about 3,800 families and Schloss said they need to find out exactly what kind of connectivity parents have. Graham said Lorain Schools is prepping for online only and blended models, understanding even if school buildings open like normal many families may not feel safe sending their children back to school. Virtual classes will mean offering one-to-one technology, and — like in Elyria — helping get families online. “We need to make sure the families have devices but you can't have five kids who are all in school sharing one computer and expect to get the work done to the same level that they need to, so at the end of the day — and it may not happen immediately — but as quickly as we can we need to make sure that we have devices in all of our students' hands,” Graham said. Looking ahead Putting a plan in place for the fall “has been a slow process” because the situation is so fluid, Hall said. In the meantime, Oberlin school board Vice President Anne Schaum said the district has to “plan for everything and anticipate chaos.” Oberlin is writing three separate plans for the fall: One for full in-person classes for all students, one for going 100 percent online and a hybrid that could include half-day attendance
or a three-days-on and twodays-off model. Hall said there is a clear preference: "I think parents, our kids and our teachers are ready to go full-time. They understand the safety concerns," he said. "By nature, we want all our kids back to normalcy if we can.” “We will have plans and backup plans,” Schloss said of Elyria. “We have a remote-only backup plan. If something happens when we come back and we need to shut down again, we need to be prepared for that.” In Lorain, Graham said there will be input from stakeholders and community members on a plan — once guidance is released from the state. That plan will include input from the district’s local school board and Academic Distress Commission, he said. “There's no blueprint, no one knows how to handle it,” he said. “So we're blessed to have really good people and everything else we'll figure out.” At Columbia, Bansek said they are holding off on making big plans because everything could change again by August. Once guidance comes out from the governor, Ohio Department of Health and Ohio Department of Education, he said they’ll put together a committee of administrators, staff and parents to figure out what the plan should be. “We’re going to do it the right way,” Bansek said. “I think that’s the thing we have to remember is that there’s still a ways to go. We have no idea what’s going to happen tomorrow, let alone September.” Reporter Dylan Reynolds contributed to this story.
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Page A4
OPINION
Lorain County Community Guide
Thursday, June 25, 2020
Send letters to news@lcnewspapers.com. Deadline for all submissions is 10 a.m. each Tuesday. Printed as space is avialable.
Recognizing LGBTQ Pride Month Each year in June, we celebrate our friends, family and neighbors who make up Ohio’s LGBTQ community, and recommit ourselves to fighting for a more just and inclusive society. That’s why, for the fourth year in a row, I’ve led my Senate Democratic colleagues in introducing a resolution recognizing June as LGBTQ Pride Month. I first introduced a Senate resolution to mark Pride month in 2017, after President Trump refused to issue an official presidential proclamation, breaking an eight-year tradition and turning his back on millions of LGBTQ Americans. Our resolution highlights the contributions LGBTQ Americans have made to our country, notes several major milestones in the fight for equal treatment of LGBTQ Americans, and resolves to
SHERROD BROWN U.S. SENATOR
continue efforts to achieve full equality for everyone. But this resolution serves as more than just a symbolic act — it’s also a reminder of our past and a mission statement for the future. Because we know there’s more work to be done. Just this month, 25-yearold Riah Milton, a trans-
gender black woman, was brutally murdered in Liberty Township. We know that black transgender women are attacked and killed at vastly disproportionate rates. And last Friday evening, on the four-year anniversary of the tragic Pulse nightclub shooting, the Trump administration finalized a rule that would roll back protections for transgender patients in health care. As we reaffirm that Black Lives Matter and Black Trans Lives Matter, it’s on all of us to put those words into action, fight this administration’s efforts to drag us backward and work to prevent tragedies like the murder of Ms. Milton from ever happening again. Fortunately, we were also heartened this past week by the ruling from the Supreme Court that affirmed what so many of us already knew:
Workplace discrimination due to sexual orientation or gender identity is a violation of Americans’ civil rights. This was an important win for our state and our country and we shouldn’t stop here. I’ll continue pushing Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans to take up and pass the Equality Act to unequivocally ban discrimination based on sexual identity or gender identity in all areas of life, ranging from employment to housing to education. As we take time this month to recognize Pride Month, we also recommit ourselves to fighting for the rights of LGBTQ Americans and a more just society for all. Sherrod Brown is one of two senators representing Ohio in the U.S. Senate.
How are you choosing to react to crisis? Challenges and crisis always, always reveal character. This is true of individuals and organizations. We have seen this play out in real time over the last several weeks. It is likely something we will continue to experience as we move forward into our “new normal.” The daily choices we make, the information we consume, our attitudes and behaviors all reveal our character. By now I think we have all experienced the best of character – our first responders, nurses, doctors, truck drivers, grocery workers, volunteers and the great many sacrificing time and money to help others. We have also seen the other side, people and organizations more concerned about profits over people, hoarders, price gouging, people taking too much credit or placing too much blame on others. What separates these two distinct groups is that of generosity. Too often we associate generosity with simply money or time. But generosity is more than writing a check. One of the greatest things coming out of this challenging time are the many examples of heroic
SUNNYSIDE FARM MIKE GOCSIK
generosity around us. It is true that not all heroes wear capes, and luckily none of us must as we all have opportunities to generously share of ourselves. Being kind, smiling, offering a helping hand all go a long way during times of crisis. We all have choices as to how we respond to life’s challenges. This pandemic has provided us all a great opportunity to respond with generosity. The need is great around us right now, unprecedented in so many ways. We all may not be front-line workers, medical professionals or scientists that can make a vaccine, but we all have gifts we can share to help oth-
ers. One of the greatest gifts many of us can give right now and can be shared generously with others is our ability to stay at home and maintain social distance! Who would ever have thought that being asked to stay at home would be such a challenge? We are all eager to return to some normalcy and have grown weary of staying at home. Unfortunately, many have taken this opportunity to second guess, place blame and in some cases take credit for success in a story that is still far from being finished. Our challenges remain. People are dying. Many are out of work, struggling to make ends meet. Thousands are sick. Testing and PPE remain largely unavailable. There remains no vaccine. As the curve flattens and statistics begin to look more promising, our resolve is again being tested. Second guessing, casting blame or wanting to take credit for modest successes solve none of these challenges. The late, great John Wooden one of the winningest basketball coaches in NCAA history had a quote: “It is amazing what can be accomplished when no one
cares who gets the credit.” I’d like to add it is also amazing what can be accomplished when no one is afraid to accept blame. Now is our opportunity to respond with purpose. In my experience, people living a life of purpose have four distinct characteristics: They recognize all in life is a gift. They share their gifts generously with others. They understand the importance of relationships by being present and intentional with their influence. Above all, they are grateful. We are facing great challenges in all facets of life. Responding to our challenges with purpose and intention will no doubt lead to amazing accomplishments. Albert Camus, a French philosopher, author and Nobel Prize winner, said it best: “Real generosity toward the future lies in giving all to the present.” Be present! Live it! Mike Gocsik is president of Sunnyside Farm, LLC. He is a leadership development consultant that specializes in unique, equine-assisted retreats on their family’s farm in Vermilion.
How civil order meets public justice Two views of how to achieve a workable society are highlighted by contrasting suggestions for dealing with the turmoil following the killing of George Floyd. The direction the nation takes in dealing with this tragedy may very well determine our corporate future. One view, implicit in the protests, especially when they are peaceful, is that the attainment of reasonably satisfactory justice to all members of society is the necessary condition for living together in harmony. This view is founded on the premise that all persons are entitled to equal treatment under the law, similar respect in social interactions, and justified enjoyment of economic sustainability. It assumes that civic order is dependent on justice, that when fairness marks the experience of all persons the relationships between them will be reasonably harmonious. The alternative view, espoused by advocates of law and order, is that the maintenance of order by coercive means is the precondition for civic well-being. It contends that unless people and prop-
ED LONG
COMMUNITY PEACE BUILDERS
erty are guaranteed immunity from harm, it is impossible for them to live together contentedly. This view prioritizes the use of socially sanctioned violence as necessary to protect public life. To be sure, these descriptions of contrasting views may not always be embodied in sharply polarizing contrasts. But they most certainly point in very different directions for dealing with the complexities and challenges of civic stability. There are always antisocial actors who refuse to abide by the covenantal agreements that make the first view feasible. Such actors are the
proper object of the policing role of the state, a role carried out in conformity with the public procedures that mark a social order and with the minimal use of outright force. When such antisocial behavior appears, those who espouse the second view often argue that the maximum use of force is necessary, not merely to prevent wrongdoing but also to scare citizens from engaging in it. Authoritarian regimes often develop when societies do not make the first view operate well and people turn to harsh and arbitrary uses of state power to allay their fears. Democratic freedom depends upon making the first view work as it should, relying on fairness, civility, and mutual care of each other to produce social well-being. When systemic injustice is allowed to corrupt the social system, the neglected or disrespected groups eventually feel the need to protest, hopefully in orderly ways or when that does not work, by anger and disruption. If the society responds by giving up trust in the first option and resorts to the second, the result is bound to
be disastrous.
Edward L. Long Jr., a Kendal at Oberlin resident, is professor emeritus of Christian ethics and theology of culture at Drew University, who taught religion at Oberlin College for two decades. He writes on behalf of Community Peace Builders.
Working 24/7 because residents are family A few days before Kendal shut its doors in mid-March because of COVID-19, a health forum was underway in our auditorium. Residents had questions about the looming pandemic and I and a few other staff members stayed afterward to answer their questions and hear their concerns. We assured them that the Kendal staff, with an “all-hands on deck” SHENELL HINTON approach, would do KENDAL AT OBERLIN everything we could to keep them safe and comfortable. You would do anything for your family, wouldn’t you? Well, that’s how we feel about the 350 men and women who call Kendal home. Since that day, we have worked tirelessly to put best pandemic practices in place by providing our staff with training, education and personal protective equipment. “Remain super-vigilant on your infection control practices, watchful and mindful,” I tell my staff so they can proceed with confidence for the task at hand, which is to care for our family. Every night I send out an email with updates and include inspirational quotes, like this one from Socrates: “The secret of change is to focus all your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” Our focus is to instill faith in their abilities, hope for a better future and to spread loving kindness throughout the community. Every afternoon after Gov. Mike DeWine’s press conference, the leadership team meets on Zoom to review protocols, make changes and answer questions submitted by residents. Like many other retirement communities, we are laser-focused on the situation at hand and nimble, ready to switch gears if needed. To date we have not had a confirmed case of COVID-19, but we have a pandemic alert team in place to activate quickly and a pandemic alert area set up with five private rooms. We see this as a result of diligently focused efforts and good fortune, as many stories of long-term care infections are more a reflection of an insidious virus that can hide itself asymptomatically for days than any deficiency in infection control practices. In the long-term care field, we have always been at the front lines of protecting our elderly population and will do whatever it takes. We have relied heavily on our local partnerships with Lorain County Public Health, Mercy Health and other health care organizations to develop a strong, holistic approach in caring for our residents. One of the best ways to describe Kendal’s response is compassion in action. We know this is a frightening time for our vulnerable older adults, especially those living in long-term care communities, and we want to bring peace of mind and comfort in any way we can. We post daily updates on our website to keep residents and their families informed and include inspirational passages. We help residents set up family gatherings on Zoom and other social media and call them weekly for a wellness check, and more. “We miss you, we love you, you mean the world to us,” we tell them. In early May, we set up a “New Normal Planning Committee” and together residents and staff have been meeting weekly to plan a phased and safe reopening to community life. We know that community life will change, but one thing won’t change at Kendal: We were founded 27 years ago based on Quaker values and practices. Equality. Integrity. Community. These are not just words to us. They are at the core of who we are, and they will continue to be long after the pandemic. “We’ll be better together and stronger forever after COVID-19” – that’s what I tell my family. Shenell Hinton is director of clinical services and nursing at Kendal at Oberlin.
Thursday, June 25, 2020
Lorain County Community Guide
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Cause of massive water leak that Two crashes, one shut down town a mystery for now helicopter flight JASON HAWK EDITOR
WELLINGTON — An investigation is underway to find the cause of a leak that shut down all water service to the village over the weekend. More than a million gallons of water were lost during a major break, discovered around 4 a.m. Saturday. Mayor Hans Schneider said it was difficult to estimate how much the crisis cost Wellington. "We generate half a million gallons a day right now, and it would be dif-
ficult to even put a dollar amount on that," he said. The village gets its water for free, but there is money wrapped up in chemically treating and purifying it. Schneider said the real cost of the problem will be measured in overtime paid to staff who continuously manned the water plant through the weekend, as well as public works and electrical workers who were called out. The source of the problem was a 12-inch return line that directs water into the treatment plant located on the west side of the Upground Reservoir. Why it broke remains
a mystery for now, said Schneider. The issue drained and depressurized the water system. The Rural Lorain County Water Authority responded to an emergency agreement to help restore service, and began pumping about 500 gallons per minute back into the system. In the meantime, residents were left without drinkable water. There was a boil alert for those who were able to make the taps work, and Wellington bought about a dozen pallets of bottled water to give away behind Town Hall. Service was fully restored
by Sunday night. Twenty-two bacteria samples were taken at spots around Wellington, showing the water was clean and safe to use. That lifted the boil advisory. It also put the village in the clear as far as the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is concerned, Schneider said. He was stunned by the problem, which follows both a massive gas outage and train derailment that plagued residents in 2019. "We've lost gas and we've lost water. I'm hoping we don't lose electric. That's not the trifecta we're looking for," the mayor said.
Firelands readies fall levy campaign, prepares for August groundbreaking JASON HAWK EDITOR
SOUTH AMHERST — A 5.98mill substitute levy will go in front of Firelands voters in November, as the school district looks to collect on new development. If successful, it would replace operating levies last renewed in 2010 and 2015, both set to expire at the end of next year. "It allows us to collect new taxes from new construction homes, for one thing. Otherwise we can't do that," said Board of Education President Mike O'Keefe on Monday. Growth in rural Firelands has been extremely slow over the past decade, and dreams of a billion-dollar development at the area's old sandstone quarries never materialized. That's left Firelands looking for ways to keep up financially while dealing with state cuts and deteriorating schools. O'Keefe said now the district is "positioned very well" as it prepares to build a new high school, but needs to
be smart about property tax collections. "The NEXUS pipeline is helping us quite a bit," he said, even though the natural gas transmission company is trying to cut the amount it promised to Firelands and other Lorain County schools. NEXUS has appealed three times in the past year to reduce the taxes it pays to government entities along its path. If voters back it, the substitute levy would run for 10 years and generate $2.32 million in the first. In other business, the Board of Education got its first look Monday at elevation drawings that show how the new Firelands High School will look from the outside. John Orsini, Vice President at BSHM Architects of Youngstown, showed the renderings, which show a mostly-brick facade with metal accents. He also went over recent changes to floor plans for the two-story building, which will go just north of the existing FHS on Vermilion Road in Henrietta Township. The current high school will be transformed into a middle school, which will be adjoined and share parts of the new
building, such as the cafeteria. While BSHM is about halfway through the design and development phase, ground is expected to be broken in August so that site preparation can be done. In the meantime, plans for the high school have to be fleshed out. Orsini said it's being designed with both traditional lecture and collaboration spaces in mind. His conversation with school board members ranged from how windows are designed to whether to include charging stations for digital devices and how to give fire engines access to the building. "It all changes as we work on these schools. What we did five years ago, it's not different but it is complementary to what we're doing today. It just keeps getting better and better," Orsini said. Construction manager Tim Rini, who is also helping to build Oberlin's new elementary school and recently finished another in Amherst, said he is anxious to get to work. "I love it all and this has really been fun to do. My favorite part of the job is when we start to build," he said.
JASON HAWK EDITOR
WELLINGTON — After crashing his truck not once but twice Monday night, an Oberlin man was flown to MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland for emergency treatment. Devin Deremiah, 26, of Oberlin, was charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated, failure to control, leaving the scene of a crash, refusing a breath test and no seat belt. He was behind the wheel of a GMC pickup, and didn't yield to a stop sign at Lincoln and North Main streets just after 8:30 p.m., according to reports from Wellington Assistant Fire Chief Bill Brown and police Lt. Josh Poling. Deremiah allegedly sideswiped a Hyundai Elantra, which was pushed up on the curb and narrowly avoided hitting a hydrant, said Brown. The car was totaled and an airbag deployed, but no one was injured, safety forces reported. Deremiah fled, driving north, according to police. "Witnesses followed the vehicle as a hit and run, to help us track it down," said Poling. Brown said Deremiah headed out of the village and made it a little more than a mile and a half, eventually pulling off Route 58 at a farm near Webster Road, where he ran into a grain bin. It's unclear how the driver was injured, but he didn't have to be cut from the crashed truck. Firefighters did have to clean up some fluids and set up a Life Flight helicopter landing zone at Wellington High School, said Brown. Poling said Deremiah was still hospitalized Tuesday morning. An alcohol can was found in the truck, he said, but no other drugs were located. The Ohio State Highway Patrol handled the investigation at the second crash site, said Poling.
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Oberlin College surprises union with a dining service change DAVE O’BRIEN THE CHRONICLE-TELEGRAM
OBERLIN — Oberlin College is moving ahead with plans to outsource its dining services contract to a new food services provider, four months after it announced plans to cut $2 million and possibly as many as 100 unionized campus dining and custodial jobs. Monday's announcement, like the original announcement of the changes in February, came as a surprise to the union representing the affected Oberlin College employees, its chairman said. Oberlin College President Carmen Twillie Ambar announced the institution has selected Ohio-based AVI Fresh to provide food service for the college. AVI employs unionized workers, sources food locally and "has a track record of outstanding service, provided in consultation with students, faculty and staff at peer institutions we know well," she wrote. AVI has agreed to interview current Oberlin College dining services staff who wish to continue working and pay them at their current rate, she wrote. The company also agreed to spend $6 million upgrading the college's dining facilities during its contract and has a track record of food safety Ambar said will serve the college well during the COVID-19 pandemic. "AVI’s history of working well with unions, as well as its values around the well-being of its employees, make the company a good partner for Oberlin," she wrote. In a letter posted on the college's website, Ambar wrote that the college is committed "to fulfill Oberlin’s mission for the next generation, ensure financial sustainability, and provide outstanding service, the college had decided to consider alternatives to its dining and custodial operations." In February, Oberlin College announced plans to save $2 million annu-
ally by outsourcing unionized campus dining and custodial services jobs. Union officials said they were informed of the news only two hours before their membership was on Feb. 18. It was estimated that the move would affect 52 dining services employees and 56 custodial employees, all full-time. All are represented by the United Auto Workers union, which has a contract with the college that expires Sept. 30 and has been in place and extended every three years since 1993. Erik Villar, chairman of the UAW employees, said Monday's announcement "came out of nowhere." The union's negotiating committee "found out when everyone else found out" on Monday via email or the web posting. He said he spent most of Monday replying to messages from other college employees wanting to discuss the issue. "It's unbelievable," he said. Ambar wrote that the college and representatives of the UAW have been negotiating for four months "to see if there were a way to meet Oberlin's needs without using vendors to provide" both dining and custodial services. Sixteen formal negotiation sessions were held, and college officials and UAW officials were in contact at least 63 times in person, by phone, email or text message or on video conference calls between Feb. 18 and June 9, according to a list of interactions posted on the college website. AVI serves other campuses in Ohio, including Hiram College, Kenyon College, the University of Mount Union in Alliance and Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, north of Columbus, according to its website. It also provides services for the athletics departments at Bowling Green State University, Youngstown State University and Ohio University, as well as for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton and the Ohio Turnpike Commission, among
many others. The union has been exchanging proposals with the college for at least three months, Villar said, with the union attempting to save both custodial and dining services jobs. The union offered wage and benefits concessions, he said, but the two sides could not come to an agreement on the numbers. He said the union couldn't match the $6 million offer AVI is making to upgrade college dining facilities. Villar said it was disappointing the college went about announcing its decision this way. For those who might not want to return to work there, it is going to be tough to find new jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic — especially jobs with proper insurance benefits. He said the college could save money if it just listened to and took advice from workers on reducing waste. The union represented 156 workers on campus, but with 108 jobs expected to be lost, Villar said it's hard to have leverage when representing a bargaining unit that might end up with 49 members. The college "is not bargaining in good faith," he said. Negotiations with custodial service workers are continuing, according to Ambar. "For custodial services, the college continues to seek a path to meet its financial needs and provide outstanding service. Today Oberlin presented the UAW with its final proposal regarding an in-sourced custodial services and asked the UAW to put those terms to a membership vote," she wrote. "In the meantime, we will enter a new phase of negotiations with the UAW about measures to mitigate and minimize disruption for dining employees. Subject to those negotiations, we hope to help those employees who are not hired by AVI with outplacement services, severance packages and support comparable to other staff reductions over the last year."
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LEGALS
LEGAL NOTICE DONNELL RUSSELL, whose last known address is 1430 W. 23rd Street, Lorain, Ohio 44052, is hereby notified that Eva M. Hall has filed a Com-
plaint naming Donnell Russell as a Defendant in the Lorain County Court of Common Pleas, Case Number 20 CV 200605, and is asking that the Court grant an award for damages arising from the motor vehicle accident that occurred on February 25, 2018. Donnell Russell is required to answer within twenty-eight days following six successive weeks of publication of this notice to the Lorain County Court of Common Pleas, 225 Court Street, Elyria, Ohio 44035. Stephen G. Meckler (#0014013) Attorney for Plaintiff 1551 West River Road, North Elyria, Ohio 44035 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 of 2020 L.C.C.G. 5/21-28; 6/4-1118-25/20 20662461 NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING Notice is hereby given that the South Lorain County Ambulance District Board of Trustees will hold a public hearing on their proposed financial budget for 2021, on Tuesday, July 14, 2020, at 6:45 p.m. at 179 East Herrick Avenue, Wellington, Ohio. BY ORDER OF THE SOUTH LORAIN COUNTY AMBULANCE DISTRICT BOARD OF TRUSTEES Amy Szmania, Fiscal Officer L.C.C.G. 6/18-25/20 20664743
LEGAL NOTICE The Village of South Amherst Council, at a special meeting on Monday June 29, 2020 at 7 pm, will meet for the purpose of discussing the 2021 Tax Budget. The Public is invited. L.C.C.G. 6/18-25/20 20664670
PUBLICATION OF LEGISLATION The following is a summary of legislation adopted by
Lorain City Council on June 1 & June 15 2020. 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. 24-20 Proudly recognizing & commending the efforts, dedication and professionalism displayed by the Lorain Police Dept and staff during the recent protests in the City of Lorain. 25-20 Declaring racism a public health crisis in the City of Lorain and committing full attention to improving the quality of life of communities of color, business owners and visitors. 26-20 Requesting the City of Lorain share funds from the County Coronavirus Relief Distribution fund. Ord. 51-20* Assessing the cost to abate nuisance by removal of noxious vegetation & trees in the City of Lorain. 52-20* Amending Ord. 26-20 & Section 913.303 of the Codified Ordinances (Sanitary Sewer Rental Charge) 53-20 Auth the S/S Director to accept a mini grant from the Nord Family Foundation to be used by the 2020 Complete Count Committee ($1075). 54-20* Establishing the compensation, benefits and terms of employment for the Police Support Specialist. 55-20 Auth S/S Director to apply for and enter into a wastewater pollution control loan fund agrmt on behalf for the Black River WWTP primary clarifiers. 56-20 Auth the S/S Director to apply for, accept and enter into a water supply revolving loan acct agrmt for rehab & construction of the Red Hill Booster pressure zone. 57-20* Transfer. 5820* Appropriation. (*Denotes legislation was passed as an emergency.) L.C.C.G. 6/25; 7/2/20 20665041
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Thursday, June 25, 2020
Lorain County Community Guide
Cemetery sinkhole to get $300K fix JASON HAWK EDITOR
AMHERST — Roughly $300,000 will be spent to fix a massive sinkhole under the road to Crownhill Cemetery. The pavement looks sturdy, but officials say they are watching it daily for signs "a very large void" could cause a cave-in. "Any high-water issue that comes through there, if that collapsed while there was a car on that, they would fall into a very high ditch or river and be washed away," Mayor Mark Costilow said in a Council Finance Committee meeting last week. On Monday night, City Council voted 7-0 to fund repairs, including moving a culvert that has caused problems over the years. The wide culvert goes through the sinkhole.
"We've gone in, we took out a logjam and discovered the deterioration of it — so much so that the engineers find it to need to be repaired as soon as possible," Costilow said. Aaron Appell of Bramhall Engineering said a 72-inch storm sewer pipe was corroded, and one portion has dropped about 19 inches at a joint. "It's a difficult fix," he told the Finance Committee. The line has to be shifted to the west so it's not on top of a sanitary sewer main that also crosses the property. If the work isn't done right away, Appell said a major storm could wash out the road over the culvert, preventing access to Crownhill for burials and grave visitations. "There is great concern for the roadway," he said. "And obviously if you travel down there you don't see any cracking in the asphalt at this
point. It looks like everything's fine. But if you were to look at the pictures of the culvert itself, there's a lot of material that has moved in there." Amherst safety forces regularly check the road and are weighing daily whether to close it, he said. Councilman Matt Nahorn said he visited the site to see the damage and that it “really puts in the perspective the need for the repairs.” He thanked that Council for moving quickly on the project particularly since there could be an environmental danger. Costilow asked City Council to invoke an emergency rule that bypasses the competitive bidding process for the work. He said the repairs are urgent, and if the job goes out for bid they wouldn't be made until the end of the fall. Reporter Laina Yost contributed to this report.
Every registered voter in Ohio to be mailed absentee ballot requests LAINA YOST THE CHRONICLE-TELEGRAM
All registered voters in Ohio will be mailed absentee ballot request forms, Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced last week. The Ohio Controlling Board authorized the use of federal dollars to allow LaRose to send the ballot requests to the 7.8 million registered voters in the state. Ohioans must register to vote by Oct. 5 to vote in the November election, and all of the newly registered voters will receive a request form in the mail. Voters are encouraged to confirm or update their voter registration information at www.voteohio.gov where they can also print their own absentee ballot request form and submit it anytime. “For nearly a decade, Ohioans have received an absentee ballot request ahead of the Presidential
and Gubernatorial General Election, and today’s controlling board action ensures that will be the case again this year,” said LaRose in a press release. “Sending the request — not the ballot — helps voters participate in the election and means each registered voter in Ohio can continue to choose one of three options available to them — early voting, absentee voting by mail or voting in person on Election Day.” The mailing of the request forms will begin around Labor Day and is estimated to cost around $1.5 million. This cost will be covered entirely through federal funds, not state dollars. Lorain County Board of Elections Director Paul Adams said he's happy the state will continue doing what it always has done. "I'm very glad to see that it's going to move forward," Adams said. "(LaRose) mentions that they've basically been doing this for the last 10 years, so I'm glad to see that it's happening. I'm disappointed that it
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was even a question that we were going to do it." Initially, there was some movement in the Ohio Statehouse to remove the option for the secretary of state to mail out requests, but that has since been removed. Adams said it was a "disaster" in the primary when the state sent out a postcard instead of a request form. "It very much helps us that we're going to go down this path because it does not create confusion for the voters," he said. "The problem in the primary, when people got the postcard, everybody called the Board of Elections. ... That added more time to the process." And with all ballot requests going out in the mail around Labor Day, Adams said it gives them enough time to process the requests. During the primary, Adams said they were not only sending out requests, but were also processing the ones that came in and also sending out ballots, which created a lot of overlap in the office.
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WELLINGTON
• June 5 at 12:50 a.m.: A police officer found marijuana and a grinder in a vehicle at Wellington Recreation Park. There were no charges for three people in the vehicle. • June 5 at 3:20 p.m.: A belated assault complaint was made. The incident allegedly happened three days earlier on West Herrick Avenue. • June 6 at 1:56 p.m.: A person made a domestic violence complaint. • June 7 at 10:19 a.m.: Officers assisted a Lorain County Metro Park ranger with a boating accident at the upground reservoir. • June 7 at 6:15 p.m.: People were reportedly using drugs in the bathroom at Mickey Mart on East Herrick Avenue. • June 8 at 8:59 a.m.: Officers responded to an alleged assault on South Main Street. • June 8 at 6:14 p.m.: A telecommunications fraud incident was reported involving money transferred from gift cards. • June 9 at 12:57 p.m.: Police received an identity fraud complaint. • June 9 at 1:27 p.m.: Officers responded to an aggravated menacing report involving a man with a gun on Jones Road. • June 9 at 4:35 p.m.: Marilyn Gibbs, 51, of Spencer, was charged with theft after a complaint at Apples on East Herrick Avenue. • June 9 at 7:12 p.m.: A 60-year-old man was unresponsive and died by the time emergency personnel arrived at Marts Place. No foul play is suspected. • June 10 at 10:30 p.m.: Dustin Pickworth, 27, of New London, was arrested on a warrant for violating conditions of house arrest.
OBERLIN
• June 1 at 3:26 p.m.: A glass smoking device with suspected marijuana residue was turned over to police by Oberlin College security. • June 1 at 8 p.m.: Police responded to a domestic dispute on King Street. • June 2 at 6 p.m.: Chad Luczkowski, 29, of Wakeman, was arrested on a contempt of court warrant through Oberlin Municipal Court. • June 3 at 9:48 a.m.: A man said his daughter's ex-boyfriend claimed he was being held hostage, with a gun to his head, by someone who threatened to kill him unless he came up with $200. Police tracked down the ex-boyfriend and determined he had lied about what happened. • June 4 at 12:01 a.m.: A nurse requested police to check on a woman who had ingested acid. With the help of Oberlin College security, they found the woman, who said she was OK. • June 4 at 3:36 p.m.: Officers responded to an unruly juvenile complaint. • June 6 at 7:07 p.m.: A man accused his ex-girlfriend of stealing more than $10,000 from him. He was unable to provide banking information, did not want police to speak with the suspect and said the alleged thefts happened in Lorain. • June 8 at 12:15 a.m.: A Locust Street man said his wife pulled a knife on him during an argument over cigarettes, and he barricaded himself in a bedroom. Officers said he had a laceration beneath his jaw line, and the man said the wife had held the knife to his neck. Janice Swendseid was charged with domestic violence. • June 9 at 4 p.m.: Jeffrey Burkett, 41, of Sullivan, was arrested on a felony warrant through Lorain County 911 for contempt of court. The original charge was possession of drugs.
AMHERST
Best Fitting and Most Therapeutic Styles
207 North Leavitt Rd., Amherst Route 58, Across from Drug Mart
POLICE REPORTS
• June 7 at 7:30 p.m.: A man said he was being followed by his ex-girlfriend, and there is an ongoing custody issue. The woman was told to stop following the man. • June 11 at 5:27 a.m.: A woman who allegedly overdosed at Motel 6 on Route 58 was revived with naloxone. She was taken to Mercy Health Lorain Hospital for treatment. • June 12 at 7:42 p.m.: An assault complaint was made, but police said the incident possibly occurred outside of Amherst. The complaint was sent to the prosecutor's office for review. • June 13 at 12:31 a.m.: Juan Becerra, 27, of Lorain, was charged with disorderly conduct by intoxication. Police said he was lying in the driveway of a South Leavitt Road home. • June 13 at 7:02 p.m.: A man was found deceased, apparently of natural causes, at Albright Terrace Apartments on Milan Avenue. • June 13 at 7:55 p.m.: Officers responded to an unwanted person complaint on North Ridge Road. • June 15 at 12:57 p.m.: Officers responded to a domestic dispute on Linn Road. • June 15 at 8:40 p.m.: Samantha Hamm, 22, of Amherst, was arrested on a warrant through the Sandusky County Sheriff's Office for fraud. • June 15 at 10:53 p.m.: Police responded to an auto crash on Route 58, where a Cadillac CTS was found against a tree. • June 15 at 11:38 p.m.: A 35-year-old man was reported missing after a domestic dispute. He was found safe. • June 16 at 10:06 a.m.: A man was found deceased in a Central Drive home. • June 17 at 12:05 a.m.: Officers responded to a possible drug overdose on North Ridge Road. An unresponsive male was revived with naloxone and taken to Mercy Health Lorain Hospital for treatment. Dianna Skinner, 23, was arrested on warrants through the North Ridgeville Police Department for failure to appear in court on an intoxicated driving charge, and through the Lorain County Sheriff's Office on a secret indictment for felony drug possession. • June 18 at 9:26 p.m.: A child was charged with unruliness after a domestic violence and unruliness complaint on Middle Ridge Road. • June 18 at 10:33 p.m.: A mailbox was destroyed on North Main Street. Editor's note: Though charged, defendants are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
B
OUR TOWNS
Lorain County Community Guide • Thursday, June 25, 2020
Chiefs speak out on weeks of national protests
Warfield: Police must earn public's trust Barfield: Officers are people, not perfect are in place to assure that the A message from Oberlin Police types of events that we have seen Chief Ryan Warfield: recently do not occur in Ober"Like all of you, I have witlin. These questions present an nessed the recent and tragic opportunity to build and fortify events that have involved intertrust between my department actions between the police and and the Oberlin community members of the public. through education and outreach, "Despite Oberlin’s rich tradian opportunity that I welcome tion of opposing racial injustice, whole-heartedly. we are not immune to the diviRyan Warfield "Oberlin has in place many sion and derision that continues detailed policies. A core policy to manifest as these tragic events objective is to deescalate whenever posunfold. As your chief of police, one of my sible a potentially adverse situation before top priorities is to foster trust between the things get out of hand. community and our officers and staff. "Other policies address the use of force, "Recently I have received numerous inquiries asking what policies and procedures WARFIELD PAGE B2
we have been. The nature of the A message from Wellington job and sometimes the culture Police Chief Tim Barfield: within law enforcement, causes “The last few weeks have many inside to be afraid to certainly been challenging times speak for fear of the legal reperfor America and law enforcecussions or the lack of courage ment. Calls for police reforms, to do so. We do not lack that defunding or even eliminating courage. police departments have caused “I was honored to become millions of dollars of economic chief over five years ago. What loss and the loss of human life. Tim Barfield I found was good people who “I cannot defend the chaos wanted to serve their comand loss that have occurred. munity. We immediately began to work This is America and we are better than this. However, I have always thought that on the things that I thought were areas to improve. We rewrote the department misthe police should be an extension of the sion statement and developed a motto public they serve. “As a profession, we can be better than BARFIELD PAGE B2
Oberlin Heritage Center to reopen
SILVER STATE CHAMPIONS
A June 30 reopening has been planned for the Oberlin Heritage Center, 20 West Vine St. Hours will be 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Visitors must complete a COVID-19 screening, maintain social distancing and wear masks. Disposable masks will be available at the museum while supplies last. Due to limited staff hours, cleaning supplies and for the protection of the OHC collections and patrons, daily operations and use of the grounds will be limited. Groups won't be allowed to congregate in indoor spaces along the Underground Railroad tour, for example. Picnic tables, swings and other outdoor amenities on the museum grounds are not available. Tablets may still be reserved and rented from the Monroe House for self-guided tours and will be thoroughly disinfected after each use. Tours being offered include: • 30-minute “Oberlin Origins” tours in the Monroe HERITAGE PAGE B2 Provided photo
The Steelmen Baseball 12U won the Nations Baseball Open Division Silver State Championship on Sunday in Massillon, defeating Fielder’s Choice of Brecksville 9-8. On the way to the championship, the team also defeated the MC Patriots of Zanesville 8-3, Premier Ohio Burke of Brunswick 13-0, and the Shelby Bombers 12-6. The Steelmen have been together since 2015, playing out of Oakwood Park in Lorain. It is a community based team with most members attending the Amherst Schools. The roster includes Mason Lymer, Hunter Thornsberry, Brody Glick, Kaden Sikora, Landon Wolf, Harrison Schneider, Peyton Leibacher, JoJo Jancsura, David Dudziak, Cael Charles, Tyler Denn and Cole Charles.
FIREFIGHTER TRAINING
Supreme Court upholds DACA Local immigration community reacts to key decision CARISSA WOYTACH, LAINA YOST and JASON HAWK
It was an emotional morning when Anabel Barron saw the Supreme Court's rejection of efforts to end protections for immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. Barron, a community health and support services case worker and immigration applicant for El Centro de Servicio Sociales in Lorain, said the court's decision to strike down President Donald Trump's effort to end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, provides a sigh of relief for the city's immigrant com-
munity. "We were crying, we were very happy and there's a lot of families I can tell you here in Lorain that were in tears this morning because of the ruling," she said. The eight-year-old program allows undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children to apply for protections every two years. Those accepted can obtain a work permit, driver's license and Social Security number. Recipients must go through an extensive background check, including having no criminal record. Those who are accepted into the program and later get arrested can face deportation.
Trump attempted to end the program in 2017. The Department of Homeland Security continued to process two-year renewals, but no new applications were accepted. This past Thursday marked a 5-4 outcome in recipients' favor, allowing upward of 650,000 to remain in the United States. Roughly 240 of those are in Lorain, Barron said, many coming to the U.S. when they were toddlers and are more American than they are Mexican or Central American. "This morning when I began receiving phone calls from all of the DACA DECISION PAGE B2
Wetland to replace historic reservoir JASON HAWK EDITOR
OBERLIN — A reservoir will be mostly drained to become a new wetland full of trees, birds, turtles and other life, City Council decided last week. Generations of Oberlin residents have enjoyed hiking and bird-watching around two Morgan Street reservoirs. But maintenance problems there nearly two years ago drew the attention of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, which lowered the hammer and demanded repairs that could have cost in the $1 million range.
"Doing nothing is not an option, so it's not just an exercise in spending tax money," said Councilman Kelley Singleton. Council has opted for a $300,000 plan to transform the site, which long ago provided Oberlin's drinking water but is now a recreational spot. The ODNR regulates the reservoirs as one "controlled dam," even though they are separated by a thin stretch of land. That strip is not sound enough for them to be regulated separately, according to engineer Julie Lawson of Environmental Design Group. The solution: Drastically
lowering the water level in the westernmost reservoir will remove the property from state oversight, she said. That plan is the least expensive of three alternatives EDG proposed last year. Lawson said it will also increase the water quality and allow more trees to be planted, drawing more wildlife. But don't imagine the site as becoming a swamp. "There is this perception that wetlands bring mosquitoes, that the idea of them visually tend to be cattails, and that's not what we're talking about here," Lawson said. In a work session last Monday prior to City Coun-
Provided photo
A condition of a $129,417 grant received by the Firelands Schools earlier this year is that retired buses have to be scrapped. So on June 14, firefighters from Vermilion and Florence Township held a bus extrication training at Firelands High School, practicing emergency rescue techniques. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency will also award the district a $15,000 grant for removing the aged diesel bus from service, in addition to the $1,500 the district would normally get for doing so. 1960-2020
cil's vote, a number of area residents said they are excited there will still be open water, and happy the site will remain a place where people can stay in touch with INSURANCE AGENCY, AGENCY, INC. INSURANCE INC. home - farm - auto - health - life - business home-farm-auto-health-life-business nature and go fishing. There are many more deci- Call or stop in Full service independent sions to be made on Morgan for a FREE insurance INSURANCE Street: what types of trees agency. QUOTE. to plant, whether to install trails, whether the remaining reservoir will be stocked with fish, the possibility of educational or historical signs and more. "Input from the community is vital in this," said Lawson. "This is your Protecting What’s Important project, and we're just here Scott Beriswill Denise Breyley to help make it happen. 35881 Grafton Eastern Rd. 173 Depot Street Grafton, Ohio 44044 Wellington, Ohio 44090 This isn't the end of the (440) 926-3312 www.beriswillins.com (440) 647-6010 discussion."
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Thursday, June 25, 2020
Lorain County Community Guide
Free shred day
A free community shred day will be held from 10 a.m. to 1p.m. on Saturday, July 11, at the Amherst Public Library parking lot. The Friends of Amherst Public Library will sponsor the event. Personal documents and confidential papers will be shredded on-site at no charge using the equipment from Shred-It. No cardboard or hard covered items. Five boxes or bags will be the allowed limit. All shredded materials are baled and will be recycled into usable paper products. Boys Scouts Troop 494 of Amherst will assist you in taking the materials from your vehicles. For more information, call the library at 440-988-4280.
WARFIELD
FROM B1 including lethal force under extremely specific circumstances. Fortunately, it has been decades since the use of such force has been employed. My department’s policies are continuously updated to assure that the horrific events that we have all witnessed recently do not occur here. "One key update we implemented a few years ago was to join Lexipol. Lexipol is a nationally accredited professional organization that assists police departments in implementing best standards and practices. The Lexipol policies are based on nationwide standards and best practices and incorporate applicable state and federal laws and regulations. Lexipol provides training and conducts annual audits to ensure that we are maintaining high professional standards. "Regardless of the number of policies and procedures that are in place, I do not believe any system is perfect. Nationally we are dealing with a systemic issue that needs to change, and policing is only a small part of that change. "I not only want to see systematic reform for the better, but I became an officer so that I could actively be a part of that change. The system is not perfect. The Oberlin Police Department and I are not perfect, but we adhere to professionalism. We have in place the best policies, standards, and procedures that a law enforcement organization can have operating in an imperfect world. "As a first step in addressing the many questions that have arisen, I intend to meet with members of the Oberlin City Council to discuss the policies and procedures that are currently in place and the circumstances in which they are implemented. These policies include not only the use of force, but also the education and training of our fine officers and staff, recruitment, transparency in the operations of the Oberlin Police Department and community involvement. "After that I will seek the opportunity to communicate with members of the Oberlin community and to address the many questions that I have and will continue to receive. I believe that having conversations about our policies and procedures will help to develop and strengthen the community’s trust in the Oberlin Police Department. We have and will continue to work tirelessly to protect and serve the citizens of this city for whom I have the utmost respect, and faith and confidence. You have a good police department. "To all the concerned citizens: I want you to know we hear you, we are with you, and we are actively listening to be the best we can be. I look forward to working together with our community and taking advantage of this opportunity that has presented itself."
OHC meeting goes virtual, Community Awards postponed The Oberlin Heritage Center's annual meeting is going virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the nonprofit has canceled its traditional dinner, the public is invited to attend a July 8 webinar and election via the online video chat platform Zoom. The meeting will start at 6 p.m. with approval of minutes and reports from
last year before electing new trustees and recognition of outgoing trustees. Keynote speaker Amy Margaris, associate professor of anthropology at Oberlin College, will follow with a presentation on the former Oberlin Museum. The Heritage Center has chosen to postpone its annual Community Awards until 2021 so recipients can
receive their accolades in person. To register to attend, contact Bethany Hobbs at ohcbiz@oberlinheritage.org. Zoom invitations will be sent out about a week before the meeting, with instructions on how to join. You will need a computer or other digital device with sound to listen and interact, or you can dial in by phone to listen to the meeting.
• An architecture walk at 3 p.m. on Saturdays, July 25 and Aug. 22, beginning at the flagpole on Tappan Square. • Tablet tours are available through rental of OHC-owned devices. Two self-guided tablet tours are offered: "Freedom’s Friends: Abolition and the Underground Railroad" and "Picture the Past: Downtown Oberlin." Call 440-774-1700 to reserve a tablet in advance. Tablet rentals are $5 per hour or $20 per day, with a 20 percent discount for OHC members. For the duration of Summer 2020, and extending further out if necessary, all visitors will be required to make advance reservations and pay-
ments for tours by registering online at https://secure.oberlinheritage. org/events.shtml or by calling the museum at 440-774-1700. If you plan to visit OHC for business or to visit the museum store, consider calling ahead to schedule an appointment to ensure you receive the best possible service. All research requests and appointments must be scheduled in advance. Tours will operate with the restricted capacity of nine people from one family or familiar group. For more information about operations and policies, contact Amanda Manahanat 440-774-1700 or tourinfo@oberlinheritage.org.
do not. “We developed, with our Wellington Fire and SLCAD partners, a highly respected drug program to help those struggling from addiction. This LINC program had many people, including some in law enforcement and our community, thinking we had maybe lost our way. It is one of the best things that we could ever have done. These officers got to see past the addict and saw people. Hurting people who in many cases were cut off from family. People that just needed to be treated with dignity and respect that even they didn’t think they deserved. We changed people’s lives and, in the process, our staff changed. The officers who would normally arrest violators got to see that under the personal devastation that there were people who just needed a hand. Many officers got them a meal, a drink or a hug. Many maintain connections with them today. “These past few weeks have been hard on those associated with law enforcement. Some of our officers have been publicly humiliated, labeled, and belittled. But then they return to work in this little town. You folks are an incredible treasure. We have always been treated well by the people of this town but the last couple weeks when
towns have turned against their police, you have embraced us and protected us. We haven’t had a day go by without someone dropping off cards, food, gifts and just well wishes. Wellington associated Facebook pages regularly lift up the department and ensure us that we are family. “Know this, we are always here to talk to. You will always get a response to an email or phone call, sometimes even a Facebook post. We try. We don’t (pursue) perfection here; we know we will never attain that. We do pursue excellence because we can always be better. “I always make myself available for discussions. You can reach me at tbarfield@villageofwellington.com or by calling 440-647-2244. Below is our department mission statement and motto: “It is the mission of the Wellington Police Department to make our citizens and visitors feel safe and secure within our jurisdiction. While accomplishing this mission, we will strive to be courteous and helpful in our interactions with every person, understanding that we are here to serve the public and work in partnership with them. “This mission statement is carried out in our motto, ‘Justice, Compassion, Humility.’”
HERITAGE
FROM B1 House at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The cost is $3 per adult or free for members, college students and children under 18. • 60-minute "Freedom's Friends: Abolition and the Underground Railroad" tour at 11 a.m. on Saturdays, beginning in front of the First Church in Oberlin UCC. The cost is $6 per adult or free for members, college students and children under 18. • " Oberlin’s Responses and Reactions to Issues of Race" at 3 p.m. on Saturdays, July 11 and Aug. 8, beginning in front of the First Church in Oberlin UCC.
BARFIELD
FROM B1 which now appears on our patches. More importantly, with the full support of Mayor (Barb) O’Keefe, Mayor (Hans) Schneider, and the councils I have served under, they have given us the ability to pursue excellence. The funding to secure staff who will serve Wellington for many years, instead of a revolving door department. Money for equipment, training, professional standards development, and a location that will allow us to serve the community better. “Your elected officials made a commitment to Wellington and we are proud to be part of that. “The people who serve as officers, dispatchers, and support staff are just that, people. I would love to tell you that we are perfect, but we just are not. During my tenure I have had staff who have worked through personal tragedy, health issues for themselves and their families, difficult periods that all people go through. “Yet through all of that, they come each day to serve. We believe, at (the) Wellington Police Department, that people need to be treated with respect. We mostly succeed, sometimes we do not. I have met with many people who are not happy with the outcome of their interactions with us. Sometimes they leave as friends sometimes they
DACA DECISION
FROM B1 people that I work with, we were celebrating because people were in fear," she said. "They were living in fear of going back to their country, and we have to remember that DACA recipients, the ones that I work with here in Lorain County, they came here when they were like 1-, 2-yearsold. The oldest one was 5. So they don't remember anything about Mexico." Many of those Barron works with are parishioners at Sacred Heart Chapel in Lorain, which operates the Lorain Ohio Immigrant Rights Association. Barron is also the vice-president of the association. Sister Cathy McConnell of LOIRA said the ruling gives hope there is an opportunity, but she viewed it with caution. "DACA is still very much endangered because it's very difficult for people to know whether they should re-register," she said. Recipients must complete paperwork providing the government with their address and other information, and must make periodic check-ins. There is also a fee to renew, now roughly $500. "While DACA can't be eradicated by the administration, it's almost lying dormant. People don't know what their status is,” McConnell sad. In a practical way, “there is no major difference between today or yesterday for people who are living in this limbo,” she added. The November presidential election could reshape that outlook for DACA families in
Lorain County — but if Trump is re-elected, “nothing will change,” she said. Jose Mendez, of Cleveland, is a DACA recipient and member of the Greater Cleveland Immigrant Support Network. He came to Ohio with his family when he was 7 and was approved for DACA in the later half of 2012. While he is happy Chief Justice John Roberts and the four liberal justices landed "on the right side of history," DACA recipients are still at risk. "We still have to not get arrested," he said. "Some DACA recipients got arrested for marching or peacefully protesting and now they're facing deportation because they were peacefully protesting and it's like, just because you're a DACA recipient does not mean that you cannot be deported ... you have some kind of shield protection but at the same time it's not permanent. We have to be very careful of the things we do or where we work." Greater Cleveland Immigrant Support Network director Don Bryant was elated by the ruling. The concern now, he said, is that Trump will find a new way to carry out anti-DACA efforts. That leaves recipients worrying about what the future holds. “They can at least start to live their lives again,” Bryant said. “But there is still no legislation to protect them.” Melanie Shakarian, communications director for the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, said what’s next after the Supreme Court’s ruling could take months.
“The court’s ruling (Thursday) means that the current presidential administration has to provide a more robust legal justification for ending DACA to the lower courts,” Shakarian said. “It definitely, for people who felt like they were in limbo, can feel a little more safe.” Shakarian said giving further justification to lower courts is a process that takes some time, which means recipients can continue to work for the time being. The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, which has an office in Elyria, provides aid to those who would have questions about being allowed to work or what it would mean for a DACA recipient to continue working. The Supreme Court ruling was the second time in two years that Chief Justice Roberts and the liberal justices faulted the administration for the way it went about a policy change that impacted immigrant communities. Last year, the court forced the administration to back off a citizenship question on the 2020 census. The court's four conservative justices dissented to the majority opinion, writing DACA was illegal from the moment it was created under the Obama administration in 2012. Justice Clarence Thomas called the ruling “an effort to avoid a politically controversial but legally correct decision.” Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote in a separate dissent that he was satisfied that the administration acted appropriately. Mendez hoped those who missed out on applications could
be accepted into the program. Barron said there were a lot of DACA-eligible immigrants who chose not to apply out of fear — as the application means turning over theirs and their parent's information to the government. "So now new DACA recipients — the ones that were hesitating — now they want to do it," Barron said. "This morning I had a call from one of them — five year's I've been after him to apply and apply and didn't apply because he was in fear." David Ashenhurst, who convenes monthly ACLU meetings in Oberlin, looked at the ruling with reservations. He said it only protects DACA as long as there is no second Trump term. The court’s decision was “a rebuke to Trump and the way he operates,” Ashenhurst said. "They didn't say he can't end DACA, they just said he can't end it because he wants to. He has to give a reason… It's not on its face any significant decision. It's more of a postponement." He expects the future of DACA to be a significant campaign issue in Senate races as well. Parris Smith, CEO of the Lorain County Urban League, said while she and the organization celebrated the win in the courts, she too said it could all go away after November. “We recognize we have to celebrate the small wins,” she said. “If you don’t celebrate at the small level, it gets overwhelming. So, we celebrate today and we’re grateful. But we’re also doing that silent work behind the scenes to make sure this stays.”
For Mendez, the ruling is a step toward a permanent solution. At the state and federal levels, DACA recipients weren't excluded from coronavirus programs and legislators have reached compromises on other bills in recent months, making it feel like it's now or never. "I'm hoping that one day we can pass a permanent solution and say we're not second-class citizens and say 'Hey, it was not our fault that we're here and here's your Green Card or here's your citizenship' and we can live a normal life, basically," he said. "That's my take from it — we live to fight another day.'' Barron would agree. The goal is a path to citizenship, and it will take work to get there — from those in the immigrant community, and their natural-born-citizen neighbors — to call on federal legislators to pass immigration reform. "The majority of the immigrant community are here to work, are here to better their lives and what you can do as my neighbor, is just support me. Get involved in the community, call your senator, call your congressman, call your congresswoman ... and just make sure that our voices are heard." DACA recipients or family members in Northeast Ohio can bring questions to the Legal Aid Society by calling (440) 3241121 for Elyria or (216) 6871900. The Spanish line is (216) 586-3190. The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Thursday, June 25, 2020
Lorain County Community Guide
Oberlin prosecutor chosen as newest school board member JASON HAWK EDITOR
OBERLIN — Attorney Farah Emeka was appointed last week to fill former Oberlin Board of Education President Albert Borroni's vacant seat through the end of 2021. Borroni, most recently elected to a four-year term in 2017, was required by state law to step down after moving to Avon. The title on his Oberlin home transferred June 3. The move was made to be closer to family members, he said. "We've been looking for a while and finally decided to pull the trigger just before the economy shut down," he said. Borroni will continue to
work in Oberlin, where he serves as director of the Center for Technologically Enhanced Teaching at Oberlin College. Named president of the Board of Education in January, he said he will miss his time helping to steer the public school system. "It's been an amazing experience and I appreciate everyone's trust," Borroni said. "I think the board is in amazing hands, and our district is one of the few I think is able to handle this (COVID-19) disruption." Emeka was sworn in Tuesday. A lawyer at Elyria-based Fauver Attorneys & Counselors at Law since 2018, she is an Oberlin College graduate and holds a degree from Seattle University School of Law.
She is a member of the Lorain County Bar Association and has been admitted to practice in both the U.S. District Court in Cleveland and the Ohio Supreme Court. Emeka's current practice focuses on business and real estate civil law. She is also the prosecutor for the city of Oberlin, village of South Amherst and Amherst, Brighton, Camden, Henrietta, Huntington, New Russia, Penfield, Pittsfield, Rochester and Wellington townships. Because of Borroni's departure, Jason Williams was selected to serve as the Oberlin school board president for the remainder of 2020. Anne Schaum, who was president last year, was tapped as vice president.
ONE LAST AT-BAT
Photos by Russ Gifford | Wellington Enterprise
It wasn't the typical Lorain County senior all-star game when softball players took to the diamond one last time on June 15. The Lorain County Coaches Association Salute to Seniors couldn't make up for a spring season lost to the COVID-19 pandemic, but recent high school graduates made the most of it. In the opener, teams were coached by Cleveland Cavaliers radio announcer Tim Alcorn, helped by Amherst's Lacey Reichert, and The Chronicle-Telegram's Shaun Bennett, assisted by Columbia's Ken Lugo and Firelands' Samantha Dostall. That game ended 11-7 in Team Alcorn's favor. But the game wasn't so much about scoring runs as it was the joy of one last trip around the bases.
CLOCKWISE: Oberlin’s Victoria Jackson sends the ball to the plate. Amherst’s Madison Wormsley sends the ball through the infield. Firelands’ Ashley Strauss sends the ball to the plate. Wellington’s Karen Murray heads home to score a run.
Page B3
Commissioners declare racism a ‘health crisis’ DAVE O’BRIEN THE CHRONICLE-TELEGRAM
ELYRIA — Lorain County commissioners unanimously declared racism a public health crisis in the county last week, calling for equity in the delivery of health services and economic development. Commissioners wrote in the resolution — which board members took turns reading portions of aloud on their June 17 video conference call — that they are "proud to represent and serve a diverse county." "The board has demonstrated and will continue to demonstrate a strong commitment to the belief that we should value and embrace diversity to be a better community. Also, the board has demonstrated and will continue to demonstrate a belief that all residents in our county should be treated equally and treated with dignity and respect; and whereas, The Lorain County Board of Commissioners declare racism as a public health crisis." The board noted that Lorain County Public Health has taken steps to address health disparities in the county, though commissioners recognize "there is more work for the community to do." "Communities of color across Ohio and our nation are impacted more greatly by the negative repercussions of historical racism, including limitations and access to health services, nutritious food, increased rates of lead poisoning, limited access to clean water, and higher rates of stroke and diabetes demonstrate the current impact of racism," according to the resolution. Furthermore, commissioners said, "health disparities have existed in America for more than 400 years — our country is now witnessing a coronavirus pandemic which is shining light on the long-running racial divide" with African American coronavirus patients dying in larger numbers and "disproportionately suffering due to longstanding, unaddressed health disparities, systematic racism and socioeconomic inequities." "We as a civil society have an obligation to raise awareness and work together to reverse this crisis," commissioners said, resolving to take the following steps to promote understanding and defeat racism: • "To join and participate as active members of the Elyria/Lorain YWCA working group to promote understanding between diverse communities within Lorain County." • "To support, promote and participate in community workshops and training on race and equity." • "To engage and encourage local government leaders in Lorain County to advocate for equity in health care, educa-
tion, housing and employment." • "Work in partnership with our county health department and local health care community to address health disparities." • "Work in partnership with community organizations that are confronting racism and committed to reversing racism as a public health crisis." • "Urge and support federal, state and local initiatives to improve health care, education, housing and employment in communities of color" and "Urge and support federal, state and local initiatives to dismantle systemic racism." • "Advocate for equity in the delivery of human and social services, economic development and public safety." • "Urge every sector of our county to take steps to address and support areas that reduce the long term impact of systemic racism and health disparities." The resolution also called upon the Ohio Legislature; Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder, R-Glenford; Ohio Senate President Larry Obhof, R-Montville Township; and Gov. Mike DeWine "to join with us to declare racism a public health crisis in Ohio and to enact equity in all policies." Commissioner Matt Lundy said the effort was undertaken in partnership with Lorain County Public Health. Commissioners heard a presentation on the racial health divide from Health Commissioner David Covell on June 10. Commissioner Lori Kokoski said her intent is to "promote peace and unity, during such a time of division." "We need to change hearts more than we need to change laws," she said in remarks after passing the resolution. Commissioner Sharon Sweda said she hoped that a turning point might come about with commissioners declaring the crisis, so there would be a chance to create new opportunities in healthcare and education, among other issues. "We have a renewed vigor and emphasis and hope that the county will join us," she said. County Administrator Jim Cordes also challenged the public to listen to what the board had to say. "Be equitable and kind to each other, and treat others as you want to be treated," he said. The issue has arisen recently in the wake of the death of George Floyd, who died in Minneapolis on May 25 after a white police officer knelt on his neck during an arrest for eight minutes. Lorain City Council declared racism a public health crisis on Monday, and the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus introduced legislation June 2 that would do so state-wide. Franklin County commissioners declared racism a public health crisis in mid-May, nearly a full week prior to Floyd's death.
Zavodsky house to get $2K paint job STAFF REPORT
OBERLIN — SherwinWilliams has awarded a 2020 Keep Ohio Beautiful grant to help paint the historic home of former Westwood Cemetery groundskeeper Frank Zavodsky. Located at the Morgan Street cemetery, the home dates back to the 1880s and restoration work started in the fall to create an office for grounds staff with a reception area and kitch-
enette. Oberlin Public Works Director Jeff Baumann said the Cleveland-based Sherwin-Williams will provide up to 40 gallons of paint and consulting services. At roughly $50 per gallon, that's about $2,000 worth of paint. Former City Councilman Scott Broadwell, a painting contractor, will act as the professional consultant. The Friends of Westwood and Oberlin Heritage Center agreed to coordinate volunteers
to paint the house under the director of Buildings and Grounds Department staff, said Baumann. The work must be done by Oct. 1. That's a tall order during the COVID-19 pandemic, but "I think it's manageable, one way or another," said Baumann. Frank Zavodsky was the sexton for years, served as Oberlin's public works director, and on several occasions was the acting city manager. He died in 1997 and his wife, Carol, lived in the house until 2006.
85 SOUTH MAIN STREET OBERLIN OHIO 44074 JUNE 25, 2020
Oberlin's bronze 'Bicycle Friendly' designation renewed OBERLIN — The city of Oberlin has again been designated as a bronze-level "Bicycle Friendly Community" by the League of American Bicyclists. It was previously awarded bronze-level status in 2015 and has again been recognized for commitment to creating transportation and recreational resources that benefit residents of all ages and abilities, while encouraging healthier and more
sustainable transportation choices. The League's Bicycle Friendly America program sets the standard for how communities build and benchmark progress toward making biking better. This round of awards, which communities applied for in February, includes 38 new and renewing awardees, joining a total 482 Bicycle Friendly Communities in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
BOARD AND COMMISSION MEETING DATES ALL MEETINGS WILL BE Live Streamed @ http://oberlinoh.swagit.com/live JULY 1, 2020 .......... PLANNING COMMISSION - 4:30PM JULY 2, 2020 .......... CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION - 5:30PM JULY 3, 2020 .......... OFFICES CLOSED IN OBSERVANCE OF INDEPENDENCE DAY NOTICE: DISABLED MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY WHO MAY NEED ASSISTANCE, PLEASE CALL 775-7203 OR E-MAIL: banderson@cityofoberlin.com NOTICE REQUIRED: TWO (2) WORKING DAYS IN ADVANCE OF MEETING (48 HOURS) CLERK OF COUNCIL’S OFFICE.
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COMMANDER SURPRISED
'Singing in the Sand'
Music therapist Hannah Gonzalez will present "Singing in the Sand: Virtual Music Enrichment" at 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 27 on the Amherst Public Library's Facebook page. Join in this live program to enjoy engaging music activities for ages nine months to six years.
Library meeting
The Amherst Public Library board will meet at 6 p.m. on Monday, July 13 at the library. The meeting is open to the public.
2020 Konopka Scholarship
Provided photo
The honor guards of Amherst American Legion Post 118 had a birthday drive-by Saturday for their commander, Clark Bruner, to wish him a happy 80th. The Amherst Veterans Military Honor Guard offers last rites to service members who pass away.
Guess ‘who’ joined Raptor Center CARLISLE TWP. — A barred owl named Olivia and a barn owl named Luna are the two newest residents of the Lorain County Metro Parks Raptor Center, located at the Carlisle Reservation. Olivia previously lived at the Medina Raptor Center. She was taken from the wild as a young bird and kept as a pet. She suffered injuries to her wingtips as a result of her housing and is now unable to sustain flight. Luna, just 10 weeks old, came from a facility in West Virginia. Having been in the care of people since just three days after birth, she has imprinted on humans and would not be able to survive in the wild. Luna is not on display at this time but will be featured in upcoming Animal Pen Pal videos on the park system's Facebook page. She will also one day serve as a wildlife ambassador for the Metro Parks' educational programming. The Raptor Center has reopened after being closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Its hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily. All visitors must keep six feet apart from people of other households. Face masks are strongly recommended but not required for entry. The Raptor Center is committed to the professional care and management of nonreleasable raptors. Its staff is "dedicated to increasing awareness and respect for these masters of the skies," LCMP said in a release. Visitors interested in supporting this mission can participate in the Adopt‐A‐Raptor donation program. Funds raised are used for medical treatment, food, exhibit maintenance and general care costs.
Fourth of July
VFW Post 6941 of Wellington has announced it will hold an Independence Day celebration at 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 4. "With all that is happening in our country, we believe that it is important to celebrate the birth of our great nation," said an announcement from the post. Details are being worked out.
Spirit of Wellington
Provided photos
Owls Olivia and Luna are the two newest residents of the Lorain County Metro Parks Raptor Center, located at 12882 Diagonal Rd. in Carlisle Township.
DOWN 1. Without a date 2. *American Revolutionary War spy, Nathan 3. Miscellany 4. Type of local tax 5. French composer of “Gymnopédies” fame
Who will get dunked? Find out on Friday, July 3 from 2-7 p.m. in the Herrick Memorial Library parking lot. See business leaders, teachers, police, firefighters, paramedics and more take their turns in the dunk tank. Main Street Wellington is helping to raise money for the fireworks fund. The cost is $1 per ball or $5 until you dunk 'em. Earn a free throw for completing a First Friday passport by visiting participating businesses offering specials, activities and live music. You can also earn a free throw for every Spirit of Wellington Raffle Ticket you buy through June 30. They are $10 each for a chance to win one of three prize packages worth up to $620. Proceeds are split with 30 small businesses. Ticket and prize information on mainstreetwellington.org. Be sure to follow signs and directions and maintain space in between groups. Consider wearing a mask. Do not attend if you are feeling ill.
Well-Help donation
Peggy Karolak, a State Farm insurance agent in Wellington, has donated $500 to Well-Help to provide food for people in the community. Well-Help has been helping more families than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic. Karolak said she hopes her donation will prompt more local businesses to support the food pantry.
FOURTH OF JULY ACROSS 1. Begone! 5. Blue 8. Instinctive motive 12. Barbershop supply 13. Cover with asphalt 14. Twist and distort 15. Dismounted 16. Tiny particle 17. Like smell of burning rubber 18. *King of Great Britain when America won independence 20. Same as pleaded 21. “Well-____ machine” 22. *Abigail Adams ____ Smith 23. *Preferred cooking device on the 4th 25. They play dead 29. Tiller’s tiller 30. Santa’s reindeer 33. Dwarf buffalo 34. Smart ones? 36. “____ the hills and far away” 37. Penicillin holder, e.g. 38. Part of both levorotary and levorotatory 39. *Like 4th of July 41. Choler 42. Egg dishes 44. Actress Close 46. *Jefferson was three and Washington was ___ 47. Medal of Honor word 49. Castle material 51. *Roman Candles and Fountains, e.g. 55. Manuscript sheet 56. Dirty money 57. Dire fate 58. Type of wrench 59. Charitable contribution 60. Genesis twin 61. Dad’s lads 62. General Services Administration 63. Job for a body shop
Macy Dimacchia, a member of the Amherst Steele High School Class of 2020, has been awarded the Dominic Konopka Scholarship. She plans to attend Kent State University's Honors College. The Dominic Konopka Scholarship Fund will be supported through an annual golf outing that will still be held this year despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Measures will be in place to practice social distancing. Start time for the four-person scramble is 8 a.m. on Saturday, July 25 at Fox Creek Golf and Racquet Club in Lorain. The cost is $100 per golfer and includes green fees for 18 holes, golf cart, lunch, unlimited beverages, chances to win prizes, dinner and live music by The Crunch Band. Register at www.tinyurl.com/Konopka2020.
Children's camp
"Folk Camp: Arts, Trades, and Crafts" will be offered from Aug. 3-7 on the Oberlin Heritage Center grounds on South Professor Street. Campers will uncover forms of human creation through exploring historic tradespeople, meeting craftspeople and participating in hands-on activities. Folkways that will be explored include basketry, carpentry, cooking, fiber arts, ceramics and more. Folk Camp will offer in-person hours from 9 a.m. to noon on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. In-person camp days will take place primarily outdoors and there may be occasional walking field trips to locations around town. Children must take appropriate outdoor attire, sturdy shoes, a mask and a bag lunch and water bottle each day. There will also be virtual components to the program. The cost is $45 for OHC members or $50 for non-members. Register at www.tinyurl.com/OHCFolkCamp.
6. Steer clear 7. Prefix for half 8. *U. S. personified 9. Steak choice 10. Power system 11. Former times 13. Saffron-flavored rice dish 14. Stares 19. Decorates with gold leaf 22. Negative conjunction 23. Jewish folklore creature 24. “Superman” star 25. Machu Picchu country 26. Remove from Pinterest board 27. Grieve 28. *Many retailers hold one for the 4th of July 29. Sign of a saint 31. *____ of Liberty
32. Rooster’s girlfriend 35. *13 of these at the start 37. Give a green light 39. *What contestants did at Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest 40. Ends of shoe laces 43. “____ ____ a high note” 45. What river did to bank 47. Viola da Gamba, pl. 48. Wafting pleasantness 49. Aria, e.g. 50. Comrade in arms 51. *It should never touch ground 52. Official flower of the Kentucky Derby 53. Riddle without solution 54. Obscenity 55. Like The Beatles
SOLUTION CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE A2
SOLUTION CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE A2
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ONE LAST SHOUT-OUT TO THE CLASS OF 2020 Photos by Jason Hawk | Lorain County Community Guide
High school graduation is one of our favorite times of the year. Seniors saying goodbye to their formative years got an odd send-off in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which canceled the final months of in-person classes while closing businesses and keeping millions of Americans quarantined at home. To help make up for that loss just a little bit, here is one last photo tribute to the graduates from Wellington, Amherst, Oberlin and Firelands high schools.
▲ Kasia Babics is surrounded by family outside the entrance of Amherst Steele High School.
▲ Mary Hunt receives her diploma at Firelands High.
▲ Oberlin graduate Cody Gilbert gets a send-off after receiving his diploma.
▲ Amber Michalski has the support of her family at Firelands HS.
▲ Giles Harrell turns his tassel after crossing the Oberlin High School auditorium stage.
▲ Valedictorian Alexis Starner smiles as she gets ready to deliver her commencement address to the Wellington High School Class of 2020.
▲ Wellington seniors roll down Union Street past Westwood Elementary School, making a victory lap through town after commencement.
▲ Sierra Bellisario exits Amherst Steele High School triumphantly with diploma in hand.
▲ Evan Kirkpatrick waits in his vehicle for Wellington’s commencement ceremony to start.
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© 2020 by Vicki Whiting, Editor Jeff Schinkel, Graphics Vol. 36, No. 30
Use the Magical Menehune Code to learn more about us!
ccording to legend, there is a group of small, mysterious people who live hidden in the forests and a d valleys ll off the Hawaiian Islands. Theey aree called HOO O-nee). the Menehune (men-uh-H How many pineapplees cann you find on this page?
Menehune only come They like to _______ out at ________. things. Menehune favorite _______ are ________ and ___________. How many Menehunes can you find hiding here?
How many flowers can you find on this page?
= FISH
= SURFING
= PROJECTS
= NIGHT
= BUILD
= VOLCANO
= BANANAS
= FOODS
= ARROWS
= MAGIC
They build their ___________ all in one ________.
Menehune M otto
If the Mene h probably be une had a motto, it wo u th circle every e phrase below. To re ld veal it, other letter.
Read the story below andwrite your answer to the question on the lines under it.Read it to a familymember and have them answer it as well. Did you reach the same conclusion? One structure they are believed to have built is Kikiaola, also known as the Menehune Ditch. It is a historic irrigation ditch that funnels water from the Waimea River on Kauai. It has a stone wall that runs along a cliff creating a ditch. The ditch leads to a tunnel that is very, very small. Who could build such a small tunnel? Tools found in ancient Kauai were not advanced enough to drill that far into the rock – and the walls appear as though they were carved by hand. Could it be that the tunnel was built by a small race of people? Or is there another explanation for why the tunnel was built so small? What do you think? How could such a small tunnel be made more than 1,000 years ago?
nehune? e M e h t e r a ll a How smth to find out! Some are saidllto. cm) ta Do the ma ____ feet (60 nly _ _ _ _ _ = 4 -1 be 16 e are o say Menehun cm) tall. s e ri o st r e th O 5 ____ inches (1 19 -13 = ____
Love in the Air
Archery is said to be a favorite past time of the Menehune. They can shoot a magic arrow into the heart of an angry person and turn the anger into love. Follow this arrow’s path.
To read about a Menehune mystery, hold this page up to a mirror!
okokelA eht tliub enuheneM eht taht syas dnegeL ssecnirp a rof iauaK fo dnalsi eht no dnophsiF senuheneM gnorts tub yhs ehT .rehtorb reh dna senots dessap dna selim 52 rof pu denil yeht taht dias si tI .dnop eht dliub ot dnah-ot-dnah ,srehto yb nees eb ot ton sa os thgin ta dekrow rieht rof senots gnittif dna gnitropsnart ,gnittuc .edagirb tekcub gnol a ni stcejorp
Are there more pineapples or more flowers in this page? Graph it!
Tiny Town
Which things in your town are small? Maybe a Little Library box? A bird on a bird feeder? Look through today’s newspaper to find five small things. Cut them out and glue them onto a piece of paper in order from small to smallest. Standards Link: Research: Use the newspaper to locate information.
How many Menehunes can you find here?
MENEHUNE HAWAIIAN CARVED LEGEND TUNNEL BUCKET WAIMEA NIGHT DITCH SMALL CLIFF STONE ROCK LOVE FISH
A E M I A W M Y L S
T E E E N O T S L R I C N A I
I A W A H
D A E K O U G S M B
N R H C T I D H S U E V U O L M E H T C
G E N R N I E S H K E D E V O L F I U E
L E N N U T N F E T
Standards Lin Link: Letter sequencing. Recongized identical words. Skim a and scan reading. Recall spelling patterns.
Shrink a Sentence A simple sentence contains a subject and a
Standards Link: Research: Use the newspaper to locate information.
IRRIGATION
The noun irrigation means a supply of water to help crops grow usually by means of channels or sprinklers. The dam supplies irrigation for the fruit trees in the valley. Try to use the word irrigation in a sentence today when talking with friends and family members.
Talking Cocoon ANSWER: Hula-ween!
verb. For example, The dog (subject) jumped (verb). Can you shorten sentences in today’s newspaper to two to four words by using only the subject and verb of each?
This week’s word:
One day I heard a tiny voice. Looking around, I saw that the voice came from a little cocoon. Finish this story.