Estelle R Brown

Freedom Twp. - Imagine sitting in church service when suddenly, the yipping, snarling and howling of wolves gathered outside drown out the voice of the pastor delivering his sermon. This was commonplace for parishioners of The First Congregational Church of Freedom, when it was first established in 1828 on...

Windham - The working poor in and around Windham have enough problems to worry about; medical care is no longer among them. Thanks to doctors Sue Meyer, M.D. and her husband, Mark Meyer, M.D., Faithful Servants Care Center is expanding beyond Franklin County, where they co-founded the not-for-profit organization about...

Owen Bass got a puppy, Biscuit, last year. Soon the then-10-year-old was frustrated by the realization he couldn’t take Biscuit outside without worrying the dog might run away. They had experienced the protected fun of a dog park by Sunny Lake in Aurora. Why couldn’t he bring a dog park to Garrettsville?

Garrettsville - It’s been a sweet way to make a living for Roger Angel and his wife, Connie. But after nearly 42 years of serving up Dilly Bars, swirl cones, Blizzards, Peanut Buster Parfaits, ice cream cakes, burgers, chili dogs and fries, it’s time for the Angels leave Garrettsville’s...

Garrettsville - A trusted institution since 1915, Ellerhorst Russell Insurance Agency has been a member of the Garrettsville community for over 100 years. With more than a century under its belt, it’s still a milestone when the agency can celebrate 50 years as a continuous representative for Westfield Insurance....

Garrettsville - Angels everywhere! Once inside Angelic Presence, you’ll find home decor, jewelry, ornaments, figurines, tokens, pictures, bereavement items, statues, metalwork, crystals, stones and countless other gift options related to angels, spirituality and healing. This new gift shop of over 1,000 angels — located in Suite 1 of the...

Garrettsville - Anyone who witnessed the Buckeye Block fire of 2014 cannot shake the images of billowing black smoke, raging flames and catastrophic collapse from their mind’s eye. One Garrettsville artist translated those searing images into a quilt created from layered digital photographs of that historic moment. Now, “Mourning...

Garrettsville - In celebration of its 60th anniversary, the Charles Auto Family invites the community to join them for a day of fun, food and prizes. Deejay Jason Adkins will oversee the festivities from 10 am to 4pm on Saturday, September 16 at the dealership, located at 10851 North...

Garrettsville - The year was 1957 when a state-of-the-art bowling alley was constructed at the crest of the hill along Windham Street (Rt. 82) in Garrettsville, aptly named SkyLane Bowling. Sixty years later, it’s time for “Garrettsville’s Family Entertainment Center” to celebrate with a free concert by Chris Higbee,...

The Garrettsville Skate Park is no passing fancy. The skateboard course was established 12 years ago on the site of the tennis courts at Village Park across from the library, giving young skate boarders a safe place off the streets to practice their moves. Over the years, the equipment...

Garrettsville - First, a recap from last week: Despite the common narrative assuming only decline among American manufacturers — especially for a small business located in a small village along the Rust Belt — Diskin Enterprises is a bright exception to that dark rule. This small manufacturer on Industrial Drive...

Garrettsville -  There’s a quiet revolution under way on Industrial Drive, where a small manufacturer has developed a global reach — even exporting to Mexico — during a time when  similar U.S. businesses are losing ground or folding altogether. Diversification and expansion through acquisitions has been the key to...

Garrettsville - For Elena Barnosky, LMT, her vocation is a calling. A licensed massage therapist, she has been operating Healing HandsTherapeutic Massage from the Sky Plaza Professional Building since 2015. She has built up a loyal clientele over the years, but realizes other people in town don’t realize what...

Garrettsville - Fire is a very real danger at home, at work or along the highway. Cooking, cigarettes, wood stoves, propane heaters, and other everyday appliances can spark a flame that quickly spreads out of control. Would you know how to put out a fire in such an emergency?...

Hiram - A model home in Village Gate Community is a model of energy efficiency in new home construction. Trading out cement block and traditional plywood for Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) block, Slab Shield, Low-E house wrap, recycled cellulose, oriented strand board, Trex deck boards and other ‘green’...

Garrettsville - The Nelson-Garrettsville Community Cupboard (NGCC) celebrates its fifth anniversary in February. That means — despite being a struggling not-for-profit organization totally reliant on community donations, dogged by growing demands, suffering a devastating fire, then rebuilding again — the NGCC endures to carry out its mission. The community is...

Maschek is considering a 20,000-square-foot, brick-faced building design in keeping with the architecture of Garrettsville’s historic district. An open arcade is planned for pedestrians to walk through from the rear parking lot to Main Street

Ravenna - A family business that has served Garrettsville for nearly 40 years is consolidating its talent and resources in Ravenna, effective January 1, 2017. Penney’s Auto & Truck Body Inc. has provided collision repair at 11878 Mills Rd. in Garrettsville since it was established in 1978. Now, according to...

Garrettsville - This dream has been brewing for years. Finally, its time has nearly come. Coffee will soon be served at Garrettsville’s new local coffee shop! Owners Whitney and Derek Podboy invite the community to their grand opening for The Cellar Door Coffee Company, Saturday, November 26, 2-8pm at...

Garrettsville - “It’s the most wonderful time of the year,” as crooner Andy Williams reminds us over the radio every Christmas season. In Garrettsville, the holidays are graciously ushered in with the biennial 2016 Christmas Walk and Craft Show, November 4, 5 and 6, and November 11, 12 and...

Along with renewed health came new love for Brenda Reiner. The following July after the bone marrow transplant, she met Michael Formberg, a fellow divorcee searching for true love after a painful marriage. Following three years of dating, they got engaged while vacationing in Kauai, under a rainbow of...

Imagine a dried-out sponge… no moisture, no spring or flexibility, just a hole-y husk capable of little else besides absorbing something new. That was the condition of Brenda Reiner’s bone marrow before she received a life-saving bone marrow infusion from an anonymous donor five years ago. Unfortunately, that was also...

Garrettsville - The Queen of Hearts is still playing her card close to the vest, after nearly a  year reigning over SkyLanes Bowling & SkyLounge. Every Sunday, 1500-2000 people gather outside at Sky Plaza to witness the drawing taking place on  the bowling alley’s rooftop. So far, the Queen...

Portage Parks are on the grow! Just as a garden requires warm sunshine and rain to grow, local park properties and programs are now flourishing, thanks to a long-awaited flow of delayed funding. For years, several set-aside properties have languished, waiting for funding in order to become accessible parks. These...

Garrettsville - Ensuring that the people of Garrettsville can put their best foot forward, a wife-and-husband team of podiatrists has arrived to carry forward the practice of Garrettsville Foot and Ankle Clinic. Carmelita Reyes, DPM and her husband, Vern Chuba, DPM, will start seeing patients beginning Tuesday, July 26,...

Garrettsville - Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie and Chevrolet, They Go Together in the Good ‘Ole USA… as the old Chevy jingle from 1975 goes. On Monday, Garrettsville’s Charles Auto Family shot a new commercial for local cable channels, and baseball still looms large in this promotion. The new commercial...

Windham - Despite rumors to the contrary, the village of Windham will have its annual carnival this summer, June 2 - 5, provided by McGinnis Amusements of Strongsville. Rides, games and food booths will occupy the area behind the fire station at 9601 East Center Street. Retired assistant fire chief...

Garrettsville - Reading has been rewarded! James A. Garfield Elementary School just received a $1,000 donation toward its reading program, which helps students meet academic standards. Local State Farm Insurance agent Shannan Jursa made the gift available to Project MORE through a matching grant ($500 State Farm Good Neighbor...

What is the third most common language used in America today? After English and Spanish, it’s American Sign Language. With that in mind, It may be a  good idea to learn this language of hand positions and gestures. It would be nice if the learning process was fun and...