Today is May 1, 2025.

• Happy May Day! The new month is going to come in with a bang, with heavy thunderstorms forecast today that could bring flooding downpours, hail and damaging wind gusts. The high will be 77, with tonight’s low a nice and mild 61. You can almost feel summer trying to elbow its way into Northeast Ohio.
  

• CHANGE IN NEXT WEEK’S PUBLICATION SCHEDULE: Due to the May 6 Primary Election, the next edition of The Spotlight will hit your inbox Wednesday, May 7 instead of our customary Thursday so that you can get election results hot off the press.
  

• NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER: The City of Stow will host an observance for the 74th Annual National Day of Prayer at noon TODAY on the front lawn of Stow City Hall, located at 3760 Darrow Rd. All are welcome.
  

• GOFUNDME CAMPAIGN FOR HERITAGE HOUSE CONTINUES: Further down today’s newsletter, we have an update on how things are going with the Stow Historical Society’s Heritage House fire recovery. To make a GoFundMe donation for the historic house’s restoration, go to this page.
  

• STOW ZONING CODE UPDATE MEETING: The City of Stow’s next Zoning Code Update Steering Committee meeting will take place at 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 7 in the city’s Safety Building Community Room, located at 3800 Darrow Rd. The public is invited to attend. Go here for more information.
  

• NEW COMMUNITY BUS FOR STOW: The City of Stow has announced that a Community Bus is currently in production. In his May Newsletter, Mayor John Pribonic says that the vehicle, which will feature a custom wrap design, is expected to hit the road by early fall, “ready to transport community members to events and destinations beyond our city.”
  

• HYDRANT FLUSHING IN MUNROE FALLS: Beginning Monday, May 5, the Munroe Falls Water Department will conduct its annual city-wide fire hydrant flushing for approximately six weeks. During this time, the city recommends that residents monitor the water coming out of faucets for discoloration or sediment, which can be kicked up by the flushing process. This is normal and not a public health concern. Most residents will not see any change in their water. However, if you do see discoloration, allow your water to run until it is clear, and do not launder light-colored clothing until the water has cleared.
  

• SILVER LAKE JOB OPENING: The Village of Silver Lake is accepting applications to fill a full-time Service Worker II/Mechanic position in the service department. Pay starts at $29.07/hr. with benefits. Go here for the job posting, description and an application.
  

• MAY 6 PRIMARY ELECTION: Early voting for the May 6 Primary Election began April 8 and runs through Sunday, May 4 at the Summit County Board of Elections Early Vote Center, located at 500 Grant St. in Akron. Regular business hours for the Summit County Board of Elections are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday; voting hours Sunday, May 4 are 1 to 5 p.m. Polls will be open on primary day May 6 from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Go to this page for more information.
  

• “Reader Spotlight” is a forum where you can send us your comments, concerns and suggestions on anything going on in our communities of Stow, Munroe Falls and Silver Lake. Send your email to [email protected], put “Reader Spotlight” in the subject line, and please include your name and town (recommended but not required for publication). We will publish comments as we receive them.
  

• If you just subscribed or missed something in an earlier newsletter, don’t fret: Subscribers have access to every edition of The Spotlight at www.stowmunroefalls.com. Check out back issues to catch up on everything that’s going on in our communities — you never know what you might have missed!

⭐ Several stories in this issue are only available to premium subscribers: Stow’s new amphitheater, ShotStop Ballistics, Fox Den update, Heritage House and more local news. Full access is just $2.99/month.

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Stow-Munroe Falls

Searching for answers: Stormwater study seeks to alleviate flooding in Echo Road area

Flooding from stormwater runoff has been an issue around Echo Road in Stow, and the city is taking steps to rectify the problem. The City of Stow has contracted with DLZ Corporation, a national engineering firm, to survey the open channel and pipe inverts for the Echo Road Stormwater Study, scheduled to take place Tuesday, May 6.

Here’s what the Echo Road Stormwater Project entails:

• The study aims to assess and enhance stormwater management within the area around Echo Road between Darrow Road and Hiwood Road, extending from the centerline of Maple Road to the centerline of Pinehurst Road.

• The city says that recent feedback from residents has highlighted ongoing concerns related to water issues, prompting the need for a comprehensive evaluation.

• The study will analyze current stormwater runoff patterns, assess residents’ concerns, review existing complaints filed with the City of Stow and the City of Munroe Falls, and develop effective solutions to mitigate flooding.

If you are a Munroe Falls resident whose property borders the open channel area, be advised that surveyors will be working around your property as well.

Stow

Kick off summer by stepping back in time at the Joshua Stow Festival

We’re starting to get knee deep in all the fun spring events going on in our area, but it’s not too early to start circling some dates for upcoming summer events, too. Starting with the Stow Historical Society’s 2025 Joshua Stow Festival, which will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 21 at Heritage Reserve Park, located at 5120 Young Rd. in Silver Springs Park.

The popular event will feature:

• Music, vendors and food

• Tours of the Stow Historical Society’s three furnished historic houses as well as its one-room schoolhouse and antique tool barn

• Additional activities and events on the Heritage Reserve Park grounds (look for more information in The Spotlight as the festival draws near)

All festival profits will be used to preserve the history of Stow at Heritage Reserve Park. To apply to be an arts & crafts vendor at the festival, go to this page.

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