Aurora
City council approved a conditional zoning certificate allowing the possibility of The Church in Aurora having a preschool, possibly starting this fall.
“There are still steps that the church has to take for final approval, and the state has to approve it also,” Womer Benjamin said.
National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make neighborhoods a safer, more caring place to live.
National Night Out, which takes place simultaneously across the country, enhances the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while bringing back a true sense of community. It also provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances.
Aurora will celebrate this year’s National Night Out from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 1 at Kiwanis-Moore Park at 35 W. Pioneer Trl. There will be food, bounce houses, raffle prizes and more. Sponsors are the Aurora police, fire and parks & recreation departments. There is no fee to participate, but some activities may incur a cost.
The Aurora Police Department held its first National Night Out in 2017, joining forces simultaneously with thousands of communities nationwide for the crime and drug prevention event. The next year, the local NNO event was combined with the popular kids’ Truck & Tractor event at Kiwanis-Moore Park next to the fire department. A Metro SWAT vehicle, fire trucks, an excavator, dump truck, front-end loader and many other vehicles were available for children to get an up-close look, climb into and learn what the vehicles did. One of the highlights was watching the Metro Life Flight helicopter land and take off from behind the fire department.
City council approved the hiring of the new assistant fire chief, Shaun Lutz. Lutz, who lives in Mantua, is currently the assistant fire chief in Beachwood. Lutz has worked part-time with Aurora for many years as a firefighter and paramedic. Aurora’s assistant fire chief was promoted to fire chief earlier this year because the longstanding fire chief retired.
“Shaun has great credentials and is familiar with our department,” Mayor Ann Womer Benjamin said.
City council issued a request for proposal (RFP) to lease the building at 10 S. Chillicothe Rd. that the City of Aurora recently purchased. The building is located right at the entrance to the Aurora Historic District.
“It’s a beautiful, historic building built in about 1825 and is in excellent condition,” Womer Benjamin said. “It’s in a very high-visibility location.”
The city wants a business or company that will leverage location, the historic character of the building and the city’s many assets to create economic activity.
“We want proposals from people who’d like to lease the structure,” Womer Benjamin said.
The RFP building lease commercial space can be found at auroraoh.com.
Council approved a contract given to Ronyak Paving to pave West Pioneer Trail between Bissell Road and state Route 82.
“The road sorely needs repaving,” Womer Benjamin said. “The paving will begin shortly and might be completed in early fall.”
The Harriet Tubman Movement serves people who have been subjected to sex trafficking, prostitution or other forms of exploitation. To learn more about the organization and what can be done to help, you can go to The Aurora Inn Hotel & Event Center at 30 Shawnee Trl. from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 9. The fee is $15. There will be a cash bar. To register, visit allaboutaurora.com.
A ticket raffle to benefit the Friends of CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of Portage County is currently ongoing. The fee to enter the raffle is $50. The first-place prize is $1,000, the second-place prize is $500, and the third-place prize is $250. The winners will be drawn Sunday, Aug. 20. The funds raised from this raffle will go directly toward recruiting, training and retaining CASA volunteers. CASA plays a vital role in advocating for children in foster care, particularly in cases involving abuse, neglect and dependency. Volunteers provide essential support and guidance during a critical time in these children’s lives. To purchase a raffle ticket or learn more about CASA and how you can get involved, call (330) 840-0060 or email [email protected].
The Campus of Anna Maria of Aurora, located at 889 N. Aurora Rd., will host its 14th Annual Charity Car Show from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 19. The car show will benefit the Alzheimer’s Association’s Greater East Ohio Area Chapter. More than 120 classic cars will be featured. There will also be a disc jockey, door prizes, a 50/50 raffle, donuts, ice cream, awards and more. All donations and sponsorships will be gratefully acknowledged and appreciated. Sponsorship levels are Diamond ($1,000), Platinum ($500), Gold ($300) and Silver ($100). For more information, call Evan Webster at (330) 562-0600 or email him at [email protected].
The Friends of the Aurora Memorial Library’s August book sale will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Aug. 18 and Saturday, Aug. 19 in the lower-level gallery. The library’s address is 115 E. Pioneer Trl. If you become a “Friends” member, you will receive a free book (premium books excluded). Your support through membership and purchases of materials at book sales help fund library activities, programs and events that enrich the lives of people in the community. It also helps fund purchases of new library books. Cash and checks only will be accepted. For more information, call (330) 562-6502.
The Aurora Chamber of Commerce Foundation will present a Night at the Races scholarship benefit Friday, Aug. 18 at The Aurora Inn Hotel & Event Center at 30 Shawnee Trl. (under the tent). The doors will open at 5 p.m., followed by a buffet dinner at 5:30 p.m. The races will start at 6:45 p.m. There will be a cash bar, and sponsorships are available. To register, email [email protected]. Registration closes at 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 10.
Aurora residents can go to Cedar Point at a discounted rate of $40 plus tax on Aurora Discount Days, which are any day between Saturday, Aug. 5 and Saturday, Aug. 12. All you have to do is visit cedarpoint.com/save and enter the user name, CPAURORA, and the password, aurora.
The Portage Development Board (PDB) helps companies locate, stay and grow in Portage County. Since 2011, the PDB has had an impact on the county with 119 projects, 41 new locations, 5,857 new jobs created and 5,274 jobs retained. Brad Ehrhart, president of the PDB and an Aurora resident, will give an update on what is happening in the county from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 23 at The Aurora Inn Hotel & Event Center at 30 Shawnee Trl. The fees are $30 for Chamber members and $35 for non-members. To register, visit allaboutaurora.com.
City council approved dedicating a street to Manny Barenholtz, the developer of the Walden and Four Seasons residential areas, who passed away earlier this year. South Bissell Road between Pioneer Trail and Aurora-Hudson Road will be called Manny Barenholtz Way.
City of Ravenna
City council is starting to get more information about a new water tower that will go where one of the city’s present ones is located, on state Route 14 between state Route 88 and state Route 44.
“The new water tower will be smaller but raised,” Mayor Frank Seman said. “The one that’s there now is like a tube and sits on the ground. We had to disconnect it because there wasn’t enough water use where it was, and the water got stale. The present water tower probably has scrap value, so there would be some use for it.”
The majority of the construction of the new water tower will be paid for by grant money. The new water tower will look a lot like the one at City Park – much better aesthetically than the one it will replace. The start of the project will likely happen next spring, and council is hopeful that the new water tower will be completed by the end of 2024.
City council passed a resolution for a contract to pave all of North Chestnut Street and all of South Prospect Street.
“The project should start fairly soon,” Seman said, “and I’m hopeful it will be done before the end of September.”
Work is being done at the west end of Main Street — including widening the street — from Madison Street to the city limit in preparation for paving.
“The paving is likely to happen next spring,” Seman said. “A grant from the Ohio Department of Transportation will probably pay for about 80% of it.”
The Ravenna Area Chamber of Commerce and Ravenna High School are asking Ravenna residents to show their support for senior student-athletes/band members by donating to purchase banners that will be hung on the poles around town and surrounding areas. Cost is $100 per double-sided banner. A Raven Proud sponsorship costs $500.
There are approximately 40 seniors participating in fall sports and marching band. Sponsor names will also be shown at home games. All proceeds will go toward funding the banners that will be proudly displayed throughout the community. Payments must be made by Wednesday, Aug. 9 and can be made at, or sent to, the Ravenna Area Chamber of Commerce, whose address is 135 E. Main St., Ravenna, OH 44266.
The annual Ravenna Chamber Business Break Golf Outing will be held Friday, Aug. 25 at Windmill Lakes Golf Club at 6544 State Route 14. The event will include 18 holes of golf and cart, hot lunch, beverages, gift certificate for dinner, T-shirt, swag bag, 50/50 raffle, and lots of contests and prizes. Cost is $110 for an individual and $400 per foursome. The first-place foursome will win $160. Sponsorship prices are $1,500, $750, $150 and $100. Tee time is 9 a.m. For more information, call (330) 296-3886 or email [email protected].
Another edition of the Ravenna Rocks Concert Series will take place from 4 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 12 downtown. There will be several vendors, a cruise-in and a cornhole tournament. Bring your lawn chairs.
Admission is free. Anyone interested in being a vendor or volunteering should email [email protected].
The Octane Nights Cruise In will take place from 3 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 2 on West Main Street from state Route 14 to Freedom Street. There will be classic cars, trucks, semis, tractors and more. The event is one of the top car shows in the country.
Weekly Car Cruise-Ins, presented by Tavern 1888 & Wolf Rock Radio, continue Wednesdays starting at 4 p.m. on Chestnut Street next to the county courthouse throughout the summer.
The Tiny Art Show will be held from Tuesday, Aug. 1 to Thursday, Aug. 31 at Reed Memorial Library at 167 E. Main St. The artwork will be on display for those who have submitted their tiny art.
The Haven Bike A Thon will take place Saturday, Aug. 5. Registration is at 9 a.m. at New Testament Baptist Church at 3583 State Route 59. For more information, call (330) 297-7005.
The first annual Raven Athletes of Honor 5K and 1 Mile Fun Run will take place Saturday, Aug. 19. Register and meet at 9 a.m. at Ravenna High School at 6589 N. Chestnut St.
VFW Family Day will take place at noon Saturday, Aug. 5 at Ravenna VFW Post 1055 at 6000 New Milford Rd.
Ravenna 7 Movies at 215 W. Cedar Ave. has some great discounted flicks this summer. Every Tuesday, admission is just $5!
Bingo Nights will be held Thursday, Aug. 3 and Thursday, Aug. 17 at Ravenna VFW Post 1055. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., and the games begin at 6:30 p.m.
The Back to School Bash for Ravenna Schools will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 9 at Ravenna High School for the school supplies giveaway.
The City of Ravenna joined Monarch City USA regarding the monarch butterflies, making Ravenna a registered site with the organization and one of only 12 cities in Ohio that are members.
“This was started in Ravenna because of the drop in the number of monarch butterflies in the area,” Seman said. “We’ve been planting food, including milkweed, that these animals prefer to lay their eggs on so the caterpillars can eat well.”
School begins Wednesday, Aug. 16 for Ravenna City Schools. The yearly calendar and school start times can be found on Facebook and at ravennaschools.us. Residents should be aware that school zone speed limits are coming back in season.
Ravenna Township
Ravenna Township is working with the City of Ravenna and the Joint Economic Development District (JEDD) board to renew its JEDD agreement. It renews every 10 years or so.
“The JEDD agreement is designed for drawing businesses to the area that you’re trying to promote in that JEDD, in this case our township and the City of Ravenna,” township Trustee Vince Coia said. “These businesses know that the communities work together in welcoming them and that there are infrastructure improvements that are either in place or are going to be in place to help them out and sustain them whether it be roads, water lines or sewer lines if there are none there.”
The township is working with the Portage County Land Bank to identify homes in the township that would qualify to be torn down because of their dilapidated state. The Land Bank buys up homes that are no longer considered habitable, and the health and fire departments determine if those structures are a hazard and have to be torn down. The Land Bank then provides the money to have them demolished.
“Sometimes,” Coia said, “the homeowners are current residents of the county but are behind in their taxes or they may have pulled up stakes and left to live out of state. They leave these properties behind, and they become eyesores.”
The township passed a resolution to change the name of Portage Street in the Skeels community to Deseree Liddell Street in honor of 97-year-old Deseree Liddell. A longtime resident of the Skeels neighborhood, Liddell helped pioneer several community projects there and in the McElrath community, both predominantly African-American areas, like running water, sewer and other things.
Streetsboro
Streetsboro is purchasing two brand-new Dodge Durango police cars to replace two older cars, but they will not be ready until sometime next year.
The Master Pizza ribbon cutting will take place at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 15 at its location at 9332 State Route 43. Complimentary pizza will be available through 12:30 p.m.
