Today is May 19, 2023.

• Did your flowers hold up in the freeze warning we had a couple nights ago? That shouldn't be a worry going forward: We'll have a high of 73 and low of 56 today, with a thunderstorm in the afternoon. Our overnight lows for most of the next week will be in the 50s, so our vegetation should be spared any additional cold air -- hopefully until fall.

Latest news in brief

Water main break, boil advisory issued then lifted, damaged street repaired: It was a wild start to the Graham/Fishcreek project

It was a hectic several days last week in the area of the Graham/Fishcreek Intersection Project.

First, work on the project began Monday, May 8. Then two days later, a water main erupted while the contractor was working on the intersection, prompting the City of Stow to immediately issue a boil-water alert in the affected area. The boil advisory remained in place for about two days before the city lifted it the morning of Friday, May 12, when the water was determined to be safe to consume and could be used normally.

Here's why:

• EPA regulations require the city to perform testing over a 24-hour period to ensure that the drinking water is safe before a precautionary boil-water advisory can be lifted.

• Water testing completed over those 24 hours confirmed that the drinking water was safe, and customers were no longer required to boil their drinking water or take any special precautions.

• For more information, contact the City of Stow Water Department at 330-689-2889. General information is also available from the EPA’s Safe Water Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791.

Repairs to Fishcreek Road at the site of the water main break were completed by May 12, with the planned ongoing construction of the Graham/Fishcreek intersection resuming shortly thereafter.

More local news:

• People of Stow, meet your newest police officer: Rip the German Shepherd. Rip, who is 15 months old, joins Officer Kris Maruna to form the Stow Police Department's newest K-9 team, which is trained in apprehension, handler protection, narcotics detection, and tracking. Rip and Ofc. Maruna completed a six-week training course at Von der haus Gill German Shepherds & Police K-9 Academy in Wapakoneta, Ohio, then earned their certification in patrol-related testing and special-purpose testing on May 12 through the State of Ohio and the National Association of Professional Canine Handlers. Rip and Ofc. Maruna join Diesel and Officer Pat Myers as the Stow Police Department's two K-9 teams. Go here to get a look at Officer Rip!

• Speaking of dogs, Doggie Dash 2023 will take place at 10 a.m. Sunday, May 21 at Stow-Munroe Falls High School (back parking lot) at 3227 Graham Rd. The Doggie Dash consists of a 1-mile run or walk with your dog. Cost is $10, and you can either sign up here or pay the day of the event.

• Volunteers are needed for Silver Lake's River Cleanup Event, which will take place from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, May 20 at the Silver Lake Recreation Campus at 2961 Kent Rd. The cleanup will focus on Silver Lake's section of the Cuyahoga River and the Marcia Mandala Trail. RSVP to Sarah at ssnook@kent.edu if you want to volunteer.

• The City of Munroe Falls will hold the second of two public hearings to discuss council and mayor compensation from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 6. The hearing will be held at City Hall (upstairs) at 43 Munroe Falls Ave. and will take place prior to the regular city council meeting. Any interested person may attend the public hearing and be heard. Call 330-688-7491 ext. 222 for more information.

• The Stow Parks & Recreation Department's first Connect with Nature: Backyard Safari event of the summer will take place from 11 a.m. to noon Friday, June 23 at Leona Farris Lodge (Silver Springs Lodge) at Silver Springs Park (5027 Stow Rd.). Children ages 8 to 11 will learn about the animals we see in our backyards with hands-on exploration, games and activities, with the June 23 program focusing on amphibians and reptiles. This free event will have outdoor exploration components, so come ready to be outside and possibly get a little dirty! Go to this page to register. Program is in partnership with the Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library. For more information, call the Stow Parks and Recreation Department at 330-689-5100.

• Ready for a rockin' good time? Then join the Stow Parks & Recreation Department and Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library for their Fiddle and Food Truck event, which will take place from 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday, June 29 on the library lawn at 3512 Darrow Rd. This free event will feature fiddler extraordinaire Krista Solars, who began playing fiddle music when she was 6 years old and is now a four-time state fiddle champ. Krista is back from performing in Las Vegas, and she will put the fire in the hottest and fastest country and pop tunes. Food will be available to purchase, and registration is not necessary. Just bring your blankets and lawn chairs and plan to have a great time!

• This is Team Up 2 Clean Up weekend in Stow, which means volunteers will be out in force Saturday, May 20 picking up litter alongside roads, in parking lots and throughout some park areas in the city. Motorists are asked to watch for the bright green T-shirts alongside roads and sidewalks – if you see them, slow down and give them some room. If you notice them leaving bags of trash along the side of the road, they're not littering -- the city's parks maintenance staff will be out that afternoon picking up the bags. Thank you to all the volunteers!

• The commemorative senior banners are up. The banners, which honor graduating seniors of Stow-Munroe Falls High School, went up this week on the grounds of Stow City Hall at 3760 Darrow Rd. and will be on display through Friday, June 30. Congratulations, seniors!

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Community calendar

🌳 Sat., May 20, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.: Native Plant Festival: What: Join Summit Metro Parks staff and local native plant nurseries at the event's new location in Munroe Falls to discover the vital role of native plants in our ecosystem. Browse a wide variety of plants available for purchase, or attend an educational session to learn how to incorporate native plants into your landscaping. Attendees can also receive a free seedling while supplies last. Where: Munroe Falls Metro Park (521 S. River Rd.). Food will be available for purchase from D-Bo’s Grill and Henry’s Creamery. Go here for more information.

🐢 Tues., May 23, 9 a.m.-8 p.m.: Drop-In Turtle craft. What: In celebration of World Turtle Day, stop by the library and make your own turtle craft to take home. The craft is intended for ages 2 to 8 and available while supplies last. Where: Community Room at the Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library (3512 Darrow Rd.). No registration required.

🏠 Wed., May 24, 6-8 p.m.: Homebuying 101. What: Join local real estate professionals to learn the basics of the home-buying process. Find out the current state of the market, how to become financially prepared, get information about closing costs, and much more. Speakers include Lindsey Riley, realtor at Cutler Real Estate, and a representative from Cross Country Mortgage. Where: Stow-Munroe Falls Room at the Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library (3512 Darrow Rd.). To register for this free program, go to this page or call 330-688-3295 ext. 4.

🎸 Sat., May 27, 6-8 p.m.: Concert on the Green: Overboard the Love Boat Band. What: The City of Stow kicks off its 2023 Concerts on the Green schedule with the best yacht-rock hits of the '70s and '80s. Where: Stow City Center Campus (3870 Darrow Rd.). Bring your lawn chair and enjoy food trucks, yard games and great music! Admission is free.

🇺🇸 Mon., May 29, 10-10:30 a.m.: Stow Memorial Day Ceremony. What: The City of Stow and Acker-Moore Memorial Post (VFW) will observe the holiday with a ceremony honoring the U.S. military personnel who have died while serving in the United States armed forces. Where: Stow Cemetery (3162 Kent Rd.). The community is invited to the ceremony, which will feature a parade assembly, music and readings.

🇺🇸 Mon., May 29, 10 a.m.: Silver Lake Veterans Tribute Garden Dedication. What: The brand-new Veterans Tribute Garden will officially be dedicated with a ceremony on Memorial Day. Where: Silver Lake Village Hall (2961 Kent Rd.). The ceremony is open to the public.

🦈 Sun., June 4, 2-4:30 p.m.: Summer Sunday Afternoon Movie: Jaws. What: "You're gonna need a bigger boat." Remember that famous movie line? Well, everyone's favorite great white shark is back at this screening of the iconic film that is recognized as Hollywood's first summer blockbuster -- and started a feeding frenzy. Where: Stow-Munroe Falls Room at the Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library (3512 Darrow Rd.). No registration necessary. Just when you thought it was safe ...

Obituaries for May 12-18

Pamala Jean OsbornePamala Jean Osborne, 74, passed away peacefully at her home May 14, 2023, in Stow, Ohio.Read more

“Keep all the information coming! I love feeling connected to my community.”

“Your overall coverage is so needed - perhaps ask for a table/booth at the Library functions or the city’s concert series.”

Tom: Nice idea! Thanks for the support, everyone.

Stow

Resistance grows: Stop Miller's Landing petition seeks to halt controversial subdivision plan

That proposed subdivision along North River Road known as Miller's Landing is being met with some fierce opposition by residents. It would be built between Marsh Road and Saratoga Boulevard and necessitate the construction of two new streets off North River Road, one street consisting of 25 new homes and the other 20 homes.

And people aren't happy about it.

The Stop Miller's Landing Development website details residents' concerns about the project, and a petition drive has been launched to stop the proposed subdivision. Residents want answers from the city and developer Pulte Homes, and here are some of the hard questions they're asking:

• The sewer system. Even after the upgrade over the last few years, can the system handle an additional 45 homes?

• Water pressure locally is often low at times already. Will there be a study and upgrade?

• Electric grid. We already have too many power outages. Will there be a study and upgrade?

• Internet (Spectrum). Can they handle the traffic?

• Roads. Can Marsh and North River roads handle the traffic? Is there funding for widening the roads and adding a middle turn lane? Graham Road is already an example of poor planning with no middle turn lane.

The website lays out other concerns as well such as children's safety, stormwater runoff, disregard of city planning ordinances, houses in residents' backyards, and the fact that 45 new homes would wipe out the area's pastoral setting.

The Stow Planning Commission unanimously approved the preliminary site plan proposal at its Feb. 14 meeting. The matter is now up to Stow City Council, although it could be late summer or early fall before that body tackles the issue.

Stow

Going, going ... gone? Maplewood Pool shuts down for another summer, and its financial viability leaves its future in serious doubt

The pool at the Maplewood Park Recreation Club is closed for the second straight summer, and members are starting to wonder if it will ever be open again.

According to an Akron Beacon Journal report published May 18, Maplewood Pool, an outdoor facility located at 4386 Maplepark Road in Stow, will remain closed this summer due to maintenance costs that are far over budget and a lack of new members joining the club. The pool was closed last summer as well.

Here's what's happening:

• Maplewood Pool has been in existence since 1959 as a neighborhood pool, with membership opening to everyone in Stow in the 1970s.

• A recent email sent by the Maplewood Park Recreation Club Board of Trustees explaining the situation to members stated, in part: "We are testing and training a staff of 14 certified lifeguards and 10 concession workers. This is an inadequate number of staff for normal operating hours. ... Significant reductions in hours would be required for a sustainable and safe season."

• Some members suspect the City of Stow wants to take over operations of the pool. But Ward 3 Stow City Council Member Brian Lowdermilk told the ABJ that "it would take a couple million dollars" to rehabilitate the facility, money that can't be justified considering "only a couple hundred residents would use the pool and there’s over 30,000 residents in the city."

Plus, the city has plans in place for a sparkling new recreation center that would include an indoor pool, which would essentially render Maplewood Pool obsolete and send it to the same fate as the old Leisure Time pool on Darrow Road, which closed after the 2014 summer season. "Privately owned clubs and pools cannot compete with the city," Lowdermilk said.

And we're done for another week. As always, thank you for your support of The Spotlight, spread the good word about us, and email us at the address below with any news and information you might have — every little bit we get connects the community that much more. Have a great week!

Tom Hardestytom@stowmunroefalls.com