Today is July 18, 2024.

• Good morning! We’re going to have sunshine and some clouds today, which looks to be pleasant and less humid with a high of 74 and a low of 56. A nice break from the recent run of temps around 90 and stifling humidity, which is par for the course in the Dog Days of Summer.
  

• COUNCIL CLARIFICATION: Stow City Council Member Kyle Herman, The Spotlight’s source for last week’s council update story, clarifies that “Council did not initiate ‘a #StowPride campaign,’ I did as an individual member of Council.” The Spotlight appreciates the clarification.
  

• WHERE DO YOU STAND ON THE SMF SCHOOLS BOND ISSUE? The Spotlight is taking the pulse of the Stow-Munroe Falls community on the upcoming $238 million, 35-year bond issue the school district is putting on the November ballot. Send us your comments on the issue, and we will publish them as we get them in our new “Reader Spotlight” feature (detailed below).
  

• The Spotlight has a new feature called “Reader Spotlight,” 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. 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 atwww.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: Big recycling facility, Once Upon a Child, new Little Library, mulch, soccer registration and more local news. Full access is $2.99/month.

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Stow

Tragedy — and togetherness: Here are some ways the community can help two families who lost their homes in fires

Two families in Stow are trying to recover from devastating house fires that destroyed their homes recently (fortunately nobody died in the fires), and there are a few ways those of us in the community can help.

In the first house fire a few weeks ago, a Stow resident and his pet were able to safely evacuate the residence, which was a total loss. In an effort to support him during this difficult time, the City of Stow is collecting donations to aid in his rebuilding process:

• Stow residents can visit Stow City Hall before Friday, July 19 to sign a card located at the front desk and consider donating a gift card to a local business for items such as clothing, pet supplies and food. The city requests no e-gift cards.

• Stow City Hall, located at 3760 Darrow Rd., is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Call 330-689-2700 for more information and other ways to donate.

Then, the Altomare family — Kevin, Kendra and their children Keegan, Karina and Kameron — lost their home in a fire in the early-morning hours of July 16.

A GoFundMe account has been set up for the Altomares. Funds raised will help the family rebuild their lives as they recover from the loss of their home.

Also, the Altomare family is in need of clothes and any items for the kids and dog. Send a Facebook DM here for the address to drop off donations.

Reader Spotlight

— From anonymous: “Munroe Falls has an ordinance banning use of fireworks??? News to me. I can’t write what I’d like to about my neighborhood yahoo. Sadly, he still has his fingers and head. No concern about others. ‘Merica’!! Dynamite going off the weekend before, the week of, midnight til whenever, the weekend after. Can’t wait for New Year’s. Yahoo. PLEASE do not include my name for my safety!!” — Editor’s Note: While The Spotlight prefers readers to provide their names and towns for attribution and to prevent Reader Spotlight from degenerating into a message board brouhaha, we understand if you’re not comfortable doing so and will publish anonymous comments as long as they are not offensive or threatening.

— From Ross Widenor: “Good morning! Thanks for the opportunity to give a comment on the school bond issue. Note that these are my own personal comments and not representative of any group of which I’m a part. Voting for more taxes is never a thing done with much joy, but few things are more justified in my mind than investing in future youth having safe physical space to learn. A strong public school system is a key factor in attracting young families and future parents to live in our community — it was definitely a factor for us! And if you’ve attended the many informational and feedback meetings, you’ll understand that replacing the buildings is the financially responsible thing to do, as opposed to pouring money into the significant maintenance the aging existing buildings would need. I hope folks will show up and support the schools!”

— From anonymous: “I’m a senior on a fixed income. [The school bond issue] is a hard NO for me. The last tax increase was already more than my [Social Security] increase. I cannot afford this. I’ve lived in Stow all but 8 years, graduated….my kids graduated from Stow. Education in Stow used to be envied, not anymore. New buildings will not change that. This should have been done over time, not this all at once approach. Until someone is put in place that’s fiscally responsible, none of this should happen.”

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