Articles by Estelle R. Brown
Estelle R. Brown is a freelance writer who lives in Garrettsville with her family. She has written and taken photos for newspapers, magazines and e-zines for the past 25 years. She also enjoys working on public relations projects, including web content, newsletters, posters, brochures, press releases, and other creative endeavors. She enjoys writing compelling stories about her community as a contributing reporter for the Villager.
SUE NELSON DESIGNS, Ltd. – Kent’s Antidote to Big Box Hardware
Kent – You just don’t find places like this any more.
Shops like Sue Nelson Designs, Ltd. in historic downtown Kent died off when big box hardware stores replaced family-owned interior design sales and services. But Sue Nelson has kept her shop alive at 156 South Water Street for nearly 25 …
Garrettsville’s Signature Boardwalk Turns Twenty
Garrettsville – On May 2, 1993, Garrettsville’s newest attraction — the Main Street boardwalk — was dedicated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Later described as “a wooden walkway to nowhere in particular except delight” in Ohio Magazine, the boardwalk held a promise of downtown revitalization and increased tourism for this historic …
“HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT” Designed to Shock Parents into Awareness
Garrettsville – Don’t get caught with your head in the sand. Parents have often been accused of being out of touch or naive when it comes to their children’s (mis)behavior. Here’s your chance to either redeem yourself or to get a rude awakening.
Looks can be deceiving. Don’t be fooled. This …
P&B Grinding and Machine Living the Dream
Garrettsville - Bill Butto and his father-in-law, Pete VanPelt, shared a dream for 20 years. Precision surface grinders by trade, they worked together at a shop in Streetsboro. But they always talked about going into business together and being their own boss. The only thing keeping them from pursuing this …
Klamer Steps Down After 22 Years
Garrettsville – On March 22, James A. Garfield School District Superintendent Charles C. Klamer submitted his letter of resignation to school board president Guy Pietra. The school board is expected to accept Klamer’s resignation officially at its next regular meeting on April 11. When his resignation goes into effect on …
S&K Sales Breathes New Life into Building
Garrettsville – Despite the obstinance of Old Man Winter, signs of Spring are adding up, from the blooming crocuses to the melodic calls of morning songbirds. There’s even a eye-catching red tractor in front of the old Paul’s Lumber building… and a new sign over the door which indicates a …
Part V: Books or Bytes? Looking at the Library of the Future
I like the way the pages feel and sound when you turn them and the way some books smell warm from decades of paper decay beneath the whorls imprinted from generations of turning, penciled notes in the margin small and fading. (Robert Andropolis)
Depending on how old you are, this little …
Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures: How to Respond to an Active Shooter
Portage County – What if a violent intruder showed up at your workplace or school, intent on shooting to kill? What would you do?
In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing …
The Problem with Print in a Digital Age: A Five-Part Series
“Wherever there is change and uncertainty lies opportunity, if you’re willing to take risks.” -Mark Cuban, owner of Dallas Mavericks
Undoubtedly, for newspapers to survive in this new environment of 24/7 digital information streams, they need to be nimble, flexible, experimental and bold.
Ultimately, the newspaper of the future may bear little resemblance to the newsprint you now hold in your hands. Newspapers have already become hybrids: part-print and part-internet. Eventually, they seem destined to become internet-only manifestations. Meanwhile, the transition from the printed page to its next embodiment is challenging, both for the newspaper industry and for its consumers.
Owner of Reinvented Welshfield Inn Gains National Attention
Troy – Welshfield Inn is a historic landmark, familiar to anyone who lives in the Portage/Geauga County area. It’s been an elegant family dining destination for generations, first established in 1842 as the Nash Hotel. But if you haven’t been paying close attention, you may have missed the fact that …
Pasta House Brings Italian Home Cooking to Main Street
Garrettsville – If you’re looking for comfort food, it’s time to come home to The Pasta House. This Italian restaurant is downtown’s newest addition at 8126 Main Street, owned and operated by Sherry Quiggle and her son, Jeremy.
If these names sound familiar, they should. Jeremy took ownership of Italian Garden …
Early Birds Give the Most
Ravenna – Some people started preparing for the Christmas holidays as early as Halloween. Others got a start on their shopping by Thanksgiving or Black Friday. But even these early birds were put to shame by a group of young kids known as the Chesty Pullers Young Marines. Back on …
2013 is All Yours ~ Now What?
On January 2, the long holiday season was freshly behind us and it was time to get back into a normal routine. My FaceBook feed was full of glossy and hopeful well wishes for the new year… until I landed on this one from an old pal from high school. …
JAG Earns A+ on State Report Card
Garrettsville - The James A. Garfield School District has once again distinguished itself with highest honors. It earned the Excellent with Distinction (A+) status on statewide district report cards for the 2011-2012 academic year. JAG was one of only four among Portage County’s 11 school districts to achieve such a high …
Fire Truck Food Drive Helps to Shut the Door on Hunger
Garrettsville – It was cold, damp and grey outside Garrettsville’s IGA grocery store on Saturday morning, October 20. But Joe Leonard’s bright red antique firetruck with Santa on board drew curiosity seekers to the “Fill The Fire Truck Food Drive” and resulted in four truckfulls of food donations for the …
Jail Work Program Saves Tax Dollars While Equipping Inmates with Skills
Portage County – Democrat Portage County Sheriff David Doak is running an uncontested race for re-election this fall, so he is assured a second term. Nevertheless, Republican Portage County Commissioner Tommie Jo Marsilio is going out of her way to lend support to Doak.
Young Marines Return ‘Home’ to Serve Local Community
Ravenna – The Chesty Puller Young Marines unit recently moved back to Ravenna from Cuyahoga Falls, and the organization is spreading the word they’ve returned ‘home’ and are re-engaged with the local community.
The Young Marines is a youth education and service program for boys and girls, ages 8 through completion …
Friendship Mobile Food Pantry Takes a Bite out of Hunger
You’ve probably heard it said, “A friend in need is a friend indeed.” With poverty rates at an all-time high and one in six Ohio families struggling to put food on the table, more and more people need to rely on true friends who are happy to help when times …
It’s Back-to-School Season for Grownups, Too
It’s back-to-school season! The kids have got their new supplies, clothes and shoes, equipped for a new year of hopes, possibilities and goals.They’re taking new classes, playing on new teams, joining new clubs, meeting new friends. As summer fades into fall and we turn another page in the calendar, September …
900 Coalition: Restoring Garrettsville’s Historic Identity
GARRETTSVILLE – A new grassroots organization called the 900 Coalition is hosting their first community fundraising event: “Tools of the Trades Day” on Saturday, September 8, at the former Paul’s Lumber Yard at 8018 French Street (off of Freedom Street) from 12 noon to 4 p.m. Vehicles from many different …
Restoration of Buckeye Block Building Cues Revival on Main Street
Garrettsville – Restoration leads to revival. The renovation of downtown’s Buckeye Block Building is out to prove that.
Just a year ago, the village’s anchor Main Street building was in such a severe state of deterioration, officials feared it was a public threat and might need to be torn down. Along …
Justin Rodhe & the Olympic Spirit
What is the Olympic Spirit? We recognize it when we see it in an athlete who excels in his sport through sustained training, discipline and competition. When he experiences struggles and setbacks, he refuses to give up. He keeps striving.
While the back story of every Olympic athlete will likely exemplify …
G’ville Showcases Wastewater Treatment Plant Expansion
Garrettsville – Garrettsville unveiled its $6 million expansion and improvement of the village’s 52-year-old wastewater treatment plant with public tours on July 14. The new extended aeration system went online in February, following a two-year period of final planning and construction.
The new system is 99.5 percent effective in removing bacteria …
St. James In-Home Hearing Consultants Cut Costs
Housecalls are back!
Whether you live in Cleveland, Aurora, Middlefield or Garrettsville, St. James In-Home Hearing offers hearing care at affordable prices –- many times, at as much as half the cost of other hearing practices.
Conventional Drilling (not Fracking) on Liberty Street
Garrettsville - People want to know what’s going on along Liberty Street. At first, when the trees and brush were cleared, and a wide gravel drive was laid, the assumption was that someone must be building a new house. But then unfamiliar signs went up and big trucks were seen …
