Stacy Turner

Mantua - Author Leo Buscaglia is quoted as saying, “Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” Never has that...

What do you do when you’ve got a plethora of apples? That was the question this fall at the Turner house, where we’ve been buried in apples since autumn first began. Over the previous few years, our ancient apple orchard didn’t bear much fruit due to insect problems, overzealous...

Mantua - In this season of giving thanks, Frank Iannaggi, owner of the G & C Bakery in Mantua, is giving thanks for his wife, his five daughters, and his gorgeous grandchildren; the newest of whom was born this month. If you know Frank, or you’ve ever had the...

Mantua - In early November, the Mantua Restoration Society, Inc.,(MaRSI) held its last fund raiser of the year at the Mantua Center School building. As a fundraiser, the potluck dinner also included a silent auction, 50/50 raffle, and the drawing for a beautiful Mantua Center School-themed quilt by local...

Mantua - At the recent School Board meeting, the Board approved the resubmission of the Five-Year forecast for the fiscal years ending June 20, 2014 through 2018. The forecast was submitted to the Ohio Department of Education, as required by law. Continuing, the Board approved the first reading of...

Mantua - Crestwood Schools have much more going for them than just the three Rs. This fall, Primary School Principal Cindy Ducca and Intermediate School Principal Michelle Gerbrick have instituted a program that rewards students for exhibiting crucial skills at each of their schools -- qualities they call the...

Mantua Twp. - In light of many questions regarding expenditures of the Township’s finances, Township Fiscal Officer Marie Stehli shared a spreadsheet she developed to clearly show what has been spent on the Mantua Center school building.  She made copies available to those in attendance, and requested that it...

Hiram - At the start of the meeting, a representative from the Hiram Parks Board, Susan Merrill, informed council of a meeting that will be held on November 13th from 7 to 9 pm. The purpose of this meeting is to provide a venue for area businesses and residents...

Mantua - At the start of the meeting, Mayor Linda Clark welcomed James Carrozzi, an auxiliary officer who recently joined the village police department. Carrozzi is a Ravenna resident who graduated from the Academy at Kent State University in June of this year. Next, the Mayor reported that Congressman...

Mantua - As of September 1st, Kate Rogers has been hired as Administrative Services Officer. In this role, she will report to Clerk-Treasurer/Fiscal Officer Jenny August; in addition, Ms. Rogers will also work to process water and sewer billing with Village Administrator David Akerley. Rogers is a Mantua Village...

Mantua Twp. - Zoning Inspector John Dickey announced that he has set up office hours the first few Thursdays of each month at the Center School/Administration Building to make forms available and answer any zoning questions that residents may have. While the township has posted updated permit applications on...

Hiram Twp. - At a recent meeting of the Hiram Township Trustees, Trustee Jack Groselle mentioned that the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s Office of Farmland Preservation is inviting local cities, townships and conservation districts to apply for Local Sponsor Certification by November 15. Local sponsors who qualify would be...

Mantua - Imagine millions of pinwheels spinning in the wind. Pinwheels around the world in Great Britain, South America, the Middle East, and here in Mantua, Ohio. Yes, on Friday, September 20th, in honor of the International Day of Peace, Crestwood students will take part in an international art...

Mantua Twp. - At the recent Mantua Township trustees’ meeting, Zoning Inspector John Dickey recommended that the trustees consider passing a resolution covering residential nuisances including abandoned vehicles, property upkeep, and the like, as many area Townships have done. He shared this recommendation with the Township’s legal council, who...

Hiram Twp. - Chairperson Kathy Schulda reported that she received calls from Township residents reporting that they saw brine trucks dumping into a township river. Ms. Schulda immediately reported this to both the Portage County Sheriff’s office, and to Akron Water Works. When the Sheriff’s office arrived at the...

Mantua - Most people mark their 40th anniversary with rubies, but in Mantua, they’ll be celebrating the occasion with potatoes. This year marks the 40th year that the Village holds their annual event dedicated to all things spud, and it’s one year you won’t want to miss. The festival...

Mantua - Throughout its 60-year history, the Crestwood Scarlet Guard Marching Band has had a long tradition of excellence.  The band consistently appears at OMEA State Finals and Bands of America Championships, and in 2012 was named Class A Regional Champion at the Pittsburgh & Pontiac Regional Championships. Recently,...

Have your kids been exploring the uncharted territory of your very last nerve in these last few weeks of summer vacation? Are you looking a way to encourage them on a new adventure -- one that will get them outside to burn off some of that limitless energy? Would...

Hiram Twp. - At the recent Township Trustees meeting, Chairman Kathy Schulda shared that the township had been in talks with representatives from Pander Trucking regarding damage to Allyn Road where Pander’s storage wells are located, based on increased truck traffic to the wells. In the process of her...

Mantua - Superintendent David Toth opened the meeting by addressing the School Board and the 50 meeting attendees by highlighting his goal of increasing communication throughout the district. To that end, Toth plans to continue using the automated phone system to share district-wide events with community members. In addition,...

Hiram - Since returning to the Village in January 2012, Hiram Village Police Chief Ed Samec has made it one of his missions to get the community involved with the Hiram Police Department. To that end, he’s hosted community-minded events focused on helping area kids get to know Hiram’s...

Mantua - According to the 2007 National Agricultural Statistics Service census, only 662,264 barns built before 1960 remain across the country. In our area, a rare gem built in 1820 has been removed, but thanks to a local man, won’t be lost or forgotten. The nearly 200-year-old gem, which...

Mantua Twp. - After calling the August 1st Mantua Township Trustees meeting to order, Chairman Jason Carlton introduced new Zoning Inspector Mr. John Dickey  to township residents. Mr. Dickey is a Hiram resident with a varied background of work experience, including heating, ventilation and home contracting. He replaces Tierney...

Hiram - After calling the July 30th Special Village Council meeting to order, Mayor Lou Bertrand took the opportunity to recognize the EMS crew responsible for the 2012 Save of the Year Award. The EMS responders recognized were: Chief Bill Byers, Assistant Chief Mark Kozak, Captain Gary Bott, Firefighter...

At a special board meeting held last week, the Crestwood Local School Board voted unanimously to hire Michelle Gerbrick as the new Principal at Crestwood Intermediate School. Superintendent David Toth recommended Gerbrick for the position, sharing that her extensive background in instructional leadership, especially in technology would make her...

Looking for a fun way to spend some of your fleeting summer vacation days without spending a ton of cash? Check out Punderson State Park, in nearby Newbury. The 41-acre park features a 150-acre natural lake, and was our destination of choice on a recent hot and steamy day....

If you don’t think those three things go together, your kids might be at risk of suffering from summer slide. While it may sound like one of those cool attractions at a nearby water park, summer slide actually refers to the learning that kids lose each summer, as priorities...

Mantua - As noted previously, Ms. Linda Schilling resigned from her seat on Council at the June 18th meeting. That same evening, John Clark, husband of Mantua Mayor Linda Clark, was appointed to Council and sworn in that night. Since that meeting, several other key positions in the Village...

If you’ve wanted to share an outdoor concert with your kids, but worry about what else you might expose them to at many local concert venues, think about joining the family fun at The FEST. On August 4th, at this free family festival, you and your kids can enjoy...

Hiram - A visitor from the Governor’s Office, Tim Ross, was in attendance at a recent Hiram Village Council meeting. Mr. Ross, the Eastern Ohio Regional Liaison for Ohio Governor Kasich, presented some findings from a recent governmental report entitled, Beyond Boundaries: A Shared Services Action Plan for Ohio...