Today is March 6, 2025.

• Good morning! Well, just when it looked like March was going to come in like a lamb with those temperatures in the high 50s and 60s, the lion is starting to roar. Those winds you heard rattling your windows overnight are bringing winter back with them, with today’s forecast calling for a couple of morning snow showers, low clouds, windy and much colder, with a high of 35 degrees and low of 25. Expect a total snowfall of an inch or two, so watch for slippery spots early. Old Man Winter isn’t done with us yet.
  

• IT’S TIME TO SPRING FORWARD: This is the weekend we “spring forward” from Eastern Standard Time to Daylight Saving Time. The time change will occur at 2 a.m. Sunday, March 9, so remember to move those clocks forward 1 hour before going to bed Saturday night — and plan accordingly since sunrise and sunset will be about 1 hour later Sunday. We’ll “fall back” to Eastern Standard Time again on Nov. 2, 2025.
  

• STATE OF THE CITIES BREAKFAST EVENT: The 60th Stow-Munroe Falls State of the Cities Breakfast Meeting will take place from 7:30 to 9 a.m. Tuesday, March 18 at the Acker-Moore Memorial Post at 3733 Fishcreek Rd. in Stow. The event, presented by the Stow-Munroe Falls Chamber of Commerce, is open to the public. Sponsored by Western Reserve Hospital and Brandon Heating and Air Conditioning, the State of the Cities Breakfast Meeting is a great opportunity for residents to hear Stow Mayor John Pribonic and Munroe Falls Mayor Allen Mavrides discuss the new developments taking place in each city, their accomplishments in 2024 and future plans for their communities. Admission is $20 for Chamber of Commerce members and $25 for non-members. Arrive early at 7:30 a.m. for networking, with breakfast catered by Bellacino’s Pizza & Grinders. The program begins at 8 a.m. Go here to register (reservations are required). For more information, call 330-688-1579.
  

• TRAFFIC SIGNAL BOX CITY BEAUTIFICATION PHASE V CALL FOR ART: The Stow Arts Commission is providing an open art call for Phase V of the Traffic Signal Box City Beautification Project. The commission is seeking proposals from artists to provide artwork for vinyl wrapping of electrical traffic signal boxes. Each box varies in size and design due to placement of vents, access doors, etc. but are an average of 60x40x27 inches. Boxes are located along Kent Road, Fishcreek Road, Hudson Drive and Steels Corners Road. Deadline to apply for this project is 5 p.m. Friday, March 28. Go to this page for more information and to submit your art.
  

• STOW PUBLIC ART MASTER PLAN: The City of Stow Public Art Master Plan Request for Proposals (RFP) is now open. With this initiative, the City of Stow is seeking proposals from qualified firms or individuals to develop a comprehensive Public Arts Master Plan that reflects the community’s values and history. Submission deadline is Friday, March 28. Go here for more information.
  

• SCAM ALERT: The Village of Silver Lake posted on its Facebook page March 5 about another scam — but this time it’s not limited to residents in the village. It applies to all of us. The village’s warning reads: “Have you received a text about unpaid turnpike tolls? If so, you are not the only one. News media around the state [is] reporting this scam. If you have any questions about your EZ Pass account, log on directly to your account via https://www.ohioturnpike.org/e-zpass/e-zpass-hub. Do not click on any text links!”
  

• “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: Details about Isaly’s diner, pre-State of the City, Dave Close, Fox Den news, Stow Community Garden and more. Full access is just $2.99/month.

Sponsored by Brandon Heating and Air Conditioning

The Spotlight would like to thank the following benefactors for making our work possible: Brandon Heating and Air Conditioning

Stow

Third time’s the biggest charm: Winning scratch-off lottery ticket in Stow nets half a million dollars

You know the old saying: “The chances of such-and-such happening are worse than hitting the lottery.” Well, in Stow, the chances of hitting the lottery are starting to look pretty good.

For at least the third time in the last two years, a winning Ohio Lottery ticket has been sold in Stow. These include a ticket for $50,000 in 2023 and one for $150,000 in 2024. But that’s chump change compared to the latest winner: $500,000 courtesy of Monopoly Bonus Spectacular 50X, a new $10 scratch-off game. According to the Ohio Lottery, the winning ticket was sold at Meijer Express No. 307, located at 4303 Kent Rd. in Stow.

The winner will receive about $360,000 after mandatory state and federal taxes totaling 28% are taken out.

Politics

SMF Democratic Club holds protest at City Hall

About 200 people packed the lawn and tree lawn in front of Stow City Hall on the evening of March 4, many of them chanting slogans, holding signs supporting a number of causes, and cheering when motorists passing by honked their horns in support.

The gathering was sponsored by the Stow-Munroe Falls Democratic Club. Demonstrators held signs indicating support for Ukraine, inclusive equality, and scientific truth. Other signs read, “The DOGE ate my country,” “Congress, Do your Job: Defend Democracy,” “Think while it is still legal,” and “This sign has more courage than the House and Senate.”

Read Wendy Dialesandro’s complete story on The Summiteer website.

Reader Spotlight

— From anonymous Stow resident: “We were walking at the park yesterday and found 7 dead Canada geese inside the Bow Wow Beach area. It was reported to non-emergency police but would appreciate someone looking into this. Was it bird flu? And should we be concerned for our pets that walk that area daily? Will the lake be safe for our dogs to swim come spring?”

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