Santa Pub Crawl Sets Record
Garrettsville - The Garrettsville Summerfest Santa Pub Crawl was a smashing success with a record-breaking number of participants. December 8th’s crawl drew 115 participants ready to get their Christmas on and raise money for Garrettsville Summerfest. The pub crawl is quite a simple affair. Everyone dons their most obnoxious Christmas costume, pays a $25 entry fee, spends...
Garrettsville Receives An Early Christmas Present
Garrettsville - What happens when a community comes together? Great things! On December 12th, the Village of Garrettsville received a gazebo that was donated by the Garrettsville Family YMCA in partnership with the Cleveland YMCA. What started as a discussion, six months later became reality. In May of 2018, the Euclid Family YMCA closed its doors...
K&K Meat Shoppe a Local Treasure in Mantua
Mantua - Stepping inside the K & K Meat Shoppe, you’re engulfed in the aroma of smoked sausages and if you’re lucky, the succulent scent of wonder-roast rotisserie chicken. This family owned and operated shop on Main Street in Mantua provides quality meats, a full service deli, and an assortment of sandwiches and soups. “Our shop has a wood-burning...
Windham Holds the Fourth Annual Christmas Celebration
Windham - The Fourth Annual Parade of Lights and Polar Express, Christmas Celebration was held in Windham this past weekend. Although the weather was quite chilly, it didn’t keep folks from coming out to celebrate the season. The parade stepped off at 6:00pm from the Dollar General Store and went south, down Main Street to Center Street ending at...
Hiram Township News
Hiram Twp - At their last meeting, architect Hal Stamm presented preliminary details and information regarding the septic system at the new building. In similar news, Fiscal Officer Diane Rodhe asked the trustees to approve a resolution authorizing First Energy to install a streetlight at the entrance at the township’s property on State Route 82. Similarly, Chief Bill...
News from Mantua Village
Mantua - On Saturday, December 15th from 3-4 pm, Portage Park District staff will host attendees on a journey about what happens during winter in the parks. They’ll discuss how plants, animals and insects adapt to the season’s cold weather and what tracks can be spotted in the snow. The program begins at the Pop-Up Artists’ Market at 10676...
Nature’s Ornaments
From evergreens to icicles, the beauty of the holiday season can be seen in Nature. Try your hand at making your own unique ornaments from natural items by stopping into The West Woods Nature Center on Sunday, December 23, any time 2 to 4 p.m. during Nature Ornaments: Make It Yourself!Registration is required ahead of time to join in on...
Candlelight Christmas Service Invitation
This year will be my wife, Pastor Janie and my ninth year celebrating Christmas with the First Congregational Church of Freedom. This will be our final Christmas services with them as we are being called by our Lord into retirement at the end of the year. Please join us on December 23 at 6:30 pm for the Candlelight...
New Adventures donates 150 canned food items to the 4C’s Food Cupboard
Mantua - For the month of November, the New Adventures Early Learning Center students participated in a canned food drive to be donated to Mantua’s 4C’s Food Cupboard. The students learned about the importance of giving back to others in their community and to people in need. The Pre-Kindergarten class collected the most items with more than 75...
A Successful Warm Hearts, Warm Kids Coat Drive
Portage County - Each year members of the Portage County Insurance Association, a collection of Insurance Agents and vendors throughout Portage County hosts a Warm Hearts, Warm Kids Coat Drive. The association collected 335 kids coats, 20 adults coats, and numerous hats, gloves, snow pants, boots, and scarves which were distributed to three Portage Co. schools: Kathy...
Middlefield Keeps the Grinch from Stealing their Christmas
Middlefield - How do decorated trees, a craft show, the Grinch, fireworks, Cindy Lou Who and present snatching work together? If you said Merry Middlefield then you’d be correct. This past weekend it was Merry Middlefield, a Christmas celebration that included the Grinch, along with his side kick Max visiting area businesses trying to steal the children’s gifts the...
Angus McDougall Recognized as Ohio History Teacher of the Year
Mantua - At a recent School Board meeting, 2018 Ohio History Teacher of the Year, Angus McDougall was recognized by State Coordinator Christian Pascarella from the the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. The Institute’s mission is to promote the knowledge and understanding of American history through educational programs and resources. Pascarella noted that McDougall was selected from over...
ACT Prep Workshop Jan. 12 at James A. Garfield High School
New workshops this winter will offer one-day sessions packed with review and strategies for time-strapped students to achieve higher ACT scores.Area students will master testing strategies, conquer core subjects and build confidence to ace the college entrance exam and stay competitive among peers for college admission and scholarship dollars. Students can choose a workshop that fits their schedules: ? James...
Hiram Police Receive AAA Platinum Award
Hiram - In public comment, resident Daniel Burdecki inquired about the potential for US Mail delivery to his home in the village. He noted that it is inconvenient to travel to the Post Office each day to retrieve his mail, and noted he’d prefer receiving regular deliveries to his home. After some discussion as to the reasons behind the...
Thank You from the JAG Historical Society
The James A Garfield Historical Society would like to thank everyone who helped with our Christmas Walk 2018. It takes a village of volunteers to have such a successful event. We are most grateful to the homeowners who generously opened up their homes. Some decorating by themselves, some allowing our members to come in and fill their homes with a...
Mantua Township Historical Cemeteries Restoration Project
The Mantua Township Historical Cemeteries Restoration Project is a recently established group for those interested in the Pioneer and Eastlawn Cemeteries in order to preserve their historical significance. Under the direction of the Township Trustees the organization will evaluate, research, and with fund-raising for professional help, restore applicable gravestones. The group is represented by three township organizations: The Mantua Restoration...
Garfield Lego Teams Compete In Regional Competition
Garrettsville - On Sunday, December 2, five Lego teams from James A. Garfield traveled to the regional competition in Aurora. It was a day of judging, coding, competing, and camaraderie. The competition is completed in three parts. There is a research project portion, a second part which asks teams to work together and share their...
Ravenna Community Choir Presents Rhapsody in Bluegrass
Ravenna - Please join us for a fun-filled afternoon when the Ravenna Community Choir presents a new Christmas cantata, Rhapsody in Bluegrass by Joseph M. Martin, at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 9, at the Ravenna Assembly of God. Rhapsody in Bluegrass: A Christmas Jubilee tells the Christmas story with music based on American folk songs, spirituals, bluegrass-styled carols...
Creativebug: Holiday DIY Ideas for a Memorable, Crafty Holiday Season
Portage County District Library recently announced the addition of Creativebug to its Digital Library collection and there’s no better time than the holiday season to take a look at this site which offers PCDL cardholders free, unlimited access to over 1,000 instructional videos on a variety of DIY crafting disciplines. Creativebug is an instructional crafting site bringing the latest...
Mental Health First Aid Class January 2019
Mental health challenges – such as depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders– are common in the United States. In fact, more than one in five American adults will have a mental health problem in any given year. Coleman Professional Services and the Mental Health & Recovery Board of Portage County provide Mental Health First Aid courses to prepare the...
Portage County Historical Society and Museum Open House
The Portage County Historical Society and Museum will host its annual Open House from 1 to 4 pm. on Saturday, December 15. PCHS Historian Wayne Enders will do a presentation of “Christmases Past”Guests begin their tour at the Lowrie-Beatty Museum, where everyone will see artifacts from the Portage County area. New this year will be the Trexler Rubber Company display. From...
Portage County Genealogical Society
The Portage County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society will meet Saturday, December 1, 2018 at the Portage County Historical Society at 10:00 a.m. The society is located at 6549 N. Chestnut St., Ravenna, Ohio. The guest speaker will be Mary Jamba. When Ohio Was The West will be the topic from this avid genealogist with more than 20...
Hiram to Host Free Photography, Conservation, and Reflection Lecture Series
As part of The New Liberal Arts, Hiram College will host a Photography, Conservation, and Reflection Lecture Series featuring artist- and adventurer-in residence, Daniel Dodge. Dodge will lead a series of four guided discussions and Q&As, sharing insights, experiences, and observations as a long-distance hiker, outdoor enthusiast, and mindful photographer. He will also ask those in attendance to share...
Portage County District Library Appoints New Director
Garrettsville - During a special meeting held in late October, the Portage County District Library’s Board of Trustees appointed Jonathan Harris, currently the manager of the system’s Aurora Memorial Library branch, as the new library director. Harris succeeds Cecilia Swanson, who announced her plans to retire earlier in the year, after having served Portage County residents for nearly 25...
Garfield Custodian Fulfills Dream of Giving Back
Garrettsville - Garfield custodian Aida Baker came to the United States in July of 2017. Before leaving her homeland in the Philippines, she dreamed that she would one day help the children from the elementary school where she graduated from in 1980. Aida knew first hand the struggles families faced in her community. “As I recall my elementary days, I...
Caring Santa offers holiday photo & fun opportunities for special needs families
Visiting with Santa Claus each Christmas season is a rite of passage for many children. But for those with autism and others highly sensitive to noise, light and sound the process can be overwhelming. For this reason the Autism Society of the Mahoning Valley and the Eastwood Mall have collaborated to offer the 6th Annual Special Santa holiday photo event...
Poetry To Inspire at the Mantua Pop-Up Market
Mantua - The DMRC’s Pop-Up Artists Market is in full swing this holiday season, but it’s not just a place to find distinctive, hand-crafted gifts. The unique venue will host a variety of cultural events throughout the season, as well. This Sunday, December 2nd, the pop-up market will be filled with poetry. It’s an effort to bolster culture and...
Mantua-Shalersville Fire District News
Mantua - At their last meeting, Frank Ruehr, Fire Board Representative from Shalersville thanked voters for supporting the levy in November’s election. Jason Carlton, Fire Board Representative from Mantua Township, concurred, adding, “We’ll try to live up to the public’s expectations and spend their tax dollars wisely.” Fire Chief Matt Roosa added, “I’m grateful to taxpayers of the Fire...
Student Leaders Provide Community Service
JAG student leaders are continuing to find ways to provide community service. This fall the Student Leadership Team organized a candy collection for the Ronald McDonald House. Students wanted to provide some support for the families of seriously ill children. The collection was such a success, that there was enough candy to share with a nearby...
Celebrating 150 Years — Garrettsville United Methodist Church
The first meeting of members of this organization was held in the old red school house and was addressed by the Rev. S.H. Stoney of Nelson, Ohio, by whom they were organized in June 1868. The following names composed the organizing members: M. Harshman, R.A. Houghton, T. Barton, Albert Gage, Wm. Fox, H.E. Spencer, J.C. Ensign...
