Today is May 9, 2024.

• Morning, all! Well, just when we thought the weather broke for good … It’s going to be mostly cloudy and cooler with a couple of showers today, with a high of 60 and the low tonight dropping to 49. Lows will then dip into the mid-40s Friday and Saturday before we start to warm up again just in time for Mother’s Day, when we’ll have a high of 62 degrees with sunshine and patchy clouds after some possible showers that morning. After that, we’re forecast to be in the 70s all next week. So we’re getting there …
  

• STOW WATER DISCOLORATION UPDATE: If you’ve been experiencing any water discoloration or pressure fluctuations recently, the City of Stows says it’s because Akron is performing maintenance at its water treatment facility. Akron is hoping to have this work completed sometime today. In the meantime, Stow has suspended its hydrant flushing operations while the Akron maintenance is being performed in hopes of minimizing the water discoloration. While the water is safe to drink and no boiling is required, residents may want to avoid doing laundry until the water clears up.
  

• To kick off its Planning and Zoning Code Update project, the City of Stow will host a public open house at 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 5 at Stow City Hall at 3760 Darrow Rd. All community members are invited to attend to learn more about the project and provide feedback on key update topics. Go here for more information.
  

• Free mulch is now available for Silver Lake residents at the village’s service department at 2961 Kent Rd. Loading is self-serve, and the mulch will be available until it’s gone.
  

• With graduation season upon us, the Stow-Munroe Falls Chamber of Commerce is extending a special invitation to support the Chamber’s annual President’s Club Scholarship Fund. The Chamber provides these scholarship opportunities for Stow-Munroe Falls students through the Stow-Munroe Falls Schools Foundation or for non-district students through the Stow-Munroe Falls Chamber of Commerce website. Scholarships are awarded annually in May. Since its inception, the Stow-Munroe Falls Chamber of Commerce President’s Club has awarded over $40,000 in scholarships. Donors will receive the following exclusive incentives: 1. Recognition of your business as a President’s Club Member at Key and Signature Events, on the Chamber website and in the email signature of Executive Director Julie McLain annually starting June 1; 2. Tickets for the Annual President’s Club Basket drawing at The Elite Business Awards Dinner on May 15; 3. A special recognition plaque for your office. All of your donation money goes to this scholarship program. Donation levels are $100, $250 or $500. Contact the Chamber office at (330) 688-1579 to join the President’s Club at your level of choice.
  

• 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: Leissler resigns from SMF school board and plans state senate run, updates from Mayor Pribonic, flower sale, Munroe Falls water quality and much more local news. Full access is $2.99/month.

Sponsored by Brandon Heating and Air Conditioning

Sponsored by Ohio Health Benefits

Stow-Munroe Falls

Woof! Community favorite Paw Fest is set for Sept. 15; vendors and rescue groups wanted

Circle it on your calendar: Paw Fest 2024, sponsored by the Stow-Munroe Falls Lions Club, will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 15 at Bow Wow Beach Dog Park in Silver Springs Park. The Lions Club’s popular annual fundraiser, now in its 17th year, will feature:

• Dog contests

• Speakers

• Demonstrations

• Pet vendors

• Food vendors

• Rescue groups

The event will end with a gift raffle at 3 p.m. at the Lions’ tent. Cost to attend is $1 to park or a donation of used eyeglasses.

Dog-related vendors, rescue groups and food vendors that are interested in participating in the event should contact Marty Dennis, Lions Club chair, at [email protected].

Reader Spotlight

Editor’s Note: In today’s newsletter, we are debuting our new feature called “Reader Spotlight,” where subscribers to The Spotlight can email their comments, concerns and suggestions on anything going on in our communities of Stow, Munroe Falls and Silver Lake. We will publish comments as we receive them. Send your email to [email protected], put “Reader Spotlight” in the subject line, and please include your name and town.

The following was sent to us by The Spotlight reader Barbara MacKay of Kent:

“I have been enjoying going to the Stow Senior Center twice a month for a 15-minute chair massage from Sue Petrof. It’s a convenient location, my back feels much better after each session, and it costs just $15.

I was sorry to hear that the Stow Parks and Recreation Department has decided to exclude massage from their program for seniors. I asked the Director why, and she said that massage is not recreation, it’s health care. She said as a matter of policy the Parks and Recreation will not be offering anything in the future other than recreational activities.

Now the massage therapist has to find another location by the end of June in order to continue offering this practice. I’m not aware of anyone else doing chair massage for seniors. I think this is an important resource; chair massage doesn’t require undressing so it’s much more accessible for seniors than table massage. 15 minutes for $15 is more affordable than table massage. It has been proven to provide many different health benefits.

If you can offer a good location for this practice, please contact Sue Petrof either by email at [email protected] or text at (330) 414-8882. It would be great if we can continue to have this resource available in our community.”

SPOTLIGHT ON THE CHAMBER

Sponsored by the Stow-Munroe Falls Chamber of Commerce

Celebrating excellence in business and community leadership: Chamber’s Elite Business Awards Dinner is set for May 15

The Stow-Munroe Falls Chamber of Commerce is thrilled to announce its upcoming Elite Business Awards Dinner, scheduled to take place Wednesday, May 15. This highly anticipated event serves as a celebration of outstanding business and community leaders who have been nominated for accolades in 11 distinguished categories.

The Elite Business Awards Dinner promises an evening of recognition, networking and inspiration, as the Stow-Munroe Falls community comes together to honor those who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and innovation. It will be held at the Kent State University Hotel and Convention Center at 215 S. Depeyster St. in Kent. The event will begin with the networking reception at 5:30 p.m., with dinner and program to follow.

“We are excited to host the Elite Business Awards Dinner, where we will shine a spotlight on the remarkable individuals and organizations that contribute to the vitality and success of our community,” Julie McLain, executive director of the Stow-Munroe Falls Chamber of Commerce, said. “This event is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our local businesses and leaders, and we look forward to celebrating their achievements.”

The awards dinner will feature presentations in seven categories: Business of the Year, Emerging Leader of the Year, Good Neighbor Award, The Mayors Award - Stow, The Mayors Award – Munroe Falls, GoLocal Business of the Year, and The Legacy and Leadership Award.

Nominations for these prestigious awards were submitted by members of the Stow-Munroe Falls community, and reviewed and voted on by the economic development committee of the Stow-Munroe Falls Chamber of Commerce.

Our nominees this year include: Richard Sprungle, vice president of operations at Audio-Technica U.S., Inc.; Ross Widenor, council president, City of Munroe Falls; David P. Miller, PNC; Altieri’s Pizza; Nothing Bundt Cakes – Stow; Cardinal Asphalt; BFG Federal Credit Union; Blaze Technical Services; Thompson Electric, Inc.; and The Spice Delight.

The Main Event Sponsor this year is El Campesino Mexican restaurant in Stow. Platinum Sponsors for the event are Wentz Financial Group, Fogg Corporate Properties and AtNetPlus, Inc. Dessert Sponsors are Nothing Bundt Cakes – Stow, Redmon Funeral Home and TTR Shipping. Silver Sponsors are Bella EyeCare; BFG Federal Credit Union; Thomas C. Loepp Law Offices, CO., LPA; and Western Reserve Hospital. Networking Sponsor is The Spice Delight – Ohio.

The Elite Business Awards Dinner will provide attendees with an opportunity to connect with fellow business leaders, entrepreneurs and community influencers while celebrating the spirit of collaboration and excellence that defines the Stow-Munroe Falls business community.

“We invite all members of the community to join us for an unforgettable evening as we recognize the outstanding achievements of our local businesses and leaders,” McLain said. “Together, we will celebrate excellence and inspire one another to continue making a positive impact in Stow-Munroe Falls and beyond.”

For more information about the Elite Business Awards Dinner or to purchase tickets, please visit https://bit.ly/EliteTickets2024, or contact the Stow-Munroe Falls Chamber of Commerce at (330) 688-1579 or [email protected].

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