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Today is Aug. 7, 2025.

• Morning, all! After some chilly nights that saw temps drop into the low 50s — which feels like the 30s when you’re used to the hot weather — we’re warming back up into Dog Days of Summer territory. Today will be fairly pedestrian in that regard — partly sunny with a high of 82 and a low of 63 — but then we’re going back up into the high 80s, topping out at 90 degrees Sunday. Woof.
  

• HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US!: Add another candle to the cake: The Spotlight celebrated its third birthday Aug. 2 (can it really be three years already?). Whether you’re a Spotlight veteran or a newbie, we appreciate the support of each and every one of you and look forward to continuing this news journey through our communities together. Thank you!
  

• MUNROE FALLS COULD BE GETTING MEMORIAL BENCHES: Munroe Falls City Council is working through an ordinance that would establish a process by which a resident or organization can donate a memorial bench to the city in the name of a loved one for location somewhere on city property like one of the parks. The donator would be responsible for the financial and physical maintenance of the bench. Each bench would feature a plaque indicating who the bench was given in memory of. What got the ball rolling on this topic? Well, it seems a resident recently approached city council wanting to donate a bench in memory of her late husband, who was a longtime member of the community and very committed to the city, and “we realized we didn’t have a process for them to go through,” Munroe Falls City Council President Ross Widenor said.
  

• COFFEE WITH COMRADES: The Silver Lake Veterans Committee invites all fellow Silver Lake veterans to have coffee, donuts and conversation at 8 a.m. TODAY at Silver Lake in one of the pods. The coffee and donuts will be provided.
  

• SMF VOLLEYBALL CAR WASH AT DAIRY QUEEN: The Stow-Munroe Falls High School volleyball team is having a car wash fundraiser from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 10 at the Stow Dairy Queen at 3645 Fishcreek Rd. The varsity team will wash cars from 1 to 2 p.m., followed by the junior varsity from 2 to 3 p.m. and the freshman team from 3 to 4 p.m. Come on out, get your car washed and support the Bulldogs!
  

• “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: Small subdivision near Maplewood Pool, water main break in Stow (don’t worry, no boil water alert), new pizzeria in Munroe Falls, mosquito spray schedule and more local news. Get full access for just $2.99/month.

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Silver Lake

Close call: Motorist disregards lane closure, nearly strikes road worker in construction zone

Between emergency road repairs and planned construction, the streets of Silver Lake have a lot going on this summer. Which means motorists have to pack their patience and common sense — something that didn’t happen a few days ago, which could have ended in tragedy but thankfully was only a close (but frightening) call.

This is what the Village of Silver Lake had to say about the incident in an Aug. 5 Facebook post:

“As emergency water repairs are made on Graham Road and construction is about to begin on Harriett Road, Markle Road, and portions of Silver Lake Boulevard, please keep the safety of our Service Department workers and contractors foremost in your minds.

“Yesterday, a car driving through blockades brushed one of our employees. Fortunately, he was not injured but hundreds of construction workers are killed and thousands more injured each year in construction zones.

“We understand that road and lane closures can be frustrating, but they are necessary to ensure worker safety. Take a deep breath, plan an appropriate detour, and ensure that these people go home safely to their families at the end of their shift.”

The village had another emergency road repair on its hands this week when a water main break forced motorists to avoid Millboro Road between Lakeland Parkway and Vincent Road.

Stow

Wanted: The biggest evergreen in the city. If that’s yours, then read on …

If you think you’ve got the biggest evergreen tree in Stow, then the City of Stow’s Urban Forestry Department wants to know about it. It’s the city’s 2025 Big Tree Contest, and residents are invited to nominate the largest conifer or evergreen tree growing in Stow.

Whether it’s a towering pine, spruce, fir or other needle-bearing giant — in other words, if it’s green all year and impressively large — then by all means let the city know about your candidate.

Here are some contest details:

• Open to evergreen/conifer trees located on private property within Stow city limits.

• Measurements that will be considered include the canopy spread and DBH (Diameter at Breast Height).

• Deadline to enter is Sept. 30.

• Entry forms and full contest rules are available at stowohio.org/208/Urban-Forestry.

The winning tree and its nominator will be recognized by the city later this year.

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