City of Ravenna
The Community Action Council of Portage County, Inc., is sponsoring the Summer Food Program for Children at sites around the county. The program is funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Ohio Department of Education and the Community Action Council of Portage County. Any child ages 1 to 18 can receive a free, nutritious lunch and breakfast (at some sites) at one of the agency’s 11 open sites located throughout Portage County. No paperwork is required. The seven sites in Ravenna, which will serve meals through Aug. 11 unless noted otherwise, are the following:
- Community Estates, Fairfield Street, lunch from noon to 1 p.m.
- Ravenna City Park, 165 Oakwood St., breakfast from 8 to 9 a.m. and lunch from 11 a.m. to noon
- Ravenna High School, 6589 N. Chestnut St., breakfast from 8 to 8:30 a.m. and lunch from 11:30 a.m. to noon, July 31 to Aug. 11, Monday through Thursday only
- Reed Memorial Library, 167 E. Main St., lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
- Renaissance Place, 5660 S. Prospect St., lunch from noon to 1 p.m.
- Terrill Suites, 858½ Cleveland Rd., lunch from noon to 1 p.m.
- CAC Youth Center, 519 N. Walnut St., breakfast from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. and lunch from noon to 1 p.m.
City council held a meeting of the planning commission June 27 to approve site plans for two projects to get their building permits and proceed with construction. One project is at 218 W. Main St. adjacent to Guido’s Pizza and Catering in which the city is in the process of planning a “green area.”
“Right now, it’s an empty lot,” Mayor Frank Seman said. “It will be a park, a place where people can stop and have lunch. There will be benches and picnic tables and trees and bushes. It’s also designed to be able to be used when there are downtown events, in which there will be a small stage on which small bands will be able to perform.”
Neighborhood Development Services, Inc., bought the property and will transfer it to the city when the project is completed.
The other project is with Reed Memorial Library, which asked for site plan approval for renovations that are being done, such as upgrading the parking lot and installing facilities that can accommodate outdoor classes.
The annual Ravenna Area Chamber of Commerce “Only in Ravenna” event will take place downtown on Saturday, July 15. There will be live music, food trucks, DORA drinks and raffle prizes. The organizers are looking for acoustic musicians to perform on the corners of each city block to add to the ambiance and experience.
Only in Ravenna, which will actually be set up as a scavenger hunt, will take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. throughout town. Attendees can experience, discover, learn and get a taste of what Ravenna has to offer.
“In the past, we have had over 40 businesses participate, and we are looking to grow this year,” Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Ryann Kuchenbecker said. “Whether you have a business downtown or you happen to be on the outskirts, no worries. We will find an opportunity for all to be involved and participate.”
Individual tickets cost $15, and a family 4-pack costs $40. Sponsorships are available at rates of $20 for business participation, $250 for bronze business sponsor, $500 for silver business sponsor and $1,000 for gold business sponsor. Any business or community member interested in learning more or participating should email Kuchenbecker at [email protected]. To pre-register, visit ravennaareachamber.com.
A free thyroid screening will take place from 8 to 10 a.m. Tuesday, July 25 in the Palmstrom Community Room at UH Portage Medical Center, located at 6847 N. Chestnut St. Registration is required. For more information or to register for a screening appointment, call 330-297-2576.
Reed Memorial Library will present its Main Street Mile Historic Walking Tour from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 15. Build community pride by walking and learning the history of Ravenna. Participants should meet in front of the library.
Reed Memorial Library will host “The Art Room” for teens and tweens from 2 to 3 p.m. on the following dates:
- July 6: “Drawing Plants” – Draw a still-life of a plant, and plant your own seed to take home and watch grow
- July 13: “Eco Dye” – Create a summer rainbow bucket hat
- July 20: “Screen Printing” – Screen-print your own tote bag to fill with library books
- July 27: “Leaf & Flower Pounding” – Experiment with fresh leaf- and flower-pounding on a bandana
Paint & Sip Nights at the West Main St. Winery, Brewery & Cider House at 234 W. Main St. will take place at 6 p.m. on both Thursday, July 6 and Thursday, July 20. The fee is $25 to save your spot. For more information, call 330-839-8042.
Weekly car shows take place from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays next to the courthouse on Chestnut Street. The event is hosted by Tavern 1888, and music is provided by Wolf Rock Radio.
A community dinner is hosted by O.U.R. (Open United Recovery) Place from 6 to 9 p.m. every second Saturday of the month. As part of the community dinner, O.U.R. Place, located at 260 W. Main St., hosts a guest speaker on different important topics in the recovery community. The next community dinner will be July 8.
Battleground Game Center at 320 E. Main St., Ste. 301 will host multiple dates for Game Days throughout July:
- Saturday, July 8 – Conquest Escalation League
- Sunday, July 9 – Warhammer: Age of Sigmar Game Day
- Saturday, July 15 – Marvel Crisis Protocol Game Day
- Sunday, July 16 – LOTR: Battle for Middle-Earth Game Day
- Thursday, July 20 – Community Paint Night
- Saturday, July 22 – Warhammer 40k: 10th Edition Tournament
- Saturday, July 29 – Blood and Plunder Game Day
For more information, call 330-814-3194.
The DB Band presented by Hometown Bank will perform at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 13 at the courthouse lawn.
A ribbon cutting was held July 1 for Crazy Boars Custom Cycle at 260 S. Prospect St. The event included vendors, a bike show and live music featuring Jasmine Cain.
City council meetings are held at 6 p.m. the first Monday of every month at Ravenna City Hall. They are also streamed on YouTube and can be viewed there afterward as well.
Ravenna Township
Due mainly to a resident who was concerned about stray animals and wildlife being fed and causing a nuisance, the township is asking residents to please not feed the stray animals. The township says doing so causes a problem with other animals that happen to wander by, especially wildlife like raccoons, opossums and skunks.
The Portage County Sheriff’s Office recently approached the Ravenna Township Fire Department about providing medical assistance for its SWAT team.
“The fire chief and board felt that, with their guys being kind of overworked as it is,” township Trustee Vince Coia said, “it’s probably not a good situation to take on any more responsibilities, so we respectfully declined the offer.”
The King Kennedy Association will hold its annual community festival Saturday, July 29. Anyone in the township is welcome.
“There will be food available to purchase plus crafts for children and trinkets to buy. I’d think there will be some music, too,” Coia said. “They’ll probably try to incorporate the new King Kennedy Community Center.”
For more information, call 330-296-9116.
Aurora
It will be a busy day Tuesday, July 4 in Aurora. Kicking things off will be a Fun Run featuring a 1 mile and 5K that start at 8 and 8:30 a.m., respectively. A parade will commence at 11 a.m. in the Heinen’s Grocery Store parking lot, travel south on state Route 306, then head to Pioneer Trail, where it will turn right and conclude at Aurora High School. Afterward, there will be a grand marshal recognition and family festival at Kiwanis-Moore Park. The grand marshal is Reverend Kevin Horak from The Church in Aurora.
“Kevin has been there for many years, has been very involved with the Aurora Community Theatre and has done a lot for the community over many years,” Mayor Ann Womer Benjamin said.
A fireworks show will begin at dusk across from Fire Station #1 on West Pioneer Trail. In preparation for the fireworks, the Aurora Cemetery will close at 10 a.m. since the fireworks will be set up behind it.
To register for the Fun Run, visit runsignup.com.
City council approved the contract to replace three water lines – one of which, on Maple Lane, is the last remaining century-old water line in Aurora. The other water lines are on Fox Hill Road and at the intersection of state Route 43 and Pioneer Trail. All three water lines are expected to be replaced this year.
Aurora purchased the house next to the Aurora Memorial Library with the thought that the land could be used for future expansion of the library. The city also purchased two lots adjacent to Fire Station #2 on state Route 43 so that it might be able to expand the fire station. The structures on all three lots will be demolished.
The Friends of the Aurora Memorial Library will hold a book sale from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both Friday, July 14 and Saturday, July 15. The library is located at 115 E. Pioneer Trl. (lower level). If you purchase a paperback book, you get another paperback for free. Cash and checks only will be accepted. For more information, call 330-562-6502.
Aurora Parks and Recreation is presenting “Aurora’s Food Truck Wednesdays” from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month this summer at Kiwanis-Moore Park at 35 W. Pioneer Trl. The next two Food Truck Wednesdays will be July 12 and July 26.
The Aurora Rotary Club held its installation dinner last week to name George Schumacher the new president of the club.
A “Come & Go for a Cup of Joe” networking event will be held from 7:30 to 9 a.m. Thursday, July 6 at the Howard Hanna Community Room (lower level) at 195 Barrington Town Square. Bring your business cards, curiosity and enthusiasm for networking. Spread the word among your colleagues, friends and anyone who would benefit from this opportunity. Coffee is free. Registration is preferred but not required. To register, visit allaboutaurora.com.
EssentialZen Yoga Studio will present “Community Yoga in the Park” from 10 to 11 a.m. on both Saturday, July 15 and Saturday, July 29 at Veterans Memorial Parkway. Yoga will be taught by knowledgeable instructors. Children and well-behaved dogs are welcome. Bring a mat and water. Please register in advance at essentialzen.net.
The Orchid House Winery will hold a very special after-hours event from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 12. The new winery is located at 155 Treat Rd. Taste some of its wine and enjoy the beautiful views. There will be a cash bar. To register, visit allaboutaurora.com.
The Forage + Feather Outdoor Artisan Bazaar will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, July 15. The vendor fee is $30. Ten-by-10-foot spaces are available. If interested, call 234-781-9090.
Streetsboro
Streetsboro’s annual Family Days will be held from Thursday, July 27 through Sunday, July 30 at City Park.
“Family Days’ big claim to fame is that they always have a lot of good music concerts,” Mayor Glenn Broska said. “There will be food trucks and other vendors and a Bounce House for the kids.”
The hours for Family Days will be from 4 to 11 p.m. Thursday and Friday, noon to 11 p.m. Saturday, and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.
“They usually do pretty well attendance-wise, with some people coming from out of town,” Broska said.
Streetsboro is signing a contract with FirstEnergy to reduce the kilowatt rate by half.
“It’s going to end up saving us about $49,000 a year,” Broska said. “We’re responsible – pay the electric bill – for most of the street lights in the city.”
Also, the city is in the process of replacing most of the incandescent lights with LEDs, which are brighter and are also a much cleaner light.
The city approved an economic incentive package for a new company, Restaurant Depot, which is going to build a 153,000-square-foot building on state Route 43. Geis Construction will build the facility.
“They should be starting on it very soon,” Broska said.
Shalersville
The Mantua-Shalersville Area Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual community-wide garage sale from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on both Friday, July 28 and Saturday, July 29. Anyone interested in participating should email their street address to [email protected].
