South Side News & Notes
By Stephanie Kist
Citizens participate in
remembrance art project
DOWNTOWN AKRON — On Sept. 11, Summit County Executive Russell Pry continued the Summit County tradition of honoring the lives lost and the courage displayed by first responders Sept. 11, 2001, by sponsoring the sixth annual 9.11 Remembrance Art Project, “911.”
More than 200 citizens participated in the creation of the community art project by signing a donated cell phone and dropping it into a Plexiglass tube to create the 6-foot sculpture.
Built into the base of the sculpture
is a CD player and speakers that play recordings of
actual 9-1-1 emergency calls made during the attack
on the Twin Towers in New York City. A light shines
up through the cell phones from the base.
The sculpture is a tribute to
the professionalism and heroism of the first responders
and a reminder of the lives lost on that day, according
to county officials.
This year’s art project
is unique to the series because it does not include
the traditional flag motif or red, white and blue colors.
“When you listen to the
audio collage of 9-1-1 emergency calls, you immediately
go back in time to that dark day,” Pry said. “I
listened in awe to the calm, reassuring conversations
that took place during the terror of Sept. 11, 2001.
It was a day when America took care of business and
each other, and these 9-1-1 calls demonstrate just that.”
All of the 9.11 Remembrance Art
Projects are on display in The Room at Church &
Main, 175 S. Main St. For details, or to schedule a
large group visit, call (330) 643-2609.
Springfield to dedicate
Gold Star Mothers Memorial
SPRINGFIELD — Springfield
residents and officials will gather Sept. 30 at 2 p.m.
at the new Springfield Veterans Memorial to dedicate
the refurbished and relocated Gold Star Mothers Memorial.
According to Springfield parks
employee Lowell Moss, the monument was originally built
in 1931 and was vandalized shortly after, then abandoned
and fell into disrepair.
Moss reported the memorial has
been refurbished with local money and has been relocated
to the new site near the township offices on Canton
and Kubler roads.
U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan (D-District
17) is scheduled to speak at the event.
— By Maria Lindsay
Akron to flush South Akron
fire hydrants
SOUTH AKRON — The Akron
Water Department will begin flushing fire hydrants in
the Kenmore area in South Akron, as well as the service
area in Coventry Township, beginning Sept. 16 from 10
p.m. to 6 a.m.
Water users are urged to check
their cold water for discoloration prior to drawing
water for cooking and for use in automatic washers and
dishwashers and to discontinue use until water clears.
Customers can call the automated phone system to get
a nightly update on streets to be flushed by calling
(330) 375-2554, selecting “Frequently Asked Questions”
and following the prompts.
Water customers also can visit
www.ci.akron.oh.us
and select “News
Releases” to get hydrant flushing updates.
For other details, contact the
water department at (330) 375-2420.
— By Maria Lindsay
Sheriff’s Office offers
Citizen’s Academy
GREEN — The Summit County
Sheriff’s Office will present the 12th Citizen’s
Academy next month.
The 10-week program will be offered
on Tuesdays starting Oct. 9 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the
Sheriff’s Training Facility, 2825 Greensburg Road.
More than 200 citizens participated
in the creation of this sculpture to honor first responders
during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The sculpture
is on display in the Ohio Building in Downtown Akron.
Photo courtesy of Summit
County Executive’s Office
The program will include a tour
of the Summit County Jail and the Mounted Patrol Unit
barn at Southgate Park and information about patrol,
narcotics investigation, crime prevention, weapons,
community policing, traffic laws, bomb theft management
and the K-9 Unit.
Anyone with a felony conviction,
multiple misdemeanors, crimes of violence or pending
criminal cases will not be permitted to participate
in the event.
The registration fee for the
academy is $35, which includes a dinner upon completion.
Space is limited, and advance
registration is required. For more details or to register,
call (330) 896-4019 or visit www.co.summit.oh.us/sheriff.
— By Maria Lindsay
HSGA names new director, purchases
land
PENINSULA — The Humane
Society of Greater Akron (HSGA) Board of Directors announced
two milestones at a public meeting Sept. 10 —
the appointment of a new executive director and the
purchase of 8 acres in Cuyahoga Falls on which to build
a new shelter.
“These milestones, taken
together, mark a dramatic opportunity for the Humane
Society to carry out its mission and serve the people
and animals of our community,” said John Fickes,
board president.
Karen Conklin has been selected
as the organization’s executive director, effective
Oct. 1. Conklin, a Liberty resident, comes to the HSGA
after 15 years as chief executive officer of the Girl
Scouts of Lake to River Council in Niles.
The HSGA utilized the resources
of the Akron-based Center for Nonprofit Excellence to
spearhead the recruitment of the executive director.
The HSGA also announced
the purchase of property for the purpose of building
a new shelter. The current HSGA facility, occupied since
1968, is no longer adequate to serve the needs of the
animal population in Summit County, according to HSGA
officials.
“During the last six months,
we moved forward steadily with our new facility project,”
said Sue Pierson, HSGA board vice president. “We
are working with city officials, architects and contractors
to take the next steps to make the new facility a reality.”
The HSGA expects to design the
facility over the next few months, with groundbreaking
planned in the spring. A supporter, who wishes to remain
anonymous, has offered a construction loan to build
the facility while the organization conducts a capital
campaign to pay for the project.
The HSGA will celebrate these
milestones at its annual gala event, “Shout It
From the Wooftops,” tomorrow, Sept. 15, at 6 p.m.
at the Hilton Akron/ Fairlawn. Dick Goddard will serve
as master of ceremonies for the evening, which will
include silent and live auctions, entertainment, dinner
and HSGA animals.
For more information visit www.summithumane.org.
Residents, businesses can
shred documents for
free
AKRON — The Summit/ Akron
Solid Waste Management Authority (SASWMA) and Neoshred
Inc. are partnering to offer a free confidential paper
shredding event for personal and business documents.
The event will take place Sept.
22 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Neoshred, 621 E. Tallmadge
Ave.
The shredding limit is five file
boxes or shopping bags per vehicle. To participate in
this event, Summit County residents/businesses must
deliver all documents to Neoshred’s facility.
No pick-up service is available.
Summit County businesses with
more than the five-box/bag limit can receive free shredding
the week of Sept. 17-21. Businesses should contact Neoshred
at (330) 253-8260 to schedule an appointment.
“Today, confidentiality
is a high priority when it comes to document destruction,”
said SASWMA Executive Director Yolanda Walker. “This
free service for residents and businesses provides a
safe and confidential way to dispose of sensitive documents
while recycling and conserving our natural resources
and landfill space.”
Participants are asked
to remove and reuse binder clips, rubber bands, hanging
file folders, paperclips and report covers. All shredded
documents will be recycled into new products such as
tissue paper and paperboard by Ohio paper mills, according
to SASWMA.
For more information, call SASWMA
at (330) 374-0383, ext. 205, or Neoshred at (330) 253-8260.
Opportunity Loan Refinance
Program guidelines
now more flexible
COLUMBUS — The Ohio Housing
Finance Agency (OHFA) has announced expanded program
guidelines for the Opportunity Loan Refinance Program.
As a result of lender and borrower feedback, certain
credit issues will now be permitted that might have
prevented some borrowers from using the program under
the previous guidelines.
Borrowers may be permitted to
have up to one 60-day late payment and two 30-day late
payments in the last 12 months on their existing mortgage
payment history. The maximum combined loan-to-value
ratio permitted is 105 percent.
The Opportunity Loan Refinance
Program is administered through a network of participating
lenders throughout Ohio. A list of participating lenders
is available at www.ohiohome.org.
On April 2, OHFA unveiled the
Opportunity Loan Refinance Program, which offers a 30-year,
fixed-rate refinancing alternative to borrowers throughout
Ohio. The program is designed to assist homeowners who
have a mortgage that is no longer suitable for their
financial situation. Borrowers who have an adjustable
rate mortgage (ARM), Option ARM, interest-only mortgage
or high-rate loan may benefit from the program. The
Opportunity Loan may assist those
borrowers who have experienced an unforeseen circumstance
such as divorce, medical emergency or loss of employment.
The Opportunity Loan also offers
additional financial assistance in the form of a 20-year,
fixed-rate second mortgage option funded with OHFA reserves.
This second mortgage is available at an amount up to
5 percent of the appraised value of the home.
Participants must have a household
income that does not exceed 125 percent of the area
median income. Income limits are available at www.
ohiohome.org.
Renewable electricity sites
featured in Ohio tour
NORTHEAST OHIO — Renewable
energy-powered and energy-efficient homes and buildings
in Ohio and throughout the nation will be shown on guided
and self-guided public tours Oct. 5-7. Sponsored by
the clean energy advocate Green Energy Ohio (GEO), the
Ohio Solar Tour encompasses sustainable features beyond
solar energy in all corners of the state.
Northeast Ohio tours will take
place in Akron, Cleveland, Oberlin, Mansfield, Youngs-town,
Wooster and surrounding areas. Featured will be installations
of solar electric, solar thermal, wind, geothermal and
energy-efficient building designs.
GEO Executive Director Bill Spratley
said many people don’t know that clean energy
installations exist all over Ohio. “Many
will be surprised to learn that Ohio already has commercial
solar electricity, a utility-grade wind farm, a manufacturer
of solar roofing and a utility-scale wind turbine in
Downtown Cleveland at the Great Lakes Science Center,”
Spratley said. “Elsewhere, we have solar homes,
businesses, schools, bus stops, libraries and even traffic
lights. This a great opportunity for everyone to see
how and where ‘clean’ electricity is being
generated.”
Site owners and GEO members will
conduct tours at many sites open to the public during
specified times. Guided tours to selected sites will
be available in some areas, either with provided transportation
or using your own vehicle. The tours are free and open
to the public.
Regional “Solar Tour Guidebooks”
will provide information on how to take the tours, including
directions to sites. The
guidebooks are available through a free download at
www.GreenEnergyOhio.org or
by calling (866) GREEN-OH.
Scientists, ministers address
environmental issues
DOWNTOWN AKRON — Twenty-five
scientists and evangelical ministers gathered at The
University of Akron (UA) Aug. 24 for a meeting of the
“Friendship Project,” a movement to stop
global warming and address other major environmental
issues.
The meeting was equally split
between science-related and religion-related topics,
according to Stephen Weeks, professor of biology in
UA’s Integrated Bioscience Program.
“For the former, there
was general discussion that evangelicals and secular
scientists need to communicate better to change
public opinion about global warming, specifically, and
conservation more generally,” said Weeks.
Carl Safina, of the Blue Ocean
Institute, discussed the degradation of the earth’s
biological realm, including issues related to global
warming. Safina is a conservation biologist who has
written several books and is the recipient of the MacArthur
Fellowship.
The Rev. Ken Wilson, an evangelical
minister at the Vineyard Church in Ann Arbor, Mich.,
and regional director of about 100 Vineyard churches,
“noted that evangelicals have not traditionally
been identified with environmentalism and have generally
been distrustful of science and scientists,” Weeks
said. He added Wilson cited several biblical references
that made it clear that valuing the biological world
is deeply rooted in the Bible and Christians should
be advocates of environmental stewardship.
The event followed a similar
national event in January organized by Edward Wilson,
an ecologist and evolutionary biologist at Harvard University;
Nobel Prize winner Eric Chivian; and Richard Cizik,
evangelical minister and vice president of the National
Association of Evangelicals.
Attendees at the UA-hosted meeting
also discussed how to foster better internal communications
and how to recruit others to broaden the discussion
and smooth over rough edges that have formed between
science and religion.
Greenleaf Family Center hosting
program on youth
violence, bully prevention
AKRON — Greenleaf Family
Center will host a luncheon program on youth violence
and bully prevention Oct. 16 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:15
p.m. at the Shaw Jewish Community Center, 750 White
Pond Drive.
The program, called “Steppin’
up and Steppin’ Out, Empowering Children and Adolescents
to Achieve Their Full Potential,” will feature
Allyson Bowen, LISW-CP.
Bowen is a licensed clinical
social worker in clinical practice and director of Turning
Point Counseling in West Columbia, S.C. She is co-author
of the book “Mean Girls: 101-1/2 Creative Strategies
and Activities for Working with Relational Aggression.”
She recently developed a Relational Aggression Survey
for use in identifying bullying behaviors in girls grades
three through 12.
This program will look at various
issues impacting youth, such as anxiety, self-injury,
bullying and anger, and also at new issues in relationships
challenging youth.
A panel of community experts
will accompany the speaker to discuss strategies for
working with children and adolescents to help youth
succeed in relationships and in life.
Continuing education units will
be available for counselors and social workers.
The cost for the program is $45
($25 for students), which includes the program and lunch.
For reservations, call (330) 376-9494, ext. 257. The
event is sponsored by the National Alliance for Children
and Families.
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