Red Devils wrestling crowns two K.I.T champions
Even high school sports teams can have a “Big Three”. Crestwood Red Devils’ senior 132-pounder J.P. Wrobel and senior 150-pounder Drake Rennecker each became champions and senior 215-pounder Gavin McIntyre finished in third place, propelling the Red Devils to 14th place as a team with 91.5 points at the at the 58th Kenston Invitational Tournament last week in Bainbridge...
We’re All Invited
Community Calendar Aspire Programs Mondays & Wednesdays The Portage County Maplewood Aspire Program will begin offering GED, Adult Diploma and ESOL classes at the Kent Free Library on Wednesday, January 3rd from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Classes will be held on Mondays and Wednesdays during this time. Prospective students are required to first attend an orientation session prior to entering class...
Crestwood begins plans to remodel Athletic Wall of Fame
Since the Crestwood Red Devils’ Athletic Wall of Fame has been in existence, only 37 athletes have been inducted and had their pictures displayed. The Red Devils will be expandin their Wall of Fame, having announced their plans to remodel and expand it beginning on Dec. 28. “Exciting is an understatement,” said Crestwood Athletic Director Troy Spiker. “It is all...
Red Devils basketball responds swiftly to take down Mogadore Wildcats
It had been a while since the Crestwood Red Devils boys’ basketball team faced off against its former Portage Trail Conference County Division foe Mogadore. The Red Devils greeted their old conference rivals by beating them 66-44 last Saturday afternoon in Mantua. “This is a great rivalry game,” said Coach Josh Jakacki. “We miss this rivalry and I wish there...
Indulge in holiday cheer at MaRSI’s ‘Christmas Dinner’
The Mantua Restoration Society (MaRSI) is holding their 2nd Friday Dinner, from 4 – 7pm, on Friday, December 8, 2023. The theme for this month’s menu is “Christmas Dinner”. Background music will be played by Skip Schweitzer and Cal Craig. The Mantua Restoration Society is not permitted to charge a set amount and cannot mention what similar food might...
Rotary Christmas tree auction makes Mantua shops merrier
If you missed the arrival last weekend of Santa and Mrs. C in Mantua, don’t fret. The holidays have just begun in this festive Village. On Thursday, the Village will once again host an evening holiday event with enough Christmas magic to expand even the grinchiest of hearts. It’s called Merry Evening in the Village, and it takes place...
Crestwood girls basketball outlasts Garfield G-Men in overtime
he Crestwood Red Devils girls’ basketball team finally snapped a cycle of losing against their Portage County rivals. Crestwood overcame the Garfield G-Men in overtime, winning 47-44 in its season opener last Wednesday evening in Garrettsville. “I know for the girls that it is huge,” said Red Devils’ Coach T.J. Henderson. “This rivalry means a lot. It goes back to...
Wanda Hoffman reaches 500 coaching victories with Crestwood volleyball
It seemed that when Crestwood Red Devils’ volleyball Coach Wanda Hoffman’s coaching days were behind her when she resigned from her post as the varsity coach following the 2012 season after 25 years of coaching. But Hoffman was not finished with Crestwood yet, returning to the sidelines before the 2018 season and picked up where she left off. The...
Schedule Your Merry Evening in Mantua Village
A Merry Evening in the Village will be held on Thursday, December 7 from 4:00- 8:00 PM. Come spend a pleasant evening in Mantua Village enjoying the Holiday spirit. Shops in Mantua Village will be decorated, stocked with Christmas items and open until 8:00. When you’re not shopping, the local restaurants will be offering food specials. The Crestwood High...
Crestwood School Board News
Recently, Crestwood Local Schools Treasurer Katie Hoffmeister provided the Board with a financial update. Hoffmeister noted that House Bill 33 (Community School Equity Funding Bill) was included in the Biannual Budget by the Ohio State Legislature. HB33 increases community school funding for brick-and-mortar schools by allocating to schools an additional $650 per pupil in both 2024 and 2025. Hoffmeister...
Veterans Day observed with Dedication Ceremony
This Veterans Day on a crisp afternoon, a small crowd gathered to witness the dedication of an artifact from World War II. The event took place on the lawn in front of Mantua Village Hall and Police Department on Saturday but was one year in the making. The idea to refurbish the decommissioned weapon and to publicly commemorate the reason...
Barn Artist Toured Through Portage County
Cincinnati-based artist Robert Kroeger returned to Portage County to see the fall foliage and scout out potential subjects for future works. No stranger to the area, Kroeger has visited multiple times in recent years to tour local barns with the help of local barn scout and Mantua resident Heather Paisley. For this season’s tour, Paisley set up a full day...
Take a Thanksgiving Day plunge for Crestwood’s Kids Weekend Meals program
Research shows that children are better able to learn when they’re well-nourished and not distracted by grumbling tummies. Furthermore, eating healthy meals has been linked to higher grades, better memory and behavior, and faster information processing. During the school year, many local families rely on the daily breakfasts and lunches their children receive at school to help their growing...
Crestwood’s Scarlet Guard to perform at Walt Disney World in February
As student enrollment declines across the area, one of the downside’s is the reduction of participants in high school music programs. According to Crestwood’s Scarlet Guard Band Director Angela Adkins, “CHS’s marching band enrollment has gone down the past 4 years, but at 49 students (around 15% of enrollment), we’re still above the national average of 10%.” She noted that...
Red Devils Soccer Finishes Off Bristol, Defends Sectional Banner
The Crestwood Red Devils boys’ soccer team appeared at the end of their rope, not having much left in the tank in the second half against Bristol in the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division III Northeast 1 sectional championship. But the Red Devils still prevailed 1-0 against the Panthers to repeat as the sectional champions last Thursday evening...
Red Devils Volleyball Uses Precision to Sweep G-Men
There is no better way to end the regular season than by defeating a neighborhood rival. The Crestwood Red Devils volleyball team did just that when they swept Portage County foe the Garfield G-Men 25-16, 25-19, 25-10 in their regular season finale last Saturday afternoon in Mantua.“It was very exciting,” said Red Devils’ Coach Wanda Hoffman. “It was nice....
Fall Fun in Mantua: Scavenger Hunt, Reverse Raffle, and Trick-or-Treating
This fall, there is plenty to do in the Village, as people get out to enjoy the glorious autumn leaves and bright blue skies. On Wednesday, October 25th, Crestwood Schools will be hosting a Career Day. The event takes place from 12:30 pm until 2:30 pm at 1088 John Edwards Drive. This event is hosted by Ohio Job &...
Berkshire Football Capitalizes on Crestwood’s Miscues
There is not really a formula on how to recover after being defeated by a Northeast Ohio powerhouse like Kirtland. But the Berkshire Badgers’ football team bounced back, defeating Chagrin Valley Conference Valley Division foe Crestwood 35-24 last Friday evening at Jack Lambert Stadium in Mantua. “To be honest we were very happy with how we played Kirtland,” said Coach...
Red Devils Soccer Uses First Half Flurry to Bury Badgers
A year ago, it seemed unlikely the Crestwood Red Devils boys’ soccer team would achieve ten wins in a season any time soon because of their small squad. But Crestwood continued defying expectations, defeating Chagrin Valley Conference rival Berkshire 4-2 in a crossover game in its regular season home finale last Saturday afternoon at Jack Lambert Stadium in Mantua. “This...
Barn Talk & Painting Demo on Saturday
Cincinnati-based painter Robert Kroeger has made several trips to Northern Portage County to document local agricultural buildings with oil paint. That’s because Kroeger is on a mission to create impasto oil paintings of historic barns before the structures succumb to time. In the course of his visits with barn owners, he finds out more about how they were used...
Cardinal Football Turns The Tables On Crestwood
Last week the Cardinal Huskies football team took a little time to get going. This time Cardinal got off to a fast start, beating Chagrin Valley Conference Valley Division rival Crestwood 34-14 to celebrate homecoming last Friday night at Richard A. Moss Field in Middlefield. “Losing to a rival is always tough but bouncing back against Crestwood, which is a great...
Women-Owned Businesses on the Rise
It all began back in 1972, when there were a little over 400,000 women-owned businesses in the United States. It’s surprising that until 1988, women needed a male relative to co-sign if they wanted to apply for a business loan. That same year, the SBA’s Women’s Business Ownership Act was passed, providing financial assistance to organizations that assisted women-owned small businesses. As a result, by 2019, women-owned businesses represented 42% of all U.S. businesses, generating an impressive $1.9 trillion worth of revenue in the US. And today, there are over 13 million women-owned businesses across the country. That trend continues on a local level. In the Village of Mantua, just on the main drag alone, there are four women-owned businesses worth a visit.
Red Devil Girls Soccer Shuts Out Red Raiders, Defends CVC Banner
After a team wins a conference title, the rest of the evening is fueled by celebration, but for Crestwood Red Devils girls’ soccer Coach Eric Sway, he only had 15 minutes to celebrate before preparing for the upcoming boys’ soccer match. He made the most out of those 15 minutes after the Red Devil girls shut out Chagrin Valley Conference...
Crestwood Volleyball Rebounds to Sweep Cardinal
Playing in another conference game right after a conference loss is just what the doctor ordered for the Crestwood Red Devils’ volleyball team. The Red Devils kept pace in the Chagrin Valley Conference Valley Division, sweeping Cardinal 25-10, 25-21, 25-23 last Thursday evening at Crestwood High School in Mantua. “You are always nervous because those teams are so well-rounded and have...
Crestwood Holds Another Successful Safety Town
Shortly before school a brand-new school year began, 55 new kindergarteners attended Safety Town at Crestwood Primary School. Safety Town organizer and Crestwood Primary School teacher Jolene Reese noted that the week was successful, giving 55 incoming kindergarteners the opportunity to learn how to be safe at school, home, and on the playground. Reese expressed gratitude for the help...
Crestwood Football Dominates Against Beachwood
So far this season, teams cannot catch up to the Crestwood Red Devils’ football team when they get their running game going. That trend continued when the Red Devils hammered Chagrin Valley Conference foe Beachwood 38-7 in a crossover game, for their fourth straight victory last Thursday night at Jack Lambert Stadium in Mantua. It marks the first time since 2019...
Bonnie Terry Named TOPS 2022 Ohio Queen
I come from a large family, the fourth of nine children. At mealtime, we had to clean our plates, if we wanted seconds. I joined the TOPS Ravenna Chapter in 2010. I was tired of looking like a woman eight months pregnant! At my highest weight 257 pounds. When I was standing, I couldn’t see my feet. My favorite form of...
Red Devils Soccer Secures Win Against Garfield G-Men
The Crestwood Red Devils boys’ soccer team may finally be over the hump. Crestwood continued rebounding from a difficult stretch of play, beating Portage County rival Garrettsville Garfield 3-1 last Saturday afternoon at Jack Lambert Stadium in Mantua. “We are definitely starting to get our mojo back,” said Red Devils’ Coach Eric Sway. “We did schedule some difficult teams in the...
Mantua Potato Festival Celebrates 50 Years
This weekend, the Potato Festival will continue its long history of bringing folks to the small community to celebrate the lowly spud. What has been known over the past 50-plus years as the Mantua Potato Festival first began as a Potato Show in 1938.
MaRSI’s 2nd Friday Dinner
The Mantua Restoration Society (MaRSI) will be holding their 2nd Friday Dinner, from 4 – 7pm, on Friday, September 8, 2023. The dinner features home-made main courses, fresh salads, and delectable desserts. There will be background music featuring Skip Schweitzer on guitar, Cal Craig on banjo, and the vocals of Sarah Harvey. If you haven’t been to one of...
