Today is Aug. 16, 2022.

• It’s going to be a typical August day: humid and periods of sun, and it may or may not storm. We’re going to have a high of 78 degrees, a nice low of 64, with an 85% chance of rain and 22% chance of thunderstorms. So really, be ready for anything.

• We added about 100 new subscribers since Friday, and I want to take a moment to welcome you all to The Spotlight community! We gather here every Tuesday and Friday morning to talk about what's happening in Stow, Munroe Falls and Silver Lake. You'll see news briefs, a calendar of upcoming events, obits, original news stories and a feature called Mailbox, where we publish and respond to your comments. Later this month, the news stories and Mailbox will be for paid subscribers only. (Though we'll give you free access if it's not in your budget. No questions asked.)

• And on that note, I've got a business question for you. What do you want to pay per month for this? Yeah, I know, most businesses just put a price on it and see if you pay it. We'd rather set a price you're comfortable with and figure out a way to make it work. Here's a quick poll. Thanks for your help!

Latest news in brief

Saying goodbye to Jane Osman, a Stow legend

We at The Spotlight extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Stow resident Jane Osman, who passed away Aug. 7 — one day after her 92nd birthday. Jane was a celebrity in the community through her work at Osman’s Pies and preparing food to be sold at the Stow Farmer’s Market.

Just one day prior to her death, Jane had enjoyed a drive-by celebration at her home on her birthday, an event attended by people throughout the community, including Stow Mayor John Pribonic. For photos of Jane’s birthday celebration, see the mayor’s Facebook page.

More news:

• The community is invited to grand-reopening ribbon cuttings for two new playgrounds in Stow at Northport Park and Sherwood Acres Park. The event at Northport Park (3780 N. Santom Rd.) will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 27, with attendees receiving free ice cream from Dairy Queen. The ribbon cutting at Sherwood Acres Park (4344 Forest Hill Rd.) starts at 11 a.m. the same day, with attendees treated to free ice cream from Handel’s.

• The Stow Historical Society’s 43rd annual Harvest Festival will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 24-25 at the Heritage Reserve Park at Silver Springs Park (5120 Young Rd.) in Stow. The event features more than 40 craft vendors and artisans, old-time craft demonstrations, kids’ activities, raffles, food, entertainment from four local bands, and a pumpkin-painting table for all kids. More info here.

• Stow Parks & Recreation’s Pickleball Program is in full swing and continues into October at Adell Durbin Park (3300 Darrow Rd.) in Stow. Outdoor dedicated pickleball play for players aged 55 and up is held from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, and from 10 a.m. to noon on Fridays. Beginner-level lessons for players aged 55 and up are available at 6 p.m. Thursdays. For more information, call 330-689-5100 or visit StowOhio.org.

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Community calendar

📚 Aug. 17, 2-3:30 p.m. – Facing the Mountain: A True Story of Japanese American Heroes in WWII. What: Book Discussion Group program featuring New York Times bestselling author Daniel James Brown, who talks about his book chronicling three Japanese American soldiers who volunteered to fight on the battlefields of Europe in World War II. Where: Community Room at the Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library, 3512 Darrow Rd. Registration not required.

🧩 Aug. 20, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. – Puzzle and Game Sale at Stow Farmers Market. What: Bargains on pre-owned puzzles and games at the Friends of the Library summer sale. Free and open to the public. Where: Stow Farmers Market (Community Church of Stow, 1567 Pilgrim Dr. in Stow).

🌽 Aug. 24, 6-8 p.m. – Summer Harvest Exchange. What: Share the bounties of your garden at the Stow-Munroe Falls Library’s free Summer Harvest Exchange, held outside behind the library on the south side of the building. Bring any fruits, herbs or vegetables from your home garden. Where: Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library, 3512 Darrow Rd. To register, visit events.smfpl.org or call (330) 688-3295 ext. 4.

❤️ Aug. 31, 1-7 p.m. – American Red Cross Blood Drive. Where: The Stow-Munroe Falls Room at the Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library, 3512 Darrow Rd. To schedule an appointment time in advance, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS.

Obituaries for Aug. 12-15

Janice L. BrechtelsbauerJanice L. Brechtelsbauer passed away August 7, 2022. She is survived by her sons, Joel, Jon (Lori), James (Teri), and Jeremy (Andrea); eleven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren; sister, Gloria (Don) Lay, and brother, David (Laura) Hancock.Read more

Sandra Y. VodneySandra Y. Vodney, 85, died August 11, 2022. Born in Dillner, Pennsylvania, she had retired from Terex (GM) and was a member of Holy Family Catholic Church.Read more

Ester CayEster Cay, 80 years old, died August 8, 2022, peacefully at home surround by family. Born in Laguna, Philippines, Ester was a resident of Stow since 2004, and was a retired nurse assistant employed with Metro health Hospital.Read more

Silver Lake

Village’s skyline could soon be inching higher

Right now, houses in Silver Lake can stand no taller than 30 feet. But the Planning Commission is working on a proposal that would allow houses to reach as high as 33 feet – and as high as 35 feet tall in some instances.

• The light and shadows cast by taller houses onto smaller neighbors is one of the factors being considered.

• Neighboring communities like Stow already permit houses to reach 35 feet.

• “We decided not to take the radical step of 35 feet, but if someone could really make a case, they could get taller,” Planning Commission Chairman Denny Stoiber said.

Schools

Nancy Brown takes over as board president with plenty on her plate

The Stow-Munroe Falls School Board has a lot to tackle as the 2022-23 school year gets underway. And it will do so under new leadership as former Vice President Nancy Brown officially took over as board president Aug. 14. She replaces Jessica Wright, whose resignation was effective the same day.

“The Stow-Munroe Falls Board of Education has two immediate priorities,” said Brown, whose term runs through Jan. 1, 2024. “The first is the appointment of a new board member to fill the vacancy created when Jessica Wright stepped down, and the second is helping our communities understand why it is so important to the future of our schools to pass the levy in November.”

• Residents will head to the polls Nov. 8 to vote on the district’s 10-year, $7.92 million emergency tax levy.

• “She is hitting the ground running, as there are many projects that are currently ongoing,” Superintendent Tom Bratten said.

Sports

Bulldog Sports Roundup: Ben Skirpac medalist as boys golf wins opening National Conference tourney

Talk about starting the season with a bang. In the first outing of the 2022 campaign, Ben Skirpac captured the individual title as the Stow-Munroe Falls boys golf team won the first of four Suburban League National Conference Tournaments that will be played this season.

“Our performance was outstanding,” SMF coach Chet Feldman said. “I knew we had the potential in us to win it.”

• The girls golf team is also off to a solid start after placing third at the first National Conference Tournament.

• The girls soccer team opened its season in impressive fashion with a 3-0 shutout of Louisville.

See Roger Gordon’s full roundup here.

Mailbox

Comments from the Aug. 12 issue

Reader: I think we can also ask who is treating the river like a toilet or a dump. If we want nice things, we have to take care of them. Thanks to the volunteers for cleaning up!

Tom: An impressive job by Float the River, the City of Munroe Falls and all the volunteers for the cleanup. Not impressive at all by those who think the Cuyahoga River is their personal waste receptacle. That's what trash pickup and recycling is for. Use it.

We also got some nice compliments in the Mailbox. Thank you for your feedback! Let us know what you think of the news, stories we should be covering or anything else you want to say to the community. Over at The Portager, a lot of our story ideas come from the Mailbox. Thanks for participating!

Well, there ya go. A snapshot of what’s happening in our communities right now. Hope you enjoyed it, and see everyone on Friday! Oh, and don’t forget to send news tips and story ideas to me at [email protected]. There’s no such thing as too many news tips and story ideas, so if you think of something, let me know.

On to Friday!

Tom [email protected]