Today is Aug. 23, 2022.

• It should be a nice one today: partly sunny and 81 degrees with a 25% chance of rain, then a comfortable 60 degrees tonight. It’ll warm up into the mid-80s Wednesday and Thursday with only slight chances of rain, so it’s shaping up to be a comfortable week as August already starts to wind down.

• Welcome back! The 2022-23 school year started Monday for Stow-Munroe Falls students in grades 1-5, 7, 9, and new high school students. Today, it’s back to school for grades 6, 8, and existing high school students. Then kindergartners get their first taste of the school experience Monday, Aug. 29.

Latest news in brief

Check out the goodies available at the Stow Urban Forestry Commission’s Sunset Blast booth

If you’re heading to the annual Summer Sunset Blast Sept. 3-4 at Silver Springs Park in Stow, be sure to stop by the Stow Urban Forestry Commission’s booth for some advice on tree planting, pruning and mulching. You can also pick up some information on the various tree programs offered to Stow residents, like having a memorial tree planted in one of the parks in memory of a loved one.

You might want to grab a tree-planting application while you’re at the booth. For $150 per tree, you’ll get a tree, planting, mulching, and a tree diaper or bag to maintain proper moisture. And if you’re an active or retired first responder, you’ll get a $50 discount.

More local news:

• Well, it only took four years, but some of the construction on Route 8 is done, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation. Six miles of construction on the heavily traveled highway from Cuyahoga Falls through Stow and up to Route 303 has been completed at a cost of $58 million. The project included ramp closures at Seasons Road and Graham Road.

• Meanwhile, Englewood Drive in Stow is closed from Graham Road to Meadow Road for construction. The closure began Aug. 22. Englewood Drive is scheduled to reopen Aug. 26.

• It’s that time of year again: the 2022 Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over national enforcement campaign began Aug. 22 and runs through Sept. 5 — and (fair warning) the Stow police are participating. The focus is on violations such as impaired driving, speeding, distracted driving, adult and child restraint violations, and driving while suspended, among others. In other words, the police are going to be watching the roads like hawks for the next couple weeks.

Sponsored by Brandon Heating and Air Conditioning

Advertise!

Community calendar

🌽 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. 28 – 2022 SMF Back to School Health and Wellness 5K and Fun Run. What: Fundraiser organized by Running Ritchies Racing to raise money for a scholarship fund in honor of students that have lost their lives to suicide. Where: Stow-Munroe Falls High School (3227 Graham Rd.). Register here.

🩸 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, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS.

🛋️ Sept. 1-7 – Furniture and Equipment Silent Auction. Bidding: opens at noon Sept. 1 and closes at 7 p.m. Sept. 7. Item pickup: Sept. 7 after close of sale and Sept. 8-12. Where: Stow Room at the Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library, 3512 Darrow Rd.

Obituaries for Aug. 19-22

Louellyn C. RobinsonBorn in Mansfield, she was a resident of Stow since 1969, a graduate of Kent State University and had been employed as a teacher in Columbus and Lorain schools.Read more

Stow

Attention thrill seekers: Ziplines are coming to a park near you

When you think of ziplines, images of soaring across jungle canopies in Costa Rica and over lush valleys in Hawaii immediately come to mind. But make room for a new location in your mind’s eye: Adell Durbin Park in Stow.

Yes, Stow may be getting its very own zipline — and it could happen as soon as the start of next year, according to Mayor John Pribonic.

• Other out-of-the-box type stuff like disc golf, a beer garden, and even an ice-skating rink are among other things under consideration.

• It’s all part of the Parks & Recreation Department’s Master Plan of massive upgrades to the city’s park system over the next 10 years. “We want every park to be some type of destination,” Pribonic said.

• Read this for more details.

Silver Lake

Want to be a cop? Village’s police force is getting state money to hire some

Not that Silver Lake is rife with violent crime, but you can’t be too careful. Therefore, the village’s police department will receive around $53,000 in grant money from the state so it can hire and keep more officers.

• The money falls under the umbrella of the Ohio Violent Crime Reduction Grant Program.

• Silver Lake is one of 21 departments around the state that will receive money to combat increasing officer resignations, “which has a direct impact on the safety of their communities,” Governor Mike DeWine said.

Sports

Bulldog Sports Roundup: Youth is served as fall campaign heats up

So much for taking a little time to adjust to the high school level. Three freshmen are coming of age quickly for their respective fall sports teams:

• Quarterback Jake Harrington led the way for the football team in a 58-7 season-opening victory over neighborhood rival Cuyahoga Falls.

• Olivia Berlingieri continued her strong start to her high school golf career in a win over Aurora.

• Tyler Cheetham was the co-high scorer for the boys golf team in a runner-up finish at the Nordonia Classic.

Read Roger Gordon’s full roundup.

Mailbox

Comments from the Aug. 19 issue

Reader: Thank you for the reminder on school bus lights flashing safety and when it is the law for vehicles to stop. The articles are informative, light, and perfect!

Tom: I suspect a lot of people who break the rules around school buses are just ignorant of the rules. So we're happy to help increase awareness. Thanks for reading!

Volume 7 of The Spotlight is in the books. I hope it was as interesting and entertaining to read as it was to put together (I’m learning along with you on this). Keep sending those story ideas and news tips, and we’ll do this again Friday!

Tom [email protected]