6/28/2012 - West Side Leader
     

HHWRC announces opening day, not accepting latex paint

STOW— The opening for the Household Hazardous Waste Recycling Center (HHWRC), located at 1201 Graham Road, will be July 3, and the center will be closed July 4 for the holiday. The HHWRC season will run through Sept. 26. Summit County residents can recycle household hazardous waste on Tuesdays from 1 to 4 p.m. and Wednesdays from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

“This new schedule will allow residents to recycle unwanted oil-based paint, solvents, and other household chemicals while saving in operational expenses,” said Yolanda Walker, Summit/Akron Solid Waste Management Authority’s (SASWMA) executive director.

“The HHWRC will no longer accept latex paint, because it is mostly water-based and once dried or solidified is acceptable for curbside trash,” added Walker.

Mixing an absorbent material such as Cobzorb, an all-natural absorbent, or other materials like cat litter or shredded newspaper into the paint will solidify the latex paint and prepare it for a proper disposal, according to SASWMA officials.

SASWMA provided 50 1-pound pouch samples of Cobzorb Paint Solidifier to each Summit County community for residents to try. Cobzorb also can be purchased at Hoffman’s Ace Hardware stores. Visit www.saswma.org for a printable Cobzorb coupon and additional information on proper latex paint disposal.

For more information about the HHWRC, visit the website or call SASWMA at 330-374-0484.

Fiscal Office appraisers beginning work in Akron

DOWNTOWN AKRON — Summit County Fiscal Officer Kristen Scalise  announced that appraisers from her staff soon will begin work in Akron neighborhoods.

Appraisal staff members are starting the sexennial listing phase of the state-mandated 2014 reappraisal process, Scalise’s office announced. Appraisers will wear identification badges and yellow vests and have official business placards in their private vehicles stating they are from the Fiscal Office. 

The appraisers will be in the community working between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. No Fiscal Office staff conducts field checks after 4 p.m., officials said.

Staff will use laptop computers to access data and verify records onsite to update property record cards, Scalise’s office said. New photos of properties will be taken for Fiscal Office use only, officials added.

Fiscal Office officials said appraisers will knock on doors to let homeowners know they are checking home data, but it’s not necessary for homeowners to be present for the visit. Staff will leave door hangers to let absent homeowners know they visited, officials added.

The office will conduct the site visits countywide, a process that takes about nine months, officials said.

CVNP seeks comment on plan

BRECKSVILLE — A draft of a 15-year plan for Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP) is available for review and comments from the public.

CVNP officials announced June 22 that the CVNP’s Draft Trail Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (Draft EIS) has been released for public review and comment through Aug. 20. The Draft EIS aims to develop a blueprint that will guide the expansion, restoration, management, operations and use of the trail system and its associated amenities during the next 15 years while keeping with the national park’s purpose, mission and significance, CVNP officials said.

The document can be viewed at the National Park Service’s Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) website at www.parkplanning/nps.gov/cuyahogatrailplan. Copies also are available at the Akron-Summit County Main Library, the Peninsula Library, and the Boston Store Visitor Center and Canal Visitor Center in CVNP. Copies on disk or paper may be requested by writing to: Superintendent, CVNP, 15610 Vaughn Road, Brecksville, OH 44141.

The park also will hold public meetings regarding the Draft EIS. Meetings are planned for July 25 at Happy Days Lodge, 500 W. Streetsboro Road, and July 26 at the Main Library, 60 S. High St., both from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Comments can be provided at meetings, by mail at the above address and the PEPC website, according to CVNP officials. Comments will not be accepted by phone, fax or email.

The Draft EIS analyzes eight alternatives that provide a variety of trails and trail facilities for park visitors while protecting the national park’s natural, cultural and scenic resources. One preferred alternative was selected. The plan is a key step in establishing a trail system that provides a network for a variety of users, shares the features significant in CVNP, minimizes impacts to park resources, can be sustained for future generations and engages cooperative partnerships, CVNP officials said.

Akron Urban League launches speaker series

WEST AKRON — The Akron Urban League (AUL) has created its inaugural speaker’s series, titled “Urban Issues Luncheons.”

According to AUL officials, the informative monthly forums will be presented by area leaders in the President’s Hall at the AUL, 440 Vernon Odom Blvd., and are intended to inform and engage the community in conversation about pressing social and economic issues. The effort is intended to raise involvement of individuals and organizations in fashioning creative community responses to community needs, AUL officials added.

The speaker schedule includes:

• July 11, “Preparing Urban Youth for 21st Century Careers,” Roy Church, president, Lorain County Community College;

• Aug. 8, “Urban Health and the Culture of Wellness” Dr. E. Demond Scott, Summa Center at New Seasons;

• Sept. 12, “Leadership: the Transformational Power Within Communities,” Stan Silverman, dean of Summit College, The University of Akron;

• Oct. 3, “Essential Personal Values for Urban Youth,” Andre Thornton, president and CEO, ASW Global; and

• Nov. 7, “Raising Men in an Urban Community,” the Rev. Ronald Fowler, special counsel to the president, Kent State University.

Tickets to attend cost $25 per person or $200 for a table of eight. Various sponsorships also are available. A buffet lunch is included in the cost.

To obtain a registration form, email smyricks@akronurbanleague.org or call 330-434-3101.

For more information on the organization, visit www.akronurbanleague.org.

Absentee ballot applications to be mailed statewide

COLUMBUS — All registered voters in Ohio will receive applications by mail to vote absentee in the Nov. 6 General Election, Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted announced recently.

“Voting by mail is secure, convenient and because we expect many Ohioans will take advantage of this option, it will make election day run more smoothly,” Husted said. “Making it easier for Ohio voters to cast their ballots by mail will reduce the chance of long lines at the polls.”

According to Husted’s office, the statewide mailing will go out in two installments. The first will arrive in mailboxes just after Labor Day, Sept. 3, and cover Ohioans on the voter rolls as of July 30. The second mailing will be sent during the first week of October to bring in those who register to vote or update their voting information in subsequent months.

The absentee voting period for the General Election is set to begin Oct. 2, according to Husted’s office.

For security reasons, applications will be personalized to each registered voter at the address they have on file. Voters must complete the forms by providing valid identification, their date of birth and signature before returning the application to their county board of elections in the return envelope provided, according to Husted’s office.

The statewide mailing will be the first of its kind since Ohio’s no-fault absentee voting law was adopted in 2006, according to Husted’s office. In past elections, boards of elections, primarily in large urban counties, have proactively sent absentee ballot applications to voters in their counties. However, not all of the 88 county boards of elections have had the resources to conduct these mailings, according to Husted’s office.

“All Ohio voters should have the same opportunities and options to participate in the election regardless of where they live,” Husted said.

For more information, visit www.MyOhioVote.com.

KAB reports positive Community Appearance Index results

AKRON — Keep Akron Beautiful (KAB) conducted the Community Appearance Index June 15, a tool designed by Keep America Beautiful to visually assess the overall appearance of communities through indicators such as litter, illegal signs and graffiti.

A team of community and government representatives conducted the visual analysis using a scoring system ranging from 1 to 4, with “1” being the best to “4” the worst. The litter index for Akron rated 1.5 (a rating of 2 would indicate an area is slightly littered).

In 2011, KAB added two optional categories to its watch — a temporary illegal sign index and a graffiti index. This year, the temporary illegal signage index rated a 1.3, which means less than five signs were illegally placed on public land in any one ward. The graffiti index rated a 1.03 (a 2 rating would mean one to two small tags per ward were found, no larger than 6 by 6 feet that could be cleaned up by one to two people). This year, there were some areas that made major improvements.

This year the survey team included: Allan Johnson, KAB Board of Directors member; Dorothy Lepp, Joan Freeman and Sarah Vradenburg, KAB volunteers; John Hilkert, city of Akron Public Works Department; and Jacqui Flaherty, KAB program manager.

The team also surveyed six land uses for the appearance of litter during the windshield survey: agriculture, commercial, industrial, residential, educational and recreational. This year the commercial areas were found to be more littered than the other five land uses. Overall, the residential and educational areas in Akron appeared to be the most litter-free, according to KAB officials.

For more information, visit www.keepakronbeautiful.org.

Lightning Safety Awareness Week is June 24-30

COLUMBUS — In a coordinated effort with the National Weather Service (NWS), the Ohio Committee for Severe Weather Awareness (OCSWA) is promoting June 24-30 as Lightning Safety Awareness Week and encouraging Ohioans to practice lightning and severe storm safety and preparedness throughout the summer.

According to the NWS, there have been four lightning fatalities this year: two men in Louisiana, a 12-year-old boy in Alabama, and a man in Florida. All were outside either playing or fishing and had inadequate shelter. Twenty-six people died of lightning strikes in 2011, including one man in West Chester.

There is no safe place outside during a thunderstorm, according to the OCSWA. Performing this simple measure can dramatically reduce the chance of severe injury or death during a storm: When thunder roars, go indoors.

Ohio averages 30-50 days of thunderstorm activity annually, peaking in the summer.

The NWS and OCSWA also suggest the following:

• Watch for developing thunderstorms — Thunderstorms are most likely to develop on spring or summer days but can also occur at night and during any season. Know the difference between storm watches and warnings. Purchase an NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Weather Radio with tone alert that notifies when hazardous weather is in or near the area.

• Seek shelter before an approaching thunderstorm — Lightning can strike as far as 10 miles away from where it’s raining. If you can hear thunder, you are within striking distance. Seek immediate shelter. The sound of thunder travels about 1 mile every five seconds. If you count the seconds between the flash of lightning and the crack of thunder and divide by five, it will equal the number of miles the lightning is from you (10 seconds = 2 miles).

• Protect your pets — Outside doghouses are not lightning-safe. Dogs that are chained to trees or wire runners have no protection from lightning. Bring your pets inside during thunderstorms.

• Minimize your risk — Most lightning strikes occur during the summer when people are participating in outdoor recreational activities. At the first clap of thunders, stop outdoor activities and try to find indoor shelter immediately. If swimming, boating or fishing, get away from the water as quickly as possible. Find shelter in a substantial building or a hard-topped vehicle. Picnic shelters, carports, baseball dugouts and convertible vehicles are not safe shelters during thunder and lightning storms. Do not use electrical equipment. Stay away from water/plumbing sources. Wait at least 30 minutes after the last sound of thunder before going outside again.

• Helping someone struck by lightning — If a person is struck by lightning, call 9-1-1 and seek immediate medical attention. A lightning victim does not carry an electrical charge and is safe to touch. Knowing and implementing first-aid measures, which include cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), can help a person struck by lightning survive.

For more details, visit www.weathersafety.ohio.gov or www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov.

Kathleen Folkerth and Ariel Hakim contributed to these reports.

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