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West Side News & Notes

6/14/2012 - West Side Leader
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By Kathleen Folkerth

State offering free financial course

BATH — Akron is one of seven Ohio areas that will host a free financial education program conducted by Ohio State Treasurer Josh Mandel’s office.

The 2012 Smart Money Choices session in the Akron area will take place July 20 at the Holiday Inn-West in Montrose. Registration will begin at 7:30 a.m., and the session will take place from 8 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

The course includes an opening session, three breakout sessions taught by financial planning experts and a closing session. Registration is currently open.

This year the treasurer’s office will offer free Post-Bankruptcy Certification during the conference to help Ohioans who are recovering from bankruptcy. Residents who have recently experienced bankruptcy can take part in courses taught by financial experts and earn post-filing certification for attendance to the budgeting and credit and debt management courses.

“The Smart Money Choices conference series is an excellent opportunity for Ohioans to learn more about personal finance issues,” Mandel said in a press release. “There is something for everyone, with courses on budgeting, investments, student funding, debt management, retirement, estate planning and more.”

For information on other locations or to register, go to www.OhioTreasurer.gov/SmartMoneyChoices or call 800-228-1102 and dial option No. 1.

Summer meal programs still available

COLUMBUS — As the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) marks National Summer Food Service Program Week through tomorrow, June 15, USDA officials announced that it’s not too late for families needing meal assistance to find it in Ohio.

The weeklong campaign aims to raise awareness about the Summer Nutrition Programs, which include the Summer Food Service Program and the National School Lunch Program, which fill the food gap for low-income Ohio children who rely on school breakfast and lunch during the school year. Through these programs, children can receive free meals at participating summer sites at schools, parks, public agencies and nonprofits.

According to the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks, participation in the Summer Nutrition Programs continues to fall short in Ohio. A national report released June 8 showed 66,038 low-income children received summer meals on an average day in July 2011, compared to 70,853 children in July 2010. This decrease from the previous year meant that summer meals reached only 10.6 children for every 100 low-income children who got regular school year meals in the 2010-11 school year, officials said.

Ohio’s performance was worse than the national rate, which reached one in seven low-income children, according to Hunger Doesn’t Take a Vacation, an annual analysis by the Food Research and Action Center. The report measures participation in the Summer Nutrition Programs by comparing the number of children receiving summer meals to the number of low-income children receiving school lunches during the school year.

“Fewer children are getting summer meals and more will go hungry,” said Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, executive director of the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks. “Ohio is failing to meet the needs of low-income children. When summer programs scale back services or shut their doors, children wind up paying the price. But it’s not too late to make a difference this summer.”

In Ohio, families can find summer meal sites by calling 855-570-7377 or visiting the Ohio Department of Education’s clickable map at https://oh.cnpcares.com/summer/SfspFoodServByCnty.asp. There are more than 20 sites in Summit County, according to the website, including five in West Akron.

Interim fire chief appointed as AFD chief

Akron Fire Chief Rob Ross
Photo courtesy of the city of Akron
DOWNTOWN AKRON — Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic selected one of the city’s three deputy fire chiefs to be the new chief of the Akron Fire Department (AFD).

Rob Ross, 53, who has been serving as the interim fire chief since January 2011, when former Chief Larry Bunner retired, assumed the position June 8, according to city officials. Ross’ annual salary is $113,922, according to city officials. Ross leads a department of 325 uniformed personnel and 22 support staffers as chief.

Plusquellic called Ross a dedicated firefighter whose leadership has been present for many years.

“Experience is a solid foundation for good strong leadership, and Chief Ross has learned a great deal in his almost 31 years of service,” he said. “Ross has proven he is a capable chief over the past 18 months. He is well-respected within the department and throughout the community.”

According to city officials, Ross joined the AFD in October 1981 as a firefighter. He was promoted to lieutenant nine years later, to captain in 1997, district chief in 1999 and deputy fire chief in 2003. During his tenure as interim chief, the AFD was evaluated by the Insurance Services Office and received an improved Public Protection Classification Rating. In 2012, the state of Ohio EMS Board recognized the AFD as the Paid/Combination EMS Agency of the Year.

Ross is active in the Summit County Fire Chiefs’ Association, having formerly held the positions of trustee, vice president and president. He is currently in his second full term as chairperson of the Summit County Emergency Management Executive Committee, according to city officials.

“The [AFD] is an organization with a long history and reputation for providing efficient, effective service to the citizens of Akron,” said Ross. “It is my honor to continue my contributions to this department and the city of Akron, now as its fire chief. I do so proudly as the son of a former Akron firefighter who served our department for 33 years. But I have to credit our successes to all the hardworking men and women of this department. They are the ones truly responsible for the good work we do.”

— By Maria Lindsay

Summit County declares June 15 Elder Abuse Awareness Day

SUMMIT COUNTY — On June 4, Summit County Council enacted legislation submitted by Executive Russ Pry declaring June 15 Elder Abuse Awareness Day.

The day, set aside by the World Health Organization and the U.S. Administration on Aging, is an effort to alert the public to the growing problem and to raise awareness of elder abuse, which includes physical, sexual and emotional abuse, neglect and financial exploitation, according to Pry.

“My administration is deeply committed to protecting area senior citizens from such conditions,” said Pry. “Anyone who suspects the mistreatment of a mature adult in this community should contact my Adult Protective Services unit immediately.”

National statistics indicate that only half of the one in 10 incidences of elder abuse ever get discovered and/or reported, according to Pry. Elder abuse touches all socioeconomic groups, cultures and races and most commonly occurs in institutional settings and residential homes, according to Pry. The abuse is committed by either caregivers or family members.

In recognition of Elder Abuse Awareness Day, Pry, with the support of Summit County Council, is inviting all adult protective service professionals, advocates and citizens to take a stand against elder abuse by “wearing purple to work” June 15.

“As a community, we all must unite to back this important public awareness campaign,” said Summit County Councilwoman Paula Prentice (D-District 8), chair of the Health and Human Services Committee. “Together, we can ensure the mature adults of this community are safe and being treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.”

For more information about Adult Protective Services, go to www.summitdjfs.org.

To report elder abuse, call the Adult Protective Services Hotline at 330-643-7217.

For a copy of the Senior Citizen Information Booklet listing services available to seniors, call 330-643-8626.

— By Maria Lindsay

United Way’s 17th Day of Action planned

GREATER AKRON — The United Way of Summit County’s (UWSC) 17th Day of Action will take place June 15 at several locations in the area.

According to UWSC officials, the event is the community’s largest one-day volunteer event and will involve almost 1,200 people working at approximately 60 nonprofit organizations’ sites throughout Summit County.

Some of the work sites that day will include: Emerge Ministries, at 900 Mull Ave. in West Akron, with volunteers from Allstate Insurance Co.; Community Support Services, 150 Cross St. in Downtown Akron, with volunteers from Time Warner Cable; Haven of Rest, 175 E. Market St. in Downtown Akron, with volunteers from Meggitt Aircraft Braking System; Lake Anna YMCA, 500 W. Hopocan Ave. in Barberton, with volunteers from Babcock & Wilcox and Myers Industries; and Weathervane Community Playhouse, 1301 Weathervane Lane in the Merriman Valley, with volunteers from Goodrich and the UWSC’s Women’s Leadership Council.

A Kickoff Rally/Celebration will take place that day at 8 a.m. at the Jerry Shaw Jewish Community Center, 750 White Pond Drive. UWSC President Bob Kulinski and 2012 Campaign Chairperson Nick Browning, of FirstMerit Bank, will welcome and thank the participants.

According to UWSC officials, January Paint & Wallpaper has made a significant contribution of paint and painting supplies to help with the Day of Action effort.

For more information, contact the UWSC at 330-762-7601 or www.uwsummit.org.

— By Maria Lindsay

Neighborhood Summit seeking participants

DOWNTOWN AKRON — University Park Alliance is seeking community-invested Akron residents to attend its Neighborhood Summit June 16 at Quaker Station.

The event, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., will bring together residents and members of faith, social service and business communities within the University Park area to discuss a variety of issues with trained facilitators to help establish the next steps in the Neighborhood Network’s housing strategy.

Each participant will receive a guide with background information on the issues to be discussed. Brief presentations will be made to support discussion on the issues.

Participants will be randomly seated at round tables. At each table, a volunteer will input the table’s ideas into a laptop computer. A “Theme Team” will review the ideas they receive from every table and compile a list of themes that will be projected on screens. Each participant will use a personal keypad to vote for what they think should be priorities on the list. Results will be compiled and shared within minutes, organizers said.

Free child care and lunch is provided for participants.

To register for the free event, call David at 330-777-2071 or go to www.surveymonkey.com/s/UPASummit.

Flag Day events planned in Norton

NORTON — The Ohio POW/MIA Wall will be in Norton for events celebrating Flag Day June 16 at Columbia Woods Park, 4060 Columbia Woods Drive.

Events will start that day with the Norton Women’s Club Pancake Breakfast from 7 to 10 a.m. The wall will arrive at 9:30 a.m. by motorcycle escort, according to organizers.

Musical entertainment will be provided by the Celtic Eagle Pipe Band at 10 a.m. and Tim Longfellow at 11 a.m.

Rolling Thunder Chapter 5 will provide a program starting at 2 p.m. Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter No. 717’s color guard will post the colors while Laura Arnott sings the national anthem and Neva Gibson sings “God Bless America.” David Arnott and his son, Nathaniel Arnott, will play Taps.

According to its website, Rolling Thunder is a nonprofit organization with a mission to educate the public that many American prisoners of war were left behind after wars fought by the United States, and to protect future veterans from being left behind should they become prisoners of war or missing in action.

Rolling Thunder’s traveling memorial has the 137 names of the state’s missing soldiers with branch of service, rank, hometown of record and date of incident for each. If remains have been recovered, identified and accepted by the families, the date of the return is added after each name, officials said.

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