City of Ravenna
Downtown Ravenna will host the annual Ravenna Rocks, an all-day concert that will also include a car show, cornhole contest and more, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 10. Bring the family out to experience this fun summertime event.
Music performers will include The Michael Weber Show (the headliner), the 1052 Band, Matt Carson, the Back Alley Relics, and Kendall Chalkwater. Don’t miss the 9:30 grand finale!
One of the largest car shows in America is returning to Ravenna at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 3 in the town stretch from A&W to Mongoose Motorsports. The car show is presented by Mongoose Motorsports, Portage Trim and Octane Nights.
Last year, there were more than 5,000 cars in the half-mile stretch of town. At 7 p.m., there will be an engine rumble to honor the late co-founder of the car show, Gary Krause. Also on tap will be music, vendors, food and a motorcycle stunt show presented by Ride4Life.
Interested in mysteries and history? Main Street Ravenna will host the second annual Mystery on Main Saturday, Oct. 19 downtown. Planning meetings will begin at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 9 in the Main Street Ravenna office at 267 W. Main St.
Ravenna Youth Football sign-ups are now available for Ravenna students on the following dates:
July 13 – 9 a.m. to noon, Brown Middle School
July 20 – 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Brown Middle School
July 24 – 6 to 8 p.m., Ravenna High School main doors
July 27 – 9 a.m. to noon and 5 to 7 p.m., Brown Middle School
Fees are $170 for tackle football (1st-6th grades) and $75 for flag football (K-1st grades). Cash or checks will be accepted. Bring a birth certificate, current photo and proof of a sports physical. Fifth- and sixth-graders will be on B team, third- and-fourth graders will be on C team, and first- and second-graders will be 7-on-7.
For more information, call Director Brad Hager at 330-322-8228. Anyone interested in cheering for Ravenna Youth Football should email [email protected].
Do you love writing and/or reading? Help Main Street Ravenna plan next year’s Winter Writing Festival by taking part in monthly planning sessions on Zoom, which will be held at 7 p.m. the second Tuesday of every month leading up to the event. The next planning meeting will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 9. The festival will be a one-day workshop for writers of all skill levels that is hosted by the many business locations throughout downtown Ravenna. For more information, call Main Street Ravenna at 330-235-9509 or email [email protected].
Boar Fest will be Friday, July 12 and Saturday, July 13 at Crazy Boars Custom Cycle Shop at 260 S. Prospect St. Activities July 12 will start at 5 p.m., and activities July 13 will begin at 10 a.m. There will be a tattoo contest and a party July 12 and a bike show, music vendors and more July 13.
Reed Memorial Library will host a ribbon cutting for its outdoor renovations at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 17 at its new pavilion in the rear parking lot. The library is located at 167 E. Main St.
Hometown Bank will host a free concert by the D.B. Band from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, July 11. The bank is located at 100 E. Main St. #3174.
The Red Cross Blood Drive will be held Thursday, July 11 at Reed Memorial Library at 167 E. Main St. Walk-ins are welcome. Registration is also offered by going to reedlibrary.org.
The City of Ravenna and the Design Review Commission (DRC) are currently tasked with updating the Historic District Guidelines. The DRC meets monthly and is currently undertaking an extensive review of documents crafted by Perspectus Architecture LLC. The next meeting is at 10 a.m. Thursday, July 11 at Ravenna City Hall at 210 S. Park Way.
Aurora
Tony Dockus was the grand marshal for Aurora’s annual July 4th parade. Dockus, who has lived in Aurora for 48 years, is a veteran who has two Purple Hearts and served in the 101st Airborne Division. He is the service officer for both the American Legion and the VFW. He also worked with a team of volunteers last year to bring the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall to Aurora, which was a very big event.
“Tony just continues working for veterans and our community,” Mayor Ann Womer Benjamin said. “We had gorgeous weather thankfully for the parade and the festival afterwards at Kiwanis-Moore Park. The fireworks went off in light rain, and it was fine.”
There is a proposal to add electricity at Aurora Cemetery to provide lighting for the American flag and the Veterans Monument. Emery Electric would do the electric work. The addition of electricity is courtesy of several donations, including one from Emery Electric and one from Aurora VFW Post 2629, while the City of Aurora would pay for the balance of it.
The City of Aurora now owns the Aurora Memorial Library building and the land it’s on. The building houses not only the library but also the Aurora Community Theatre, the Aurora Historical Society and the Friends of the Library.
The building has been managed for decades by the Aurora Library Trust, which was a community-funded trust that oversaw operations at the building and handled the leases to the various tenants. As of July 1, the trust dissolved and turned the operations over to the city.
The members of Aurora’s Charter Review Commission, which was appointed earlier this year, have reviewed the city’s charter and made 13 amendment suggestions to city council and Womer Benjamin. One amendment would increase the amount for contracts going out for bid from $20,000 to $25,000.
There are several amendment suggestions that relate to publication requirements. Instead of requiring publication in print newspapers only, it also adds online options. There are two amendments that would add an alternate member to the planning commission and an alternate member to the civil service commission.
There is also a proposal to submit charter changes to voters for their approval, which is done anyway. “Somehow, the provision was inadvertently omitted some time ago from the charter, and we would like to add it back,” Womer Benjamin said.
Truck and Tractor Night will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 6 at Kiwanis-Moore Park at 35 W. Pioneer Trl. There will be free food, all kinds of activities, games and handouts.
“It’s a big event,” Womer Benjamin said.
The movie “Wonka” will be shown at 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 2 outside at Hartman Park at 35 Townline Rd. There is no charge. Food trucks will be available.
Streetsboro
The Streetsboro United Methodist Church’s annual Hale Farm Chapel Service will take place at 10 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 4 at 2686 Oak Hill Rd. in Bath. Doors open at 9:30 a.m. All are welcome. Pastor Gordon Blickle will officiate. Bring a picnic lunch to enjoy at the pavilion after the service and be entertained by Old Time Music Jam. The farm and village areas will be open to visit in the afternoon. To park, enter off Oak Hill Road at gate #4 on the right.
Streetsboro’s annual Family Days will be Friday, July 26 to Sunday, July 28 at Streetsboro City Park at 8970 Kirby Ln. There will be food and beverage trucks, vendors, a beer tent, several bands and kids activities.
“Usually,” Mayor Glenn Broska said, “it starts around 3 or 4 p.m. and goes until 11 p.m. or midnight each day.”
The City of Streetsboro received a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency for new valve exercising equipment for the water department.
“They used to have to turn the water valves with some kind of T tool,” Broska said. “Because of past injuries using that tool, somebody created valve exercising equipment that will turn the valves.”
The city received a donation from Great Lakes Hyundai, located at 9630 state Route 14, of a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe to be used by the new Streetsboro City Schools resource officer.
Crumbl Cookies recently opened and had its ribbon-cutting ceremony June 28. The new business is located at 1274 state Route 303.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony for Popeyes was July 1. The new chicken restaurant, located at 9346 state Route 14, will be opening soon.
Shalersville
Shalersville Township received six bids for the paving of Coit Road. Bidding closed at 7 p.m. July 2. The bids now go to the Portage County Engineer and then to the Portage County Prosecutor for approvals. After the approval process, the vendor with the winning bid will be notified.
Coit Road from state Route 303 to Frost Road will receive a level coat (like Cooley Road last year) and a chip-and-seal top coat. The State of Ohio awarded a 50% funding grant for the paving of Coit Road. The bids were less than the planned amount, so the township may be able to complete more road repairs than what it had originally planned.
State Route 44 will be closed in front of the Portage County Airport for five days beginning Monday, July 8. Then State Route 303 between State Route 44 and Peck Road will close Monday, July 15 for 12 days.
The township’s $225,000 grant for Shalersville Township Park is almost complete. The park is located at 4680 state Route 303.
“Everyone has signed off on it. We’re just waiting for the official notification,” township Trustee Jack Bias said. “In anticipation of the grant, everyone walked outside to review possible sites for the new pavilion and gazebo.”
Township Vice Chair Frank Ruehr suggested that the township place a large portion of its banking account in a money market account to take advantage of the high interest rates that are being paid.
The monthly Mantua-Shalersville Area Chamber of Commerce meeting will be at 5 p.m. Thursday, July 18 at De Novo Wellness Spa, located at 9222 state Route 44. The public is invited.
