Today is Oct. 4, 2022.

• We’ve got a nice week in store for us: Sunny and a high of 64 today, then dipping to 39 tonight (yeah, that sounds chilly, but we’ll be begging for 39 in January). Then we’ll be in the low 70s with sunshine Wednesday and Thursday. We’ll milk this weather as long as we can, because we all know what’s in store for us shortly.

• We're starting to work on our election preview coverage and looking for your help. If you're someone with a strong, informed opinion about any of the candidates or issues on the ballot, leave a comment in the Mailbox or reply to this email with your take. Thanks!

• Inside this issue: Stow voters will decide whether to extend term limits for those filling unexpired terms. Silver Lake's Veterans Tribute Garden has an Oct. 7 deadline for bricks. Roger Gordon's Bulldogs sports roundup, with coverage of football, golf, soccer, cross country and tennis.

Want The Spotlight to exist? Then we need your support. And thank you to the 30 of you who have already purchased a Full Spotlight Access membership! We couldn't do this without you.

Latest news in brief

Tonight’s the night! Meet the candidates on the Nov. 8 ballot at Acker-Moore Memorial Post in Stow

If you’d like to meet some of the people who are going to be on your November ballot, tonight is your big chance. Citizens for Non-Partisan Politics, a Stow citizens group, is hosting Candidates Night at Acker-Moore Memorial Post, located at 3733 Fishcreek Rd. in Stow.

Doors open tonight at 6 p.m. The event, which will run from 6:30-8:30 p.m., is your opportunity to meet your federal, state, county and judge candidates who will be on the ballot in the Nov. 8 general election. Admission is free and open to the public, and free refreshments will be available.

More local news

• Tuesday, Oct. 11, is the deadline to register for the Nov. 8 general election. The Summit County Board of Elections (500 Grant St., Akron) will register voters that day from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., with early voting at the BOE beginning at 8 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 12. Polls are open on Election Day from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 8. For more information, visit the Summit County Board of Elections website.

• The City of Stow’s Trick-or-Treat Night 2022 will take place from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, rain or shine. Turn your porch light on if you want to hand out treats to the ghosts and goblins. Let’s have a safe night of festivities, so make sure to watch for traffic when crossing roads. And the city suggests actually handing treats to children rather than putting out a group bucket. The Stow Police Department will have extra patrols out in the community that night.

• You can support Ben and Candace Curtis’ Bulldog Bags charity by rounding up your change throughout October at Dairy Queen Grill & Chill (3645 Fishcreek Rd.) in Stow. Dairy Queen will also donate $5 to Bulldog Bags when you purchase an ice cream cake through Oct. 31. Go to this page for a coupon to present at time of purchase. Bulldog Bags, Inc., is a nonprofit that addresses food insecurity in children in the Stow-Munroe Falls City School District.

• Monday, Oct. 10, is the last day to reserve a spot for Roses Run Country Club’s Beer & Dinner Pairing featuring Rhinegeist Brewery of Cincinnati. The event will take place at 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, in the Paddock Grille at Roses Run Country Club (2636 N. River Rd.) in Stow. Tickets are $50 per person and include a welcome beer, four beer-tasting samples paired with a progression of chef-featured small plates, and a full-sized pint of your choice. Each ticket includes a raffle ticket for a Rhinegeist gift basket. Reservations are required for this event. To make a reservation, stop in at Roses Run Country Club or call 330-688-4653.

Sponsored by Brandon Heating and Air Conditioning

Community calendar

🚢 Wed., Oct. 5, 6-7:30 p.m.: Shipwrecks: Treasures of the Great Lakes. What: Internationally acclaimed and award-winning shipwreck photographer Cal Kothrade gives a visual tour of 10 of the most photogenic and commonly dived shipwrecks in the Great Lakes, including a brief story of each tragedy. Where: Stow-Munroe Falls Room at the Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library (3512 Darrow Rd.). This is also a virtual presentation. To register, call 330-688-3295 ext. 4, or visit events.smfpl.org.

🎥 Fri., Oct. 7, 7:30 p.m.: Community Movie Night. What: The first of four Friday night movie presentations in October, featuring the showing of “The Addams Family” (2019 version). Where: TGI Fridays (4300 Lakepointe Corporate Dr.) in Stow. Admission is free.

🧶 Sat., Oct. 8, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Holiday Craft Show. What: Shop for handmade holiday crafts to support missions and the community. Lunch, refreshments and home-baked goods will also be available. Where: Twin Falls United Methodist Church (60 N. River Rd.) in Munroe Falls. Call 330-688-5676 for more information.

🍺 Sat., Oct. 8, 2-5 p.m.: 10th Annual Craft Beer Fest. What: Beer offerings from 12 local breweries, plus musical artist Sammi Butler performs from 1:30-4:30 p.m. Special VIP access from 1-2 p.m. Where: Heritage Barn at Silver Springs Park (5238 Young Rd.) in Stow. Tickets are available here.

🎻 Sat., Oct. 8, 7:30 p.m.: Stow Symphony Orchestra Fall Concert. What: The orchestra will perform selections by Corelli, Tatafiore and Beethoven. Where: Tallmadge Alliance Church (1155 East Ave.) in Tallmadge. Tickets are $12 ($9 for students and seniors). Children 12 and under are free. Tickets can be purchased at the door or in advance at this page.

🎥 Sat., Oct. 15, 4 p.m.: Fall Family Festival & Outdoor Movie Night. What: Community event featuring a ghost egg hunt, Halloween costume contest, trick-or-treat and more, with the movie starting at dusk (bring your chairs and blankets). Where: Guise Park (38 Guise Park Dr.) next to City Hall in Munroe Falls.

👻 Sat., Oct. 15, 6-9 p.m.: Haunted Hayride. What: Spooky ride on wagons through the campground and roads by the Heritage Barn, with S’mores and scary stories afterward. Food trucks will be onsite. Where: Silver Springs Park (5238 Young Rd.) in Stow. Cost is $5 for Stow residents and $7 for non-residents (children 2 and under are free). Registration is required at StowOhio.RecDesk.com or by calling 330-689-5100.

📚 Mon., Oct. 17, 4-6 p.m.: Book Donation Day. What: Bring your good, clean, used books and puzzles to the back door of the library. Curbside pickup service will be available. Where: Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library (3512 Darrow Rd.). Materials will be used by the library or sold at the Friends’ Book Sale. Proceeds benefit library programming. If you are unable to accommodate this date and time, call Joan at 330-388-0355 to schedule an appointment to drop off donations.

👻 Tues., Oct. 18, 6:30-7:30 p.m.: Halloween Family Trivia Night. What: Families will compete for a chance to win prizes. Where: Stow-Munroe Falls Room at the Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library (3512 Darrow Rd.). To register your family, call 330-688-3295 ext. 5, visit events.smfpl.org, or stop by the library. This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Library.

👨 Tues., Oct. 18, 7-8 p.m.: Meet the Mayor. What: Meet Mayor John Pribonic as he discusses his vision and goals for the city of Stow. Where: Conference Room at the Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library (3512 Darrow Rd.). To register, call 330-688-3295, visit events.smfpl.org, or stop by the library.

👻 Sat., Oct. 22, 7:30-8:30 p.m.: Haunted Hearth (Stories for Adults). What: Gather around the Sancturetum fireplace and listen to scary stories told by the Stow-Munroe Falls Public Library. Event is for attendees aged 18 and over. Where: Sancturetum at Stow City Center (3760 Darrow Rd.). Treats provided by Stownut Donut & Diner. Cost is $5 per person.

Obituaries for Sept. 30 - Oct. 3

Rita E. ReiderBorn May 16, 1924, in Akron, Rita was the daughter of Wesley and Elsie (Smith) Schultz. She grew up on Coburn Street and graduated a year early from South High School.Read more

James (Jim) F. KraynakJames (Jim) F. Kraynak, 80, died peacefully at home surrounded by his family on September 29, 2022.Read more

Clifford A. Johnson, M.D.Clifford A. Johnson, M.D., of Silver Lake, passed away at the age of 98 on September 30, 2022.Read more

Mailbox

We're sticking the Mailbox above the paywall today so you all can see what you're missing. Today's is particularly meaty, with lots of comments on our story Friday about Stow's zoning code.

Reader: I’m very supportive of Stow hiring a consultant to review and re-write our code. I think most would agree that Stow has seemed to lack direction for decades in regards to planning and development. I was excited to see this on council’s agenda and only began to read the report, but plan to finish it, and I’m glad The Spotlight is reporting on it.

Tom: Thank you! Here's the full report for those who missed it.

Reader: Turning farmland into Ryan homes without looking who lives down stream has been a theme. And how about rezoning that allows a developer to make tiny lots, without keeping with the previous zoning of a neighborhood? Being offered parkland off of Fishcreek Rd and not wanting more parkland to mow. You can leave parks natural you don’t have to raze and then plant grass. And finally miniature golf and beer garden in a R-1 residential area? Who comes up with this stuff? I actually prefer a planning commission and city council to approve plans rather than an “official”. Those of us who live here and pay taxes ought to have representation through our city council of how things are developed around us.

Reader: How about looking to have entertainment, restaurants, etc? There was talk of it a few years ago. The time is now!

Reader: When I was a kid it was always obvious to me that Stow tore down it’s old buildings and put new ugly things in their place. Look at Kent and Cuyahoga Falls. Both their downtowns are great and original. The intersection of Kent and Darrow used to have old mom pop shops and a downtown feel. And they tore it all down and put in a car lot.

Reader: What’s wrong with it? Far too often clear laws just aren’t enforced and they claim the law is broken. Wth are they trying to fix?

Tom: Thanks for all the comments. If you've got a take on the news we report, you can always share it in the Mailbox below.

Subscribe to The Spotlight to read the rest.