LAKEMORE — Summit County Executive Russell Pry announced his Department of Job and Family Services will distribute merchandise gift cards to families in need in areas targeted by the Summit 2010: A Quality of Life Project.

The cards were a surplus item after a giveaway in December 2008.

“Although we made several attempts to contact these families to let them know they were eligible for the cards, we just could not reach everyone, so some of the cards went unused,” said Pry. “We want to get these distributed to families so that they could be put to good use as winter approaches. This is why we asked for the help of the schools in each of the identified areas.”

The JCPenney merchandise cards are in $150 denominations and may be used only for clothing items such as shoes, boots and school clothes. The Discount Drug Mart merchandise cards are in $50 denominations and must be used exclusively for school supply items.

Among the schools assisting with distribution of the JCPenney and Discount Drug Mart cards is the Springfield Local Schools District for the Village of Lakemore, which has been identified by the Summit 2010 project as being the most impoverished municipality in Summit County.

The schools are working on the details of the distribution. Qualifying families must have at least one child of primary school age, 5 to 7, and family income must be no more than 200 percent of the federal poverty level.

Families selected also must complete a Prevention, Retention, Contingency application and be pre-approved.

The distribution of the cards is planned for later this month.

UWSC reports on fund-raising effort

SUMMIT COUNTY — The 2009 United Way/Red Cross campaign in Summit County has raised $4.42 million, or 39 percent, toward its goal of $11.3 million, according to United Way of Summit County (UWSC) officials.

Many of the major companies participating in the effort are starting their internal campaigns later this year than they have in the past, believing that the economy would improve and more employees would contribute, UWSC officials noted.

On an individual basis, UWSC research is finding that despite economic uncertainty, returning donors who are giving are increasing their gifts.

“Early returns are very encouraging, and we are so proud of the sacrificial giving by so many people this year —more than 46 percent of our first 6,100 donors have actually increased their contribution level from the prior year,” said UWSC President Bob Kulinski. “In addition, more than 1,700 new donors have pledged so far this year, and their gifts total $202,076.”

“Almost every one of our workplace campaign leaders have promised to work hard to do at least as well as last year, even though for many of them significant reductions in employment will make that challenging,” said William Lowery, 2009 United Way campaign chair.

For more information on how to make a donation, on programs and services in the community, or to volunteer, visit www.uwsummit.org, call (330) 762-7601 or stop by the UWSC offices at 90 N. Prospect St. 

Repairs to close sections of Towpath

GREATER AKRON — Metro Parks, Serving Summit County officials announced sections of the Towpath Trail will be closed intermittently as surface improvements are made in the coming weeks.

The closures will take place on weekdays, and visitors at the trails on weekends and holidays will not be affected, according to Metro Parks officials.

In Barberton, a quarter-mile section of the Towpath will be closed north of Snyder Road, as will the parking lots at 5 Fairview Ave.

In Clinton, the Towpath will be closed about one quarter-mile south of Center Road to improve the approaches to the bridge over Pancake Creek. The park district also will pave a few hundred feet of the trail north of Lock 2.

Signs will be posted a day or two before work begins in either area.

For more details, call Metro Parks, Serving Summit County at (330) 867-5511.

City prosecutor staff cuts mean change in office hours

DOWNTOWN AKRON — The Akron City Prosecutor’s Office announced last week it is reducing its hours for taking citizen complaints due to reductions in staff.

Those wishing to speak with a member of the prosecutor’s staff and make a complaint about a criminal matter may come to the office Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to noon or Wednesdays from 1 to 4 p.m.

The Prosecutor’s Office is in Room 203 of the Harold K. Stubbs Building, 217 S. High St.

According to Chief City Prosecutor Douglas Powley, a person who is the victim of a crime should call the police and allow the police to investigate the incident and determine the proper course. The police will determine if charges should be filed in the matter. 

The office has lost a third of its staff since last year. The prosecutors’ first priority is to process cases being heard in court, according to city officials. The new hours assigned for hearing complaints were set at times that there is less demand for staff time in the courtrooms.

Powely noted police agencies generate almost all the cases brought to court and do not require a prosecutor’s prior review.

“The number of criminal cases filed in the Akron court since I became prosecutor in 1989 has gone from 8,000 to 16,000, while the number of courtroom prosecutors increased from seven to eight,” Powley said.

A legal adviser is available to the police 24 hours a day.

The Akron Municipal Court serves Akron, Lakemore, Springfield, Mogadore, Bath, Fairlawn and Richfield.

    — By Stephanie Kist

Domestic Relations Court changing schedules of parent education programs

SUMMIT COUNTY — Due to budget cuts and mandated furlough days at the Domestic Relations Court, the schedule for educational programs for parents will change in 2010.

The cuts have required some cutbacks in the numbers of sessions held, as well as the court’s ability to provide some evening and weekend programs, according to court officials.

The new monthly schedules for programs are as follows:

• Remember the Children: Seminar for divorcing parents with minor children — second Thursday, 6 to 9 p.m., and third Saturday, 9 a.m. to noon;

• Working Together Program: Education and mediation program for never-married parents; parents are pre-assigned by order — every Thursday, 9 a.m. to noon; and

• Positive Solutions Program: Seminar for court-ordered high-conflict cases — first three Tuesdays, 6 to 9 p.m.; programs will be presented every other month.

The programs are designed to reduce parental conflict and help parents focus on their children’s needs and emotions through the court process and as they proceed in restructuring their lives.

Judges Carol Dezso and John Quinn said in a statement: “It is our hope that as the economy improves, our ability to return to the full schedule will be possible as well. We view this as a temporary means to provide needed services to the families we serve and stay within our budget.”

For more information, call (330) 643-2355 or (330) 643-2359 or visit www.drcourt.org.

    — By Stephanie Kist

Benefit dinner will memorialize Norton woman

SPRINGFIELD — A benefit dinner and celebration of the life of Sierra Thomas will take place Nov. 7 from 2 to 7 p.m. at Home Missionary Baptist Church, 1922 Oakes Drive. Thomas, 22, of Norton, died after a skydiving accident Sept. 19.

The dinner will include spaghetti, salad, rolls and drinks, as well as baked items for sale, a silent auction and a 50/50 raffle. The cost is $10, but dinner is free for children younger than 10.

Thomas was born in Canton and was a 2005 graduate of Highland High School. She was studying pharmacy at Brown-Mackie College and was a home health care provider. She is survived by her 2-year-old son, Kaiden; mother, Kim Gibbs, of Norton; father, Hershal Thomas, of Norton; sister Season Snider, of Akron; brothers Wayne Thomas, of Norton, Randy Thomas, of Florida, and Ryan Thomas, of Norton; and grandparents Vera and Don Ledford, of East Sparta, and Richard and Carol Berger, of Akron.

Memorial donations also may be made to the Sierra Thomas Trust Fund at any Key Bank location.

For more information, call Kim at (330) 780-0026.

    — By Stephanie Kist

Libraries closed Nov. 11 for staff training day

SUMMIT COUNTY — All Akron-Summit County Public Library locations will be closed Nov. 11 for Staff Development Day.

There will be no Bookmobile or library delivery services.

Fines will not be assessed, and no library items will be due that day. Customers will have access to the online catalog.

All locations will reopen Nov. 12 during regular business hours.

The library system has 18 locations in Summit County. For details, call (330) 643-9000 or visit www.akronlibrary.org.