First Annual Winter Writing Festival A Hit
Ravenna -“Inspiring and compelling afternoon”…. “I enjoyed the workshops immensely!”….. “Downtown Ravenna is beautiful”…. “We will definitely come again”, “Please bring more events downtown like this!”. These are just a few of the comments received from attendees and presenters who participated in the Main Street Ravenna First Annual Winter Writing Festival on February 23. In conjunction...
Maplewood Career Center Offers Adults Evening Workforce Development Classes
Ravenna - Maplewood Career Center’s Adult Education Department is offering Workforce Development classes beginning Fall 2021. Classes for adults include: Dental Assisting, Industrial Maintenance, Module Industrial Maintenance – Electrical, Module Industrial Maintenance – Fluid Power, Module Industrial Maintenance – Mechanical, Medical Coding & Billing, Precision Machining, Module Welding, or Welding Technologies. There are additional Life Enrichment classes being offered, which...
Hometown Church Explores Online Outreach and Rises to New Challenges
Ravenna - In every community across America there are small hometown churches representing a community of love and support for those in need of God’s word. You put on your Sunday best, shake the preacher’s hand, and take your seat at the pew to hear the morning message. Perhaps you go home and prepare a family dinner, as is...
Portage EMA Encourages Public To Review Draft County Hazard Mitigation Plan
Ravenna - The Portage County Hazard Mitigation Plan is currently being updated. It is necessary to update the plan every five years so that the county and participating communities remain eligible for pre-disaster and post-disaster mitigation grant programs.We are currently nearing the end of the plan update process and invite residents of Portage County to participate by reviewing and...
2021 Sportmen’s Dinner benefits Haven of Portage County
The ninth annual Sportsmen’s Dinner will be held Jan. 30 at Portage Community Chapel, 6490 S.R. 14, Ravenna. This year’s event will be a hybrid event—both an in-person and virtual experience. We want everyone to experience the event in a way that works best for them. This event, for anyone who loves the outdoors, is an evening full fun with...
Portage County Senior Center Events
The Portage County Senior Center Thursday Card Group is looking for a few interested seniors who would like to join them to learn a variety of games. The group meets each Thursday (except for the 1st Thursday) from 1-3 and they play games such as Canasta, Manipulation, Rummy 2000, Fan Tan, Shanghi, 3-13, A Golf Card game, and a...
Portage County Senior Center & Park District Team Up For Senior Turtle Hikes
The Portage County Senior Center, in coordination with The Portage Park District, would like to invite all seniors to join them for a fun opportunity to socialize with friends and get a little exercise, all the while enjoying the beauty of what our parks have to offer. Jennifer and Becca from the Portage Park District will lead the group...
Imaginative Expressions bring delight in the form of distinctive Colored Glass
Ravenna - A crafty little smile crossed the face of Jill Wolford as she expertly handled the 700-degree soldering iron and melted lead in front of her. She applied the lead to oddly-shaped, orange foil-wrapped pieces of glass which would eventually morph into a jack-o’-lantern fit for the upcoming Autumn season. Wolford has a great passion for her handmade...
Moore Earns Medals At AAU Gymnastics Nationals
Top Floor Gymnastics and Dance Center, located in Ravenna, took part in the Orlando AAU Gymnastics Nationals this summer. The event had over 2,500 gymnasts from across the United States who competed at the ESPN Wide World of Sports. Bringing home Silver Medals were Taylor Brown - Vault, Ella Hayn - Vault & Floor, and Avonlea Jefferson - Balance Beam. Bronze Medal...
Finding Forever Homes: Ravenna Sanctuary uses Facebook to Help Rescue, Rehabilitate, and Re-home Farm Animals
Ravenna – When considering adopting a new pet from a local shelter, many limit their search to dogs, cats, and other traditionally domestic animals. However, with National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day on April 30th, Happy Trails Farm Animal Sanctuary points out that these are not the only animals in need of our help and affection. In 2020 alone, Happy...
Allen Aircraft hosts Ribbon Cutting for New Certification Facility
Ravenna - Concrete, steel, party favors, an ice sculpture, balloons and stylish black, silver and red table settings all came together on Wednesday, September 18th at Allen Aircraft’s ribbon cutting for their new building. If you are from the area, then you should be familiar with Allen Aircraft’s reputation and the quality products they produce. In addition to the...
Portage Park District Expands its Programs for the benefit of Patrons
Portage County - What do a Monarch chrysalis, New England Purple Aster wildflowers, and Woolly Bear caterpillars all have in common? Stop scratching your head tryin’ to figure it out! You know I’m going to tell you! They are found in the great outdoors where you can go for a stroll and reaffirm your soul in the peaceful parks...
Reed Memorial Library Foundation Honors Junior Tuesday Club at Benefit
Ravenna - Many of my fondest childhood memories are from time spent at Reed Memorial Library - experiencing new worlds through literature and having my beloved librarians, Esther Cross and Louise Starling help me find books on everything from my favorite American Girl Samantha to the hound-dog children’s mystery series I loved so much. My mother, Darlene Scarlett, would on...
A Thanksgiving to be Grateful For…Midnight Madness
Ravenna - If you went to sleep the night before Thanksgiving with dread over not getting to celebrate the holiday with family then you are not alone. I woke up with apprehension at the idea of even getting out of bed. But then my dog licked my face and I smelled coffee brewing. I remembered my husband, Aditya, had...
Putting for a Cause
Ravenna - It was brisk and overcast on Saturday but that did not stop over 50 people from coming out to support the Main Street Ravenna fundraiser being hosted at the Birdie Shack. Having a benefit is difficult given the current social distancing procedures, but the regeneration group came up with a “putterrific” idea. In place of the annual Savory...
Reed Memorial Library Open for Browsing
Ravenna - The Reed Memorial Library Board of Trustees recently voted to broaden access to library services, no longer requiring an appointment and making materials directly accessible once again. “We are going back to the “grab-and-go library model we adopted in June,” explained Library Director, Brian C. Hare. Library patrons are asked to keep their visits brief. Meeting rooms, study...
Portage County Senior Center News
The 2021 Senior Farmers’ Market Nutritional Program planning is in full swing. The Portage County Senior Center is once again the distributor for this voucher program that awards $50 worth of coupons to lower income Portage seniors aged 60 and up to use for purchase of fresh locally-grown fruits and veggies. Seniors who participated last year may have already...
9-Year Old Donates to United Way of Portage County COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund
Ravenna – Provision Honey, a charitable project led by 9-year old, Isaac Waldeck, made a $850 donation to the United Way of Portage County (UWPC) COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund. The donation was generated from the sales of the local, Midwest honey. Isaac launched Provision Honey this past Thanksgiving with the goal of raising money for charities targeted toward those...
Ravenna Chamber Expands Focus to Involve Members
Ravenna - Unique opportunities are in store for your store! Running a business can be difficult; it’s your dream and a headache all at once. The hours of hard work pay off when you see a happy shopper leave your place of business. But the second you have to deal with payroll, human resources issues or maybe just an...
“The Purple Ladies From Home Instead Wear Red?”
What is happening in Portage County? The Home Instead Senior Care ladies are wearing Red? Here’s why… The snow is falling with chilly nights spent by the fire and thoughts of Christmas Shopping fall fast on your mind – the local Home Instead Senior Care office has been in full Christmas Spirit since the middle of October with the Be...
Experience of Life Creates a Novel
Life. It is such a fragile thing and such a beautiful gift. Many people become parents not knowing what to expect and hoping the best for their children. Happiness, health, and that they know they are loved is what they pray for, but we never know which turn the road will take. In the case of the Furness family,...
Employers Help Employees with Mental Health
Mental health is essential to a person’s overall health and well-being. A healthy mind and body can help individuals work to the best of their ability and reach their full potential. The pandemic has given employers an opportunity to be more supportive and understanding of the difficulties employees may be experiencing, however, a stigma still exists concerning mental health conditions....
United Way of Portage County Welcomes Seven New Board Members
United Way of Portage County is pleased to announce the appointment of seven new members to its Board of Directors. These new directors will provide strategic direction for continued growtharound United Way’s mission – to unite people and resources to improve the quality of life of families and individuals in Portage County. New board members are: George DeBord, Chief Financial Officer of the Mental Health & Recovery Board of Portage County Jeff Fowler, a community volunteer who has served on several Portage County boards, including University Hospitals Portage Foundation, Coleman Professional Services and Coleman Foundation Lori Graham, Compliance & CRA Officer for The Middlefield Banking Company Anthony Horton, Director of Personnel for Kent City Schools Melissa Koher, Human Resources Officer for Hometown Bank Dana Lawless-Andric, Associate Vice President, University Outreach & Engagement at Kent State University Mary Ann Schaefer, Manager of Administrative Services at The Davey Tree Expert Company “We welcome these...
Sidewalk Chalkers Inspire Hope with Messages
Since March we have all struggled, and unfortunately, some have felt the effects of the pandemic more significantly than others. “We are All in this Together” is a phrase that resonates and is meant to encourage comradery. But this is a Catch-22, because how can we support one another if have to social distance for safety? Brandi Smallwood and...
Ravenna’s Halloween Walk 2019
Ravenna - Woody from Toy Story, pieces of Candy Corn with legs, Iron Man, Dinosaurs and Elves all roamed the streets of Ravenna looking for treats. They braved all the tricks of wind and rain that Mother Nature blew our direction. Jumping spiders, flying spirits and evil clowns lurked all over, setting off mixed shouts of joy and fear...
The Main Street Ravenna Virtual Winter Writing Festival Was A Hit!
The Main Street Ravenna “Virtual” Winter Writing Festival was a great way to spend a few hours each Saturday in February learning about writing short stories, poems, and children’s books. Main Street Ravenna would like to thank our presenters who joined us virtually this year! Holding the event virtually worked out well and each workshop was well-attended! We had attendees...
Historic diner back on the map
As of October 2023 Ravenna has welcomed the newest addition to the downtown area, The Horseshoe Diner. Woodie and Sue Goodnight, a salt of the earth couple, took over the vacant space in the Buckeye Mall to turn it into a place where you can “catch up with old friends and make some new ones.” The Horseshoe Diner had its...
Artistic Inspiration To Make Chestnut Street Colorful
Ravenna - Whether you get artistic expression from a Monet or a Picasso piece of art in a museum, from a 1980’s MTV music video, or from a picture you have drawn yourself and had tattooed on your upper right arm -- you are an artist! You have the ability to express yourself! That is what the upcoming...
Streetsboro Football Pounces on Ravenna for Victory
The Streetsboro Rockets’ football team loves lifting off early against its opponents. The Rockets rode another fast start to keep pace in conference play, beating Metro Athletic Conference and Portage County foe Ravenna 56-7 last Friday evening at Portage Community Bank Stadium’s Gilcrest Field. “We did some not smart things against a good football last week and it jumped up and...
Portage County Genealogical Society
The Portage County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society will meet Saturday, March 2, 2019 at the Portage County Historical Society at 10:00 a.m. The society is located at 6549 N. Chestnut St., Ravenna, Ohio. Our guest speaker will be Deb Root Shell. Her topic will be “Mistaken Roots: a Genealogical Cautionary Tale.” This is a case study of how...
