Akron Ohio News - South Side News & Notes

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South Side News & Notes

1/21/2010 - South Side Leader

By Maria Lindsay

Green mayor to present State of City Address

GREEN — Green Mayor Dick Norton will present his State of the City Address Jan. 27 at Raintree Country Club, 4350 Mayfair Road.

The address, “Thriving in ’09,” will review the city’s successes in 2009 and how the city is thriving, and include a presentation on what residents and businesses can expect from city officials this year.

“Presenting the State of the City is a great way of sharing with constituents — both residents and businesses — what the city administration is doing to make Green a great place to work and live,” said Norton. “Our city thrived in 2009, and I look forward to sharing how we will continue to thrive in 2010 and beyond.”

The event will begin at 6 p.m. with a social hour, including appetizers and soft drinks, followed by the address at 7 p.m.

Norton explained the presentation will take place at Raintree to accommodate more residents than Council Chambers can permit. City officials stated that last year more than 250 people attended the event.

The event is open to the public, but reservations are required. To make a reservation, contact Amy Sehm at (330) 896-6602 or via e-mail at asehm@cityofgreen.org.

Title and Passport office relocates to Green

GREEN — Daniel Horrigan, Summit County clerk of courts, announced the South Branch Title and Passport office located at 480 Portage Lakes Drive in Coventry will move to 3333 Massillon Road, in the plaza where the National City Bank is located, as of Feb. 1.

“This relocation solidifies all of our branch offices to best serve our title and passport customers throughout Summit County,” said Horrigan. “The move has placed us in a more convenient and accessible location with abundant parking for our customers. At the same time, we are able to save taxpayer dollars over the life of the lease.”

The new phone number for the office is (330) 899-9699, and the hours will remain the same — Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

For more information, contact Horrigan at (330) 643-2210 or via e-mail at dhorrigan@summitoh.net.

Animal Control searching for at-large wolf-dog

COVENTRY — Summit County Executive Russ Pry’s Division of Animal Control received a call Jan. 19 about 1 a.m. from the Summit County Sheriff’s Office indicating three wolf-hybrids were at large in Coventry Township.

Animal Control personnel captured two of the animals at approximately 4 a.m. that same day, and their owners claimed the animals soon after. However, as of Jan. 20, one animal remains at large.

The animal is the size of a large dog, resembles a wolf and is a female.

Residents who spot the animal are asked to call (330) 643-2845.

Nolley teacher receives grant for history activity

NEW FRANKLIN — Laura Marino, a second-grade teacher at Nolley Elementary School, recently received an $800 grant from Target.

According to Marino, the grant provides funds for field trips and follow-up field trip activities.

Marino’s grant, “Museums Make History Come Alive in Manchester,” will involve a trip to the William McKinley Presidential Library and Museum in Canton Feb. 3.

“This trip will enable the children to integrate content subjects into the language arts areas,” she explained.

Marino said students will have completed the “Americans Make History” chapter in their Social Studies text prior to their trip. Afterward, each second-grader will read biographies and do further research on a historical character from the museum they choose to portray in dress and using props for a report that will serve as their script during the school’s “Wax Museum” presentation March 4 from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m.

Family members and seniors from the Chapel Hill Retirement Community in Canal Fulton will be invited to attend that event.

On Oct. 19, 2009, Marino was recognized at the Summit County Education celebration for being selected for the All-County Teaching Team.

Green High School PTSA hosting events

GREEN — The Green High School Parent-Teacher-Student Association (PTSA) will sponsor two events during the National PTA’s “Take Your Family to School Week” Feb. 8-12.

Georgette Constantinou, Ph.D., will present “Mean Girls/Mean Boys: Internet, Cell Phones, Sexting and Other Tools for Being Nasty” Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. in the high school auditorium, 1474 Boettler Road. Constantinou is administrative director of the Division of Pediatric Psychiatry and Psychology and co-director of the NeuroDevelopmental Center at Akron Children’s Hospital. Parents of “tweens” and teens in Green and surrounding communities are invited to attend.

On Feb. 11 at 7 p.m., parents of students in eighth to 10th grade are invited to gather in the high school senior commons area for “10 Things I Wish I Had Known When My Kid Started High School.” The one-hour presentation will include small round-table chats with veteran high school parents available to answer questions about classes, college entrance exams, community service, parent/student relationships, getting help for a child and more. One door prize will be awarded during the event.

The National PTA’s “Take Your Family to School Week” is an opportunity to connect family members to their children’s school experiences. PTSA student members will be present during extracurricular events taking place at the high school during the week to thank parents for taking an active interest in their children’s activities.

For more information, call Jan at (330) 896-3941.

Vacant-property group to reveal findings

DOWNTOWN AKRON — After more than a year of work, the Summit County Abandoned and Vacant Property Task Force is set to announce its findings at a public meeting Jan. 27.

The meeting will take place at 3 p.m. in the auditorium of the Akron-Summit County Main Library, 60 S. High St.

During the meeting, representatives of the task force will unveil their goals for combating the problem of abandoned and vacant properties in the community, as well as strategies for implementation.

The task force was created in October 2008 by resolution of Summit County Council. The group was charged with finding ways to reduce the number of abandoned and vacant properties in the county, decreasing neighborhood blight and decay, maximizing the use of abandoned and vacant properties and preventing future abandonments and vacancies by addressing the needs of homeowners who face the loss of their property through foreclosure or other reasons.

Task force participants include representatives from the offices of the County Executive, County Council, Fiscal Officer and Consumer Affairs, the city of Akron, local mayors, nonprofit organizations, lending and real-estate entities and other interested parties.

Community leaders have been invited to the presentation, but it also is open to the public. Those interested in attending are asked to register by Jan. 22 to Erin Siebel, County Council administrative assistant, at (330) 643-2725.

For more information, contact Darlene Mims, chief of staff for County Council, at (330) 643-2726.

— By Kathleen Folkerth

Local Red Cross chapters offering open house for military families

AKRON — Several local Red Cross chapters are combining their efforts to offer members of the military, veterans and their families the opportunity to learn more about specialized services available to them through a series of open houses Jan. 29 between noon and 5 p.m. Locations will include the Summit County Office, 501 W. Market St.

“Every day, the Red Cross helps local families cope with the stress and hardship of separation that occurs when military service members are deployed. The long separations and worry about loved ones in danger often place a serious emotional strain on families,” said Toby Ann Weber, chief executive officer of the American Red Cross of Summit and Portage Counties, in a press release. “We are holding these open houses in an effort to reach as many local families as possible about the services available to them.”

The Red Cross sends emergency messages between service members and their families around the world and around the clock, as well as facilitating financial assistance through military aid societies and making connections to other community services.

Other locations hosting open houses include the Medina County Office, 704 N. Court St., and the Barberton Office, at the Barberton Moose Lodge, 250 31st St. N.W.

Hourly orientation sessions will be provided, along with light refreshments, at each site.

For more details, call (330) 535-6131.

— By Stephanie Kist

Late fee subject of questionable e-mail

OHIO — A much forwarded e-mail in recent days warns Ohio drivers they will be subject to a $20 late fee if they don’t renew their vehicle registration by their birthday.

Though the e-mail is incorrect about when the late fee is applied, Ohio law did recently change in regards to registration renewal.

According to www.oplates.com, the Web site for the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV), effective Oct. 1, 2009, those who renew their vehicle registration more than seven calendar days after the expiration date will be charged a $20 late fee.

This fee was added as a result of the passage of House Bill 2 and affects renewing any vehicle registrations whether completed online, over the phone, in person or through the mail.

House Bill 2, which was passed March 30, also included a number of fee increases, including: vision screening fee (increase of $1.75; impacts all operator license renewal transactions, including standard driver’s license, commercial driver’s license and motorcycle endorsement); temporary tag fee (increase of $8); registration for personalized plates (increase of $15); and registration for initial reserve plates (increase of $15).

The BMV stated in a news release it began notifying customers of these changes July 1, 90 days in advance, through notifications on the standard mail-in renewal notices sent to each customer with a vehicle registered in his or her name.

For details, visit www.bmv.ohio.gov.

— By Stephanie Kist

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