West Side News & Notes
By Anne Dennée
Revere superintendent, board
member resign
BATH — Revere Local Schools
Superintendent Jon Ritchie is leaving after three years
with the district to take a job as superintendent of
Orrville City Schools, effective Oct. 15.
Ritchie said he was interested in the Orrville position because he is familiar with the community. He lived in Orrville for 10 years and his parents currently live there.
Ritchie said he is looking forward
to the opportunity he will have at Orrville to be part
of the building of a new
school, referring to the new middle school scheduled
to be completed by January 2008.
Ritchie plans to remain at Revere
until his replacement is in place to ease the transition
process for the district.
“I’ve really enjoyed
my time at Revere,” Ritchie said. “It’s
a really supportive community.”
District Treasurer David Forrest
said the Revere Board of Education first will name an
interim superintendent.
“The board will accept
applications for the interim superintendent from internal
and external candidates,” said Forrest. “Once
an interim superintendent is named, the board will begin
a full search process for a permanent replacement.”
Before the board begins the process
of hiring an interim superintendent, Forrest said the
board must name a replacement for Board of Education
member Marie Parker, who resigned Aug. 9. Parker, who
was in her first year of service after being elected
this past November, cited family issues as her reason
for leaving. The board formally accepted her resignation
at a special Aug. 12 meeting. The board must fill the
vacancy by Sept. 8, said Forrest.
The Revere Board of Education
is now accepting applications for the vacant board member
position. Applicants must reside in the district and
be at least 18 years old. The term runs through December
2007. Applications are available at the Web site www.revere.k12.
oh.us;
by calling the district at (330) 666-4155; or by written
request to Revere Local Schools, Board of Education
Vacancy, P.O. Box 340, Bath, OH 44210. Applications
are due Aug. 25 and should be sent to Forrest at the
address above.
The next regular school board
meeting is set for Sept. 5 at 5 p.m. at the board’s
administrative office, 3496 Everett Road.
Summit County police
vehicles to be equipped with AEDs
AKRON — The American Heart
Association (AHA) and Akron General Medical Center are
teaming up with Summit County law enforcement agencies
to fight sudden cardiac arrest.
On Aug. 18, the two organizations
will present automated external defibrillators (AEDs)
to local police departments, the Ohio State Highway
Patrol and the Summit County Sheriff’s Office.
The 46 AEDs will be distributed among 16 Summit County
law enforcement departments to ensure every Summit County
police department has at least one unit in every first
responder vehicle.
An AED is a portable machine
that delivers a lifesaving shock to a heart that has
stopped beating due to sudden cardiac arrest. About
330,000 people die from sudden cardiac arrest each year
in the United States, according to the AHA.
Since 2003, the AHA has distributed
101 AEDs to Summit County law enforcement departments.
Akron General Medical Center also has partnered with
the AHA to place more than 2,270 AEDs in elementary,
middle and high schools throughout Ohio.
For details, contact the AHA
at (330) 867-9987 or log on to www.americanheart.org.
— By
Stephanie Kist
Changes continue
in Highland Square
HIGHLAND SQUARE — The transformation
of Highland Square continued Aug. 14, when city of Akron
crews began rerouting utilities on North Highland Avenue.
North Highland Avenue is no longer
a through street for traffic to West Market Street.
Instead, it has been closed off to accommodate the Akron-Summit
County Public Library expansion.
“Neighbors and motorists
will be seeing quite a bit of activity in the coming
months at the square,” said Jim Weber, city
engineering construction manager.
“We are constructing new utilities underground
for the new developments and will be doing new water
main construction along West Market Street as well.
It’s going to be busier than usual around Highland
and Market.”
Coinciding with the closing off of
the south end of North Highland Avenue was the demolition
of the West Hill Branch Library to make way for a larger
library branch at that location.
The former Star Market was demolished
Aug. 1.
This is the first of four phases
in the redesign of Highland Square that involves new
retail and parking areas and a grocery store.
“We have had considerable
input from the neighbors on this project, and we are
all excited and ready to see this work begin,”
said Leah Anglin, with the Mayor’s Office of Economic
Development.
— By
Stephanie Kist
Summit County CASA/GAL celebrates
25th anniversary
AKRON — The Court Appointed
Special Advocate/ Guardian Ad Litem (CASA/ GAL) program
will celebrate 25 years of helping abused and neglected
children in Summit County tomorrow, Aug. 18.
This occasion will honor the
volunteers who give their time and talents to help improve
the lives of abused and neglected children.
During the event, CASA/ GAL will
present the Judge William P. Kannel Child Advocate of
the Year Award to Joseph Freedman, former CASA chairman
and executive vice president of Sterling Jewelers Inc.,
for his dedicated service to the program. Freedman has
served CASA as a volunteer on the Board of Trustees
and as chairman of the Resource Development Committee.
The celebration is sponsored
by Sterling Jewelers Inc. and will take place at the
John S. Knight Center in
the Corbin Rotunda at 77 E. Mill St. in downtown Akron.
The evening will begin at 5 p.m.
and end at 8 p.m. Featured speakers will include Summit
County Juvenile Court Judge Linda Tucci Teodosio and CASA/GAL
Chairman William Montalto, of Sterling Jewelers.
Tickets can be purchased for
$75 by calling (330) 643-2928. All proceeds will benefit
the CASA/GAL program.
During the past 25 years, 10,000
children have been helped by more than 500 CASA/GAL
volunteers in Summit County, with the most rapid growth
in the program occurring in the past three years, according
to agency officials.
The 2005 year closed with 304
active volunteers serving more than 1,200 children and
a staff of 10 who recruit, train and supervise volunteers.
For more information about the
Summit County CASA/ GAL Program, visit www.sum
mitcasa.org.
— By
Stephanie Kist
FirstEnergy helps
with electrical home safety
AKRON — One of the leading
causes of house fires nationwide continues to be faulty
electrical wiring, especially in older homes, according
to city of Akron officials.
One of the most common barriers
to people making necessary repairs that might prevent
fires in their homes is the cost of electrical repair
work.
FirstEnergy Corp. is providing
$150,000 annually for 2006, 2007 and 2008 for electrical
repairs and upgrades for Akron homeowners in need.
“These are much needed
funds that will help us help those who do not qualify
for the traditional weatherization and housing rehab
funding for low-income residents,” said Warren
Walfish, the city’s manager of housing rehabilitation.
Traditionally, the city of Akron
seeks funds to target homeowners
who are working but struggling to maintain their homes
as well as those with special needs, like elderly or
disabled homeowners. For that, FirstEnergy’s Community
Initiatives Director Delores Jones calls this contribution
a “great fit.”
Akron will make the funds available
from the FirstEnergy allocation to address major electrical
safety issues in owner-occupied structures as long as
the income guideline stipulated by FirstEnergy is met.
The company’s guideline for low income is that
which is at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty
level.
Inquiries regarding eligibility
for this assistance may be directed to the city’s
information and referral system at 3-1-1 from any residential
phone, or by calling (330) 375-2311.
— By
Stephanie Kist
Recycling promoted at Bath,
Richfield community days
BATH — The Summit/ Akron
Solid Waste Management Authority (SASWMA) partnered
with Bath Grange 1331 and the Bath-Richfield Kiwanis
Club to promote recycling at Bath Community Day Aug.
5.
The event, sponsored by the Bath
Community Day Committee, took place at the Bath Community
Activity Center Park. Large cardboard recycling containers
were placed throughout the park to make recycling convenient.
Rosalie Steiner, of Bath Grange
1331, worked with SASWMA staff to provide recycling
at the event.
“The Bath Grange has been
supporting community recycling since 1992,” she
said. “This is a start in having recycling at
large events; we hope to continue these efforts.”
Attendees who “got caught
recycling” received a prize.
SASWMA also promoted recycling
at Richfield Community Day Aug. 13.
For more information, visit www.saswma.org or
call (330) 374-0383.
— By
Stephanie Kist
Medina County Fair attendance
down this year
MEDINA — The intense heat
wave during the first several days of the Medina County
Fair the week of July 31 took its toll on attendance.
For the past two years, more than 100,000 people walked
through the entrance gates each year. However, this
year there were 12,000 fewer visitors, with attendance
set at 94,566.
— By Rita Jean Wagar
|
